Charles Spurgeon Commentary Hebrews 11:3

"By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear." — Hebrews 11:3 (ASV)

Through 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.

It is only by believing the inspired record that we can obtain a true understanding of the wondrous work of creation. Science and reason are of little or no avail here, but the opening words of divine revelation explain the great mystery: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Through 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.

The world was not made out of the world. There was nothing to make it out of. It was created simply by the word of God, and our faith knows that.

I question whether we should ever inquire into the matter of creation beyond what is revealed to our faith. Reason is all very well, but faith mounts upon the shoulders of reason and sees much farther than reason, with her best telescope, will ever be able to see. It is enough for us who have faith that God has told us how he made the world, and we believe it.

Through 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.

Things that we see were not made out of things that we see.

They were brought out of the unseen by the word of God; so that, really, the word of God is the foundation of everything that has been formed by him; and, after all, material things—created and seen—are not truly substantial. They are but shadows; the real substance is that which can never be seen, even the ever-blessed God, whose voice—whose word—created the heavens and the earth.

Through 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.

By faith, we know more about the creation of the world than philosophy can ever teach us. It has invented the most remarkable and ridiculous theories of how the worlds were made and humankind produced. We have the truth here: the worlds were framed by the word of God, not made of things which existed previously, but spoken out of nothing by the voice of the Almighty.

Through 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.

They were not evolved out of something else that existed before; evolution is a rank lie against revelation. The worlds were not made, not one of them was made, out of something pre-existent; but they were framed by the Word of God, and the things which are seen were not made of things which are seen.

Through 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.

That is one of the earliest lessons of faith. We do not discover the secrets of Creation by mere reason, or the teachings of science; it is only by revelation that the marvellous story can reach us. Faith accepts the inspired declaration that God made all things, and that the things that are seen were made out of things that are not seen, so that, after all, the foundation of everything is that which is not seen.

The visible is but a dream; the things which are around us are the transient things that shall all pass away. The things that are not seen are eternal, and shall abide forever. The things which are seen were made out of the invisible, not out of things which are seen.

Through 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.

The facts about creation must be the subject of faith. It is true that they can be substantiated, by the argument from design, and in other ways; still, for a wise purpose as I believe, God has not made even that matter of the creation of the universe perfectly clear to human reason, so there is room for the exercise of faith. Men like to have everything laid down according to the rules of mathematical precision, but God desires them to exercise faith; and, therefore, he has not acted according to their wishes.