Hebrews 11:1-40
11:1 Our faith is our foundation; the strength of our faith establishes the strength of our soul. Therefore we must examine what faith is. According to this verse, "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith does fulfills its job of being the substance, the weight, the existence, the tangibility of hope and evidence of what we cannot see because our faith is our commitment to and trust in this philosophy of life.
None of us are expected to blindly follow. We are not asked to believe in a mystery. Evidence of creator therefore is displayed around us, within us. We ourselves are products of creation: body and soul. Moreover, when we work on broadening our perspective, objectivity and observation, we begin to hear, see and feel the creative energy around us: guiding, teaching, and comforting.
Hope comes from our understanding that we have a compassionate universe. The intention of creation is to give and support life. Realize how specifically tailored the earth and humanity are to each other (the tilted axis of our planet, our particular distance from the sun, the way we intake oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, that nature produces the specific vitamins and minerals which fuel our bodies). Hope comes from understand that the universe wants you to be alive and to thrive and that through mutual effort and alignment with it, you will.
11:2 Elders of the faith, people who have spent their lifetimes listening and learning and preaching this message have obtained a good testimony, indeed. The ability to inspire with the experience. For the further you delve in faith, the deeper the blessings, the more complex and awesome the wonder and understanding.
11:3 Faith establishes the creator and His (Its) universe (immense and infinite as it may be). Faith is the connection between the divine, spiritual which is not seen and the earth and humanity before our eyes. Through faith we come into beloved familiarity with that which created Life.
The universe, all life, all creator was framed and formed by the intention and philosophy spoken of within this scripture (and other texts as well). Life was framed by compassion. All life was created to be loved. We are taught to love others and care for them as we would hope to be cared for. Therefore, life was framed by humility as well. A humble wisdom created life, a compassionate spirit... through faith we develop the eyes to see that which is mystery to the faithless: that we are a spiritual creation, that the core of ourselves is not actually earthly (worldly) in nature at all.
11:4 In this and the next several verses we are brought to the Old Testament to explore metaphorical examples of humanity's faith:
Genesis 4:1-5
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
The parable of Cain and Abel represent two types of faith in humanity: earthly (worldly) v. spiritual. Abel was a keeper of sheep, a shepherd. Shepherding is a deeply consistent metaphor throughout the Bible representing a person who takes care of and leads God's children. Notice in verse 4:2 of the Genesis excerpt the word "but", suggesting a negative comparison to shepherding: "But" Cain was a tiller of the ground. Cain as a tiller of the ground explains him to be representative of those who put their faith in worldly things, rather than spiritual. What Cain produces, his "fruit" is of the world.
Our planet earth is undeniably a beautiful place. Yet our "fruits" (that which is produced by our words, thoughts and actions) are not supposed to come from the world. They are supposed to come from our spirit. We are not supposed to revere, produce or procure the material desires of the world. Cain offered rather than actual fruit, the material he had learned from being on earth (the ability to wheel and deal, manipulate, obtain power, wealth and fame, deceive...).
Abel was loved for his humility, his devotion to the care of the "sheep": humanity. Through Abel's diligent efforts of compassion, what he produced to God were more healthy and faithful souls. Cain's offering was less excellent because he offered selfishness... his "clever" self rather than the well-being of others.
The world instructs us to procure. To gain and increase in wealth and fame and power. Life has become a business, a business in which there is no contentment. Humans are on a constant quest to find the biggest, the smallest, the brightest, the fastest. In the arduous race of trying to keep up, humans have quite collectively neglected their purpose and potential here to be producers. For God's children are producers indeed: souls with the ability to create light and love, compassion, justice and opportunity (for themselves and for others). Rather than commit our full focus to producing, we have become consumers... consumers with insatiable desire. Such is the detriment of our earth and souls.
Our souls were designed to create. To contemplate. To observe. To be compassionate. We do not feed our souls adequate nourishment and therefore many suffer and in many different ways. But the root of the problem is the same: consumption rather than production.
11:5 Enoch of Genesis 5 was one of few who did not actually die before transfiguring into Spirit. His devoted and true depth of faith rendered death unnecessary. The idea of death here on earth was designed to test faith. For with faith we come to understand that there is no such thing as death. Enoch did not need to learn that lesson (his true faith enabled him to know without doubt that Spirit was real). A such with such faith was, quite understandably, probably more useful with God than here. For students/children of God are fellow workers. Enoch was recruited straight into Spirit.
11:6 Spirituality is only accessible through faith. Faith does not have to (and often does not) come from any specific religion. Spirituality is a philosophy of life and compassion. Having faith in creation, even if a person is unable to define or explain it Who or What exactly their faith is in, is faith which enables one to please creation. Because having faith in the fact that compassion is the natural order and, right and responsibility of life is belief in Spirit.
We must diligently seek the philosophy of life here. A diligent search proclaims a devotion and appreciate to learning and caring. A devotion to understanding life, all life, proclaims humility for it requires that one contemplate beyond just themselves.
11:7 Noah of Genesis 6 represented the element within faith that is: trust. Noah trusted the will of God. He trusted that all gentle and kind life was loved and respected and protected by creation (by God). Noah's life established him as a prophet because of his unwavering trust. Exemplified in his story is God's promise to love and protect all that is good, that He is trustworthy and capable.
11:8-10 In Genesis 15-16 we are introduced to Abraham (formerly Abram). Abraham is representative of faith in action and fulfillment combined with trust. The lesson in Abraham's story is often overlooked as a cruel and unusual request for God. By instructing Abraham to deliver his son to God, God created the circumstance through which Abraham's absolute trust in God enabled him to know that God would never truly commit a cruel or unusual act. Abraham's faith also exemplified his belief that God protected life, even beyond earth.
From this verse: And [Abraham] went out, not knowing where he was going...alludes to 2 Corinthians 5:7, For we walk by faith, not by sight.
11:11 Sarah's faith is representative of the limitlessness of our creator. He Who created biology is not a servant of it. Neither is he a slave to its laws. Sarah wished to become a mother, to bring a soul into the world. All of the evidence of her life told her that it was impossible because of her age. Yet Sarah's story exhibits the omnipotence and invulnerability of God. Sarah's story proclaims to us that nothing is impossible if we request (with ardent faith) God's help in accomplishing it.
11:12 From her body, because of her faithful soul, generations of humans of the earth were first born. Meaning that Abraham and Sarah's lineage extends even into present day. Their progeny innumerable. Quoted from this verse "...were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude-innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore." God's blessings consistently and profoundly exceed our expectations.
11:13 Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah passed away on the earth not seeing and yet knowing and believing in a spiritual life following. Through their faith, each declared that they were children of Spirit rather than earth. Through our faith also we can proclaim that we are "strangers and pilgrims" on the earth. For we do not belong here... we sojourn here, reside here for a time but we return to our spiritual origin.
Cain, the exception, did not proclaim himself a child of spirit. Rather, he proudly proclaimed himself a product of the world. A product of mortality, vulnerability, fallibility.
11:14 Through our faith we "declare plainly that [we] seek a homeland" and thereby enable and invite God (Spirit: immorality, invulnerability, perfection) to become our home.
11:15 Our God is fair and generous. Here on earth He has given us the complete freedom to become who we want and to align ourselves with what we want. Individual choice is allowed here. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah manifested in Spirit after earth because they chose Spirit. Had they chosen to deny it, that would have been allowed as well.
This is a crucial lesson for us to remember. God is not holding His authority over us. He gives and respects our freedom. Here on earth we are not punished by Him for our transgressions... rather He explains to us that our transgressions cause the events and circumstances which we only perceive to be punishment. Choose whichever path you want... God kindly reveals to us which path produces good and which does not, and ultimately it is our choice to decide which to walk.
11:16 Through faith these prophets chose God to be their home. With joy and love, God therefore created and established a home for them (for us, for all who choose Him as home).
These prophets abandoned commitment to world's ways. They discarded their desires for wealth, fame and power and traded them for humility, love and faith. They proclaimed, through their faith, that that which comes from faith is so much more and lasting than that which comes from toiling in the world.
For no matter how clever and powerful and wealthy a person is on the earth, without humility, love and faith, they will never find contentment. They will always lose their lives... first their earth-life by becoming slaves to consuming and destruction and then their spiritual-life by neglecting to feed their soul with the compassion needs (rendering it obsolete and mortal).
Our humility here, our selflessness here determines our wealth, fame and power there in Spirit (and in spirit, what we are infinite, abundant, made-perfect).
11:17-19 Abraham and his son Isaac exemplified absolute faith (even echoing the manifestation of Jesus on earth: offering Himself to the earth despite the consequences). Abraham knew that God would never take his son's soul. Abraham knew that God's children were constantly alive in different forms, never experiencing death (even if it appears that way to the people on the earth). Abraham and Isaac therefore become a metaphor of faith. If all signs point left but God points right... go right. He will never hurt you or led you astray.
11:20 By faith Isaac raised his children in faith. Jacob and Esau, although raised and encouraged in faith, retained God's promise of freedom to choose. Jacob chose one way and Esau another after each being presented this philosophy. Jeremiah 29:13 explains to us that when we diligently seek God, He will reveal Himself to us. Still, it is our responsibility and blessed freedom to choose for ourselves whether or not to follow what is revealed.
11:21 These first fathers of the faith enveloped their children in this philosophy of compassion. Likewise go out among humanity and inspire through your words, thoughts and behavior. For people have the right to choose for themselves, but you do no harm in presenting* to them this blessed way.
*This does not mean to forcibly preach to people. This does not mean to judge. What this means is to live by example. Represent your beliefs and values in the way that you express yourself and interact with others. Trust me, this method is more effective anyway.
11:22 Notice the beginning of the generation produced by Abraham and Sarah. Faith traveled through the family which was created by faith.
11:23-26 Moses had an easy opportunity to choose the world rather than God. The circumstances of his birth allowed him to be accepted by royalty on the earth. Instead, Moses chose humility. Moses chose God. Moses chose to work through faith to bring compassion to God's children, even though it meant discarded all of the wealth, power and fame offered to him.
11:27-29 By consistent faith Moses was navigated to freedom. By faith Moses led humans from chaos to order, from being lost to found. No one else had hope and were nearly overtaken and diminished because of their hopelessness. Yet Moses preached hope in God to them and they found life (literally and figuratively).
11:28 Ensuring that every child was raised in faith and compassion in order to strengthen their minds and spirits against evil people and acts.
11:29 Another metaphor: faith secures our foundation, our land on which to firmly stand. Evil acts, evil thoughts and evil desires drown us.
11:30 Here begin a series of examples from the Old Testament of people who, through faith, triumphed over every tribulation. Joshua 6 Through diligent faith missions were accomplished.
11:31 Through doing the right thing, death was easily and expertly escaped, Joshua 2.
11:32-35 Through faith accomplished: survival, triumph, righteousness, promises, escape from violence and death, strength, life (The Book of Judges). Some people read the Bible as a series of stories and neglect to have their lessons impressed upon their souls. These souls were led by creation, through their faith and mutual effort toward life and love, compassion and truth. We are all in the same circumstances as those who came way before us. We have purpose here. Through our faith during our lives we fulfill it.
11:36-37 Compassionate, faithful, good souls have been mistreated by the world. Yet because of their faith they consistently achieved and produced justice and compassion. Souls so good the world did not deserve them. Yet they still devoted themselves to this humble mission and intention of Spirit. Remember the apostles, like Paul, who endured so much rejection and tribulation, hate and evil because he feared nothing as long as he stood beside God. God navigates good souls through all of the muck and chaos of life because of their commitment to goodness. They (we can) impact, inspire, guide, heal humanity when we work with God... no matter what or how many roadblocks the world tries to hinder us with.
11:38 Souls who journey to every part of the earth to bring compassion are loved, led and protected by God.
11:39-40 Humanity, the souls who came before us, the souls currently on the earth and the souls to come are collectively in progress. Together we inherit the promises of God, not separably. We are each a part of each other's fulfillment here. We are products of each other. We are influenced and inspired by each other. Until God manifests here and melds earth and spirit together, our eternal home with God is not revealed.
Yes, when we pass on we get a glimpse. We feel and see His love. But the spiritual homeland, the place He has made for us, for all of us who choose Him, we will walk into together.
