Hebrews11

All scripture here is quoted from Revised English Version unless otherwise
noted.

To begin we need to define the Greek word pistis. It is translated Faith or
believe.  Many teach that it is a power that you can believe that you will get
a Lamborghini and one will suddenly be in your driveway. Well here is a
definition from dictionary.

noun

confidence or trust in a person or thing:

faith in another's ability.

belief that is not based on proof:

He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion:

the firm faith of the Pilgrims.

belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.:

to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.

a system of religious belief:

the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.

the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.:

Failure to appear would be breaking faith.

the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance,
etc.:

He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.

Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through
Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

I like the first and the last definitions. God makes many promises in his
word. Like this one:

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say
unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto
the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The lord will meet the members of the church of the body in the air.
And it says we will ever be with him. Or to put it another way “wherever he is
we is.” I am not here to teach this subject and it is a very great teaching all
you need to search the hope in our search engine we have several great
teachings on the subject. This is a promise we can trust. Jesus will be coming
back one day and we will meet him in the air. 

Getting back to faith it is a matter of finding a promise from God and
trusting what he says. It is not some magical formula to acquire things.

It isn’t Harry Potter where you cast a spell. It is simply to take God at his
word. And it is a building process. You get better at it over the years because
you have seen it  work. The word trust the best definition I have found for
the word that is why I am using the REV because that is how they translated.
So bearing all of this in mind, let's move onto Hebrews 11 the chapter that
shows what faith or”trust in the promise of the lord” is. 

1 Now trust is firm confidence in things hoped for, a conviction regarding
things not seen.

A great example is the section quoted from Thessalonians above about our
hope. We have not seen it come to pass yet but we trust it enough to base our
lives and actions on this hope. We are given some great examples in this
chapter so let us move on.

Here is the Link For the graphic.

2 For by it the people of old obtained a good testimony from God.

This verse says the people of old got a good report from God. The same
holds true today we need to trust God and we get a good report card.
I remember as a kid dreading report card day. I was not the world's greatest
student by any measurement. I was always in trouble almost every time the
report cards came out. There was one time though I made the honor roll that
is the one good report card I got. Now I have a good report card from God. 

3 By trust we understand that the ages have been put in order by the word of
God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible.

I like the NIV on verse 3

By faith trust we understand that the universe was formed at God's command,
so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

It just needs that one change substituting trust for faith. There was nothing
when God originally created the world in Genesis 1:1. In verse 2 God is fixing
what happened when the devil rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-14). 

4 By trust Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which
trust he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying on the
basis of his gifts; and through it, though he is dead, he still speaks.

These examples that are given speak to us throughout the ages about the
trust these people exhibited in God. God’s testimony about Able was he was
righteous. As we do that which he directs us, by word of God or direct
revelation to an individual, we will be declared righteous.  I am not speaking of
salvation once we have that we have it, but do our actions line up with the word
of God. 

There are many times God will give us assignments to do such as go talk to this
person all the way to raise that one from the dead. I have not as far as I am
aware ever been given this particular job to do. Maybe someday but not so far.
When you follow through on these assignments you are rewarded if you don’t
God will stop giving you things to do.

5 By trust Enoch was moved so that he would not see death, and he could not
be found, because God moved him, for before he was moved he obtained the
testimony that he pleased God.

Enoch never saw anyone he loved die. God moved him away from them as they
were dying. Many teach that Enoch never died. This is our God if you please him
he will do things for you that please you. 

6 And without trust it is impossible to please him, for whoever comes to God must believe that he is, and that he rewards those who seek him.

7 By trust Noah, being divinely warned about things not yet seen, out of
reverent regard, prepared an ark for the salvation of his house. By this trust
he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes
because of trust.

Man had never seen rain till the coming of the flood. There was a mist that
came up from the ground is how the earth was watered going all the way back
to the book of Genesis:

(KJV) Genesis 2:6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the
whole face of the ground.

I have never seen a scripture that says that stopped till the flood. So for
several hundred years this continued. This is part of why they were making fun
of Noah.

8 By trust Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place that
he was about to receive as an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where
he was going.

9 By trust he went to live in the Promised Land, as in a foreign land, living in
tents, as did Isaac and Jacob who were co-heirs of the same promise,

10 for he was looking forward to the city that has the lasting foundations,
whose builder and maker is God.

11 By trust even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was
past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised,

12 and so from one man, and him as good as dead, many were born, as many as
the stars of heaven in multitude and as innumerable as the sand that is by the
sea-shore.

Abe and Sarah did not have the messiah but they did have a miracle baby All
because they counted God trust-worthy and it was accounted unto them for
righteousness.

13 All these people were still living by trust when they died, not having received
the promises, but they saw them from a distance, and saluted them, and
professed that they were foreigners and sojourners on the earth.

Have you ever realized that you are foreigners and sojourners on the earth?
You were of the earth then you trusted the promise in Romans 10:9,10 and
your citizenship changed from earth to Heaven.

Phl 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the
Lord Jesus Christ,

14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a
homeland.

15 And indeed, if they kept thinking of that land from which they came out,
they would have had an opportunity to return.

16But as it is, they desire 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.

How about that God is not ashamed to be called our God. Now all of these
examples the author is using are Jewish examples but the same principle
applies to us. If we trust God he will proudly be our God and father. If you
don’t trust him not so much. Doesn’t mean you lose your salvation just means
your relationship with God won’t be as intimate as it could be.

17 By trust Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac; yes, he who had gladly
received the promises was offering up his only begotten son,

18 even he to whom it was said, In Isaac will your seed be called.

19 He reasoned that God was able to raise him up, even out from among the
dead, from which, as a parable, he did receive him back.

So Abraham was willing to sacrifice his child of promise because he knew and
trusted what God had promised him and for that to happen he needed to be
alive so God would have to raise him somehow.

20By trust Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By trust Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and
bowed in worship while he was leaning on the top of his staff.

22 By trust Joseph, when his end was near, mentioned the Exodus of the sons
of Israel, and gave a commandment concerning his bones.

23 By trust, when Moses was born, he was hidden by his parents for three
months because they saw he was a well-pleasing child to God, and they were
not afraid of the king’s commandment.

All these people are trusting the promises of God because they had seen him
fulfill other promises so they expected him to continue to do so. 

24 By trust Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of
Pharaoh’s daughter,

25 choosing to be mistreated along with the People of God, rather than to
enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin,

26 considering the abuse for the sake of the Messiah greater riches than the
treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

See Moses was looking forward to his reward. That's why when someone says
they don’t care about their rewards they show that the are unlearned about
the rewards. They are part of the hope and should not be ignored.

27 By trust he forsook Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king, for he endured,
as if seeing him who is invisible.

28 By trust he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the
one who was destroying the firstborn would not touch them.

29 By trust they passed through the Red Sea as if they were passing through
dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do it, they were drowned.

The example that is always sighted in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Israel forgot about it very shortly.

30 By trust the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for
seven days.

31 By trust Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were defiant,
because she received the spies with peace.

32And what more should I say? For the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon,
Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David, and Samuel, and the prophets,

33 who through trust conquered kingdoms, enforced righteousness, obtained
promises, shut the mouths of lions,

34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness
were made strong, became strong in war, put to flight foreign armies.

35 Women received back their dead by resurrection; but others were tortured,
not accepting their release, in order to obtain a better resurrection.

Did you read that women got their husbands resurrected from the dead now
they died later just like Lazarus the only one who got up and stayed up is
Jesus Christ.

36 And others experienced mockings and floggings, and even chains and
imprisonment.

37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were murdered with the
sword, they went around in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted,
mistreated

38 (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains,
and hiding in caves and the holes in the ground.

39 And all these, though having obtained a good testimony because of their
trust, did not receive the promise,

These people never received the promise we have. 

40 God having provided something better for us, so that they would not be made
perfect apart from us.