Week 7: Hebrews 11

Objective: 

• Definition of faith

• Pillers of faith from OT

• Faithful Abraham

• The Faith of the Patriarchs

• Overcoming through faith

Resources:

• Fr Tadros Y Malaty Commentary
• Catena Bible Commentary
  
• HEM Youssef Bible Study (English)
• Fr Dawoud Lamie Bible Study (Arabic)
  

Reading:

• Hebrews 11

Key verse(s):

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the ^[b]evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony." Hebrews 11:1-2

Comments:

• St. Paul defines faith in verses 1&2. Faith is trusting in God's timing and ability to control everything without knowing the time or seeing physical evidence.
  
• St. Paul goes through the OT story giving examples of faithful heroes highlighting the moments their faith shined.
• It is highly recommended that the servant goes through every story and gives a quick overview of the story and how the saint showed faith in their life.
• V.13: The patriarchs lived as strangers in the land that God gave them. They lived like strangers so they are not attached to the earth and its desires. 
• V.32: Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah were all judges, and through faith, they saved their people. Their stories are found in the book of Judges. 
• V. 33: All these judges and righteous kings subdued kingdoms and worked righteousness.
• V. 33: "stopped the mouths of lions" Like Daniel
• V. 34:
  • "quenched the violence of fire" - The three saintly youths
  • "escaped the edge of the sword" - Moses escaped when Pharoh wanted to kill him. David escaped when Saul sought after him. Elijah was saved after Jezabel threatened to kill him.
  • "out of weakness were made strong" Like the Israelites against the Egyptians. David against Goliath and Saul. The Maccabees against Antiochus Epiphanes.
• V. 35: Like the widows with Elijah and Elisha. Like the women at the time of the Maccabees. 
• V. 37:
  • "They were stoned" - Jeremiah was stoned in Egypt
  • "they were sawn in two" - King Manasseh killed Isaiah with a wooden saw.
• Note that verses 35-38 apply to the struggles they faced at the time of the Maccabees.
  • These stories are mentioned in 1&2 Maccaabees
  • These verses prove the authenticity of these books as St. Paul used them as references
• Some people mistakenly apply verse 38 to the monks and hermits in our Coptic church. Remember that St. Paul wrote this epistle hundreds of years before the monastic life was established and before the time of the saints that we know now.
• Note that all the stories mentioned here are well-known to the Hebrews. This is why St. Paul didn't mention some names.
  • For example, if I say the first deacon who was stoned by the Pharisees. You will automatically know it is St. Stephen without mentioning his name. 

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

1. What sacrifices would please God?
2. What should be our attitude towards our rulers?
3. How many widows had their sons back from death in OT?

Homework:

**Servant may add more questions