Hebrews Lesson #26

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
HEBREWS 11:4-7
LESSON #26
THE FAITH PRINCIPLE IN ACTION

MEMORY VERSE: JAM 2:17

READ HEB 11:4-7

THE REST OF THE CHAPTER OF HEBREWS 11 GIVES EXAMPLES OF THE DEFINITION OF FAITH BY LISTING OLD TESTAMENT HEROES OF FAITH.
ABEL'S FAITH (READ GEN 4:1-5)

ABEL MEANS = "EXALTATION" OR "THAT WHICH ASCENDS".

ABEL PERCEIVED THAT THE DEEPEST MEANING OF SACRIFICE MEANT TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE PROMISED MESSIAH OF GEN 3:15.

REMEMBER THAT ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT SACRIFICES PREFIGURED THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS.

FOR WHAT DID HE HAVE FAITH?

HE BELIEVED THAT IF HE WAS OBEDIENT TO OFFER A BLOOD SACRIFICE THAT IT WOULD BE PLEASING TO GOD.

WHAT WAS WRONG WITH CAIN'S OFFERING TO THE LORD?

IT WAS NOT DONE IN HUMILITY.

ABEL'S OFFERING WAS THE BEST (THE FAT) FROM THE FIRSTLINGS OF HIS FLOCK.
CAIN'S OFFERING WAS SOME OF THE FRUIT (NOT THE FIRST OR THE BEST OF THE HARVEST).

IT REPRESENTED THE WORKS OF HIS OWN HANDS.
CAIN'S OFFERING IGNORED THE CURSE OF GEN 3:17 WHERE THE GROUND IS CURSED.

IT WAS NOT DONE IN GOD'S PRESCRIBED WAY.

GOD HAD SET THE PATTERN OF ANIMAL SACRIFICE IN GEN 2 WHEN HE KILLED THE FIRST ANIMALS TO COVER ADAM AND EVE'S SIN. IT IS IMPLIED THAT THEY KNEW THIS.

CAIN’S SACRIFICE WAS NOT A BLOOD SACRIFICE ACCORDING TO GOD'S PATTERN. SEE HEB 11:4.
CAIN’S SACRIFICE WAS IN THE FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT IT DENIED THE POWER OF GODLINESS. (2TI 3:5).

THE OFFERING WAS NOT DONE IN FAITH.
IT WAS AN OFFERING DONE IN PRIDE.

CAIN WAS NOT WILLING TO HUMBLE HIMSELF AND GO TO HIS BROTHER TO REQUEST A LAMB FOR SACRIFICE.

WHAT ACTION WAS INVOLVED IN ABEL'S FAITH? (JAM 2:17)

THE BLOOD SACRIFICE WAS HIS ACTION OF FAITH.

HE APPROPRIATED THE SACRIFICE FOR HIMSELF IN THE SAME WAY WE MUST APPROPRIATE CHRIST'S SACRIFICE FOR US PERSONALLY TO BE SAVED.

ENOCH'S FAITH (READ GEN 5:21-24 JUDE 14)

ENOCH (THE 7TH FROM ADAM) = MEANS "DEDICATED TO TEACH"

"HE WALKED WITH GOD" =

THIS IMPLIES A RECONCILIATION WITH GOD.

HE WAS RECONCILED TO GOD IN A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH. (HEB 11:5-6)

HE PLEASED GOD BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH.

THIS IMPLIES A CORRESPONDING NATURE.

HE HAD CONFORMED HIMSELF TO THE NATURE OF GOD.

THIS IMPLIES A MORAL FITNESS.

GOD DOES NOT WALK OUT OF THE WAY OF HOLINESS.

THIS IMPLIES A SURRENDERED WILL.

THE ABOVE THREE POINTS CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT SURRENDERING YOUR WILL TO GOD.

THIS IMPLIES A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION ON A DAILY BASIS.

HE BEGAN TO WALK WITH GOD AT HIS SON'S BIRTH.

EVIDENTLY HE HAD A MIRACULOUS EXPERIENCE WITH GOD JUST BEFORE THE BIRTH OF HIS SON. GOD SHOWED HIM THAT SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT WAS TO COME ON THE EARTH BECAUSE HE NAMED HIS SON "THE YEAR THAT I DIE, IT SHALL COME" (METHUSELAH). THAT VERY IMPORTANT EVENT WAS NOAH'S FLOOD.

WHEN HIS SON, METHUSELAH, DIED, JUDGMENT CAME IN THE FORM OF NOAH'S FLOOD = WHEN JESUS CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS, JUDGMENT CAME UPON SIN.

"GOD TOOK HIM" (24) = HE DID NOT GO THROUGH DEATH BUT GOD SNATCHED HIM FROM THE EARTH.

ENOCH WAS A PROPHET WITH A FAR-REACHING MESSAGE

JUDE 14-15

BIBLE PROPHECY HAS 2 FULFILLMENTS (THE LAW OF DOUBLE REFERENCE), A RELATIVELY IMMEDIATE FULFILLMENT, AND A MUCH LATER FULFILLMENT.

THE MEANING OF HIS SON'S NAME POINTED TO THE WORLDWIDE FLOOD OF NOAH'S TIME.

HIS MESSAGE WAS THE COMING PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED. THIS JUDGMENT OCCURRED IN THE FLOOD. (JUDE 15)

JUDGMENT ON THE WICKED WILL ALSO OCCUR BEFORE THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST DURING THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD YET TO COME UPON THE EARTH. LIKE NOAH'S FLOOD, THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WORLD (AT THE RAPTURE), JUST BEFORE JUDGMENT FALLS. THIS WILL OCCUR IN A SIMILAR WAY TO ENOCH’S BEING TAKEN OUT OF THE WORLD BEFORE SEEING DEATH.

1TH 4:16-17 THE RAPTURE
MAT 24:37-39 JESUS REFERS TO HIS SECOND COMING AS BEING LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH BEFORE THE FLOOD.

WHAT DID HE HAVE FAITH FOR?

SALVATION FROM JUDGMENT THROUGH THE COMING OF THE SON OF GOD.

WHAT ACTION WAS INVOLVED IN ENOCH'S FAITH? (JUDE 14)

HIS CONTINUAL, DAILY WALK WITH GOD WAS HIS ACTION OF FAITH.

WHAT THREE THINGS ARE NECESSARY TO HAVE A FAITH LIKE ENOCH'S? (HEB 11:6)

YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD EXISTS.
YOU MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD REWARDS THE FAITHFUL WHO SEEK HIM.
YOU MUST KNOW THAT YOUR FAITH PLEASES GOD.

NOAH'S FAITH (GEN 5:28-32 GEN 6:5-9,13-22 GEN 7:1-18,23-24 GEN 8:1,13-21 2PE 2:5

THE NAME, NOAH = MEANS "REST".

NOAH'S SALVATION FROM THE FLOOD INDICATES TO US THE PEACE AND REST THAT COMES TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD AMIDST A FLOOD OF SIN AND TROUBLE.

NOAH'S FAITH: HEB 11:6-7

BASED IN GOD'S WORD "BEING WARNED OF GOD".
HE WALKED BY FAITH NOT BY SIGHT (2CO 5:7).
HE WAS MOVED WITH FEAR.
THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH WAS OBEDIENCE. (JAM 2:17)

HE BUILT THE ARK BEFORE THE RAIN STARTED TO FALL. IN FACT, HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT RAIN WAS. (HEB 11:7)

HE WAS PERFECT IN HIS GENERATIONS.

"PERFECT" = WITHOUT BLEMISH.

HE WALKED WITH GOD.

SAME RELATIONSHIP AS ENOCH, THOUGH GOD DID NOT SNATCH NOAH UP FROM THE EARTH BEFORE DEATH..

WHAT DID HE HAVE FAITH FOR?

SALVATION FROM THE FLOOD FOR HIS WHOLE FAMILY.

WHAT ACTION WAS INVOLVED IN NOAH'S FAITH?

HIS ACTION WAS BUILDING THE ARK FOR 120 YEARS ACCORDING TO GOD'S SPECIFICATIONS.

NOAH IS A PREFIGURE OF CHRIST

NOAH	JESUS CHRIST
NOAH'S NAME MEANS "REST" GEN 5:28-29	WE HAVE "REST" IN CHRIST MAT 11:28 ISA 11:10
NOAH FOUND GRACE IN GOD'S EYES GEN 6:8	JESUS FOUND GRACE IN GOD'S EYES MAT 3:17
NOAH WAS A JUST (RIGHTEOUS) MAN GEN 6:9	JESUS WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN LUK 23:47
NOAH WAS PERFECT IN HIS GENERATIONS GEN 6:9	JESUS WAS PERFECT, AND WITHOUT SIN LUK 1:35 HEB 7:26
NOAH WALKED WITH GOD GEN 6:9	JESUS GREW UP IN GOD'S FAVOR LUK 2:52

GOD GAVE NOAH WORK TO DO GEN 6:14	GOD GAVE JESUS WORK TO DO JOH 17:4
NOAH, ALONE, DID THE WORK	JESUS ALONE COMPLETED GOD'S WORK 1PE 2:24
NOAH'S HOUSEHOLD WAS SAVED	CHRIST IS A SON OVER HIS OWN HOUSE HEB 3:6
ANIMAL CREATION SUBJECT TO NOAH GEN 6:19	ALL CREATION WILL BE SUBJECT TO JESUS CHRIST AT THE 2ND COMING PSA 8 HEB 1:2 HEB 2:8
NOAH WAS THE GREAT PROVIDER OF FOOD GEN 6:21	CHRIST IS OUR PROVIDER, THE BREAD OF LIFE JOH 6:35
NOAH WAS OBEDIENT	CHRIST WAS OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH GEN 6:22 PHI 2:8
EVERYONE WHO WENT IN THE ARK WAS SAVED GEN 8:18-19	ALL WHO ACCEPT CHRIST ARE SAVED JOH 18:9
NOAH BUILT AN ALTAR & OFFERED SACRIFICE TO GOD GEN 8:20	JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SACRIFICE TO GOD EPH 5:2
GOD BLESSED NOAH AND HIS SONS GEN 9:1	AS CHILDREN OF GOD WE ARE BLESSED THROUGH CHRIST EPH 1:3
GOD WOULD MAKE A NEW COVENANT WITH NOAH GEN 9:8-9	WE HAVE A NEW COVENANT THROUGH CHRIST HEB 8:10-13

SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:

THESE THREE OLD TESTAMENT HEROES OF FAITH DEMONSTRATE OUR DEFINITION OF FAITH:

ABEL -- SACRIFICE OF FAITH

WE ENTER OUR CHRISTIAN WALK OF FAITH THROUGH ACCEPTING BY FAITH JESUS CHRIST AS OUR PERSONAL SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS.

ENOCH -- WALK OF FAITH

WE WALK DAILY BY FAITH KNOWING THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES, AND THAT HE WILL SAVE US FROM SPIRITUAL DEATH.

NOAH -- WORK OF FAITH

WE COOPERATE WITH GOD BY FAITH BUILDING UP A SPIRITUAL HOUSE (THE CHURCH) SO THAT MANY MIGHT BE SAVED.

HOMEWORK

HEBREWS 11:8-19

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

APPLICATION OF HEB 11:4-7

DESCRIBE ANY AREAS OF YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU LACK FAITH:

IN SACRIFICING YOUR OWN DESIRES

IN WALKING WITH GOD DAILY

IN PUTTING YOUR FAITH INTO ACTION

PREPARATION OF HEB 11:8-19

READ HEB 11:8-19 GEN 12:1-10 GEN 17:15-19 GEN 22:1-14 ROM 4:13 GAL 3:6-8 GAL 4:23-28 JAM 2:21-24

NAME THE THINGS FOR WHICH ABRAHAM HAD FAITH?

WHAT ACTIONS WERE INVOLVED IN HIS FAITH?

FOR WHAT DID SARAH HAVE FAITH?

WHAT ACTION WAS INVOLVED IN HER FAITH?

MEMORY VERSE: 1COR 2:5