By Faith
A
few years ago, before seminary,
I
took a course where I had the opportunity
(and
the challenge)
of
reading the entire Bible in less than a year.
When
beginning in Genesis, a very long book in itself,
one
wonders how long it may take to get through
the
entire Old and New Testaments.
For
me, Numbers in the Old Testament was probably
the
most challenging book to get through.
My
favorite book of the Bible was Hebrews.
Why?
It
connects the Old Testament and the New through Jesus;
Jesus
is seen through the eyes of the Old Testament
as
Jesus is the new covenant between the people and God.
The
book of Hebrews is about faith;
faith
which is active in obedience.
Faith
endures.
God’s
love for people continues and
Jesus brings a new
covenant.
The
faith begun in the Old Testament is fulfilled in the New;
God’s
love embodied in Jesus.
Shalom.
This
is a common greeting in Hebrew
used
for both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’.
However
the meaning of this Hebrew word is peace.
Peace,
harmony,
wholeness,
completeness,
prosperity,
welfare
and tranquility.
Shalom.
So
what does ‘peace’ mean to you?
Peace
and quiet.
Peace
of mind.
Peaceful
rest.
How
about the peace in the enjoyment of God’s gifts?
Feeling
the presence of God?
How
about faith?
The
scripture from Hebrews this morning
highlights
the phrase ‘by faith’.
By
faith the
people passed through the Red Sea
as
if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians
attempted
to do so they were drowned.
By
faith the walls
of Jericho fell after
they
had been encircled for seven days.
By
faith Rahab the
prostitute did not
perish with those
who
were disobedient, because
she
had received the spies in
peace.
She
had received the spies in
peace /in Shalom.
The
faith of the Israelites,
their
faith in God was stronger than Israel’s opponents.
By
their faith they were righteous, obedient, and
were willing to take
chances and have hope.
The
book of Hebrews reflects the historical
memory
of
the Israelites,
remembering
the early ancestors, the patriarchs,
the prophets, and
those who answered God’s call.
Something
else to note about the book of Hebrews,
it
is not written
as letter to a church in a specific location.
Hebrews
is a sermon, a sermon on the subject of faith,
the
endurance of faith.
Moses
and the Israelites wandered in the wilderness
and
died before they reached the promised land.
They
believed in God’s promises without seeing them fulfilled.
It
was another generation who crossed the Jordan.
That
original generation, the ones who left Egypt,
journeyed
by faith.
Their
hope for something better was not just for them,
but
for the next generation
and the next.
Moses
began the journey, then Joshua continued it.
Faith
sustains.
Faith
endures.
They
were part of the cloud of witnesses.
Those
who came before.
Those
who begin the journey and
give others a path
to follow.
You
and I are a continuation of that journey.
We
look to our cloud of witnesses….
As
you look around this community
of faith
think
about all those who have been here before you;
they
have sat in the pews before you,
other
men and women living together in unity,
praising
God, supporting each other, learning and teaching;
all
in faith;
Former
residents
Those
who have passed on to God’s heavenly kingdom,
those
who may have supported you,
family
and friends.
All
those who have led you to this point on
your
journey of faith.
In
faith,
for
their times and the present times;
In
faith
of
what is done now and done for future generations.
Faith,
Enables
believers to persevere
in the midst of suffering.
Faith,
as defined in the first verses of chapter 11 of Hebrews,
Now
faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the
conviction of things not
seen.
Indeed,
by
faith our
ancestors received approval
By
faith
we understand that the worlds were prepared
by
the word of God, so that what is seen
was
made from things that are not
visible.
Faith
in the presence of God.
God
is present in our lives and in the world.
That
conviction of things not
seen
and
assurance of things hoped for.
Faith
and Shalom.
The prophet Jeremiah
asks a couple of interesting questions.
23 Am
I a God nearby,
says the Lord,
and not a God far off?
24 Who
can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?
says
the Lord.
Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.
God
fills
heaven and earth.
God,
the Creator, is in touch with every aspect of creation.
God
is able to discern
all
that happens.
God
is transcendent.
And
God is both near and far.
God
is hidden (not
fully
revealed) from human beings,
but
human beings are not
hidden
from God.
Think
about that a moment.
God
is hidden (not
fully revealed) from you
and me,
yet,
we are not
hidden
from God.
What
are some of the ways we express how we know God?
By
anthropomorphizing God:
Those
phrases you
and I
use to express God in human terms and
giving
God human form and traits.
This
is our way to comprehend the incomprehensible.
Yet,
the reverse is not
true. God, our
Creator knows us!
Before
I formed you in the womb,
I knew you.
The
prophets in the Old Testament were led by their faith:
faith
in God
faith
in the hopes for the future
faith
for the promise of something better.
And
something better came
forth
in the New Testament.
Someone
to blaze the trail for others to follow,
a
perfect example,
a
better hope,
a
better covenant,
a
better promise,
a
better sacrifice,
a
better high priest,
a
better resurrection.
Jesus.
Jesus
is the model of faithful endurance.
We
‘run the race’ with Christian endurance;
you
and I
as individuals are always moving
toward
our need for wholeness/shalom.
On
our pilgrimage toward God,
we
yearn to be in the presence of God.
The
fulfillment of that desire is a lifelong journey,
a
journey of faith.
Christ
acted on our behalf.
Jesus
was the first to attain faith’s goal,
presence
of God and
Jesus
makes it possible for others to have access.
So,
you and I
focus our attention to Jesus for guidance.
The
true prophet,
speaking
God’s word,
giving
hope for the future,
knowing
the promises of something better.
Our
believing,
you
and I taking action in
the world
we
do this by faith
as so many before us
have done.
You
and I will become part
of the cloud of witnesses.
We
reach for Shalom,
for
peace,
for
wholeness, and completeness,
for
connections to our faith.
Shalom,
my friends. Shalom.
