After presenting in the first ten chapters a thorough comparison of Judaism and God's economy, this book charges the Hebrew believers, who were in danger of shrinking back, to live, to walk, to go on, by faith (Heb. 10:38-39), that is, not by appearance (2 Cor. 5:7). Then, in ch. 11 it goes on to define faith according to the history of faith. Both the eternal inheritance (Heb. 9:15) and the great reward (Heb. 10:35) promised by God are things hoped for and things not seen. Faith is the substantiation of things hoped for. Hence, it is the assurance, the confidence, the confirmation, the reality, the essence, the supporting ground, of things hoped for, the foundation that supports the things hoped for. Faith is also the conviction of things not seen. It convinces us of what we do not see. Hence, it is the evidence, the proof, of things not seen.

The same Greek word is used for substance in Heb. 1:3, assurance in Heb. 3:14, and confidence (in which one knows that he has a sure foundation) in 2 Cor. 11:17. Moreover, it can be translated confirmation, reality, essence (which denotes the real nature of things, as opposed to the appearance), foundation, or supporting ground. The word means, primarily, substance, but here it denotes the substantiating of the substance (of the things hoped for); hence, it is translated substantiation. The word substantiate is substance in verb form; to substantiate is to give substance to the reality of the substance not seen. This is the action of faith. Therefore, it says here that faith is the substantiation of things hoped for.

The unbelievers, being without Christ, have no hope (Eph. 2:12; 1 Thes. 4:13). But we, the believers in Christ, are a people of hope. The calling that we receive from God brings us hope (Eph. 1:18; 4:4). We have been regenerated unto a living hope (1 Pet. 1:3). Our Christ, who is in us, is the hope of glory (Col. 1:27; 1 Tim. 1:1), which will issue in the redemption, the transfiguration, of our body in glory (Rom. 8:23-25). This is the hope of salvation (1 Thes. 5:8), a blessed hope (Titus 2:13), a good hope (2 Thes. 2:16), the hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2; 3:7); it is also the hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:2), the hope of the gospel (Col. 1:23), the hope laid up for us in the heavens (Col. 1:5). We should keep this hope always (1 John 3:3) and boast in it (Rom. 5:2). Our God is the God of hope (Rom. 15:13), and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we can have hope (Rom. 15:4) all the time in God (1 Pet. 1:21) and can rejoice in it (Rom. 12:12). This book charges us to hold fast the boast of hope firm to the end (Heb. 3:6), to show diligence unto the full assurance of our hope until the end (Heb. 6:11), and to lay hold of the hope set before us (Heb. 6:18). It also tells us that the new covenant brings in a better hope, through which we draw near to God (Heb. 7:19). Our life should be a life of hope, which accompanies and abides with faith (1 Pet. 1:21; 1 Cor. 13:13). We should follow Abraham, who beyond hope believed in hope (Rom. 4:18).

The conviction of truth. The Greek word can be translated evidence, or proof.

All things hoped for are things not seen (Rom. 8:24-25). As people of hope, we should aim our life not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). Hence, we walk by faith, not by appearance (2 Cor. 5:7).

From v. 3 this chapter presents to us a brief history of faith — from God's creation, through all the generations of God's chosen people, to the New Testament believers (v. 40) — to prove that faith is the unique pathway by which God's seekers receive His promise and take His way.

Lit., ages. See note Heb. 1:2^5d.

The Greek word denotes the instant word.

This more excellent sacrifice was a type of Christ, who is the real "better sacrifices" (Heb. 9:23).

Lit., it.

Or, please Him.

Lit., seek Him out.

This afforded Abraham constant opportunity to exercise his faith to trust in God for His instant leading, taking God's presence as the map for his traveling.

This is the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22), the Jerusalem above (Gal. 4:26), the holy city, 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 (Heb. 13:14).

The stars of heaven signify Abraham's heavenly descendants, the descendants who are of faith (Gal. 3:7, 29), whereas the sand by the seashore signifies Abraham's earthly descendants, the descendants in the flesh.

The stars of heaven signify Abraham's heavenly descendants, the descendants who are of faith (Gal. 3:7, 29), whereas the sand by the seashore signifies Abraham's earthly descendants, the descendants in the flesh.

Lit., the lip of the sea.

Lit., according to.

Or, pilgrims, exiles, expatriates. Abraham was the first Hebrew (Gen. 14:13), a river crosser. He left Chaldea, the idolatrous land of curse, crossed the flood, the river Perath, or Euphrates (Josh. 24:2-3), and came to Canaan, the good land of blessing. Yet he did not settle there; rather, he sojourned in the land of promise as a pilgrim, even as an exile, 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 that has the foundations (v. 10). The word in vv. 9-16 may imply that the writer of this book intended to impress on the memory of the believing Hebrews the fact that they, as the real Hebrews, should follow their forefathers, considering themselves strangers and sojourners on the earth and looking forward to the heavenly country, which is better than the earthly one.

Lit., a parable.

This signifies that Jacob confessed that he was a sojourner, a traveler, on the earth (v. 13), and that God had shepherded him all his life long (Gen. 48:15, lit.).

Or, for a while, fleeting, passing.

The enjoyment in Egypt, i.e., 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, fleeting, and passing.

Or, accounting, esteeming.

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 His reproach, and the reproaches of those who reproached God fell also on Him (Rom. 15:3). The New Testament believers, as His followers, bear His reproach (Heb. 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), considered this kind of reproach, the reproach of the Christ of God, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt in Pharaoh's palace; for Moses looked away to the reward.

Because he was willing to suffer the reproach of the Christ, Moses 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. 4:21-22; 32:50-52), but he will be with Christ in the kingdom (Matt. 16:28; 17:1-3). In referring to this, surely the writer intended to encourage his readers who were suffering persecution for Christ's sake to follow Moses by considering the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the things they had lost, and by looking away to the reward. See note Heb. 10:35^1b.

Or, was steadfast.

Nothing is mentioned here regarding the forty years during which the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, since they did nothing by faith there to please God, but rather provoked God by their unbelief during those years (Heb. 3:16-18). Even their crossing of the Jordan River is not mentioned here, because that crossing was due to the delay caused by their unbelief. That crossing would not have been needed if they had not had the unbelief that disqualified 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).

Or, release. The Greek word means redemption (offered at a price).

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), the extra-resurrection, the resurrection in which the Lord's overcomers will receive the reward (v. 26) of the kingdom. This is what the apostle Paul sought after.

These faith-people are an extra-people, a people on the highest plane, of whom the corrupted world is not worthy. Only the holy city of God, New Jerusalem, is worthy to have them.

Or, foreseen.

The Greek word means superior, nobler, greater; hence, better. It is used thirteen times in this book: the better Christ (Heb. 1:4), better things (Heb. 6:9), a better hope (Heb. 7:19), a better covenant (twice — 7:22; 8:6), better promises (Heb. 8:6), better sacrifices (Heb. 9:23), a better possession (Heb. 10:34), a better country (Heb. 11:16), a better resurrection (Heb. 11:35), something better (Heb. 11:40), and better speaking (Heb. 12:24). (The other instance is in Heb. 7:7, where it is translated greater.) All these better things are the fulfillment and reality of the things that the Old Testament saints had in types, figures, and shadows. What God provided at that time was a picture of the things concerning us, the things that were to come in the new covenant and that 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. Why, then, should we leave the real things of the new covenant and turn to the shadows of the old covenant?

Both the participation in the kingdom for one thousand years (Rev. 20:4, 6) and the sharing in the New Jerusalem for eternity (Rev. 21:2-3; 22:1-5) are corporate matters. The kingdom feast will be for the overcomers of both the Old and New Testaments (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 believers cannot obtain what God promised. To obtain and enjoy 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 made perfect.