Hebrews 11:1

 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.”

— ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬‬

“And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.”

— ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭39‬-‭40‬‬

I’m not philosophical/theologically inclined enough to distinguish hope and faith right now. No pithy or tweetable definitions to astound. I’m sure there are biblical passages to help separate them, but I’m just as confident there are passages where the semantic range overlaps. This is why I stick to individual passages and branch out to books, or the author’s corpus (and if need be other portions of the Bible if a topic demands it).

It does appear here that faith is a more grounded hope, and it is grounded in something stable, i.e., the faithfulness of God. We can only be convinced of something we have not touched or seen because we are confident in the character of the One who has promised. And we can only be confident in His character because of past kept promises. 

Yet, even in this chapter, the context of the book of Hebrews is more important. After listing many OT individuals and what they gained or accomplished by faith, the author of Hebrews says these “did not receive what was promised.” So did God fail? No, the point is that Jesus and the New Covenant is superior. This has been the point throughout the whole book. 

Stick with Jesus and receive the promises, just as those saints will. Endure (12:1-2). Do not return to Judaism, even if it is safer and you escape imminent persecution. 

This book is amazing, but it must be read sequentially and fully. Chapters 10 and 12 surround this chapter as warning passages (the most harsh warnings to not turn back). We are going to inherit a kingdom that doesn’t fade away. We enter by faith. We see it now by faith.