Thoughts on Hebrews 11:27

Thoughts on Hebrews 11:27 by John W. Ritenbaugh
"By faith Moses forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible."

This succinct statement illustrates what made the difference between those who succeeded in living by faith and entered the Promised Land and those who left Egypt but died during the pilgrimage: Those who succeeded "saw" God.

This is perhaps the simplest and clearest explanation of the nature of faith in the entire Bible. Hebrews is written to a group of people undergoing severe trials, and the author encourages and counsels them to persevere through them and remain on track for the Kingdom of God.

At this point, Moses is the specific illustration of living by faith. In his relationship with God, he is described as being sustained in perseverance as if he literally saw God.

Hebrews 11:1 explains, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

The author is saying that faith is the confident conviction that, as the foundation of a building, stands under and supports the structure, a life lived by faith in the invisible God is supported by the unseen Lord who is worthy of his trust.

This brings up an important question: How can a person live by faith if he does not have sufficient knowledge of the sovereign greatness, closeness, and awesome grace of God?

In the mercy that He has already given, God has shown enough of Himself to allow us to begin a relationship with Him that is based on trust. As we spend more time with Him and come to know Him more and fear (reverence) Him as He desires, our faith will deepen because we will experience His faithfulness in every area of our lives.

A recent Barna poll reported that over 80% of Americans believe God exists. Yet, how is their level of knowledge about Him affecting their conduct?

Clearly, it is not supporting moral living to any great extent.

This fact triggers the thought that the great immorality of the American people reveals that they are not very concerned about being answerable to Him. They have heard of Him, they believe He exists, but do not know Him and certainly feel they are not accountable to Him.

Lord Jesus, help us to realize that believing in You requires our recognition of Your LORDSHIP. Help us to conform our lives to Your prescription of how life is to be lived. Help us to find the joy You desire us to have by living godly lives that bring glory to Your holy name.