College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Hebrews 11:4-7
II.
Progressive development of faith during patriarchal and Mosaic dispensations. Hebrews 11:4-40.
A.
The antediluvian: faith in God. Hebrews 11:4-7.
Text
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh. S By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing unto God: Hebrews 11:6 and without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that. He is a rewarder of them that seek after Him. Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Paraphrase
Hebrews 11:4 By faith, by rightly understanding and believing what was said concerning the seed of the woman's bruising the head of the serpent, Abel offered to God more sacrifice than Cain: For with an humble penitent heart he offered a sin-offering, on account of which he was declared to be righteous; God testifying this upon his gifts: and so by that sacrifice, though dead, Abel still speaketh, recommending to us repentance, humility, and faith.
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch, having lived in a continued course of piety, was translated in the body from this earth, the habitation of sinners, to heaven, that he might not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him on account of his singular virtue. For before his translation it was testified by Moses, that he walked with God.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible, in any dispensation of religion, to please God. For he who worshippeth God acceptably, must believe that He exists, and that He will reward all them who sincerely worship and obey Him, and who persevere in piety and obedience to the end of their life.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when he received a revelation concerning the destruction of the world by a deluge, a thing which no man had ever seen, being seized with religious fear, prepared an ark, according to God's command, for the saving of his family: by which religious fear he condemned the inhabitants of the old world, to whom, without success, he preached the revelation which had been made to himself, (2 Peter 2:5), and became an heir of the righteousness of faith; of which his temporal deliverance was a pledge.
Comment
By faith Abel offered unto God
How did he get his faith? He received it like all do, by hearing, Romans 10:17. God spoke to men directly in that day and Abel knew, just as we knowby hearing.
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain
How was it more excellent? It was offered by faiththat made the difference.
a.
The conditions of offering, some blemish, the wrong kind of offeringwhatever was wrong, it indicated a failure in faith on the part of Cain.
b.
Most people feel Cain's offering was vegetable, in place of a blood offering.
Newell, p. 377: Cain forgot that the ground was cursed.
a.
However, animals live off the ground just as much as plants do.
b.
Besides, animals were also cursed; they became wild and uncontrollable.
Of course, only a blood sacrifice could be a type of the coming sacrifice of Christ. More carries the idea of number, quality, or excellency.
through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous
How it was done, no one knows, but God showed pleasure. Perhaps the sacrifice was consumed by fire, as seen in other instances.
a.
Leviticus 9:24: And there came forth fire.
b.
c.
Faithlessness, then, must be equivalent to unrighteousness.
God bearing witness in respect of his gifts
Gifts generally refer to free will.
a.
Perhaps Cain was not sincere, and offered a substitute.
b.
It may have been a small offering as the word more allows. How did God bear witness?
a.
Perhaps He consumed it, like He did Elijah'S. 1 Kings 18:38.
b.
God has no respect for sacrifices that are not made in faith. John discusses it.
a.
1 John 3:12: Wherefore slew he him? because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
and through it he being dead, yet speaketh
What speaks, the offering or Abel? Note that the pronoun shows that Abel speaks, although dead these many centuries. He speaks: Work, serve, offer, by faith.
by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death
Little is known of him.
a.
Genesis 5:24: And Enoch walked with God and he was not because God took him.
b.
Jude 1:14 says that he was a prophet, and warned the people.
c.
Genesis 5:18: He was the son of Jared.
This great character named after Cain's first son surely doesn-'t help the theory of original sin. Genesis 4:17.
a.
Cain's child must have been good, or else Enoch would not have been named after him.
b.
No one names their child Cain or Judas.
c.
If Cain had such an awful nature, we might expect this to be passed on directly.
for he had witness borne of him that before his translation
What a joy it must have been to have had the smile of God upon him. Unless we have witness we shall not be translated or received of God.
a.
Romans 8:16 has a special meaning in the light of Enoch's translation.
b.
If we do not measure up to the word, we have no witness.
he had been well pleasing unto God.
Hebrews 11:6: This is done by faith, and without faith it can-'t be done. These characters represent phases of faith:
a.
Abel represents the path of salvation by faith.
b.
Enoch represents one walking with God, who declared him righteous.
c.
Noah represents the next result of faithtestimony of coming judgment.
d.
Abraham, a tent-dwelling pilgrim, living on divine promises.
and without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing unto him
An earthly parent wants the confidence of his children, as does God.
Look what unbelief does:
a.
It breaks God's word.
Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:11.
Korah, Jude 1:11.
b.
It makes men fearful, fear then becomes the ruling motive of life.
Adam: I was afraid, Genesis 3:10.
Cain: They will kill me, Genesis 4:14.
Israel: We are grasshoppers. Numbers 13:33.
Peter was afraid and began to sink, Matthew 14:30.
c.
It breaks God's fellowship.
Adam and Eve hid in the garden.
Genesis 4:16: Cain went out from the Presence of God. 1 John 3:12: Not as Cain was of the evil one and slew his brother. because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
d.
It leads to sin.
How impossible then it is for the faithless one to please God.
for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is
There is a way to God. We must come that way.
a.
John 14:6: The Way.
b.
John 10:1: One is a thief and robber if he enters not by the door.
c.
Proverbs 28:26: A fool trusts in his own heart.
Things to believe about God are suggested here.
a.
That He isHe exists.
1.
Psalms 14:1 calls the atheist a fool.
2.
If there is no God, then let us quit saying, Everything has a cause.
3.
If God does not exist who made the world, then I can believe that there was no builder of this building.
a rewarder of them that seek after Him
b.
He is a rewarder to seekers.
1.
God is benevolent, and will balance the accounts.
2.
Right may seem to be on the scaffold, and wrong on the throne, but above is God who keepeth watch over His own.
by faith Noah being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear
Noah alone paid regard to God's words, though deferred for 120 years. Look what his faith caused him to do:
a.
Prepared the ark.
b.
Condemned the world.
c.
Became an heir of righteousness.
Disbelief makes one fearful, but faith builds a godly fear.
a.
Disbelief makes one inactive.
b.
Faith makes one active.
prepared the ark to the saving of his house
Look how often faith saves the house:
a.
Noah, Hebrews 11:7.
b.
Joshua, Joshua 24:15. c. Cornelius, Acts 10.
d.
Lydia, Acts 16:14-15.
e.
Philippian Jailor, Acts 16:34; Acts 18:8.
Pitiful are the stories of lost families where the father did not have faith.
through which he condemned the world
What condemned the world, Noah's deliverance, his faith or the ark?
a.
Calvin says: By the ark he condemned the world, for by being so long occupied in building it, he took away every excuse from the wicked.
b.
Newell: This faith had the double effect of condemning the world. (1) Noah's warning as a preacher of righteousness; (2) the effect of making Noah heir of righteousness.
Milligan feels that his faith condemned the world.
and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith
Moses records that he was a righteous man.
a.
Noah had sin, yes, but the long, laborious work of Noah in the building of the ark must not be shoved aside.
b.
Man has a tendency to condemn a man for one sin and categorize him unjustly.
Study Questions
2121.
How did Abel get his faith?
2122.
If he acted by faith, was he acting upon a command?
2123.
If he had not been given directions, could it have been by faith?
2124.
How was his sacrifice more excellent?
2125.
What made the difference?
2126.
Was Cain's less excellent or just plain unsatisfactory?
2127.
What must have been the nature of Cain's offering?
2128.
Could a vegetable sacrifice be unsatisfactory because the ground had been cursed after Eden?
2129.
Could Abel have offered animals, but less worthy ones?
2130.
How did Abel know that his sacrifice was acceptable?
2131.
How did God manifest it?
2132.
What did God show Cain to be?
2133.
If obedience makes one righteous, what does failure to obey do?
2134.
Define the word gifts.
2135.
Could this mean that the sacrifices were not done by command, but were free gifts?
2136.
What does Abel speak? What words or message?
2137.
Could we say that Cain also speaks? What?
2138.
What is meant, Enoch was translated?
2139.
Did he have faith that he would be translated?
2140.
What did his faith do for him?
2141.
What do we know about Enoch from other texts?
2142.
Who had the same name?
2143.
What witness had he received of God's pleasure?
2144.
Does Romans 8:16 throw any light on the subject?
2145.
Enoch was well pleasing, Can we be too? How?
2146.
Can we be pleasing otherwise?
2147.
What would characterize a person without faith?
2148.
Does an earthly parent want his child to have faith in him?
2149.
What does unbelief do?
2150.
What does it do in relationship to God's Word?
2151.
What does it do in relationship to courage?
2152.
Give illustrations of fearful people in the scriptures.
2153.
What does it do in relationship to fellowship with God?
2154.
What is essential in order to come to God?
2155.
What approach must be the Christian method?
2156.
What two things must be believed about God?
2157.
If a man does not believe in God's existence, what is he called?
2158.
Is expectation of reward evil in the light of this verse?
2159.
Are God's rewards here and now?
2160.
Why did God give a message to Noah?
2161.
What three things did his faith do?
2162.
Can we say that belief makes one active?
2163.
Then what does disbelief do?
2164.
Give the example of Christ's warning of Jerusalem's destruction.
2165.
A house was saved by the ark. What is meant?
2166.
Name some other houses that were saved.
2167.
What condemned the worlddeliverance, faith, the ark or preaching?
2168.
Could it mean that his faith caused him to preach, thus condemning the world?
2169.
What was he an heir to?
2170.
Is the life of a righteous one a very long one?
2171.
How can we be an heir of righteousness?