NOW
Tuesday – April 3, 2018, Nisan 18, 5778
Praise the Lord and welcome back to this wonderful faith building Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. As you know we are in the midst of the four spring Feasts of the Lord. We have celebrated Passover (14th of Nisan), Unleavened Bread is ongoing from the 15th through the 21st of Nisan (6th April), and Firstfruits was yesterday or the 16th of Nisan. The countdown has started to the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. Fourteen is deliverance, fifteen is rest or provision, sixteen is love, and seventeen is victory. Okay, time to read aloud our primary text.
Hebrews 11:1-4 (KJV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
First, I want to deal with the word “now” for a moment. Generally, when this text from the Book of Hebrews is discussed the word “now” is defined as being a timeless place, faith is always now and there is Truth in that idea. The word “now” can be an adverb and when used in that way means at the present time or moment such as in the question: “where are you living now”? It can also be used as a conjunction indicating it is a consequence of some fact like in the statement “they spent a lot of time together now that he has retired”. Finally, it can also be an adjective meaning to be fashionable or up to date such as “that is very now”. Although I do not argue that faith must always be in the present, I believe in this instance the word “now” is being used as a conjunctive. Let’s review a few verses just preceding this first verse of Hebrews chapter eleven.
Hebrews 10:35-39 (KJV)
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
In the preceding passage the word “confidence” in verse thirty-five can also be translated as boldness. Our boldness on display is sometimes a reflection of our faith. As we proceed to verse thirty-eight we are reminded that there is not really another option to living by faith. Of course, we can live (go through life) without faith in God but it will not be pleasing to God and we will have no reward on the other side. Read the parables of the pounds and talents and see if that is the route you want to go. The word “live” in verse thirty-eight is referring to “zaō”
or life as God has life which is exceedingly abundant in all spheres. The word “soul” in the same verse is referring to the soul of our Heavenly Father and tells us that He is not pleased when we will not live the abundant life. As that chapter ends with verse thirty-nine the author (God) is encouraging us not to abandon faith and enter into destruction (perdition). Then as we enter into chapter eleven I think we can see this is a transition within a topic by a conjunctive, in this case “now”. The transition is to a whole chapter of testimonies of people who exercised faith or lived by faith.
I think anyone who has been saved for even a short length of time is familiar with Hebrews 11:1. They may not know what it means or is saying but it is familiar and they have been told it is critical to the Christian walk. Let’s review Hebrews 11:1 in a couple of different translations.
Hebrews 11:1 (AMP)
1 NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
Hebrews 11:1 (YLT)
1 And faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of matters not seen a conviction,
Hebrews 11:1 (MSG)
1 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.
I am sure you noted that Young’s’ Literal Translation uses the conjunctive “and” but the Message Bible did not use a conjunctive at all. Lord willing, I will pick up right here tomorrow.
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (KJV)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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