Hebrews 11
11
The Faithful See from Afar
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of realities not seen.
2For by it the elders received commendation.
3By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen did not come from anything visible.
4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain. Through faith he was commended as righteous when God approved of his gifts. And through faith he still speaks, although he is dead.
5By faith Enoch was taken so as not to see death, and he was not found because God took him. For before he was taken, he was commended as pleasing to God.
6Now without faith it is impossible to please God. For the one who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
7By faith Noah, when warned about events not yet seen, in holy fear prepared an ark for the safety of his household. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going.
9By faith he migrated to the land of promise as if it were foreign, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob—fellow heirs of the same promise.
10For he was waiting for the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive when she was barren and past the age, since she considered the One who had made the promise to be faithful.
12So from one—and him as good as dead—were fathered offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and as uncountable as the sand on the seashore.
13These all died in faith without receiving the things promised—but they saw them and welcomed them from afar, and they confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth.
14For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
15If indeed they had been thinking about where they had come from, they would have had opportunity to return.
16But as it is, they yearn for a better land—that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had received the promises was offering up his one and only son—
18the one about whom it was said, “Through Isaac offspring shall be named for you.”
19He reasoned that God was able to raise him up even from the dead—and in a sense, he did receive him back from there.
20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.
21By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he bowed in worship while leaning on the top of his staff.
22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the exodus of Bnei-Yisrael and gave instructions about his bones.
23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was an extraordinary child and they were not afraid of the king’s decree.
24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
25Instead he chose to suffer mistreatment along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.
26He considered the disgrace of Messiah as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt—because he was looking ahead to the reward.
27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger—for he persevered as if seeing the One who is invisible.
28By faith he kept the Passover and the smearing of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.
29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as if on dry ground. When the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up.
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were circled for seven days.
31By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she welcomed the spies with shalom.
32And what more shall I say? For time would fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets.
33By faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, and made foreign armies flee.
35Women received their dead raised back to life; and others were tortured, after not accepting release, so they might obtain a better resurrection.
36Others experienced the trial of mocking and scourging—yes, and even chains and prison.
37They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were murdered with the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, mistreated.
38The world was not worthy of them! They wandered around in deserts and mountains, caves and holes in the ground.
39And all these, though commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised—
40because God had provided something better for us, so that only with us would they reach perfection.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Hebrews 11
11
Faith
1To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. 2It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God's approval.
3 #
Gen 1.1; Ps 33.6, 9; Jn 1.3 It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.
4 #
Gen 4.3–10
It was faith that made Abel offer to God a better sacrifice than Cain's. Through his faith he won God's approval as a righteous man, because God himself approved of his gifts. By means of his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 #
Gen 5.21–24 (LXX) It was faith that kept Enoch from dying. Instead, he was taken up to God, and nobody could find him, because God had taken him up. The scripture says that before Enoch was taken up, he had pleased God. 6No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.
7 #
Gen 6.13–22
It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 #
Gen 12.1–5
It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going. 9#Gen 35.27By faith he lived as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God. 10For Abraham was waiting for the city which God has designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.
11 #
Gen 18.11–14; 21.2 It was faith that made Abraham able to become a father, even though he was too old and Sarah herself could not have children. He#11.11 It was faith… children. He; some manuscripts have It was faith that made Sarah herself able to conceive, even though she was too old to have children. She. trusted God to keep his promise. 12#Gen 15.5; 22.17; 32.12Though Abraham was practically dead, from this one man came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, as many as the numberless grains of sand on the seashore.
13 #
Gen 23.4; 1 Chr 29.15; Ps 39.12 It was in faith that all these persons died. They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth. 14Those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. 15They did not keep thinking about the country they had left; if they had, they would have had the chance to return. 16Instead, it was a better country they longed for, the heavenly country. And so God is not ashamed for them to call him their God, because he has prepared a city for them.
17 #
Gen 22.1–14
It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. 18#Gen 21.12God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised.” 19Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death — and, so to speak, Abraham did receive Isaac back from death.
20 #
Gen 27.27–29, 39–40 It was faith that made Isaac promise blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau.
21 #
Gen 47.31 (LXX); 48.1–20 It was faith that made Jacob bless each of the sons of Joseph just before he died. He leaned on the top of his walking stick and worshipped God.
22 #
Gen 50.24–25; Ex 13.19 It was faith that made Joseph, when he was about to die, speak of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and leave instructions about what should be done with his body.
23 #
Ex 2.2; 1.22 It was faith that made the parents of Moses hide him for three months after he was born. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.
24 #
Ex 2.10–12
It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up, refuse to be called the son of the king's daughter. 25He preferred to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy sin for a little while. 26He reckoned that to suffer scorn for the Messiah was worth far more than all the treasures of Egypt, for he kept his eyes on the future reward.
27It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back. 28#Ex 12.21–30It was faith that made him establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the firstborn sons of the Israelites.
29 #
Ex 14.21–31
It was faith that made the Israelites able to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.
30 #
Josh 6.12–21
It was faith that made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched round them for seven days. 31#Josh 2.1–21; 6.22–25It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.
32 #
Judg 6.11—8.32; 4.6—5.31; 13.2—16.31; 11.1—12.7; 1 Sam 16.1—1 Kgs 2.11; 1 Sam 1.1—25.1 Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33#Dan 6.1–27Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, 34#Dan 3.1–30put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. 35#1 Kgs 17.17–24; 2 Kgs 4.25–37Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life.
Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. 36#1 Kgs 22.26–27; 2 Chr 18.25–26; Jer 20.2; 37.15; 38.6Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison. 37#2 Chr 24.21They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword. They went round clothed in skins of sheep or goats — poor, persecuted, and ill-treated. 38The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.
39What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised, 40because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.