Tim Baldon - September 27, 2026
/Family Bible Hour featuring Tim Baldon. A teaching from Hebrews 11 on the faith of the Old Testament saints, whose failures go unmentioned because under the new covenant God remembers sins no more, and on true faith as trusting what God has said, shown in how we live.
Transcript
And that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. 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. 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.
For he waited for the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 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. 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 which is by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he who had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, In Isaac your seed shall be called. Concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him, in a figurative sense. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. By faith, Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin.
This is a chapter of season. Esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked to the reward. By faith, he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith, the harlot Rahab did not perish with them, with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say?
What more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. From what you know of the Old Testament, what's missing in this chapter? These people all seem to be perfect, don't they? Yet, in the Old Testament, when we read this chapter, they all seem to be perfect.
But, in the Old Testament, we read about Noah getting drunk and exposing himself. Abraham asks his wife to conceal their relationship of being married in order to protect himself. Sarah laughed at God's promise to give her a son when she was old. Isaac lied about his wife being his sister to protect himself.
We read about Jacob's various schemings. We read about his favoritism toward his younger sons. We read about his self-pitying complaints about what a rough life he's had even though he had achieved a great amount of wealth and God had taken care of him in every situation. He talks about near the end of his life how rough he's had it all his life.
We read about Moses striking the rock in anger even though God had plainly said speak to the rock. We read about Samson's failure with Delilah. We read about David's sin with Bathsheba and his arranging for the death of her husband. We read about Elijah fleeing in terror from Jezebel despite the clear demonstration of God's supremacy and God's power on Mount Carmel just hours before.
Why are none of those things mentioned in this chapter? That's a question that I ask myself when shortly after I spoke from Hebrews chapter 10 I read through Hebrews chapter 11 thinking about what am I going to say next time and as I read it I'm looking at it and I'm thinking this doesn't sound like the Old Testament I mean I've read this chapter multitudes of times but I found myself asking that question why are these things missing? the answer I believe is because Hebrews chapter 11 comes after Hebrews chapter 8 chapter 9 and chapter 10 what did we learn in chapters 8 through 10 that would tell us why the faults and flaws and failures of these Old Testament saints aren't mentioned in what we call the Faith Hall of Fame let's turn back to chapter 8 where Jesus is declared to be the mediator of a better covenant which was established on better promises we're going to start in verse 6 when it says now he that he is referring to Jesus the Son of God the author that the author of Hebrews has been writing about ever since chapter 1 verse 2 so all this time he's been building up to where we are now but now he has obtained a more excellent ministry in as much as he is also mediator of a better covenant which was established on better promises for if that first covenant had been faultless then no place would have been sought for a second because finding fault with them he says behold the days are coming says the Lord when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they did not continue in my covenant and I disregarded them says the Lord for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people none of them shall teach his neighbor and none his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities their lawless deeds I will remember no more now that sounds promising as an explanation to why those things don't come up in chapter 11 their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more that passage there the author of Hebrews is quoting from Jeremiah chapter 31 where Jeremiah was giving that prophecy that that there would come a time when God would change from the old covenant the old testament and would create a new covenant and as a part of that new covenant he would not remember the sins of his servants chapter 10 verse 12 speaking about the same man Jesus but this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at the right hand of God from that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool for by one offering he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified now this is telling us that something is now past Jeremiah was looking forward and saying there will come a time when a new covenant will be established this is talking about something that is past at this point he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified but the Holy Ghost the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us for after he had said before this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days says the Lord I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds I will write them then he adds their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more so Jeremiah is prophesying this is coming and the author of Hebrews is telling us it's here the time has come we are now at the new covenant which as I was thinking about it the folks mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 were not part of the new covenant they weren't they weren't around when the new covenant was established it didn't come until Christ came gave his life on the cross so how do we reconcile that how are their sins and iniquities gone we can find that in Hebrews chapter 9 Hebrews chapter 9 verse 15 says and for this reason he is the mediator of the new covenant there we go tells us flat out Jesus is the one who is the mediator of the new covenant by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance so the new covenant is not just for those who have lived since Jesus' death and resurrection but it's retroactive in order to remove the sins of those who were under the first covenant the Old Testament now how are our sins forgiven is it by what wonderful people we are and how many good deeds we've done did we earn it? no of course not Ephesians 2:8 and 9 we're probably all familiar with for by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast grace and that grace includes the forgiveness and the erasure of sins that are from God's memory comes only by faith you can't get it any other way comes only by faith and that is what each of these people in Hebrews chapter 11 has shown at some point in their life they demonstrated faith in God the only difference between us and them is that they were looking forward to Christ's death burial and resurrection and we are looking back at Christ's death burial and resurrection now if you wonder whether folks in the Old Testament even believed in the resurrection of the dead you know obviously in Jesus' time there were Pharisees believed in spirits and they believed in resurrection of the dead the Sadducees didn't believe in spirits and they didn't believe in resurrection of the dead but what did the Old Testament say about resurrection from the dead?
Consider these passages Job chapter 19 25 to 27 For I know that my Redeemer lives I didn't say will live I know that my Redeemer lives and he shall stand at last on the earth and after my skin is destroyed this I know that in my flesh I shall see God whom I shall see for myself and my eyes shall behold and not another how my heart yearns within me. Does your heart yearn for the day when you will see God face to face? Psalm 16 8 through 10 says I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices my flesh also will rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in Sheol nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. That one is talking about Jesus it's talking about Jesus being raised from the dead that he would not stay dead he was the one the the Holy One that it speaks of there you will not allow your Holy One to see corruption and that's something that the early apostles used regularly to talk to people who doubted resurrection or doubted at least Jesus' resurrection and they went back and they said hey we got these prophecies from the Old Testament about resurrection that resurrection is coming and that's what their faith was in Isaiah 26, 19 says your dead shall live together with my dead body they shall arise awake and sing you who dwell in dust for your dew is like the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast out the dead there will be a resurrection Daniel chapter 2 chapter 12 verse 2 and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting fire some to shame I'm sorry some to everlasting I can't read some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt I beg your pardon Ezekiel 37 verses 1 through 14 I'm only going to read a portion of that but you can read that whole passage starting in verse 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them Thus says the Lord God Behold, O my people I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel Then you shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, O my people and brought you up from your graves I will put my spirit in you and you shall live and I will place you in your own land Then you shall know that I, the Lord have spoken and performed it Perhaps most importantly from the Old Testament for the passage that we're considering today Hebrews chapter 11 go back to Genesis chapter 22 verse 5 the story when Abraham was told to take his son Isaac the one that he had been promised would be the father of all these descendants that that Abraham was supposed to have God said take him up and offer him up to me and Abraham had gotten up bright and early took what he needed along with some servants and along with Isaac and headed for the place I think it's three days that they've walked to get to the place gives Abraham some time to think now what are you going to do if God says okay I've given you a son and this son is going to provide you with more descendants than you can count and then God says after you get the son he says now take your son and offer him on an altar to me you'd be thinking this is confusing what in the world but in 22.5 when they get to the place when they can see the place far off Abraham stops and he tells the servants you stay here and Abraham said to his young men stay here with the donkey the lad and I will go yonder and worship and we will come back to you I don't know exactly when, where, or how but Abraham figured out God cannot lie if he said that I was going to have descendants by this son I will and if he says offer this son on an altar to me there's only one conclusion I'm going to offer my son on an altar and God is going to raise him from the dead that must be what God has in mind now it turns out that that's not exactly what God had in mind he wanted Abraham's example he wanted Abraham to work it out in his own heart that God was faithful and he wanted us to be able to see Abraham's faith so it seems likely to me that when the author of Hebrews was making the point in Hebrews chapter 11 17 to 19 By faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it was said in Isaac your seed shall be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from which also he received him in a figurative sense.
It seems likely he was making the point that from the time of the ascension of Jesus the new covenant was established and the sins and failures of all believers those all believers who have faith in Christ are forgiven and forgotten by God and he illustrates that for us by recounting only the acts of faith that these people demonstrated and leaves out or forgets all their failures, their sins, their unfaithfulness God will never call them back to remembrance it's interesting that in this chapter Hebrews chapter 11 you go from verse 29 by faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land whereas the Egyptians attempting to do so were drowned then by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days what did that leave out? 40 years of wandering in the desert and failing failures of faith it's completely left out in this chapter our salvation is based on faith our faith God can see our faith because he knows our hearts question can others see our faith? you might come up with different answers on that depending on whether you're looking back at Romans chapter 4 which talks about justification of faith apart from works or if you're looking at James chapter 2 where we're justified by works and not by faith alone but in fact they're not contradicting each other in Romans chapter 4 the emphasis is on justification before God by faith whereas in James 4 the emphasis is on justification before other people so if I may well let's look for a moment just flip over a page or two to James chapter 2 verse 14 what does it profit my brethren if someone says he has faith but does not have works can faith save him if a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them depart in peace be warmed and filled but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body what does it profit thus also faith by itself if it does not have works is dead but someone will say you have faith and I have works show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works you believe that there is one God you do well even the demons believe that you know and tremble but do you want to know oh foolish man that faith without works is dead was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar do you see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled which says Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God you see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only likewise was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also God knew Abraham's faith before Abraham even figured out what he thought God was going to do but verse 24 here says you see you see Abraham's faith by Abraham's works I'd like to offer an illustration which I believe can make the matter perhaps a little bit clearer or hopefully will make it stick in your memory how many of you trust me? my wife had her hand up first I'm glad of that all right now obviously it might depend on what I'm asking you to trust me for for instance if I say yes, I will go home and I will put your prayer request on the prayer sheet for Wednesday night guess what?
I'm a forgetful, forgetful person and it may not happen so don't trust me necessarily when I say yes, I will do that I will try I try always to say I will try to remember when I get home but if I were to tell you and I will I'll tell all of you right here I will not do anything in the next 15 minutes to hurt you and I will not allow anything that I can prevent I mean obviously if a tree falls on the building I can't stop that but anything that I could prevent I will not allow it to happen to you that will harm you I'll ask again would you trust me on that and by the way I will not be offended anybody who does not say they would trust me on that that's fine but how many of you would trust me? okay most of you most of you alright I'm not offended alright you know what this is? it says it's a rat trap but this is not a rat trap this morning because it has never been used to trap a rat and it's not going to be used to trap a rat today what this is at the moment is a faith tester it has never trapped a rat it's brand new and I will pull this little staple out that keeps it from being able to be set you know how a faith tester works works pretty much the same way as a rat trap but now you pull this thing over here and you put that thing right there and then you put some bait on it I'm going to turn it around here now I don't want to get injured so alright so how it works is you reach in there and you touch that thing there and when you touch that we'll find it later so that's basically how it works that is how it works so anybody want to retract their statement of faith in me? all right so most of you would still trust me I will state it again I will not do anything to harm you and I will not allow anything to harm you if I have a way to stop that from happening so who would like to volunteer to come out and and by the way whoever whoever comes up have you seen this before?
you've never seen this before but you would you would trust me you sure? okay I'm a volunteer I don't even have to pick somebody usually I have to pick somebody and coax them up here but alright well Wayne come on up now sure so Wayne you've never seen this before right? I mean other than I've seen a rat trap you've seen a rat trap but not a faith tester alright so I take this thing whoops I gotta get that out of the way and I set the trap I mean the tester I set the faith tester and before we start I wanted to let you know that I'm not going to stop him as his finger gets here and say now I know you trust me because you put your finger close to it I'm just going to tell you that I will not allow anything to happen to you what do you want me to do? I would like you to tap that thing do I get the pencil or whatever?
no but you can have you can have you can have that if you'd like I don't know if that will help you at all You want me to touch that? I would like you to touch that, yes you keep pointing at it and not touching it You mean the thing that just fell off? Yes, I am messing up All right he could have touched it and nothing would happen Really? Yes that's correct You never did touch it all right All right, I was going to ask you guys to be the jury and say does he trust me or does he not?
I'm not sure we got that far All right, I'm done I need to make sure that you understand that it is not your faith If he had stuck his finger in there, it would not be his the amount of faith he has or doesn't have that stops the rat trap from going off the faith tester. And it's in the same way. It is not how much faith I have. It's not my faith that changes the situation.
It is God who is in control. Now, when we were talking, I took these two springs off. of the bar. Now it will get you.
Now it will not. It still looks like it's set. Because my thumb is under it, holding it in place. Only I wasn't able to keep my thumb there, holding it in place.
Shame on me. But then if you touch it, nothing happens. Some people get mistaken on that and they feel like, okay, whatever I can believe, if I can believe hard enough, if my faith is strong enough, then I can get whatever I want from God. And that's not the way it works.
Faith is believing what God says. What He tells you. Where He tells you to go. What He tells you to do.
And that comes from here. So we're not out there using faith to do things that God has never promised He would do. Don't talk yourself into believing you can do something that God hasn't said to do. Live your life in such a way that the world around you can see that you have faith in what God says.
You trust the Word of God. When God says that He will save you from your sin, and you say, Lord, I believe, God knows your heart, whether you actually believe that or whether you're just, I've heard people give the Gospel and say to somebody, well, you know, it can't hurt, you know, go ahead and people will say the prayer and think, well, okay, at least I'm covered. No. God knows your heart.
And people around you will know, too, if you're saved. They'll be able to see it in your life if you're following what God says. Live your life in such a way that the world can see that your faith is in him. Father, we come to you.
We give you thanks for your word. Thank you for what you have promised. Lord, we ask that you would do for us what you, what the man asked in the Gospels. Lord, I believe.
Help my unbelief. Father, we ask that you would help our unbelief when we face situations that we're tempted not to trust you. Strengthen our faith. Cause us to live in such a way that they see you in us.
In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
