Faith and Hope and Its Context in Hebrews
Theme: Faith and Hope, it all starts with God
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Thought:
Hebrews 11 begins a wonderful section of scripture that shows what faith looked like in the lives of some Old Testament believers. I remember growing up on a farm and my dad showing my brother and me how to irrigate, prune peaches and grapes, and perform many other tasks. It was not enough just to tell us what to do. He showed us how to do all the jobs needed to grow peaches and grapes. Part of our learning was listening to his directions and then watching him perform a particular task. We finished the learning by doing the jobs ourselves, often with either acknowledgment of a good job or course corrections, but we learned by watching and then doing.
In Hebrews 11, the author shows us what it looks like to live out our faith. There are both instructions and examples with various Old Testament characters living out their faith through different life circumstances. In this chapter, we see men and women living by faith as they make daily decisions, and I can relate to each of them. We also see in these examples of faith that God provides the strength and ability to act in faith.
These ‘witnesses’ to faith also motivate us to direct our attention to Christ, the one who begins and perfects our faith. The author concludes chapter 11 with the first few verses of chapter 12. You could say that each example of someone who lives by faith in this chapter motivates us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.
But before we look at the words ‘assurance’ and ‘conviction’, we need to understand what the author of Hebrews is saying in ‘things hoped for,’ because we hope for many things. What is hoped for in Hebrews 11:1?
In Hebrews 1, the author tells us that God “has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” Christ is greater than the prophets and angels, and He is the fulfillment of promises of a coming messiah who was the once-for-all sacrifice for sin. This was further indicated by Christ sitting “down at the right hand of the majesty on high.”
In chapter 2, verses 9 and 10, we read “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely Jesus, because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” In Christ, we see the answer to our need for a savior.
Hebrews 2:10 continues, “For it was fitting for Him (Christ), for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” As Ryrie points out in his study Bible, “the sufferings of Jesus made Him qualified to be the leader of man’s salvation.”
As the lyrics in the worship song “Is He Worthy?” remind us, in asking the question, “Is anyone worthy? Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?” Christ is worthy. Revelations 5:9 records a song, “Worthy are you (Christ) to take the book and to break its seals; for you were slain, and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nations.”
Hebrews 2:14 shows how Christ, through His death, makes the devil and death powerless over us. Christ became a “merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Propitiation speaks of Christ’s sacrifice as legally and in every way satisfying God’s righteous and Holy character in dealing with our sin.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for” tells me that faith begins with recognizing that God’s character of holiness and lovingkindness is satisfied in Christ, through His suffering and death as our substitute. All that I could hope for is knowing that God has provided a complete, once-for-all sacrifice for my sins and the resulting promise of a worthy messiah; of this I can have assurance. That is my hope. That is what I have faith in.
May I encourage you to read through the first 10 chapters of Hebrews over the next 5 days? It will prepare your heart and mind to better understand Hebrews 11 and to more fully appreciate the hope mentioned in verse one.
Let me leave you with one more question: ‘Why is hope so important?’ I will answer that with five verses, or passages:
- Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
- Romans 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
- Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait (or hope) in the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
- Psalm 42:5 “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him.”
- Hebrews 6:19-20 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
We often use hope to express what we desire, even though we are not sure it will come to pass. The hope these verses speak of, including Hebrews 11:1, is something sure, something definite, and promised by a God who doesn’t lie and is not only powerful enough to follow through, but He always does. One example of faith we will look at in Hebrews 11:11 is Sarah, who, it is said, “she considered Him faithful who had promised.”
Without hope, we lose all motivation. With hope, we never give up. With hope in someone who is all-powerful, all-wise, and all-loving, we cannot lose, and when that hope speaks of our eternal salvation, that’s the most important hope we can have.
Reflection:
Where in your life experiences have you seen hope in God give you strength and perseverance to keep going?
What contributes to your losing hope? I find it helps to focus on starting the next day anew. I often reflect on Lamentations 3:21-23. “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Reflecting on God’s character strengthens my hope.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for Your love and compassion. Thank you for giving me hope in You, for You are faithful and You are good.
Leave a Reply