In God’s Gift of Faith to Us – He has a Testimony!
The 2nd verse in the great faith chapter Hebrews 11 points back to the Old Testament people who had exemplary faith: “For by it the men of old, obtained a testimony.” This “testimony” is literally a witness passively received. God is the Witness of the faith He gave to them, and in the end, He sees what this gift has wrought in their lives – trusting in God, not in themselves or in what they had made. This verse then points forward to the named and unnamed people of faith who were empowered by faith to do faithful acts which are written about in the remaining verses of Hebrews 11.
Appropriately in the next verse, the author of Hebrews (likely a Jewish priest from Jerusalem who had become a Christian as there were a “great many” of them! Acts 6:7) then points to the sky. He reminds everyone that we have a visible witness to the invisible Word: creation! “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)
As we look at creation, we see the wonder and astonishingly “creative,” complex, particularly balanced observable “worlds” – what little we can see. And we at once realize this creation is none other than a sign for faith in the Word which created, (and sustains, Heb. 1:3), a beauty and design, beyond comprehension.
Creation points to God and to the Word that created all the worlds we will ever discover (Jn. 1:1-3; Ps. 19; Rom. 1). When we doubt God, we should look at a leaf and see His creative power and design. But the same Word that created and sustains it, will speak His Word, and at the end of time, roll it up. (II Peter 3:7). We look to the One Who is greater than creation, the One Who will create a new heavens and earth… along with our new indestructible body.
Paul describes faith as a “shield” in Ephesians 6. As part of Passover, the blood of an unblemished lamb was sprinkled at the top and sides of the door. Hebrews 11:28 mentions this act of faith. Moses and everyone who performed this curious act were trusting that the Word God spoke about this shielding action would be enough to protect them from the coming angel who brought death. And it was. Of course, the act pointed to Jesus Who is “our Passover.” (I Cor. 5:7)
Prayer: Lord when we look to the stars, we see the fruit of Your creative and powerful word.
Help us with the eyes of faith to see the unseen Word Who is “above the highest heavens” and is our shield
against the destruction sure to come. Bless our faith to trust Your redemption, more than anything created. Amen
