HEBREWS 11: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE SUBJECT OF FAITH
Hebrews 11 is one of the Bible chapters that I love so much, so much.
I’ve probably read this particular chapter over 100 times, and yet it breaks something in me every time I do.
I’m so sorry o but I doubt I am able to resist doing a verse-by-verse exegesis of this chapter, so please permit me and read along 🙏.
1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen
This sounds funny
To say something is evidence for what cannot be seen is basically saying you are using a visible to confirm the invisible.
E.g I cannot see how electricity flows inside a bulb but my proof that there is electricity inside that line is the bulb lighting up.
I can’t see electricity but I can see the bulb confirming that there is electricity.
I can’t see gravity, but the evidence for me that gravity exists is that when I drop an object, it falls. The object falling is an evidence of gravity which I cannot see.
Now we say Faith is the evidence/proof of things not seen. What is the visible in this statement? Since a visible is used to prove the invisible. What is visible?
A lot of us try to make the things that we see proof of our faith because this is how it runs in the natural but it is the other way round actually. Faith is seeing and believing.
TPT says "Faith is the foundation needed to acquire everything we believe for"
Faith is conviction that the things that are currently physically invisible truly exist!
The EASY translations says We will be SURE in our minds about things that we cannot even see
But what gives us this assurance?
And this is where I land;
Faith is not blind
Faith actually sees something
There is a visible in Faith too
Faith is not mere wishful thinking nor is it self-generated.
Faith is a response to something God has said!
Faith is a response to God; The Faithful ONE!
Also we sometimes mistake Faith with Hope. Faith is what helps us get all the things we hope for.
We can hope and not receive but there is no way anyone has faith and not receive.
Why? Because in Faith, there is already a "receive" even before the world sees.
And why is there a receive? The word of God is the backing/anchor of Faith.
The faithfulness of God!
Faith is the receipt of the things that do not yet exist fully in the physical but exist already inside of the word of God and His Faithfulness.
What I told myself as I studied is this:
If my Faith is going to fail at any point,
If I have to throw it away at any point,
It should only be because God did not speak or God stopped being Faithful, Which is impossible.
Because for every response, there is a call. So if I will cancel my Faith which is a response, then the call will have to be cancelled also.
Can the word of God or His Faithfulness be cancelled?????
Can anything invalidate it?
When I say Faith is a receipt, let me explain;
I do not have a Tesla yet in my garage, but I have a valid receipt in my name for a Tesla car, am I a Tesla owner or not?
Of course I am!
Faith is this receipt that certifies me as the owner of that testimony, it is my proof of ownership of a thing.
I will backtrack Faith to the word of God because that is where it is borne from.
The word of God given to you is your proof of ownership. It is your visible for the currently invisible, because God’s word can be considered done.
PS. If you disbelief this principle, then you disbelief the same principle that says you are saved.
Faith is my receipt that when this world passes away, I will be among those raptured.
Faith also has a kind of boldness to it, it doesn't second guess.
It's either I have a Tesla receipt or not and If I do, I definitely have a Tesla car.
Faith is very sure.
2. Framed by the word of God
In case this subject of Faith still doesn’t make sense, because again how can I use what is invisible as proof? The writer in Hebrews reminded us of the very beginning
“Because of faith, we understand about how God made the universe. He spoke his word to make it happen. In that way, God made all the things that we can see. He made them from things that nobody can see.” Hebrews 11:3 EASY
First, the earth was void and without shape then God spoke!
This is the basis of everything; God spoke!
We wake up everyday and expect it to be morning and then after some hours we expect it to be night, why? God spoke!
All the things that we can see, the firmaments, the birds in the fields, etc, all of them exist because God spoke.
The word of God is how things are framed to life.
So if He gave you a word, why are you doubting?
Has night ceased to exist or daytime paused for over 6000 years since God spoke?
If a word spoken that long ago has not faulted in any way or for any reason, why do you doubt what your God has said to you?
3. Pleasing God
In verse 5, the Bible said Enoch did not die. He was transported.
Why? Because he pleased God by Faith.
God was also pleased by his faith.
Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him Hebrews 11:6 ERV
The order here is that we have faith first before we seek God and try to find Him. If you are waiting for the miracle first before you can have faith, wrong order o.
Some of us want to find God first, then have faith based on what we find. You see, without Faith, it is most likely we will find nothing. And when you look at this order, it defies the natural.
It is why logic cannot explain the things of faith, you sound like a fool when you try to logically explain these things.
Again, Faith is your proof of payment/purchase. Without Faith, there is nothing we can get because no purchase happened.
Faith is a cheque that never bounces back!
You may not know how these things will happen, but you just know that a testimony has been procured already, fully paid for, in your name!
And sometimes, Satan in his craftiness may want to tell you you are holding a fake receipt;
Na lie o!
Stand there
Die there if you must
There are kuku people that died believing; Joseph asked his children to carry his bones to the promised land.
Faith does not take No for an answer
I cannot buy a Tesla car worth millions and you tell me my receipt is invalid, then me too I will say, "Ehnehn. Okay. No problem. I will go and check another car or trek to where I am going to." I will drag you till I collect my car because can you not see my receipt?
Faith knows what has been bought,
Believes it,
And accepts no other answer than this!
4. Faith is an action word
It is in acting that you see the proceeds of faith. Nothing comes to you if you don’t move on the word you got by Faith. Nothing!
Faith motivated Abraham to obey God’s call and leave the familiar to discover the territory he was destined to inherit from God. So he left with only a promise and without even knowing ahead of time where he was going, Abraham stepped out in faith. Hebrews 11:8 TPT
This particular verse turns my head always.
Abraham left his city with just a promise.
God did not say, "I'm sending you to America. Go to Texas, you will meet xyz and I will do abc"
No.
God called Abraham and asked Him to leave where He was then told him to just be going.
No direction o, nothing. Just be going till you get to where I will show you.
When you are not a nomad 😭
But you see, Faith motivated Abraham to take an action. Faith was what made Abraham to pack his bags and leave.
I once heard Nkiruka call the Old Testament the Foolish Times and true true na foolish times. Because it takes a level of ‘foolishness’ to do this 😭
You see wise people? They cannot do it.
Earthly wise men will not.
Maybe we don’t understand it, Abraham left for nowhere with his whole family!
Nah, we don’t get it.
When people are travelling out of the country and there are little uncertainties, most times the head of the house will go first, settle properly then full family will join later.
But Abraham carried everybody,
Every single person in his family. He left nothing behind, meaning they have nothing to come back to if the journey doesn't work out.
Nah, we still don’t get it 😭😭😭😭
If it didn’t work, there was nothing to come back to. He had lost everything!
That’s how you know a man that believed in His God and His word
It doesn’t make any sense to me, and this is what Faith is like; It almost doesn’t make sense.
I remember one time someone came to me for counselling, that God told them something. I was looking at them and in my head what was going on is “this is madness”
You know when you come to your pastor for assurance on the word you get and Pastor sef dey look you say omooooooo I no dey for this one o. I don’t understand it 😭😭😭
But you see, even though I didn’t understand their word, I could see that God had given a word truly. Even though I found the instruction ‘foolish’ by human understanding, a part of me knew.
So I prayed with them and honestly told them that you see this thing you are about to do my human mind thinks it foolish. I want to give you human inspired wisdom advice, but I know the hand of my God when I see it and it doesn’t matter what I think. And if I were in your shoes, I will have faith and move. I will not care what anyone says/think.
Why am I sharing this?
There are times even the people you expect to understand your instructions will not. There are days you will be standing alone on a word but know this, the word is for you so it is your faith that is needed.
Move!
Let’s head back to Abraham and his instruction,
The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country and your people. Leave your father’s family and go to the country that I will show you. I will build a great nation from you. I will bless you and make your name famous. People will use your name to bless other people. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you. I will use you to bless all the people on earth.” So Abram left Haran just like the Lord said, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. Genesis 12:1-4 ERV
Leave where you are and go to where I will show you
Just be going, as you go, I will show you.
This thing makes me laugh and cry every time I read it.
Like just be going???? And somebody left 😭😭😭
Ah!!!!
This is all Abraham heard and he left immediately?
God didn't need to reassure him and send like 20 confirmations so he will know before he left?
Again, what a man!
Abraham did not weigh anything o,
He did not think "What if it all turns out to be a lie?"
The over-thinker in me doesn’t agree,
The perfectionist in me wants to fightttttt.
And this is for those of us that are always doing “I’m an over-thinker”
Hear this well;
Faith doesn’t mix well with your overthinking and perfectionism
For everytime I have had to do anything in Faith, I am sure I looked foolish to those around me.
Faith makes absolutely no sense.
Your overthinking and perfectionism self likes sense and orderliness but Faith does not care for these details o.
It defies all
If you are sitting on this table, please it is something you should pray about. Because you will struggle a lot with God’s promises
“God, help me to stop trying to make sense of everything. Help me to trust in your word and move blindly. Let your word be all the confirmation I need”
Abraham left with just this promise without an exact destination in mind.
God did not even give him tasting from the blessings. At least take one first so you will use it to believe that I'm capable 😭😭😭
The instruction was "just keep going, I will show you"
This is what Faith looks like!
Imagine God says "Remi, pack your bag and go to the airport, I will show you"
Thousands of reasons that will make me not go.
Show me what God? 😭
When it's not excursion I'm going to do inside airport. Even if it is excursion, they will not allow me at MMA😭😭😭
Travellers only sir
Excuses will come up, "Valid" excuses;
“I will do it when…”
I’m sure a lot of us have said this before
Again…
Abraham is truly worthy to be called Father of Faith.
What a man!
He is such a wonderful example for us.
Abraham by faith caught Jesus as the promise for us and generations to come. Kai!
What a man 😭
I noticed something else here in the kind of Faith Abraham had;
Abraham was asked to move to a land He will be shown which we later found to be the promised land aka Canaan
Abraham lived in the country that God promised to give him. He lived there like a visitor who did not belong. He did this because he had faith. He lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who also received the same promise from God. Hebrews 11:9 ERV
Plot twist, Abraham got to "Canaan" aka promised land but did not view it as His city of rest.
The bible says he lived there like a visitor.
Imagine doing all that plenty waka and you get to where you are finally shown yet you still dey do like visitor.
Is this not why you went through that plenty stress?
Here's what I found:
Somehow, Abraham's faith translated to the knowledge that God's promise was beyond the physical promised land.
Abraham was waiting for the city that has real foundations. He was waiting for the city that is planned and built by God. Hebrews 11:10 ERV
Look at this man's faith 😭😭
My God.
It wasn't about the material things,
Abraham believed God's promised land to be eternity.
He bought Himself eternity literally by Faith!
HOW DID HE KNOW???
Who told father Abraham?
He saw beyond the physical promise.
Abraham by Faith, saw Heaven and longed for it! 😭
When God was saying go to a land I will show you, Abraham did not see a physical land, he saw heaven by faith and longed for it.
When God was saying I will multiply your descendants and they will fill everywhere, Abraham by Faith saw me and you 😭
When God said I will give land to your descendants as eternal possession, Abraham did not see the possession that happened in the time of Joshua.
This man saw the new earth and the reign of the sons of God 😭😭😭😭
Abraham's waka waka to Canaan wasn't for Canaan but for eternity
Again, I need to understand what Abraham saw or knew
I'm literally crying because how did he know?
What a daring faith! 😭
Such huge Faith!
God truly has sons
The Fathers of Faith need to sit us down and school us because what is this? 😭😭😭😭
I’m literally crying and typing in awe
Sarah was not able to have children, and Abraham was TOO OLD. But he had faith in God, trusting him to do what he promised. And so God made them able to have children. ABRAHAM WAS SO OLD HE WAS ALMOST DEAD. But from that one man came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. So many people came from him that they are like grains of sand on the seashore. Hebrews 11:11-12 ERV
Just look at this scripture 😭😭😭
God promised to make a great nation from Abraham,
One child, this man did not have, until after 25 years. In fact, he had the child when he was so old that he was almost dead. In fact, the statement used was that Abraham was too old.
But somehow, Abraham had faith.
This thing is not tales by moonlight o, it is someone’s real life story! 😭
I’m going through the things I’ve waited on God for; the pain I’ve felt in waiting, how difficult waiting is sometimes.
On some days I’m good and believing strongly and on other days, something triggers me and my mood changes. I am crying and wondering if it will ever happen.
And I’m looking at Abraham,
Imagine waiting for a promise to be fulfilled for 25 years,
Imagine a promise coming to fulfilment when the time for such to happen in the physical has elapsed.
How did he cope?
How did he cope? Howwwwwwwwww?
What was he saying to himself?
How did he not give up on God?
I’m asking it for myself
Believe it, I’m asking it for myself.
I have seen the pain of waiting, I know that pain very well
Yet a man waits for 25 years? Waits till the deadlines passes, and still believes for the impossible?
At some point yesterday, I dropped my phone (Bible) and just kept telling God that I do not believe.
Nah, I don’t believe
I know people look up to me that I have Faith, I know even I have probably said so before.
But look at these men. No, I do not believe.
I just stayed in my sitting room crying and begging God to help my unbelief.
Because if what the Fathers of Faith had is what Faith truly looks like?
We are not close to it, at least, I am not, I can speak for myself.
Back to Father Abraham,
Abraham finally got a son when he was almost dead, then boom God said sacrifice the child.
These Bible people, I don't understand them because Abraham carried his child to really sacrifice. Like he left his house, in fact scripture records that he counted it worship and he left very early the next morning. He didn’t even brood over the instruction?
But look at what was on his mind when he took Isaac.
He believed that God could raise people from death. And really, when God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, it was as if he got him back from death. Hebrews 11:19 ERV
Abraham did not sacrifice His son because he felt God gave him and can take or because he will give another.
His reason:
GOD COULD RAISE THE DEAD
Abraham left with the expectation that Isaac goes back him with him.
I need you to pause
How did Abraham know God could raise the dead?
No dead had been raised!
As at the time of this encounter, Abraham did not have evidence or a record that God could raise dead people.
Some of us are believing for healing, healing that we see everyday like water o yet, we still have unbelief in us.
How much more believing for something without a template?
Something God did not tell him sef.
He just looked at the Character of the God that He had walked with and He knew.
Oh my God
Oh my God!
I want to screammm!
Abraham's faith was also a foreshadow of what is to come; the lamb of God has been offered as a sacrifice and truly men will be raised from the dead by a reason of this sacrifice 🤸♀️
By Faith, Abraham saw and grasped God's plan for men!
Omo × 1 million
Because what kind of Faith is this?
What did these men of old mix as ingredient for their faith?
Moses left Egypt because he had faith. He was not afraid of the king’s anger. He continued strong as if he could see the God no one can see. Hebrews 11:27 ERV
“As a result of his faith, Moses left Egypt. He knew that the king would be angry, but Moses was not afraid of him. Instead, he continued to trust God. Nobody can see God, but Moses lived as if he could see God.” Hebrews 11:27 EASY
When Sis Jane posted this translation yesterday, I saw it and jumped up.
He lived as if he could see God
He continued strong as if he could see the God no one can see
To continue strong, you have to start seeing the God that no one can see.
You have to visualise Him and all of His promises even before you see them physically.
You have to start living as if you can see God
He saw a God no one can see!
I don't have words guys, I don't.
And the walls of Jericho fell because of the faith of God’s people. They marched around the walls for seven days, and then the walls fell. Hebrews 11:30 ERV
They marched believing that the walls will fall and the walls fell!
There is nothing that exists that doesn't respond to Faith
Faith has an audacity that scares even the devil!
WHAT IS YOUR FAITH SEEING?
They marched believing the walls would fall and what happened?
The walls fell
There was no prototype, there was no template.
I’ve explained what it felt like marching round those walls to us before
It is foolishness to anyone looking at them. In fact, even to the people marching.
Imagine that we are going to war and instead of people carrying gun and stuff for war, we are doing forward march like NYSC corpers 😭
I’m sure some of them did not even know how to march like me 😭😭😭😭😭
Faith doesn’t make sense o, it doesn’t
So if you are there still standing and crying over that situation,
I beg you,
Move!
Move with faith!
Open your eyes and see in the spirit!
I am begging you
Your tears and crying will not change that situation. Put yourself together and believe again.
Please believe again.
And I pray the word of the Lord comes to you again,
That you receive His assurance in a way that your heart will understand it ,
That it emboldens you to love,
To go all out in faith, not wavering or shaking
I pray it for you
I pray it for me
Amen
All of them had great faith. And with that faith they defeated kingdoms. They did what was right, and God helped them in the ways he promised. With their faith some people closed the mouths of lions. And some were able to stop blazing fires. Others escaped from being killed with swords. Some who were weak were made strong. They became powerful in battle and defeated other armies. Hebrews 11:33-34 ERV
With faith, some people shut the mouths of lions. They used faith as gum abi super glue for lions 😭
Some of them raised the dead, some stopped blazing fires.
Is it not by Faith that Elijah spoke that it won't rain in the land until he decides to say otherwise?
And nothing changed until after 3 years when he decided it would rain?
Elijah did not give time frame, he just said it will not rain until I decide it will rain, and it did not rain
It was the day he opened his mouth back to say it will rain, the people saw rain (3 years after)
Maybe you don't understand,
If any other person had prayed for rain, rain will not fall because Elijah’s caveat was only me will bring back the rain.
Everytime I remember this scripture, first thing my that enters my mind is: What if Elijah died without calling forth rain 😭😭😭😂😂😂
By Faith, they did what was right
Faith is how we live out our righteousness
My God
I think that we can study Hebrews 11 for the next one month and we will be eating Rhema everyday.
Faith is a currency in the spirit, it buys you the unimaginable.
What is your faith buying for you?
What?!
Ordinary provision, money that is so little to God, we are still finding it difficult to believe
God has given you blueprint like 100 times
He has sent confirmations tire
Yet, your faith is still shaking
Understand this that Faith is a spiritual trade secret;
There were women who lost loved ones but got them back when they were raised from death. Others were tortured but refused to accept their freedom. They did this so that they could be raised from death to a better life. Hebrews 11:35 ERV
By faith, some of them endured/enjoyed suffering
This one, we don't like to hear it, we want faith to buy "sweet" things only.
Though they were killed because of Faith, they endured because this Faith was purchasing something higher for them: Eternal life.
They were killed with stones. They were cut in half. They were killed with swords. The only clothes some of them had were sheepskins or goatskins. They were poor, persecuted, and treated badly by others. Hebrews 11:37 ERV
These things were done to them in their faith
Even as we expect to raise the dead by faith, expect persecution in faith too.
Endure in time of suffering!
Persevere
God was pleased with all of them because of their faith. But not one of them received God’s great promise. Hebrews 11:39 ERV
Now I want to laugh
It is we that are struggling to believe that the promise came in our time.
We have seen yet we do not believe.
They did not see shingbai yet they believed
Sometimes, I imagine Elijah looking down and getting angry that see the power these guys have and they are not using it 😭
Can never be me
How are they not having Faith?
Like imagine Elisha having the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, just imagine.
And here’s what I found,
Our Fathers of Faith had Faith for us
Abraham was believing for us,
Isaiah was believing for us,
Noah believed and obeyed to save the world by preserving the seed of righteousness,
Their faith wasn’t just about them.
There is this hymn that has been ringing in my head since last week when I saw we were reading Hebrews 11:
Faith of our Fathers
Faith of our Fathers! living still
In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword:
Oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene'er we hear that glorious word.
Faith of our Fathers! Holy Faith!
We will be true to thee till death.
And the question I have asked myself is this
The faith of our fathers, are they still living?
Do we still have the type of Faith they did?
The type of Faith that existed even when Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den
The one that saved the Hebrew boys from burning in that fire?
What type of Faith does our generation have?
Again, I pray that God helps our unbelief
For as many of us struggling with believing because everything has acted against the very word God gave and it just doesn’t look like it
I pray for us that our faith is quickened again
We believe our God and His word
Once again, we go out and launch in Faith
And we will see the rewards reserved for those who take the path of Faith.
I pray it for you
I pray it for me
Amen
