An Elephant & The Blind Wise Men

[dave c]

A HEALING SHELTER MINISTRIES #120b Written 24OCT07 http://groups.msn.com/AHealingShelter/welcome.msnw

In The Footsteps Of Abraham: Part Two—An Elephant And The Blind Wise Men

by dave c

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 7 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 (NKJV).

Before we take a closer look at key verses from Hebrews Chapter 11 that pertain to Abraham, we need to examine the first seven verses in order to establish a contextual foundation. In reading verses one through seven, three points become immediately evident. Firstly, faith is the subject of the discussion. Secondly, the Writer of Hebrews begins that discussion with the assumption that God is, and that He created the universe ex nihilo by Divine fiat (that is, He spoke existence into being from out of nothing). This is, and must be, the beginning of Christian faith. Thirdly, starting with the second generation of humanity, we are told that faith is essential for righteousness, good and lasting testimony, eternality, pleasing God, rewards, heeding exhortation, and salvation.

Unlike Abraham, where there is Scriptural and extra-Biblical information that helps us to place his era at around 2,000 BC, we have no concrete dates for the lives of Abel, Enoch, and Noah—in spite of much speculation based upon widely diverse presumptions. Regardless, we might well ask, “Why does God’s Hall of Faith begin with Abel instead of Adam?” Adam and Eve did not need faith regarding God’s existence; they literally lived with Him in the close proximity of the Garden of Eden. Interestingly, each of the previously listed “fruit” of faith were presented to the first couple contingent upon their faithful obedience to God’s admonitions/command to avoid fruit from ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’. Upon their failure, Yahweh, Himself, covered the nakedness of their spiritual death with clothing produced through the violent and bloody sacrifice of innocent animals. This act of Providence was, of course, a perfect type of the Father’s atoning sacrifice of His Son thousands of years in the future in order to establish forgiveness and salvation for all the saints.

It is important to note that the Writer of Hebrews is not attempting to define faith, per se. Rather he is describing faith. The distinction between defining a thing and describing it is great. The story of the blind wise men and an elephant comes to mind. One blind wise man randomly encounters the tail and says that an elephant is much like a rope. One grabs an ear and says, “No, an elephant is like a banana leaf”. A third is brushed by the writhing trunk and tells them that they’re both wrong—an elephant is just like a big snake. Hugging a leg, the fourth man emphatically states that the elephant is exactly the same as a tree trunk. And so forth.

As we read Holy Scripture and as we experience God in our lives we encounter different aspects of His divine nature and eternal power. This, then, results in our rightly describing our experiences. Unfortunately, we too often attempt to define God through those descriptions. One blind wise man gets a good grasp upon our being created in the image and likeness of our Creator and tells the world that God is all about the free will of all humanity and we must each choose to believe, commit, and obey. A second blind wise man says, “No, no, no…I have encountered the God of His Written Word that tells me that He preordains the future—reason tells me that God chooses which of us will be saved, and there is nothing that I, or you, can do about it.” In truth each man has a hold of one facet of God, but God is BIG! He is bigger, much bigger, than our understanding...both realized and potentially. Perhaps real wisdom is to be found in the words of Paul: Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1Co 13:12; NIV). Amen.