September 17, 2006
THE WORLDS WERE FRAMED
Hebrews 11:3

   "Now faith is the conviction... by it the elders obtained a good report. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear" (Hebrews 11:1-3). What sounds like a solid creation verse where God created things out of nothing is really something else. The word "aeons," translated worlds, is really "ages," and "framed" means "prepared," as in  Hebrews 10:5, "a body hast Thou prepared Me." This refers to the Lord's body prepared for His life of service! Thus the ages or dispensations were prepared by the word of God. They came forth according to God's plan and timing. They do not spring out from the preceding one, "things which do appear" (things apparent) such as a plant springing forth from its seed.
   The book of Hebrews began with, "God...at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past...by the prophets (in other dispensations) has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son...by Whom also He made the worlds (ages)." Throughout these ages the great transdispensational principle of faith has been leading the faithful "on to perfection."
   Throughout these ages believers who were convicted of the reality of things they could not see, and in spite of all the hardships and chastening they were called to endure, they are paraded here before our memories as "a great cloud of witnesses," testimonies to the life of faith.
   "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were convicted of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (11:13). At the conclusion of the list we read, "these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing...that they without us should not be made perfect" (11:39-40). They lived "by faith" and died "by faith," and did not receive the promise. Their hope was in the God of resurrection. These Hebrews then (as grace believers now) were challenged to trust God and His promises without wavering. Their faith gave spiritual sight which is contrasted with the physical sight. One is of the flesh, the other of the spirit, the new nature.
   Their Great High Priest was "made perfect through suffering," just as and they (and we) are called to the same path today. Our hope is to be realized only in resurrection, "the spirits of just men made perfect" (12:23)!
                          

Ivan L. Burgener