Faith is such a difficult thing to define. The writer of Hebrews does as good a job as any when He defnes it this way; Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV)
Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old gained approval.
He then follows with a list of “patriarchs” who pleased the Lord for their obedience to His voice by stepping out from the familiar into the mystery on the “unknown”. The “Orthodox Jewish Bible” puts the same 2 verses this way;
“Now Emunah is the substance of things for which we have tikvah. Emunah is the conviction of things not seen.2 For by Emunah have our Zekenim been given approval.”
“*The term emunah, which is rendered in English as “faith” or “belief,” occurs for the first time in the Torah in connection with Abraham. After obeying God’s command to leave his family and home, Abraham is led to the land which God promises to give to his descendants. Famine forces him to sojourn in Egypt, where his wife Sarah’s beauty almost precipitates a tragedy. Back in the land promised by God, Abraham and his nephew Lot find that they cannot live together in peace, and each goes his own way. Lot is captured by enemies and then freed by Abraham.” (*from Jewish Learning).
Living by faith is something that very few really grasps. Most of us are control freaks that hate the ambiguity of knowing the future. When God makes a promise or declares purpose over us, it seems we move into the place of the opposite for a season. Even Abraham questioned God about this;
“After these things,” the Torah tells us, “the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, thy reward shall be exceeding great.'” Now, for the first time, Abraham questions God: “O Lord God, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go hence childless…to me thou hast given no seed.”
The writer of Hebrews than says this in Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him”
Faith is only real when it is only God that can fulfill the promise. The blessing comes in the standing firm in the promise regardless of the circumstances around us, not the fulfillment of the promise. In fact, every one of the patriarchs died without seeing their promises fulfilled; Hebrews 11:13-16 (ESV)
“These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.”
The journey to fulfillment is just as important as the destination in God’s eyes. The reward is the same. It seems they were after a spiritual destination. Better still, they did not receive it because they were incomplete without us; Hebrews 11:39-40 (ESV)
“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”
The life they were after was a spiritual life of walking and living in the Spirit, of engaging in the power of the age to come through intimacy with Jesus. See what the writer says in Hebrews 6:1-6 (ESV)
“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”
The Lord is inviting us to dive into the deep things of the Lord. I believe we will in this next season as He leads. Dr Bruce Allen and his wife Reshma will begin to teach us about this next season that we’re entering into as the Lord wills this weekend. It is His will that we do so. Amen!