What is the faith of the Patriarchs, and what is our faith in comparison with it? But perhaps we simply do not quite understand...
What is the faith of the Patriarchs, and what is our faith in comparison with it? But perhaps we simply do not quite understand what faith is. It appears to us that faith, especially the faith of the patriarchs, is something unshakable, a certain rest for their great souls that enables them to do their great deeds. But let us look more closely at what the Apostle tells us today: "...they said of themselves that they were strangers and exiles on the earth; for those who speak this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland." In these words, on the contrary, there is a certain unrest, a search. And according to the logic of our language, this is something opposite to faith. Searching is associated more with doubt than with faith. We even have expressions such as "established in faith" and "firm faith." And although in the first word the root is "firm," not "faith," this consonance shapes us apart from our conscious awareness.
But in reality, the faith of our fathers consisted precisely in not letting their thought find rest in anything earthly, and in general in not letting it rest in anything at all. For "if they had had in mind that homeland from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return." If we have something formed in our thoughts, not necessarily something strictly defined, concrete, and material, even if it is only an idea, it draws our actions toward itself, and we find time to realize it. But faith is something else. Faith is always striving; it is dynamism, impulse, and at times even wandering, but not meaningless wandering; it is wandering with hope in Him. And this very hope must be our stronghold. As soon as we stop hoping, we cut ourselves off from the vine and dry up. We shut off the oxygen of grace for ourselves.
And therefore doubts must exist. But these must be doubts not about God, but about our idea of Him. This small clarification is always forgotten when people speak of doubts in faith. Only one thing must be unshakable: the One who created me loves me, because: "You love all things that exist, and loathe nothing that You have made, for You would not have made anything if You had hated it" (Wis 11:25). What is there to doubt here? The fact that I exist, and therefore someone wanted me to exist, is obvious. It is also clear that He created responsibly, not as a childish amusement: since such a complex world stands, and everything in it is so beautiful, its Creator cannot be irresponsible. Therefore, He loves. That is all. That is all of faith.
And doubts about dogmas, about people, even those vested with rank, about the structure of the Church... all this is the very wandering of which the Apostle speaks to us today when he speaks about the descendants of the patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah. And let us not cling too tightly to the earthly, for "they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one; therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."
11
11:1 The definition of faith given in this verse, and exemplified in the various instances following, undoubtedly includes justifying faith, but not directly as justifying. For faith justifies only as it refers to, and depends on, Christ. But here is no mention of him as the object of faith; and in several of the instances that follow, no notice is taken of him or his salvation, but only of temporal blessings obtained by faith. And yet they may all be considered as evidences of the power of justifying faith in Christ, and of its extensive exercise in a course of steady obedience amidst difficulties and dangers of every kind. Now faith is the subsistence of things hoped for, the evidence or conviction of things not seen - Things hoped for are not so extensive as things not seen.The former are only things future and joyful to us ; the latter are either future, past, or present, and those either good or evil, whether to us or others. The subsistence of things hoped for - Giving a kind of present subsistence to the good things which God has promised: the divine supernatural evidence exhibited to, the conviction hereby produced in, a believer of things not seen, whether past, future, or spiritual; particularly of God and the things of God.
11:2 By it the elders - Our forefathers. This chapter is a kind of summary of the Old Testament, in which the apostle comprises the designs, labours, sojournings, expectations, temptations, martyrdoms of the ancients. The former of them had a long exercise of their patience; the latter suffered shorter but sharper trials. Obtained a good testimony - A most comprehensive word. God gave a testimony, not only of them but to them: and they received his testimony as if it had been the things themselves of which he testified, Heb 11:4-5, Heb 11:39. Hence they also gave testimony to others, and others testified of them.
11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds - Heaven and earth and all things in them, visible and invisible.Where made - Formed, fashioned, and finished. By the word - The sole command of God, without any instrument or preceding matter. And as creation is the foundation and specimen of the whole divine economy, so faith in the creation is the foundation and specimen of all faith. So that things which are seen - As the sun, earth, stars.Were made of things which do not appear - Out of the dark, unapparent chaos, Gen 1:2. And this very chaos was created by the divine power; for before it was thus created it had no existence in nature.
11:4 By faith - In the future Redeemer. Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice - The firstlings of his flock, implying both a confession of what his own sins deserved, and a desire of sharing in the great atonement. Than Cain - Whose offering testified no such faith, but a bareacknowledgment of God the Creator. By which faith he obtained both righteousness and a testimony of it: God testifying - Visibly that his gifts were accepted; probably by sending fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice, a token that justice seized on the sacrifice instead of the sinner who offered it. And by it - By this faith. Being dead, he yet speaketh - That a sinner is accepted only through faith in the great sacrifice.
11:5 Enoch was not any longer found among men, though perhaps they sought for him as they did for Elijah, Ki2 2:17.He had this testimony - From God in his own conscience.
11:6 But without faith - Even some divine faith in God, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God - in prayer, or another act of worship, must believe that he is.
11:7 Noah being warned of things not seen as yet - Of the future deluge. Moved with fear, prepared anark, by which open testimony he condemned the world - Who neither believed nor feared.
11:8 Gen 12:1, Gen 12:4-5
11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise - The promise was made before, Gen 12:7.Dwelling in tents - As a sojourner With Isaac and Jacob - Who by the same manner of living showed the same faith Jacob was born fifteen years before the death of Abraham. The joint heirs of the same promise - Having all the same interest therein. Isaac did not receive this inheritance from Abraham, nor Jacob from Isaac, but all of them from God. Gen 17:8
11:10 He looked for a city which hath foundations - Whereas a tent has none. Whose builder and former is God - Of which God is the sole contriver, former, and finisher.
11:11 Sarah also herself - Though at first she laughed at the promise, Gen 18:12. Gen 21:2.
11:12 As it were dead - Till his strength was supernaturally restored, which continued for many years after.
11:13 All these - - Mentioned Heb 11:7-11. Died in faith - In death faith acts most vigorously. Not having received the promises - The promised blessings. Embraced - As one does a dear friend when he meets him.
11:14 They who speak thus show plainly that they seek their own country - That they keep in view, and long for, their native home.
11:15 If they had been mindful of - Their earthly country, Ur of the Chaldeans, they might have easily returned.
11:16 But they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly - This is a full convincing proof that the patriarchs had a revelation and a promise of eternal glory in heaven.Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: seeing he hath prepared for them a city - Worthy of God to give.
11:17 By faith Abraham - When God made that glorious trial of him. Offered up Isaac - The will being accepted as if he had actually done it. Yea, he that had received the promises - Particularly that grand promise, "In Isaac shall thy seed becalled." Offered up - This very son; the only one he had by Sarah. Gen 22:1,etc
11:18 In Isaac shall thy seed be called - From him shall the blessed seed spring. Gen 21:12.
11:19 Accounting that God was able even to raise him from the dead - Though there had not been any instance of this in the world. From whence also - To speak in a figurative way. He did receive him - Afterwards, snatched from the jaws of death.