In Hebrews chapter 11 we read about some great men and women of faith throughout the Bible. That chapter reminds us that God has led in the lives of other people in the past. He is willing to lead in our lives today when we show faith in Him. Read the below Bible verse on faith and then five Bible lessons about faith from the old testament.
Hebrews 11:1, 6 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen….But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a re warder of them that diligently seek him.”
Noah- Bible Lesson on Faith
When God saw the wickedness of mankind He decided to start over with Noah. The Bible says that Noah found favor in God’s eyes because he lived right and feared God.
Noah was asked by God to build an ark which surely took a lot of faith. It must have been even harder when God told him he would have to wait 120 years for the flood to happen. Noah preached faithfully trying to convince others that judgment was coming.
God spared Noah and his family along with the animals on the ark. Noah and his family had faith in God’s words and obeyed.
Luke 18:17 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
Abraham- Father of Faith
God called Abraham to leave his country and start a new nation. From the family of Abraham God would bless the earth. This ultimately came in the form of Jesus Christ. Abraham could not understand at the time how God would bless the world through him and his family but he trusted God to lead him to where he was supposed to go.
He left his home and family in Ur of the Chaldees (probably in modern Iraq) and traveled to what would become Israel. This new land was also known Canaan at that time.
Based only on the promises of God, Abraham followed as Jehovah led him and his servants. He took his nephew Lot and many other family members and servants. He was a rich man. The decision to pack up everything he owned must have been a difficult one.
Abraham is noted in the Bible for his faith, particularly as it relates to leaving his home in Ur to travel west. He is mentioned in Romans 4 and Hebrews 11 because of the faith it took to follow God’s leading.
Joseph- Lesson on Faith Through Perseverance
As a young boy Joseph was given a couple of dreams by God to let him know that God had big plans for his life. Though Joseph did not know how God would bring it to pass, he trusted the Lord to work.
Joseph was hated by his brothers, thrown down into a pit and sold as a slave. After being bought and given a job he was falsely accused of a crime and sent to prison. He helped out in the prison and was well liked by the warden. He even showed God’s power to a couple of men in prison. One said that he would do what he could to have Joseph released soon. However, it was two more years in prison before Joseph’s kind actions were remembered and rewarded.
God was faithful to Joseph as he was faithful to God. Joseph eventually saw the fulfillment of the dreams God had given him. The story of Joseph in the Bible is one of the longest stories contained in its pages. While there were some difficult times in his life, Joseph’s is a story full of hope and faith.
Moses- Bible Lesson on Living Out Your Faith
Moses was born to a Jewish family in a time when the Egyptian ruler had ordered all male babies born to the Jews to be killed. Moses’ mother was able to effectively hide him for a short time. Eventually she sent him down river in a basket with a prayer that God would protect him. God did and Moses was discovered by the Pharaoh’s daughter.
Moses grew up in a home of royalty even though he was born to a slave. God used the experiences that Moses had to help train him as a leader. One of Moses’ first acts of leadership was to walk away from the royal family and trust God to lead him in his life. God showed Himself faithful to Moses by leading him to a family who taught him about God and his family heritage. Moses met God in a burning bush where He once again lead Moses back to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of captivity.
When the time was right, Moses came back to Egypt and demanded that Pharaoh allow the people of God to go free. Moses stood strong in his faith knowing that God would do a mighty work. As a man broken by God, Pharaoh allowed Moses and his people to flee Egypt. Moses knew that Pharaoh let them go against his will. Moses stood strong as a leader and quickly moved the people of Israel to the land that God promised them. Sadly, though Moses believed God’s promises and trusted Him in faith, he could not convince the Israelites to inhabit the land that God prepared.
Moses shared an intimate relationship with God that was built on faith.
Joshua and Caleb- Faith When Things Seem Impossible
When Israel arrived at the edge of the land promised by God, Moses sent in 12 spies to see what they would be up against. Ten of the spies brought back news of giants and impenetrable walls, but two of them brought back news of great natural beauty and wealth. These two young men were Joshua and Caleb.
Joshua trusted that God would help them take the land. They spent the same 40 years wondering in the wilderness as all the other Israelites. One thing that set Joshua and Caleb apart from the rest was that they had faith that God would bring them back to the land He promised. They were the only two people who left Egypt who were allowed into this great land of promise because they had faith in the God who promised it.
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