Hebrews 11:3
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. 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.
Hebrews 11:3 teaches that God brought the worlds into being by speaking, commanding all material and spiritual things into existence through Christ for His good pleasure. What is seen was made from what did not appear before, for He depended on no matter already in existence. This work can be grasped only by trust in His almighty power, since unaided human reasoning cannot explain its causes or read nature aright without revelation and the Spirit's teaching. Such trust looks past discouraging visible things to unseen realities, drawing life from His grace and holding to sufficient evidence without peering behind the veil where He has enshrouded Himself in mystery. That same commanding word still gives life today, for when accepted it brings the life of the Infinite One and remakes the soul in His image.
Creation by God's Word
Through faith it is understood that the worlds were framed by the word of God, meaning He spoke and it came to be and He commanded and it stood fast. All things, both material and spiritual, came into existence at His voice, by His command and by the breath of His mouth, through Jesus Christ, for His purpose and good pleasure. In creating the earth and the heavens and everything in them, He depended on no pre-existing matter.
What is seen was not made from visible materials already in existence, for the visible was not made from things already visible. He did not merely shape matter that already existed, but brought the world into existence by His word when the matter from which it was made did not already exist. To hold that He did not create matter limits His power.
Things which do not appear means things not present to the eye. What is seen came from what did not appear, for His work was to bring into existence what was not then seen.
The created world and everything in it bears witness to His power, wisdom, love, and care, visible in its beauty and provision. Beyond and throughout all things Infinite Love works to accomplish His good pleasure, and nature rightly read is the work of His infinite power.
Faith, Not Human Reason
Through faith the worlds framed by the word of God are understood as the work of God and of His infinite power, and nature's testimony about its Creator cannot be read aright by unaided human reason but requires the light of revelation and the teaching of the Spirit. The creation of the world cannot be told by reasoning or explanation with its whys and wherefores, for reasoning cannot explain its causes and mere reasoning will never convince anyone of its truth, though the fact itself can be stated. It must be believed by faith in the mighty-working creative power of God through Jesus Christ, that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear, meaning things not present to the eye. It cannot be explained from natural causes, for God has never revealed how He did it, and as a miracle of almighty power its secrets cannot be searched out by human science, any sooner than science can show how God came into existence.
Faith lays hold of this even when some points are not fully distinct and clear, resting on the sufficient evidence God grants so that man is left without excuse, with the whole heart enlisted on the side of faith and not on the side of doubt, unbelief, and darkness. Finite beings are set a limit to dwell safely on faith and on what God's revealed works show, contemplating the works of His hand without conjecturing or peering behind the veil, because God enshrouds Himself in mystery. In the last days true faith is almost destitute on the earth, with the word of God considered unreliable upon the merest pretense while human reasoning is received even when it opposes plain facts of Scripture.
Correctly understood, nature and revelation agree, so scientific claims about nature must be tested against Scripture, which upholds the reliability of the creation account. Hebrews 11:3 points to God's unlimited creative power in bringing all material and spiritual things into existence at His command and by the breath of His mouth for His purpose, without depending on pre-existing matter, and warns against treating His work as something human understanding can confine. To hold that God did not create matter limits His power, for the visible was not made from visible things already in existence.
Living by Such Faith
Faith turns the mind away from discouraging things that are seen toward realities that are unseen. By Hebrews 11:3 it gives understanding that God is the Maker of all that is seen. It also gives trust in the unseen heavenly hope He has prepared. Like roots reaching beneath the surface to hidden springs, it reaches beneath what is visible to draw spiritual life from His grace and mercy. That life is sustained by constant communion with God rather than by anything that can be seen.
Hebrews 11 records the experience of the faithful. The same faith shown by God's servants of old can work in believers now. It enables trust in God through trials and makes believers channels of His power. Workers for God are therefore to go forward in faith, do their best, and trust Him to hear and answer prayer. In doing so they gain valuable experience for future work.
The same word that framed the worlds still imparts life. Every divine command is a promise. When the will accepts it and the soul receives it, it brings in the life of the Infinite One. That life transforms human nature. It recreates the soul in the image of God.