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11:1 Before presenting the list of examples, the author defines what faith is: It is acting on what God has revealed about his will and character. • The reality that grounds our faith is the God who fulfills his promises.
11:12 this one man who was as good as dead: Abraham was very old, yet he became the source for a whole nation. Faith involves believing that God is able to answer his promises seemingly out of nothing. • like the stars . . . and the sand: See Gen 22:17. God fulfilled the promise (Exod 1:7).
11:13 Abraham’s family lived in the land of promise as foreigners and nomads (see Gen 23:4; cp. 1 Chr 29:15; Ps 39:12; 1 Pet 2:11).
11:13-16 The author pauses to point out general principles evident in the lives he has highlighted thus far.
genesis 1:1-3
genesis 4:3-5
genesis 5:21-24
genesis 5:24
genesis 6:1-17
genesis 12:1-2
genesis 12:10-18
genesis 22:1-18
By Faith
By Faith Faith is a foundational theme in Scripture, yet misconceptions about faith abound. Some see faith as meaning any form of spirituality (“he/she is a person of faith”). Others understand it as a resolute belief that something good is going to happen to them—it is a ticket to health and wealth. Still others think that faith is a blind leap against known facts. None of these ideas constitutes biblical faith. Hebrews 11, one of the most loved passages of Scripture, provides an extensive essay on faith. It describes faith as involving confident action in response to what God has made known. As seen in the examples listed throughout the chapter, faith comes into play in a variety of life’s circumstances. The results of faith also vary. Some people get rescued, achieve success in life, and get some of what God has promised in their lifetimes. Others get mocked, beaten, tortured, put in prison, and killed. Faith is sometimes rewarded sooner and sometimes later, but regardless, people of faith anticipate the rewards because of their confidence in God’s character. What does it mean to live by faith? It means that in our various circumstances we live out our belief “that God...