Remember the Past

KEY VERSE: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” —Hebrews 11:1

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 11:1, 2, 6-10, 13-16, 39, 40

THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER of Hebrews has well been called ‘the faith chapter’ because it is a recollection of deeds of Old Testament heroes who “obtained a good report through faith.” (Heb. 11:39) While suffering all forms of persecution, from ridicule to cruel death, they proved their faithfulness to God. The Apostle Paul stresses the importance of remembering these heroic figures to help us strengthen our faith. As he states, “All these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition.”—I Cor. 10:11

The Greek word hupostasis, translated ‘substance’ in Hebrews 11:1, has the meaning of ‘substratum’, ‘what stands under’, or ‘foundation’. Faith is the ‘basis’ for things hoped for; it is not wishful thinking, nor is it credulity. Faith depends upon reason and facts, being structured in such a way that leads to firm belief in things unseen or as yet not occurring. Such was the faith of the believers of the Old Testament era. They reasoned on the facts given to them, and had firm belief that the promises of God were sure. Their vision of the future had this firm foundation which prompted their works of faith described by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 11.

The definition of faith included ‘the evidence’, or what proves the existence of things not seen. It is the means of testing truth to prove it so. It is a conviction of something being true that will survive any testing. Thus, Abraham was willing to leave his homeland to seek “a city” whose builder and architect is God. (Heb. 11:10) Though he never found that city in his lifetime, Abraham was convinced that through his seed such ‘a city’—God’s kingdom—would be established to bless all the families of the earth.

Another man of faith was Moses. When he became of age he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God. … Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” (Heb. 11:24-26) Moses had great faith in the promise God had made to Abraham through which the anointed—‘Messiah’, ‘Christ’—would come. He was far more interested in preserving his share of reward through the Abrahamic promise than to enjoy Egypt’s treasures. Thus, by faith Moses led Israel from their captivity in Egypt through the Red Sea on dry ground. Whereas the Egyptians had a change of mind, pursued the Israelites, and drowned in the sea.—vss. 27-29

Faith deals with hope in the unseen, looking to the future. As Abraham followed God’s leading to a new land and became a stranger in the land promised to him, so we, too, are pilgrims in a strange land. We live among the nations of earth, but only as aliens. We are in the flesh, but do not live according to the flesh; we live on earth, but our citizenship is in heaven.—Eph. 2:19

The ‘faith heroes’ of Hebrews 11 were commended by God as examples for us to imitate. They include well-known names of the past whose suffering was a price paid for their faithfulness. Incredibly, God has promised the faithful of this Gospel Age something even better! (Heb. 11:39,40) By remembering these past heroes of faith we should strengthen our faith every day of our Christian journey.

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