Hebrews 11:3-7 meaning

The world was created by the word of God, and this requires faith to believe: By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible (v 3). Everything around us that is created was made by invisible things. Even though we cannot see the building blocks of creation such as atomic particles, we believe they exist. 

The Pauline Author says that everything that is seen was not made out of things which are visible, so we must believe in the God who is invisible. Similarly, we believe that all things had a beginning. They were created by the word of God. The Pauline Author says that by faith we can understand. All knowledge has a beginning, and all beginnings require faith. The foundation of our faith is a belief that God is the Creator of all things.

The Pauline Author continues on with the example of three characters from Genesis. He says by faith Adam's son Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than his brother Cain (v 4). Abel had faith and desired to please God, so he sought to bring God an excellent sacrifice and God was pleased. 

We are not told exactly what it was about Cain's sacrifice that did not please God, but it is clear that Cain knew what was expected and refused to comply (Genesis 4:6-7). Through Abel's sacrifice he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks (v 4). All these years later, we still hear of his example of faith.

Enoch lived for 365 years and he walked with God the whole time. Genesis 5:24 says that Enoch "walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." The Author writes, By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God (v 5). Enoch was taken up and did not experience death because of his faithfulness to God.

The Pauline Author pauses here to explain how these believers pleased God. Being pleasing to God begins with having faith in Him and believing that He rewards those who seek Him. Without faith in God, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (v 6). 

Even if Cain had brought the best sacrifice to God, it would not have pleased God if Cain brought it without faith. Religious rituals are of no benefit without faith, they are only valuable if they help us in our walk of faith with Christ. We cannot draw near to God except through faith in the better sacrifice made by our better priest. If we remain faithful, we will be rewarded and inherit along with Jesus the inheritance as a son (Hebrews 3:14, 10:35-36).

Noah had faith in God about things not yet seen because he was warned by God (v 7). He believed that God was going to destroy the earth and in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household (v 7). As a result, the people around him mocked him. However, Noah's faith saved him and his household from God's judgment on the world. 

We know from Genesis 6:9 that Noah was a righteous man prior to his obedience in building the ark. Noah condemned the world by his act of obedience, which allowed him to become an heir of righteousness which is according to faith (v 7). God rewards those who seek Him (v 7) and Noah gained a reward through his obedience. Noah will be an heir with Christ because of his obedience, and we have the same opportunity (Hebrews 6:12, Romans 8:17). 

This is the "salvation" we don't want to ignore, to be delivered from the consequences of the Fall of Man and be restored to our original appointment of reigning over the earth, which comes about through living life by faith, following Christ to the end, the "perfection" (Greek, "teleos") or "end goal" of our new lives as believers, which is to become "sons" who share in Christ's "glory" (Hebrews 2:3, 9-11, 6:11-12, Romans 1:17).