Looking Beyond

The 11th chapter of Hebrews is a great chapter. All about faith. We get to see the greats of the Old Testament as people of faith. But ... what faith? Hebrews says the faith is in the existence of God and the confidence that He rewards those who seek Him (Heb 11:6). So the author meanders through Abel and Enoch, Noah, Abraham, on and on, giving us examples of people who had faith. Faith in what? This is critical.

The people of Hebrews 11 were looking in a particular direction. They were looking to God, of course. That's the important faith of Christianity. But it was more than that. All of them did things whose outcome wasn't seen -- faith. They knew the character of God and they knew He rewarded those who seek Him, so they acted on that faith. Abel sacrificed not knowing exactly how that worked. Enoch walked with God not knowing the outcome. Noah built an ark not knowing he was condemning the world. Abraham left home and went somewhere he didn't even know because he trusted God. Why? "He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Heb 11:10). They were living in tents looking for foundations, a place of God's building. They were "seeking a country of their own" (Heb 11:14). A heavenly one (Heb 11:16). They were sojourners ... just passing through. Abraham could offer up Isaac because he knew God kept His promises and could give back Isaac (Heb 11:17-19). Moses could leave the "passing pleasures of sin" in Egypt because he considered "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt" (Heb 11:26). And on and on.

Always, in every case, these people of faith looked beyond the here and now. They looked beyond the immediate blessings or trials and looked ahead. They looked ahead to the promise, "because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect" (Heb 11:40). The reward. We need to be people looking beyond. Beyond the here and now. Beyond the pleasures and pains of this life. We need to have our eyes set on Christ and the promise of eternity with Him, because the here and now is not the point; He is.