Today, we are going to look at Hebrews chapter 11. In this chapter, the writer talks about many Old Testament believers who had faith. These believers not only had faith in God, but they had faith in God’s promise to one day send a Savior—Jesus. Because Hebrews 11 lists many Bible heroes of the faith, it is sometimes called the “Hall of Faith.”

Question: Who are some Old Testament believers you think should be listed in the “Hall of Faith” chapter?

Faith is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. Let’s think about birthdays for a minute. Birthdays are usually a special time full of fun and gifts. They are a mixture of assurance (because we know something special will happen) and excited nervousness (because we wait for our birthday to arrive to see what will happen). Faith is similar to that: we know God is at work, but we are waiting to see it happen!

Let’s look at some people who honored God by having faith.
Abel offered a better sacrifice than his brother Cain. He did this by faith because he believed God and did the right thing.

Noah built an ark when he was warned about a coming flood. He did this by faith because he had never seen a flood before.

Abraham also honored God by having faith.

Question: What are some things Abraham did to show his faith in God?

Abraham moved to the place God told him to go. He did this by faith because he did not know the new place. He had faith God would give him a son in his old age. He also had faith when he offered his only son Isaac as a sacrifice. He trusted that, if Isaac were to actually be killed, God would raise him back to life.

Have you ever thought about the parents of people like Noah, Abraham and Moses? Moses’ parents are mentioned in the Hall of Faith chapter.

Question: What did Moses’ parents do to show their faith in God?

Moses’ parents hid baby Moses for three months. They did this by faith that God would provide and protect. They were not afraid of Pharaoh’s orders.
Moses did many things through faith as well. He left Pharaoh’s house in Egypt to live and suffer with God’s people. He knew that God was greater than anything he could ever have on this earth. He also left Egypt with the Israelites and crossed the Red Sea by faith.

Rahab had faith that she would be saved from death when her home city, Jericho, was defeated.

So many people had faith in God. The Hall of Faith chapter mentions many more Old Testament people including, Gideon, Samson, David, and Samuel. Some of these people conquered kingdoms, believed promises, and even shut the mouths of lions. Some were sadly mistreated and killed because of their faith; but they never stopped having faith.

These people in the Bible are real. They are just like you and me. The Bible even tells us that some of them, like Moses, were scared and questioned God (Exodus 3). Even though situations may be scary, we can still have full faith in God. God was, is and always will be faithful. As a believer, we have His promise that He will always be with us. He loves each of us very much. We honor God by having faith in Him.

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