Hebrews, Verse by Verse Elder Vernon Johnson

יּקנרק'ד

Hebrews Chapter 11 Verses 5-7

:5 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Gen. 5:21 “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

The scriptures plainly teach us that we should walk by faith and not by sight: 2 Cor. 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” Also, we are taught that to walk with God we must be agreed with God: Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” To walk with God, it must be on God’s terms and not on our terms.

The scriptures plainly tell us that Enoch walked with God for a period of 300 years. This suggests a continuous walk with God for three hundred years. How was Enoch able to walk with God for this long especially since he did not have the written word to guide him? Obviously he must have continuously sought the Lord’s direction and wisdom in his life and followed those directions and wisdom as God gave them to him. As the scriptures tell us what is right and wrong and how we are to conduct our lives both in worship and service to God and also in our relationships in the family, with other church members, and with others we come in contact with, yet there are many things that the scriptures do not precisely spell out for us. The scriptures do not tell us where we are to live, or what we are to do as far as our labor to provide for our families and ourselves. Moreover, we are often faced with situations in our lives that we need guidance. One of the biggest problems we have in our fellowship with God is that we too often don’t seek the Lord’s guidance concerning such matters as listed above. Too often we get the idea that we can solve our own problems, make the best decisions, live where we want to live, marry who we want to marry, worship where we want to worship, and serve the Lord in the manner of our choosing. If we do not seek the Lord’s guidance in these things, then we are walking by sight and not by faith.

Enoch walked with God for three hundred continuous years. Walking with God requires sacrificing our own selfish will and pride and recognizing that God knows what is best for us in every circumstance. It means seeking the Lord’s way and not our own way.

“For before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” It pleases God when we walk by faith and not by sight. It does not please God when we do not seek his direction in our daily lives and follow those directions.

“For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” It certainly goes without saying, that if a man does not believe that God is, he will not come to God. However, if we are to come to God in fellowship and service to Him, then we must also believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. This raises two questions we must answer:

1. Do you believe that God will reward you if you diligently seek Him?

2. Do you diligently seek Him or are you a part time seeker?

These are question that each of us should ask and answer for our self. If we truthfully answer in the affirmative, then we can have a continuous walk with God so long as our walk is by faith and not by sight.

Verse 7

:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

“By faith Noah, being warned of God…” The following verses show us of God’s warning to Noah: Gen. 6:13 “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.” Before this warning we read of Noah that he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and that he was a just man, and that he walked with God. This pattern is the same for all of God’s children. Our standing with God as his children is based on grace (the unmerited favor of God.) We are all just because of the fact that Christ has justified us by his shed blood. Moreover, it pleases the Lord when we walk with God.

“Of things not seen as yet…” There were several things that Noah had not seen at the time that God warned him:

1. He had not seen rain.

2. He had not seen a flood.

3. He had not seen the fountains of the great deep.

4. He had not seen the windows of heaven being opened.

5. He had not seen the promised outcome that God promised.

A journey of faith means that there will be times that God instructs us to do things and we will not immediately have seen the promised outcome or the means by which God will bring about the promised outcome.

“Moved with fear…” The word, fear, has more than one meaning. One meaning is terror. This is not the way it was used in the passage. Another meaning is reverential respect, such as a son fears his father and will do things because of the respect he has for his father. This is the meaning in this passage. Noah had been walking with God and had a great respect for God and his word. This respect was what motivated him to do what God instructed him to do.

“Prepared an ark…” James said: James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.” Faith, often involves works to be performed. In Noah’s case, it was a great work. Noah was charged of God to build an ark according to the pattern God gave unto him. Noah did not have all the modern tools available to him that we have today. Moreover, this task was not one that would be accomplished in a short time. It would take Noah at least one hundred years to accomplish this task. Yet, with such a daunting task before him, Noah believed in God and that God would reward his diligence in seeking him in obedience to the instructions of God.

We live in a world that currently seeks after instant gratification. Seeking to do the will of God often requires patience on our part and a diligence to accomplish the tasks that God gives us even if it takes a long time to do it.

The ark was to be prepared according to the pattern God gave unto Noah. Noah was not to deviate from the pattern. Likewise, to walk by faith, we must do things God’s way and not our way. This means subjugating our will to God’s will.

“To the saving of his house…” Noah’s faithfulness to the Lord did not just save himself from the flood, but it also resulted in saving of his entire house. Sometimes a single individual’s faithfulness can result in a blessing to many people. Noah and his house were all save from the impending flood.

“By the which he condemned the world…” It was God who had condemned the world to destruction, yet Noah and his faithfulness to walk with God justified God in condemning the world. Because of Noah’s faithfulness the world could not say that it was impossible to please God and that God was unjust to condemn the world.

“And became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Noah was already just or righteous in the eyes of God as we have before noted. However, he became “heir” of the righteousness which is by faith. The word “heir” frequently means to come into possession. Noah actively and practically came into possession of doing what was “right” in the eyes of God. He did this by faith. When we walk by faith and do what is right in the eyes of God we come into possession of the righteousness which is by faith.