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 The
“faith” of the O.T. “fathers” is repeatedly used in the
N.T. as our example, and for exhortation (Heb. 11). Abraham’s
faith was “counted unto him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:3),
and we are told this was written for our sake (v.23-24). “The
just shall live by faith” is from Hab. 2:4. So, study what
Girdlestone (Synonyms of the Old Testament) says about the use
of the word “faith” in the Old’ Testament.
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“The
general Hebrew word for truth or truthfulness, and faith or
faithfulness, is a derivative of the verb Aman, whence
the word Amen draws its origin. Aman in its simple active
form signifies to nurse or nourish up; in the passive, to be
firm and establish, and hence steadfast; and in the Hiphil
or causative form, to take as established, and hence to regard
as true, to realize, or to believe. The last is its most general
rendering.”
“The
form Emunah, generally rendered faithfulness, is
found in Hab. 2:4, where we read, ‘The just shall live by his
faith’ — words which ought to be read in connection with the
fifth verse of the first chapter, ‘I will work a work in your
days which ye will not believe, though it be told you’.”
“The
most general word, however, to express trust is bathach,
to confide in, or lean upon. Here it is to be remarked that,
though we are in the habit of speaking of faith and trust as the
same thing, the Hebrew has two distinct words for them, and so
has the LXX. Whilst aman answers to pisteuo, to
believe or realize; bathach, to trust, is
never
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so rendered.... The man who believes God
is he who, having received a revelation from Him, realizes it,
and acts it as true. (emph. mine, rt) The man who trusts God
is he who casts all his hopes for the present and future on God.
It is the former quality, not the latter, that God regards as a
condition of justification. Faith must precede hope, because a
hope for the future which is not grounded upon a present
acceptance with God is no hope; and a sense of acceptance which
is not accompanied with a living, working faith is an unreality.”
“We
now approach the N.T. with a clear distinction between faith on
the one hand, and trust and hope on the other. Faith is the
taking God at His word, while trust and patience and also hope
are the proper fruits of faith, manifesting in various forms the
confidence which the believer feels. A message comes to me from
the Author of my existence; it may be a threat, a promise, or a
command. If I take it as ‘yea and amen,’ that is Faith; and
the act which results is an act of ainunah or
faithfulness towards God. Faith, according to Scripture, seems
to imply a word, message, or revelation.
So
the learned Romaine says in his Life of Faith; — ‘Faith
signifies the believing the truth of the Word of God; it relates
to some word spoken or to some promise made by Him, and it
expresses the belief which a person who hears it has of its
being true; he assents to it, relies upon it, and acts
accordingly; this is faith.” (From pages 102-105.)
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