the earth, is the gospel that carries with it age-lasting issues. It operated in Eden, and was

believed by Abel.

The epistle to the Hebrews looks at righteousness by faith from a different angle from

that of Romans. In Hebrews we see faith at work. "By faith Noah . . . . . prepared an

ark". Such is the simple statement. We must, however, not omit the moving causes that

assisted Noah's faith to prepare, against all reason, an ark on dry land. Noah's act is the

result of (1) a divine warning, and (2) a pious fear.

We are not allowed to forget the important truth that "faith cometh by hearing, and

hearing by the Word of God". Noah was doubtless wise in consequence of his 600 years

of experience, his fellowship with God, and his purity of life, which would all be in

favour of enabling him to foresee the goal toward which the ungodliness of his day was

fast heading, but this wisdom would never have evolved "an ark". Chrematizo, to warn,

is used in the N.T. to indicate a warning given by means of a dream (Matt. 2: 12, 22); by

the Holy Spirit (Luke 2: 26); or by an angel (Acts 10: 22). Its direct connection with the

body of the epistle to the Hebrews will be seen by looking at Heb. 8: 5 and 12: 25.

Moses was "warned" by God in connection with the Tabernacle which he "prepared" (see

Heb. 9: 2). Heb. 12: 25 applies this "warning":

The verse following reveals that the two warnings, the one so much greater than the

other, were the voices of Sinai and Calvary. Heb. 2: 1-4 is here repeated with solemn

emphasis and with the same sequence. The warning of Heb. 2: 1-4 is followed by a

reference to the "world to come" and its dominion. The warning of Heb. 12: 25 is

followed by a reference to a kingdom that abides the terrific "shaking" of the last days.

So, to come back to Noah, we have the warning, the Flood (parallel with the shaking),

and the world to come, the dominion restored after the Flood, called in Heb. 11: 7 "the

inheritance of the righteousness which is by faith". Though we may have passed these

close parallels lightly by, the originally exercised readers of this epistle would have found

them very pointed.

Both Noah and Abraham received a message from God that put a great test upon faith,

for Noah was warned of things "not seen as yet", and Abraham went out "not knowing"

whither he went. What they did know was the faithfulness of Him Who spake. So these

Hebrews, taught from infancy to believe the law of Sinai to be eternal and unalterable, to

believe their ritual to be not only of divine appointing, but to be as lasting as God's

throne, found an almost insuperable difficulty in the teaching of the apostle that such

things were waxing old and vanishing away, that God Himself found fault with the first

Covenant and had set it aside for the aionian Covenant sealed by the blood of Christ

Himself.