By Faith

Imagine say you dey waka for one long hall wey get pictures for both sides. One shepherd. One man wey dey build boat. One old man with walking stick. One mother wey dey hide baby inside basket. Under every picture, di same two words. By faith.

Dem write di letter to di Hebrews to one group of Jewish Christians wey don tire. People don insult dem because dem dey follow Jesus. Dem throw some of dem for prison. Some don lose dem property. And now some of dem dey think to give up and go back. We no know for sure who write dis letter. But di writer know di Hebrew scriptures from top to bottom. So, to encourage dem, di writer tell dem about dem own family history, di long line of people wey trust God when dem no fit see how things go end.

E start with one definition. Faith na di solid ground of di things wey we dey hope for, di proof of di things wey we no fit see. Faith na to dey sure of wetin we dey hope for, and to dey certain of wetin we never fit see. By faith, di writer talk, we understand say na di word of God make di whole universe. Then di pictures begin. By faith Abel bring better offering give God. By faith Enoch waka with God. By faith Noah, when God warn am about things wey never show, build one ark to save im family, long before even one drop of rain fall. And without faith, di writer add, person no fit please God, because anybody wey dey come meet am must believe say e dey, and say e dey reward di people wey dey look for am.

By faith Abraham obey when God call am make e leave im home, and e go out, without to know where e dey go. E live inside tents, like stranger, because e dey look for one city wey God na im builder and im maker. By faith Sarah, wey don pass di age to born pikin long time, receive power to get belle, because she believe say di God wey promise na faithful God. Then di writer talk one surprising thing. All dis people die as dem still dey wait. Dem no receive everything wey God promise. Dem see am from far, dem greet am, and dem agree say dem be strangers and pilgrims for dis earth. And God no shame to make dem call am dem God.

Di hall continue. By faith di parents of Moses hide dem baby for three months, and dem no fear di command of di king. By faith Moses choose to suffer with God people, instead of to enjoy di treasures of Egypt. By faith di people cross di Red Sea like say na dry ground. By faith di walls of Jericho fall down. By faith Rahab welcome di spies. And then time no reach for di writer again. Wetin I go talk again? I no get time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and di prophets. Some close di mouth of lions. Some escape di sword. Dem weakness turn to strength. And others suffer terribly, and still dem no let God go. Dis world no worthy of dem. And di chapter end with one turn. Dem never receive di promise, because God don plan something wey better pass, so dat dem no go become perfect without us.

Who write Hebrews? Di question old well well. Around di year two hundred and fifty, di great Christian teacher Origen of Alexandria discuss am, and e talk say di thoughts be like Paul own, but di style no be Paul own. Im conclusion, wey di church historian Eusebius write down, famous because e honest. Who write di letter, for true, na God know.

By faith. You go find dis hall of heroes for Hebrews chapter eleven. Ordinary people, wey trust God for things wey dem never fit see, and wey dey wait, for one way, make we join dem. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin be one thing wey you dey trust God for, wey you never fit see yet?