Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (2) For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. (8) By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. (9) By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; (10) for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (11) By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. (12) Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude – innumerable as the sand is by the seashore.
Hebrews is the name for the Israelites and the descendants of Abraham. They believed in God and the addressees of this letter also professed faith in Jesus Christ. Because of the pressure of Christian persecution they were faltering in their faith and were in danger of reverting to Judaism to escape persecution . The author of this letter is unknown but it was written to warn Christian Jews to endure and persevere in Christ
Our verses today speak to the Israelite fathers/patriarchs who obtained salvation and were accepted by God by faith alone. The author writes of Abraham who was/is revered by the Jews, and emphasized that Abraham acted and persevered by faith. Abraham answered God’s call and believed, living as a stranger in a strange land. He was certainly all in and the prime example of trusting to things invisible. Sarah and Abraham, being well past child bearing age, became parents to Isaac and a nation proceeded from them. The point being that if the patriarchs only saw God’s plan of salvation distantly and yet persevered, how much more should the Christian Jews endure having learned of God’s salvation in Christ .
Faith testifies to what we hope for; faith is evidence for things we cannot see and causes the reality of God’s promises and unseen world to be present in this visible world. The greater the difficulties, the easier for faith when all natural prospects fail. We often live in a world with conditions that seem to contradict God’s promises and need to adopt the mindset of pilgrims. We are passing through this present world but our home is in heaven where our treasure should also be. God’s time is not our time and we need to focus on eternity.