Alan J. Huth reflects on his personal journey with Hebrews 11 over the years, offering insights from his Bible study journals. Learn how faith has been a guiding force in his life and how it can be in yours too, with practical applications and true stories that demonstrate faith’s pivotal role in daily Christian living. Explore thematic revelations that challenge you to consider your own place in this ongoing story of faith—are you ready to step into your own hall of faith?
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Allen J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
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Today we are in Hebrews chapter 11, this famous chapter of the Hall of Faith. Let’s listen in to our guest reader, Roy Hanske, who you can hear right here in Denver on radio at 91 a.m. every morning. Let’s listen to him as he reads the Hall of Faith, Hebrews chapter 11.
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Hebrews chapter 11. now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen for by it the people of old received their commendation by faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of god so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible By faith, Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith, Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased god and without faith it is impossible to please him for whoever would draw near to god must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him by faith noah being warned by god concerning events as yet unseen in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith by faith abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going by faith he went to live in the land of promise as in a foreign land living in tents with isaac and jacob heirs with him of the same promise for he was looking forward to the city that has foundations whose designer and builder is god by faith sarah herself received power to conceive even when she was past the age since she considered him faithful who had promised therefore from one man and him as good as dead were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the sea-shore these all died in faith not having received the things promised but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth for people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a home-land if they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out they would have had opportunity to return But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your offspring be named. He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith, Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith, Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. by faith joseph at the end of his life made mention of the exodus of the israelites and gave directions concerning his bones by faith moses when he was born was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict by faith moses when he was grown up refused to be called the son of pharaoh’s daughter choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of god than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin he considered the reproach of christ greater wealth than the treasures of egypt for he was looking to the reward by faith he left egypt not being afraid of the anger of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. by faith rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies and what more shall i say for time would fail me to tell of gideon barak samson jephthah of david and samuel and the prophets who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better life. others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment they were stoned they were sawn in two they were killed with the sword they went about in skins of sheep and goats destitute afflicted mistreated of whom the world was not worthy wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth All of these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us, they should not be made perfect.
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In 1993, at 38 years old, I read Hebrews 11, and I was reading a study book, if you might remember, and I wrote about Hebrews 11, Hebrews Book on Faith. Live in spiritual, not the physical. Faith is much more powerful than what can be seen. Rely on God’s promises. Live a life of obedience, and we will be pleasing to God. And then I wrote some more on Hebrews 11. Faith is the strongest force in the world. Faith is not hope so, it’s know so. Twelve years later, in 2005, at 50 years old, when I read Hebrews chapter 11, I wrote, What is faith? The assurance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. And I was quoting verse 1. Assurance that my hopes will come true. Do I have faith? Evidence of things I cannot see. Faith is realized when my hopes come true. Evidence from God. I have had faith many times and seen faith by evidence from God as hope is realized. Like my friend Rick said, not only he has, but he will. I look back and see God’s actions in my life. Look ahead with faith, knowing he not only can, he will. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. All these acted by faith, but they fell short of the promise of God. So again, the author of Hebrews argues Christ is even greater than faith. Faith is not enough without the death and resurrection of Jesus. Eight years later, when I was 58 years old in 2013, I read Hebrews 11 and Mark 14 through 15, verse 20 on the same day. Concerning Hebrews 11, I wrote, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen. How is my faith? Without faith, it is impossible to please God. I have faith. I live by faith. But when tested, do I grow or fall? Lord, strengthen my faith. What a great chapter, On Faith. The chapter is set up by the final verses of chapter 10. Those verses say, Then the author begins chapter 11 with the words, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. So if you want a definition of faith, there it is, Hebrews 11.1. As I wrote in that journal at 38 years old, faith is not hope so, it’s know so. And verse 6 reminds us, And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. So it is impossible to please God without faith. To understand the concept of faith a little bit more, I like to turn to my English Standard Version Study Bible footnote on this verse and this concept. By defining faith as assurance and conviction, the author indicates that biblical faith is not a vague hope grounded in imaginary wishful thinking. Instead, faith is a settled confidence that something in the future, something that is not yet seen but has been promised by God, will actually come to pass, because God will bring it about. Thus biblical faith is not blind trust in the face of contrary evidence, not an unknowable leap in the dark. Rather, biblical faith is a confident trust in the eternal God who is all-powerful, infinitely wise, eternally trustworthy. Such faith in the unseen realities of God is emphasized throughout chapter 11 and has provided confidence and assurance to all who receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. Thanks to Hebrews chapter 11, we can understand faith. We can understand its definition and its application with all these examples in the Hall of Faith. How is your faith? If there was a Hall of Faith written today, would your name be in it and would your story be in it? Have you exercised your faith in your Christian walk? Do you have the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen? When the test comes in your life, will you be found standing on faith or will you be found under the circumstances? Without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. May your faith be strengthened thanks to chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews. Father, we thank you for the gift of faith We thank you for the assurance of faith. We thank you that when we act in faith, you respond. We thank you that you are always faithful. Thank you for the gift of faith in our lives. Holy Spirit, help us exercise our faith in the trials of life. We’ll ask for your help in Jesus’ name. Amen. All of the Ad Bible radio programs are available to you in writing. We transcribed all of Ad Bible into an 11-book series called Day by Day Through the Bible, and we did it in a unique way by authors of the Bible. You can get the complete set or a book at a time at our website, EzraProject.net. For example, there are the writings of Moses, the writings of Solomon, the writings of the minor prophets, and the writings of the major prophets, the writings of the Old Testament historical books, and the writings of Old Testament leaders. Covering the New Testament, we have the writings of Matthew and Luke, the writings of John, the writings of Paul, and the writings of Mark, Peter, James, Jude, and Hebrews. So this 11-book series covers all 66 books of the Bible, chapter by chapter. So if the radio program was on 1 Samuel, you would find the written version in day by day through the Bible, the writings of Old Testament historical books. If the radio program is covering Daniel or Jonah, you would find all the minor prophets in the writings of the minor prophets. But say you’re studying the gospel of John in your own personal quiet time. You can find our coverage of John’s gospel in the writings of John, which includes not just his gospel, but other writings like 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John and Revelation. Or you are going to be reading one of Paul’s epistles. You could find them all in the writings of Paul. Our Day by Day through the Bible series is a tremendous resource as you read and study any book of the Bible. It will deepen your understanding of God’s Word and enhance your personal quiet time because each book breaks down the passage with comments from my personal Bible reading journals, offers life applications, and prayers related to the passage. If you want more from your time in God’s Word, visit EzraProject.net and try one of our day-by-day through the Bible devotional books. Any of the 11 books are a great place to start, or get the full set to use wherever you are in the Bible today or wherever you are heading in your Bible reading. I know you’re going to enjoy it.
