Hebrews 11 is a chapter on faith with its history. From verses 3 through 40 it presents a brief history of faith — from God’s creation, through all the generations of God’s chosen people, to all the New Testament believers, consummating with the New Jerusalem in eternity — to prove that faith is the unique pathway for God’s seekers to receive His promise and take His way. As He inspired the writing of this chapter, the Holy Spirit certainly had such a view. Everyone involved in this history of faith was a witness. Hence, Hebrews 11 is not only a chapter on faith with its history, but also with its witnesses. The word “witness” here refers to the person testifying, not to the testimony. In Greek, the word for witness is the same as the word for martyr. Every witness is a martyr, suffering martyrdom for the testimony of faith. In this chapter we read of many martyrs (vv. 32-39). Some were stoned and others were sawn in two. In this message, we shall consider the history of faith, especially concentrating on the consummation of this history, which is very much related to us.
Verse 3 says, “By faith we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not come into being from things which appear.” Scholars have spent a great deal of time in attempting to learn how the universe was framed. All their propositions regarding this are nonsense. The universe was framed by the word of God. God spoke and it came into being. We do not know this by our five senses; we know it by faith, by our substantiating sense.
Verse 4 says, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God testifying to his gifts, and through it, he having died still speaks.” According to typology, Abel’s more excellent sacrifice was a type of Christ who is the real “better sacrifices” (9:23). In our reading of Hebrews, we can see that only Christ Himself is the more excellent sacrifice. By faith, Abel offered the type of such a sacrifice.
Verse 5 says, “By faith Enoch was translated so that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he obtained the testimony that he was well-pleasing to God.” Enoch was not only translated from death but from the seeing of death.
Verse 7 says, “By faith Noah, having been warned concerning things not yet seen, being devout, prepared an ark for the salvation of his house, through which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Consider Noah’s situation: as he was building an ark for a flood that was to come, no one believed him. The sky was clear and no one expected a flood to come. Nevertheless, substantiating the coming flood by faith, Noah built the ark.
Abraham has been called the father of faith. By faith he obeyed God’s calling to leave his homeland, dwelling as a foreigner in the land of promise (vv. 8-9). Abraham obeyed God and went out of Chaldea “without knowing where he was going.” This afforded him constant opportunity to exercise his faith to trust in God for His instant leading, taking God’s presence as his map. Verse 10 says that by faith Abraham “waited for the city which has the foundations, whose Architect and Maker is God.” This is “the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem” (12:22), “the Jerusalem above” (Gal. 4:26, Gk.), “the holy city, the New Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:2; 3:12) which God has prepared for His people (v. 16), and “the tabernacle of God” in which God will dwell with men for eternity (Rev. 21:3). As the patriarchs waited for this city, so we also seek it (13:14).
Abraham also acted by faith in offering up Isaac, “counting that God was able to raise him even from among the dead, from whence he also received him back in a figure” (vv. 17-19). Verse 12, referring to Abraham, says, “Wherefore also there was born of one, and that of one become dead, even as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand by the seashore innumerable.” The stars of heaven signify Abraham’s heavenly descendants, the descendants of faith (Gal. 3:7, 19); whereas “the sand by the seashore” signifies his earthly descendants, the descendants in the flesh.
Verse 13, speaking of Abraham and the other patriarchs, says, “All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar and greeted them, and confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth.” The Greek word translated “sojourners” may also be rendered “pilgrims,” “exiles,” “expatriates.” Abraham was the first Hebrew (Gen. 14:13), a river crosser, leaving Chaldea, the idolatrous land of curse, crossing the flood, the river of Perath or Euphrates (Josh. 24:2-3), and coming to Canaan, the good land of blessings. Yet he did not settle here; rather, he sojourned in the land of promise as a pilgrim, even as an exile and an expatriate, longing after a better country, a heavenly one (v. 16), seeking a country of his own (v. 14). This might imply that he was ready to cross another river from the earthly side to the heavenly side. Isaac and Jacob followed him in the same steps, living on the earth as strangers and sojourners and waiting for the God-built city of foundations (v. 10). In the word of verses 9 through 16, it may imply that the writer of this book intended to impress the believing Hebrews with the fact that they, as the real Hebrews, should follow their forefathers, considering themselves also as strangers and sojourners on the earth and looking forward to the heavenly country, which is better than the earthly one.
Verse 11 says, “By faith also Sarah herself received power to conceive seed, even beyond the season of age, since she considered Him faithful Who promised.” Sarah had become an old woman whose function had ceased; yet in the midst of her situation, she believed in God’s word.
Verse 20 says, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.” If you read Isaac’s history, you will see that he was not a smart man; he was quite common, and there was nothing special about him. Nevertheless, he did something marvelous — he blessed his two sons, Jacob and Esau. Although Isaac blessed them blindly, he did it in faith.
Verse 21 says, “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph.” When Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, he not only did it by faith but with very clear sight. His inner sight was exceedingly clear. When Joseph attempted to change his hands, being displeased that Jacob’s right hand was upon Ephraim instead of upon Manasseh, the firstborn, Jacob refused and said, “I know it, my son, I know it” (Gen. 48:15-19). Jacob knew what he was doing and blessed Joseph’s sons by faith.
Verse 21 also says that Jacob “worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff.” This is very meaningful, signifying that Jacob confessed that he was a sojourner, a traveler on the earth (v. 13). When we are settled, we no longer need to keep a staff in our hand, for that is a sign of a sojourner, not of a dweller. Jacob’s staff also signified that God was his shepherd, having shepherded him all his life long (Gen. 48:15, Heb.). This is the reason that his worshipping, leaning on the top of his staff, is recorded here as a matter of faith.
Verse 22 says, “By faith Joseph, when near his end, remembered concerning the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.” Joseph remembered the coming exodus of the sons of Israel and charged them to bring his bones out of Egypt and into Canaan. This took great faith. When the Israelites entered into Canaan, they brought Joseph’s bones into the good land (Exo. 13:19).
Verse 23 says, “By faith Moses, having been born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a handsome child, and they did not fear the king’s decree.” His parents hid him by faith. When he had “become great,” he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin” (vv. 24-25). The Greek word translated “temporary” in verse 25 may also be rendered “for awhile,” “short-lived,” “fleeting,” “passing.” During Moses’ time, to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter was an enjoyment to the life of the soul. But Moses refused this, choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to have the fleeting enjoyment of sin. The enjoyment in Egypt, that is, the enjoyment in the world, is sinful in the eyes of God. It is the enjoyment of sin, of a sinful life, and is temporary, short-lived, fleeting, and passing.
In verse 26 we are told that Moses esteemed “the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked away to the reward.” When I was young, being troubled by my clock mentality, I questioned how Moses could have suffered the reproach of Christ, since Christ had not yet come. Christ, as “the Angel of the Lord,” was always with the children of Israel in their afflictions (Exo. 3:2, 7-9; 14:19; Num. 20:16; Isa. 63:9). Furthermore, the Scripture identifies Him with them (Hosea 11:1; Matt. 2:15). Hence, the reproach falling on them was considered also as His reproach, and the reproaches of those who reproached God fell upon Him too (Rom. 15:3). The New Testament believers, as His followers, bear His reproach (13:13) and are reproached for His name (1 Pet. 4:14). Moses, choosing to be ill-treated with the people of God (v. 25), esteemed this kind of reproach, the reproach of the Christ of God, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt in Pharaoh’s palace, for he looked away to the reward.
Because Moses was willing to suffer the reproach of the Christ, he will receive the reward of the kingdom. He was not allowed to enter into the rest of the good land because of his failure at Meribah (Num. 20:12-13; Deut. 3:26, 27; 32:50-52), but he will be with Christ in the kingdom (Matt. 16:28-17:3). By referring to this, the writer certainly intended to encourage the Hebrew believers, who were suffering persecution for Christ’s sake, to follow Moses by esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the things they had lost and by looking away to the reward. We do not know who told Moses of the reward. Perhaps it was his parents. Nevertheless, having great faith, he looked away to the reward and fled Egypt. The palace of Pharaoh, the royal sonship, the worldly enjoyment and attainment, and all the things in Egypt were there before him. According to his sight, these things were real, but according to his faith, they were not real. Something other than that — the reward — was real to his substantiating sense. Although at that time the reward was far away from him, he looked unto it and was encouraged by it to forsake everything in Egypt.
Verse 27 says that by faith Moses “left Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king, for he was steadfast as seeing the invisible One.” At that time, this was a great thing. That great reward was such an incentive to him in fleeing Egypt. This is a full portrait of our life today. Today the world is Egypt and all that it can afford us is a palace. But to our faith, all this is a vanity of vanities. Only one thing is the reality of realities — the coming reward.
Verse 28 says, “By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them.” It took faith for Moses to institute the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood. It also took faith for Moses to tell the people to prepare the lamb and to sprinkle the blood on the lintels and posts of the doors. God honored Moses’ faith in instituting the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood. Without seeing the Passover, which was to come, Moses substantiated it by faith and acted according to this substantiation.
Verse 29 says that by faith the sons of Israel “passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians attempting to do were swallowed up.” Nothing is mentioned in this chapter of the forty years during which the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, since during that time they did nothing by faith; rather, in those years they provoked God by their unbelief (3:16-18). Even their crossing of the Jordan River is not accounted here, because that crossing was due to the delay caused by their unbelief. It would not have been needed if they had not had the unbelief which disabled them from entering the good land at Kadesh-barnea (Deut. 1:19-46), just a short time after they left Mount Sinai (Deut. 1:2). If they had had faith at Kadesh-barnea, they could have entered the good land thirty-eight years earlier than they did. Although they eventually crossed the Jordan River by faith, the Holy Spirit here made no record of it because it was not pleasing in the eyes of God.
Verse 30, passing over the years of wandering in the wilderness, says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, having been encircled during seven days.” The Israelites did not have the best weapons when they encircled the walls of Jericho. They did this by faith, doing what God had told them to do, and He honored their faith.
“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with the obstinate, having received the spies with peace” (v. 31). When I was young, I liked to use this story in the preaching of the gospel. Rahab let down a scarlet cord which signifies the flowing blood of Jesus (Josh. 2:18; 6:23). By faith, she was saved from the destruction which the Canaanites suffered.
By faith Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets did many marvelous things (vv. 32-39). Although they did marvelous things, many of them also suffered martyrdom. God performed miracles for some of them, but He did not do such things for all of them. Do not think that if you have faith God will always do something for you. Many times the exercise of our faith will only bring us the enjoyment of God’s silence. Perhaps when some are being stoned to death, they would pray, “O Lord, save me from these stones.” Instead, the Lord may give them a peaceful silence, not doing anything to rescue them. When Stephen was being martyred, the Lord did not rescue him but gave him such a sweet silence (Acts 7:54-60). To suffer persecution without any rescue coming from the Lord requires great faith.
God’s silence is greater than His miracles. Which do you prefer to have — God’s miracles or His silence? If we would be honest, most of us would say that we prefer God’s miracles. When the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross, the mockers said to Him, “If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross,” and, “If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matt. 27:40, 42). For at least three of the six hours while the Lord was on the cross, there was silence in the universe. It seemed that there was no God, and the mockers and the blasphemers said whatever they wanted. It was their world and they were the gods at that time. God will remain silent much more often than He will perform miracles. At times, we all must enjoy God’s silence by faith.
Many martyrs have testified that they enjoyed God’s silence by faith. I can never forget that in the 1930’s two missionaries were martyred in China. On the day of their martyrdom, one of them said, “Every martyr’s face is like the face of an angel.” The other said, “If I had another life to live, I would also give it to be martyred for the Lord.” God allowed them to be martyred there in China, doing nothing to rescue them. They enjoyed God’s silence by faith. As we read the history of faith recorded in this chapter, we see that it is not just a record of miracles, but also a record of God’s silence. He did not always act to help His saints outwardly, but often enabled them to enjoy His silence inwardly.
Verse 35 says, “Others were beaten to death, not accepting deliverance, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection.” The better resurrection is not only “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4-6), “the resurrection of life” (John 5:28-29), but also “the out-resurrection” (Phil. 3:11, Gk.), the extra-resurrection, the resurrection in which the Lord’s overcomers will receive the reward (v. 26) of the kingdom, after which the Apostle Paul sought. Verse 38, speaking of those who endured such affliction by faith, says that the world was not worthy of them. These faith people are an extra-people, of the highest estate, of whom the corrupted world is not worthy. Only the holy city of God, New Jerusalem, is worthy of having them.
Verse 40 says, “God having in view something better concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” This verse implies a great deal. None of the witnesses of faith was ever perfected. They all need to be perfected by the believers of the new covenant. In God’s economy there are two dispensations: the dispensation of the old covenant of shadows and the dispensation of the new covenant of realities. All the martyrs and witnesses of faith were under the old covenant of shadows; they were not in the reality. Since the new covenant dispensation of reality in which we are is better than the old covenant dispensation of shadows in which the witnesses of faith were, they need us for their perfection.
Verse 40 speaks of “something better concerning us.” The Greek word translated “better” means stronger, more powerful, nobler, and greater; hence, it means better. It is used thirteen times in Hebrews: the better Christ (1:4), a better hope (7:19), a better covenant (7:22; 8:6), better promises (8:6), better sacrifices (9:23), a better possession (10:34), a better country (11:16), a better resurrection (11:35), something better (11:40), and better speaking (12:24). (The other two times are in 6:9 and 7:7, where it is translated greater.) All these better things are the fulfillment and reality of the things which the Old Testament saints had in types, figures, and shadows. What God had in view at that time was the things to come in the new covenant concerning us, which are the true and real things, better, stronger, more powerful, nobler, and greater than their types, figures, and shadows. The Old Testament saints, who had only the shadows, need us for their perfection that they may share with us in the real things of the new covenant. Thus, why should the Hebrew believers leave the real things of the new covenant and return to the shadows of the old covenant?
Verse 40 says that “apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Both the participation in the kingdom for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 6) and the sharing in the New Jerusalem for eternity (Rev. 21:2-3; 22:1-5) are a corporate matter. The kingdom feast will be for both the Old Testament and the New Testament overcomers (Matt. 8:11). The blessed New Jerusalem will be composed of both the Old Testament saints and the New Testament believers (Rev. 21:12-14). Hence, apart from the New Testament believers, the Old Testament ones cannot obtain what God has promised. For the obtaining and enjoying of the good things of God’s promise, they need the New Testament believers to perfect them. Now they are waiting for us to go on that they may be perfected.
The saints in the shadows of the old covenant expected to see the realities of the new covenant (Matt. 13:16-17; John 8:56; 1 Pet. 1:10-12). In the past, many of us thought that it would have been wonderful to live during the time of the Old Testament. We were taught that Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, and the other Old Testament saints were outstanding persons and that it would have been better for us to live in their age than in the present age. When I was young, I wished I could have lived during the Old Testament days. This concept, however, is in darkness. We are living in a better age and we have heard, experienced, and participated in better things than the things in the old covenant age. The saints in the shadows of the old covenant wanted to see the realities of the age in which we are living. Matthew 13:17 says, “Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them.” Even Abraham was expecting to see the reality of the new covenant (John 8:56). Furthermore, the prophets preached of the grace that has come to us. What they ministered was not for themselves but for us (1 Pet. 1:10-12). All the Old Testament saints, including David and Solomon, were not for themselves but for us. Everything they had was a shadow of the reality which we enjoy today.
The believers in the realities of the new covenant are greater than the saints in the shadows of the old covenant. Matthew 11:11, a great verse, proves this. “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” John the Baptist was greater than all who had preceded him, including Abraham, David, and Solomon. Nevertheless, he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. Since John the Baptist was greater than Abraham and we are greater than John, then we also are greater than Abraham. All the saints in the Old Testament age looked forward to the realities of the New Testament age, but none of them saw anything of this reality. Between these two ages there was a transitory period lasting approximately three and a half years. During this transitory period, John the Baptist came and saw the Christ, whom all the saints in the Old Testament time had been waiting for. Because John saw Him, he was greater than all of them. Although John saw Christ, he did not get into Christ. But we, the New Testament believers, are in Christ. Abraham expected to see Christ, John the Baptist saw Christ, but we are in Christ. Therefore, since we are so much closer to Christ, we are greater than Abraham and John the Baptist. We are not only close to Christ — we are in Christ and Christ is in us. We can even say along with the Apostle Paul, “For to me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). We are greater than Abraham, David, Solomon, and all the Old Testament saints, for they were in the shadows. We are not only in the reality — we are the reality. Because of this, the Old Testament saints cannot be perfected without us. Without us, they could never enter into the enjoyment of the realities which they were looking for.
If we exercise our substantiating faith, we shall sense that Abraham, David, Solomon, and all the overcoming saints who have preceded us are watching over us like spectators at a football game. They are cheering us on and encouraging us to win the game. Their enjoyment of the reality depends upon us. This is the correct meaning of verse 40, which says that “apart from us they should not be made perfect.” As verse 39 indicates, the Old Testament saints did not obtain the promise because God had in view “something better concerning us.” They all are waiting for us. Even the Apostle Paul and all the New Testament martyrs are waiting for us. They, the foregoing overcomers, are waiting for the fullness of the overcomers. The number of overcomers has not yet been fulfilled. One day the fullness of that number will be reached. Thus, verse 40 was a very strong encouragement to all the staggering Hebrew believers to come forward and to fill up the gap in the number of overcomers.
In His economy, God does not intend to have an individual expression. He desires to have a corporate expression. This expression requires a complete number of overcomers. Only God knows what this number is. As long as it has not been reached, the time cannot come, and the foregoing overcomers will still need to wait for us. What a responsibility we have! They are ready, but we are not. We are truly in the last days. Not only are we greater than John the Baptist, but we are even somewhat greater than all the martyrs in the first few centuries, because we are more important than they were. We can experience more than they did because they were at the beginning and we are here at the consummation. The consummation is always richer, greater, and higher than the beginning. It is not a small thing that we are in the Lord’s recovery today. We are living in the consummating period of God’s economy, and so many foregoing overcomers are expecting to see our completion. We are surely the most blessed people in the universe, for we have the golden opportunity to share in the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Therefore let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting off every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race which is set before us.” The cloud is for leading people in following the Lord (Num. 9:15-22), and the Lord is in the cloud to be with the people (Exo. 13:21-22). The children of Israel followed the Lord by the pillar and enjoyed the Lord’s presence in the pillar of cloud. All the witnesses of faith, even the martyrs of faith, are a cloud. By this cloud of witnesses we follow the Lord and enjoy His presence.
