The Hall of God’s Faithfulness, Part 2: Faith And Righteousness (Hebrews 11:4–7)

by on November 5, 2025 | Comment

I remember being a young child walking through the entrance to the church my family attended at the time. Looking up, I saw stained glass, and for the first time I wondered why it was there. I asked my dad, who replied that it was given to the church by a member who was now dead. In fact, this member had died years before I existed. For whatever reason, that moment is burned into my brain as the first time I realized the church was older than I am. That can still be a lesson that is easy to forget. We go Sunday after Sunday, meeting with God and his people. But thousands of years before we were born, the people of God were still gathering to be strengthened by him and to respond to him in grateful worship. The church is old. In fact, as Reformed Christians we believe that the church started with Adam and Eve. We are not going back quite that far in this essay, but we will be considering their children.

This is the second installment of a series on Hebrews 11, the so-called Hall of Faith. If you read Part 1, you know I would rather speak of it as the Hall of God’s Faithfulness. Faith plays an important part in this chapter, of course. Verses 1 and 2 tell us that faith is “the reality of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen” (my translation). Indeed, by their faith “the men of the past were made witnesses [of things hoped for and unseen]” (my translation). Verse 3 reminds us of God making the seen things out of what was unseen (namely: nothing). Now in verses 4–7 we are introduced to the first three witnesses: Abel, Enoch, and Noah. We will consider each of them in turn as they testify to us of God’s righteousness, and we will see how all three are pre-Flood types of Christ. They will testify to us that certainty comes by looking to Christ, not by looking to faith itself.

Faith and Sacrifice—Abel

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. (Hebrews 11:4)

The first witness the author to the Hebrews brings up is one of the first believers to ever exist: Abel, the second-born son of Adam and Eve. We read about his story in Genesis 4:3–5a: “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard” (ESV). We see here that Abel brought “a more acceptable sacrifice” than his older brother, Cain. Why? Well, both Cain and Abel offered sacrifices, showing that they were both at least outwardly religious. But Abel’s faith made his offering greater, or acceptable to God. Genesis 4:4 tells us that Abel brings the “firstborn” of his flock, but the same idea of first-fruits (Exod 23:19) is not explicitly applied to Cain’s offering, perhaps already showing the difference in their respective hearts.1 But beyond this, I believe there is an easy-to-overlook aspect here: Abel brought a sacrifice of blood and atonement, previewing the Christ who was to come.2 He offered a sacrifice wherein he acknowledged his sin and recognized that a substitute had to be offered for it. Cain, in contrast, offered a bloodless sacrifice. Remember what Hebrews 9:22 says: “Under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” In other words, the sacrifice Abel offered testified about the sacrifice Christ would one day offer, which was a sacrifice of atonement.3

So Abel testifies to us by trusting in God through sacrifice, and even through death. But God also testified to Abel—the LORD testified to him that he was righteous by faith and his offering was accepted. We know what happened after this, of course. Jealous Cain rose up against his righteous brother and became the first murderer. But Abel became the first witness to testify of God’s faithfulness even through suffering. We will come back to this in a later installment, but consider Hebrews 11:35–37: “Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword.”

God testified to Abel, and now Abel testifies to us. He died in faith, but though he is dead, he still speaks to us. Abel points us ahead to Christ’s perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 12:24 tells us that we have come to “Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Why is Christ’s blood better than the blood of Abel? There is the obvious reason we can give: Abel’s blood was the blood of a sinner and a mere man, whereas Christ’s blood was the blood of the perfect God-man. But Hebrews is getting at something else here: Abel’s blood cried out for vengeance (Gen 4:10; Matt 23:35), but Christ’s blood cries out for mercy (Matt 26:28; Eph 1:7). When you consider the story of Cain and Abel, think about that. We deserve judgment, much like Cain did. But we receive mercy, and, like he did to Abel, God testifies to us that we are righteous through faith alone in Christ alone. So do not just turn to Genesis to see we where came from. Look also to the first book of the Bible to see where we are going—toward Jesus, and toward Mt. Zion. Read the book of Genesis like the author to the Hebrews did under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Faith and Resurrection—Enoch

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:5–6)

Abel is a well-known biblical figure, but Enoch? Not so much. Genesis 5:21–24 briefly tells us his story: “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” As an inspired commentary on this passage, Hebrews 11:5 tell us that Enoch “was not found.” In other words, God took him and he experienced something of a living resurrection, or as it is sometimes called, a translation. Abel testifies to us that, like Christ, God’s people suffer and die, even by persecution. Enoch testifies to us that, also like Christ, God’s people are raised, glorified, and triumph in their Savior. But why was Enoch taken? Because he had God-pleasing faith. The phrase “walked with God” is a way of saying that God was pleased with him through faith. Have you ever thought about that? God, in his grace, is pleased with us as we come to him through faith in Jesus Christ. As you trust and believe the gospel, you are pleasing to your Father in heaven. What a thought!

Now, what exactly is it that Enoch believed? Jude 14–15 says Enoch prophesied about the coming Day of the LORD.4 He had faith in what was not yet seen, and he trusted God in the midst of a now-fallen world that was getting worse and worse on the way to the Flood. Enoch did not have the Pentateuch, the historical books, the Psalms, the Prophets, or the Gospels. Paul and Peter had not written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explaining Christ’s person and work. Yet he believed, because he knew with his limited knowledge that God is trustworthy. God is worth believing. How much more do we know now that Christ has come? Trust in this Savior, and come to God in faith, without which it is impossible to please him.

Much like verses 1 and 2, verse 6 does not tell us everything about faith. Instead, specifically it tells us that Enoch sought God and was pleasing to God through faith. Faith in what? Faith in God, that he would keep his promises. God exists, and he rewards those who seek him. That reward is everlasting life—dwelling with God forever, which Enoch experienced an entrance into without dying.

Faith and Salvation Through Judgment—Noah

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)

Now we come to the most famous witness yet—Noah, the one who built the ark. We see that he listened to God in reverent fear—believing, and as a result of his belief, obeying. Noah felt pressure like the Hebrew Christians. In fact, he probably felt more pressure, being completely surrounded by wickedness and unbelief. It is a common biblical theme that began back in Genesis 4 with Cain and Abel: The world mocks and even persecutes the people of God. Christ’s people are often under a great deal of pressure. Much like Noah we are believing God’s promises that are unseen, but the same God who testified to Noah testifies to us. That is the point of this verse—Noah believed the only One who is completely trustworthy. So should you.

His faith led to obedience, because that is what faith does—only by God’s power! How did he obey? By building the ark of salvation according to God’s specifications (Gen 6:13–16). In this way, Noah is a portrait of Christ: He condemned the world and saved his family. Noah’s day is a preview of the Day of the LORD (2 Pet 3:4–7). He condemned the world that did not believe. But salvation came, too. In fact, that is also a biblical theme: Salvation comes through judgment. That is how it was in the flood—the same water that drowned the world bore up Noah and his family in the ark. It was much the same at the Red Sea in the Exodus: God’s people passed through the waters unscathed, while the Egyptians were drowned by the very same waters. It will be the same at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ—the same event that marks the entrance into final blessing and beatitude for those in Jesus will be the final judgment and condemnation of those who do not believe. Noah testifies to us about this—listen to him, and do not look for anything or anyone other than Christ to save you. God made a way of salvation for Noah and his family in the ark, and he made a greater way of salvation for you and me in Jesus Christ. If you are trusting in him, then your Savior has saved you as completely and finally as Noah saved his family by building the ark. Believe as Noah did! He is witnessing to you about things you cannot yet see.

Is it not interesting in verse seven that Noah “became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith”? It was not by his actions that he inherited righteousness, but by his faith in the God who promises that he had righteousness imputed to him. That is a reminder to us, and in this way, Noah testifies to us that we cannot look for justifying righteousness in anything we do. It only comes from God, imputed to us by his grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Conclusion

These first three witnesses did not have much revelation to go by, at least not compared to what you and I have. Yet all three believed and continue to testify to us about the certainty of God’s unseen realities and blessings. Jesus is better! Righteousness comes through atonement, and it comes by faith and imputation. Faith makes us heirs, and we are saved through judgment. In other words, we are saved because of Christ’s work alone. Abel, Enoch, and Noah are witnesses to him. May we look to and witness to him as well. Next time we will begin considering the prototypical Old Testament believer: Abraham.

Notes

  1. John Goldingay, Genesis, Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Pentateuch, ed. Bill T. Arnold (Baker Academic, 2020), 96.
  2. In this I am following especially the thought of John Owen (1616–83)—John Owen, Hebrews: The Epistle of Warning (Kregel Publications, 1953), 217–18; see also Gerhard Van Rad, Genesis: A Commentary, Revised Edition, The Old Testament Library, ed. G. Ernest Wright, John Bright, James Barr, and Peter Ackroyd (The Westminster Press, 1972), 104; John Brown, Hebrews (The Banner of Truth Trust, reprinted 2009), 493–94.
  3. S. M. Baugh, “The Cloud of Witnesses in Hebrews 11,” WTJ 68 (2006), 123.
  4. Harrison Perkins, “Keep Yourselves In God’s Love–An Exposition Of Jude’s Epistle (11): Destined For Destruction,” Heidelblog, June 8, 2023.

©Chris Smith. All Rights Reserved.

You can find the whole series here.

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    Post authored by:

  • Christopher Smith
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    Christopher Smith is originally from Bellevue, Nebraska. A graduate of Westminster Seminary California (M.Div 2019; MA (Historical Theology) 2020). He is associate pastor of Phoenix URC in the United Reformed Churches of North America. He is currently pursuing a ThM in systematic theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary.

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