September 23: Hebrews 11:1-16

And now we come to the incredible crescendo of this beautiful book of the Bible. We’ve been told with passion and careful argument from the Old Testament that Jesus is God-in-flesh. Not an angel. Not a prophet. Not one in a long line of normal high priests. He is both the willing Sacrifice and the Most High Priest. Unique and not even from the tribe of Levi. He is, in fact, God the Son. He is worthy of worship. No matter the persecution we might face, no matter the difficulties, we are to be faithful to Jesus and trust in His promises.

Hebrews 11 turns from the careful arguments and pleadings and instead shows us example after example of those who have gone before us, believing God. We start at creation itself. God made the entire universe with His command. Something came from nothing. God is the One who started it all. The First Cause. And He existed before there was a universe. Our faith starts with a wonder at the Creator of all things Who has no beginning and no end.

Our first sixteen verses take us from Abel to Abraham. We are reminded of how all these people listed trusted God in sometimes very hard situations. We linger on Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, and his wife Sarah. They left a settled life and roamed as nomads for the rest of their lives, because God told them to do so. They believed that God would provide a son – an heir – because God told them so. And God did. However, they waited beyond all hope, didn’t they? They tried to “fix” it with Hagar’s and Abraham’s son, but still they followed the one true God throughout.

None of these people listed, says our author, got to see the big picture and end-time fulfillment when God will make the world right again. They looked forward to it, but they did not see it. We, also, look forward to a new Heaven and a new earth. Like them … we are living in the “not yet” part of the story. They all had a “good reputation” (verse2) and that is what we should long for, too. We please and bless God with our faith in what will come, trusting Him although we do not yet see all that will be. Oh, what a stirring start to this chapter on developing our faith muscle for the days ahead! I can’t wait to read what verse you chose. Which example inspired you? Or was it a verse on having faith itself? Share with us, please.

My verse: Hebrews 11:3, “By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.”

My response:  It all begins with You: God of all. Pre-existing One. Alive before time began. All our faith has to start with wonderful, incomprehensible, awesome You. I bow before You, Lord God Almighty.