Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-06-10
HEROES OF
FAITH.

Specially Arranged for This Paper

stance OF things hoped for, the evidence
OF things not seeB.-Heb. 11:1.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Subject: What Faith Has Done
for Others and Can Do for Us.
What Faith 1s.-Vs. 1-3. How does
the writer define faith? Faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evi.
dence of things not seen." Faith is
not hope, but underlies hope and g 4.
ders hope confident. Faith Is not the
vision Of mysteries, but that proof of
them in heart and life which assures
us of them without any sight of them.
How does the writer illustrate this
faith? by it the elders (not all men
of ancient time, but those of special
now called 'elders) obtained q
good report" (R. ", "had witness
borne to Them" 1. g., in the Scripture).
This verse sums up the long and
splendid catalogue that follows.
What is the first example of faith?
That Of Abel the righteous ESQ called
three times out Of the four mentions
Of him in the New Testament; see
Matt. 23:35; / John 3:12). His faith
in God led to obedience, and thus he
offered the kind of sacrifice which
God approved and accepted, perhaps
by fire from heaven.
What is the second example of
faith? The patriarch Enoch, who
walked with God" (the ~Scptuagint,
used here, has it was we'll pleasing to
God"); land he was not; for God look
him." This proves his faith, for no
n can go to God without faith In
him.
What is the third example Of faith?
Noah, whose faith in Gods warnings
of the coming deluge led him to build
the ark. Noah is the first to re-
ceive in Scripture the name righteous
Gen. 6:9; see also Eek. 14:14, 20;
Pet. $3.50. This righteousness is
looked IN as an Inheritance, received
by all who manifest the faith."-El-
licott.
What is the fourth example Of
faith? The glorious example Of
Observation-Disclosures. who
proved his faith by leaving his native
land, his friends. his home. at the com.
mand of God. and going he knew not
whittier. living in tents in the prom.
ised land. and not even owning a foot
of 1t except a place to bury his dead
wife.
How does the writer sum up the
lessons of these great lives? BY point
ing to the contrast between the earth.
ly lot of the patriarchs and the expec.
tations which their faith led them to
cherish.
Abraham's Great Test of Faith
VS.. 1913. What is the point of the
writer's next illustration? The value
of tests of faith. Think how many
eager hopes were centered upon
rewarded by him, what glorious
promises had their fruit in him. In
Isaac should his (Abraham's) seed be
called Gen. 21:12); that is. Isaac and
his descendants were to be counted
especially as Abraham's seed, inherit.
ing the promises made to him. And
now his loving father has offered
Isaac up Or. v. margin)-for Abra.
hams submission to Gods will is so
entire that the sacrifice is as good as
completed and the lad as good as
dead; so that, when the ram was sub.
stituted (Gen. 22:13) for the boy.
Abraham may truly be said to have
received his son back again from the
grave.
How Faith Gives Clear Vision
VS.. 2O-22. What is the point of the
next three illustrations. those Of
Isaac, Jacob and Joseph? In each
case. the clear vision of the future
that faith gives.
Moses Great Venture Of Faith.-Vs.
1881. How many conspicuous in
stances of faith does the writer note
in connection with the exodus from
Egypt and conquest of Canaan? Seven
in all-not because seven Is the per.
feet number" nor because there were
not more than seven, but because
". 32) time failed him to- recount
others. such as the victory at Rephi.
dim, the healing wrought by the
brazen serpent, the report OF the two
faithful spies. These seven are:
The preservation of Moses by his
parents; the choice made by Moses
when he slew the Egyptian lex. 2:11,
12), which was a virtual remuneration
of the royal court and 1.-THE treasures
of Egypt" and an assumption of the
cause of the enslaved nation Of "the
reproach of Christi" the forsaking of
Egypt by Moses; the celebration of
the first passover; the passage of the
Red sea; the fall of Jericho, which
was the result of the %people'a faith