Glimpses of chapter 11...
By faith alone has
Anyone found approval
In the sight of God.
Our predecessors
In faith escaped the sword and
Then died by the sword
So what then sustained
Them all? Faith in the future
Promise and blessing.
All were commended
Into the presence of God
By the act of Christ
Through Christ alone is
The promise received in God's
Perfect plan for us.
*Important Note: Please read through the whole of Hebrews (I recommend the English Standard Version or New American Standard Bible) for contextual significance (and significant context!). Additionally, I would like to mention that my most helpful tool in preparing these haikus has been onlineparallelbible.com (also found at bible.cc). I am writing these haikus on the cited verses as a conglomeration of many translations of the Bible. I am simply attempting to arrange them in coherent groupings of 17 syllables at a time. The summary or glimpses of the chapter written at the beginning of each blog entry are just that: a summary or glimpse of the main points or themes found after meditating on the whole chapter myself. My hope in this whole endeavor is to encourage our (my) meditation on the Word of God. My efforts in arranging Scripture in this format are intended to encourage us (me) to hear the message of the Word with fresh ears, and hopefully allow us (me, too) to hear the truth of Scripture more deeply because of reading in it a different way. As always, I continue to pray that the Spirit will cover over any errors made on my part, and most importantly, that He will speak truth to your heart. To God alone be the glory!
11:1
Now then faith is
The assurance of things hoped for,
The certainty that
11:1-2
What we cannot see
Exists. For by faith people
Won God's approval.
11:3
We understand by
Faith that the universe was
Formed at God's command,
11:3 (continued)
So that that which is
Seen was not made out of things
Which are visible.
11:4
By faith did Abel
Offer to God a better
Sacrifice than Cain,
11:4 (continued)
By faith he obtained
Testimony of being
Righteous, because God
11:4 (continued)
Approved his gifts, and
Even though he is dead, he
Still speaks through his faith.
11:5
By faith Enoch was
Taken up so he did not
Experience death.
11:5 (continued)
Now before he was
Taken he was commended
With testimony
11:5 (continued)
And he was not found
Because God took him away
Since he had pleased God.
11:6
No one can please God
Without faith. Whoever goes
To God must believe
11:6 (continued)
That God exists and
That he is the rewarder
Of those who seek him.
11:7
By faith Noah, when
He was warned by God about
Events yet unseen,
11:7 (continued)
In reverent fear
Built an ark for the saving
Of his family
11:7 (continued)
By faith he condemned
The world, and became heir of
Righteousness by faith.
11:8
By faith Abraham
Obeyed when he was called and
Went out to a place
11:8 (continued)
He was going to
Receive as inheritance.
He went, not knowing
11:8-9
Where he was going.
By faith he made his home in
The land of promise,
11:9
Living in tents with
Isaac and Jacob, coheirs
Of the same promise.
11:10
For he looked for a
City that has permanent
Foundations, of which
11:10-11
God designed and built.
By faith Sarah, even though
She was old, barren,
11:11
Received the power
To conceive because she was
Convinced that the One
11:11-12
Who made the promise
Was faithful. Therefore from one
Man, as good as dead,
11:12
Were born descendants
As many as the stars of
Heaven in number,
11:12 (continued)
And as the grains of
Sand which is by the seashore
Innumerable.
11:13
All these died in faith,
Without having received the
Promises, but they
11:13 (continued)
Saw and greeted them
From a distance, and confessed
That they were strangers
11:13-14
And temporary
Residents here on the earth.
People who speak thus
11:14
Make it clear that they
Are looking forward to a
Country of their own.
11:15
And indeed if they
Had been thinking of that
Land from which they left,
11:15-16
They would have had an
Opportunity to have
Returned. Instead, they
11:16
Were longing for a
Better country, that is, a
Heavenly homeland.
11:16 (continued)
Therefore God is not
Ashamed to be called their God,
For he has prepared
11:16-17
A city for them.
By faith Abraham, when he
Was tested, offered
11:17
Isaac and he who
Had received the promises
Was in the act of
11:17-18
Offering up his
Only son, of whom it was
Said, "Through Isaac shall
11:18-19
"Your offspring be named."
He considered that God was
Able even to
11:19
Raise him from the dead,
From which he also received
Him back as a type.
11:20
By faith Isaac blessed
Jacob and Esau for the
Future things to come.
11:21
By faith Jacob, as
He was dying, blessed each of
The sons of Joseph,
11:21-22
Bowing in worship
Over the head of his staff.
By faith Joseph, at
11:22
The end of his life,
Spoke of the exodus of
The Israelites
11:22
From Egypt and gave
Them instructions concerning
Burying his bones.
11:23
By faith Moses, when
He was born, was hidden three
Months by his parents.
11:23 (continued)
For they saw he was
A beautiful child, and they
Did not fear the king.
11:24
By faith Moses, when
He had grown up, refused to
Be known as a son
11:24-25
Of Pharaoh's daughter.
He chose to suffer with the
People of God than
11:25-26
Enjoy the passing
Pleasures of sin, regarding
Disgrace for Christ's sake
11:26
Greater wealth than
Treasures of Egypt; he looked
Ahead to reward.
11:27
By faith he forsook
Egypt, not fearing the king's
Anger; he endured
11:27-28
As one who sees him
Who is unseen. By faith he
Kept the Passover
11:28
And sprinkled the blood
So that the angel of death
Would not kill their sons.
11:29
By faith the people
Passed through the Red Sea as though
Passing through dry land;
11:29 (continued)
But the Egyptians,
When they attempted to do
The same, they were drowned.
11:30
By faith the walls of
Jericho fell down after
The Israelites
11:30-31
Marched around them for
Seven days. By faith Rahab
The prostitute was
11:31
Not destroyed with those
Who were disobedient,
Welcoming the spies.
11:32
What more can I say?
Time would fail me to tell of
Gideon, Barak,
11:32 (continued)
Samson, Jephthah, of
David also, Samuel,
And of the Prophets.
11:33
By faith they conquered
Kingdoms, administered justice, and
Gained what was promised,
11:33-34
Shut the lions' mouths,
Quenched the violence of fire,
Were delivered from
11:34
The edge of the sword,
Found strength in weakness, became
Mighty in battle,
11:34-35
And routed foreign
Armies. Women received their
Dead raised back to life.
11:35
Others were tortured,
Not accepting their release,
So that they might gain
11:35-36
Eternal life, and
Still others experienced
Mocking and flogging,
11:36-37
And even chains and
Imprisonment. They were stoned,
They were sawn in two,
11:37
They died by the sword,
They went about in sheepskins
In goatskins, being
11:37-38
Destitute, oppressed,
And mistreated--of whom the
World was not worthy--
11:38
Wandering about
In deserts and mountains, in
Dens and caves of earth.
11:39
All these were approved
Through their faith, but they did not
Receive the promise.
11:40
God had planned something
Better, that they would not be
Perfect without us.
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