Art Toombs Ministries
Online Bible Commentary
The Power of Faith
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. (NKJV)
The early Eastern Church (Dionysius and Clement, both of Alexandria), from the second century, claimed Paul was the writer of Hebrews. The Western Church later agreed.
Luke translated the letter to the Hebrews into Greek, according to Clement in the second century. Luke was with Paul during his second Roman imprisonment and was his amanuensis during Paul’s final days (2 Timothy 4:11).
It is likely that Luke was also Paul’s amanuensis for this letter. My conclusion is that this was Paul’s last writing, written in late 67-early 68 A.D.
In this letter, Paul is writing to Hebrews who have converted to Christianity from Judaism. Family and friends are likely pressuring them to return to Judaism, so Paul is writing to these Hebrew Christians to encourage them to remain steadfast in their faith and not to return to Judaism.
This chapter, Hebrews eleven, is known as the faith chapter. Paul runs chronologically through history and identifies those who are included in God’s “Hall of Faith”.
He is giving examples of great people of faith. He has already written of Abel, Enoch, and Noah.
In this passage two more people are added to God’s Hall of Faith, Abraham and his wife Sarah. Abraham and Sarah were examples of the astounding power of faith.
Abraham was raised in a land called Ur, in the Chaldees. It was located in present day Iraq, near the Euphrates River and not far from where the Tigris and Euphrates meet, which is thought to be the area of the Garden of Eden.
Paul begins by writing “By faith Abraham, when called to go” (v. 8a). Although the area was bountiful, God “called” Abraham to move to an unknown land, the Promised Land. It was some 500 miles to the west, through the desert and over the mountains, an extremely long journey for the times.
Paul continues with “to a place he would later receive as his inheritance” (v. 8b). This land was to be the “inheritance” of Abraham and all his descendants.
Paul writes “obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (v. 8c). In a giant leap of faith, Abraham obeyed and went to this new land, even though he did not know where he was going.
His family and friends must have thought him to be crazy, or reckless at the least. But Abraham followed God’s calling for his life.
Next, Paul writes “By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise” (v. 9). The literal translation of the original Greek is: “By faith he tenanted the land.”
Abraham lived on the land as a tenant, a renter, even though God had given him the land. As Mother Francis did, he held everything loosely, in case God wanted to take something back.
The only permanent structure Abraham placed on the land was a tomb for his dead. Otherwise, he and his family lived in tents. He was always ready to move again if God called.
Next, Paul writes “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (v. 10). Abraham was a foreigner, or alien, as one who was just passing though this life. He knew that his real home was in Heaven. He was looking forward to Heaven, the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Even though Abraham knew he was just passing through, God promised him that He would make a great nation from the seed of Abraham. Again, this must have seemed to men to be a crazy idea.
Both Abraham and Sarah were advanced in years, far beyond the age of conception. Abraham was about 99 years old and Sarah was about 90.
Paul continues with “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise (v. 11). By faith Sarah, even though she was past age, was enabled to bear children because she considered He who had made the promise, God, to be faithful.
Next, Paul writes “And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore” (v. 12). Although Abraham was “as good as dead” (v. 12a), he fathered a great nation. God gave him “descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore” (v. 12b).
In conclusion, Abraham and Sarah birthed a great nation, the Hebrews, because they considered God faithful. They had faith in God. They believed in the trustworthiness of God’s promises.
Faith is trusting God. It is believing that God is worthy of trust.
By all rights Abraham and Sarah could not have had children. Again, their friends and family must have thought them to be crazy for even thinking of such an outlandish idea.
They were out of touch with reality. In this day and age they might well have been diagnosed with dementia and be institutionalized.
While the world told them there was no way, God made a way. All things are possible with God.
So, Abraham and Sarah moved far from their home and birthed a great nation. This is the power of faith.