“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved….. These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised…. All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us” (Hebrews 11:1-2,13,39-40, CSB).

In Hebrews 11, the “faith” chapter, the Hebrews writer defines faith and then provides a chapter-long litany of Old Testament examples.

Unfortunately, for us modern, empirical types, the Hebrews writer’s definition of faith is the antithesis of the scientific standards of observable data. Faith according to the Hebrews writer is not based on observable data but it’s based on the “proof” of the unseen. It’s inscrutable!

And, while having faith means we have hope for something we do not see, it also provokes us to take certain actions in our lives (vs. 2).

To accentuate this point, the Hebrews writer begins a prolonged account of the enigmatic actions of several notable and even lesser known Old Testament individuals who demonstrated faith according to the writer’s definition.

As we read about Abraham leaving his homeland to go to a another land, Sarah having a child in her old age, Moses refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, the Israelites fleeing Egypt and going through the Red Sea on dry ground, or the Israelites marching around Jericho until the walls fell down, the Hebrews writer reminds us that these all died believing in what God had promised them.

Specifically, these Old Testament patriarchs and prophets hoped for a better future future and acted accordingly though none actually received what God had promised (vs. 13).

In contrast to these Old Testament believers, the Hebrews writer concludes that their faith wasn’t fully realized without us–the New Testament believers! Because, God had something better in mind for us New Testament believers that would also fulfill the faith of the Old Testament believers.

That something better, of course, was the coming of the promised Messiah to the earth to be the human/divine once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sin and rebellion to enable those who believe to come into a right relationship with God.

So, the same human/divine sacrifice that saves New Testament believers by their faith also saved the Old Testament believers who had faith. The Hebrews writer concluded that while the blood of Christ flows two thousand years into the future to save us today, it also flows back through time to save the Old Testament believers who had faith in God’s promise (vs. 40).

In other words, faith is timeless. It works in both historical directions, forward or backward through time. Faith is so powerful that you can hope for an unseen future or believe in an unseen past and in both cases it can deliver the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Think of it like this: While the Old Testament believers were saved on credit, for the New Testament believers the debt has already been paid and we get to cash out with our faith!

But, the love and grace of God is always poised in the present to encompass your faith in Christ, no matter from when or from where your believe.

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6, CSB)