Abrahamic Faith

Hebrews 11:8-19

“Faith alone is the gracious power which takes us off from all confidence in ourselves, and directs us to look for all in another, that is, in God himself.” - Owen

This chapter is so instructive for me. You would think that we wouldn’t miss the point of it since the main word is repeated 18 times. And yet how easy is it to say “be like Abraham, be like Abel, be like Enoch,” forgetting that they were enabled by faith to act as they did?

I do not want to present before you a case this morning about how good Abraham is, and how you should be like him. Rather, I want to show you what it was that drove Abraham to act as he did, and to convince you that looking upon Jesus with the eyes of faith will cause a God glorifying life to be lived in you as well.

This chapter began with that very premise. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. That God opens our spiritual eyes to behold the wonders of his glory, that we, tasting of his glory are driven to seek him and his fullness, and that by this faith in him our life is changed. We speak differently, we act differently, we love differently, we respond differently.

In our text today we’ll see four things.

(8-10) Faith Obeys God

(11-12) Faith Trusts God

(13-16) Faith Seeks after God

(17-19) Faith Thinks Deeply About God

(8-10) Faith Obeys God

The writer goes back to the very beginning of Abraham’s story where he is called to leave his home and go to a place he would show him. To a place he would receive as an inheritance.

Its very interesting here, Abraham gave up everything in this call to follow God. I know we like to think of dirt and tents and sand when we think of Bible times. I typically think, “well it couldn’t have been that much worse in the desert than in the city right?” Abraham lived in Ur, that was the center of civilization at the time. Things were very good there. Abraham’s reasoning was not, “well it can’t get much worse.” Rather, he went because God told him to.

There’s quite the picture of the Christian life here isn’t there? See this was the issue with the Rich Young Ruler. Christ told him to leave behind what he loved to follow him, and he walked away sad.

There’s a heart check here, isn’t there? You’re going to obey what you love. 1 John 2:17 tells us not to love the world and the things of the world.

Christian, do you find yourself longing for the things of the world, drawn to them? Or to the voice of your Father? This book teaches us the only thing that truly satisfies is Christ, he is better.

Do you find yourself feeling like a stranger in this world? Abraham certainly did. In fact the text here is telling us that he willingly chose to feel like a stranger by following the call of God to leave his comfortable life behind.

He lived in tents. In the land of promise. Huh, that’s strange isn’t it? Do you notice this? The Promised Land is strange and not his home.

The author is telling us something very important. Two things actually. 1. Perhaps the land of Israel is not the true promised land, and 2. Abraham did not hop from place to place seeking that perfect home here on earth.

How can the land of Israel be the place of fulfillment if even while there Abraham remained in tents waiting for the city which has foundations?

This Abrahamic Covenant includes so much more, doesn’t it? He’s told in Gen 22: 17 that he will possess the gates of his enemies. He’s told in multiple places that his offspring will be more numerous than the sands of the sea and the stars of the sky.

Paul tells us in Romans 4:13 how Abraham understood the land promise. He said he was going to be heir of the world. He was looking for a city that could not be shaken.

(11-12) Faith Trusts God

We see this faith in Sarah. God told Abraham and Sarah they were going to have a son. The description here is tough… but its important. They were as good as dead. Life comes from the reproductive system. It was dead. How can life come from death?

Well they trusted God, because God said it. 99 year old man and 90 year old woman.

Now this is important. God could have fulfilled this way back in their 20’s couldn’t he have?

Listen, it is a blessing when we are in situations where our only option is to trust God in his word. He has given us sure promises. I don’t mean that if you are a 99 year old man expect to be changing diapers next year. I mean that God has promised that because Christ has been tempted as we are yet without sin, that we can with confidence draw near the throne of grace and we will receive grace and mercy in time of need.

God uses the weak and foolish things to shame the wise, and his power is made perfect in weakness.

(13-16) Faith Seeks after God

Now this paragraph really goes back and explains the first section about Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob’s obedience.

Notice it says they all died in faith, not having received the things promise. The text so far has kind of gone back and forth saying they received and they didn’t receive. They received the promise, they didn’t receive the things promised.

Some of us talk about waiting of God and his promises as if we’re going to receive it all in this life, sometimes we just have to wait a little while. It’s such a weak and low understanding of things.

When someone says “It’ll all work out,” they usually mean “don’t worry you won’t have to suffer.” That’s just not true is it? We’re promised suffering. In fact suffering is what teaches us that the things of this life do not satisfy.

All of these saints died not having received an actually satisfying home.

It’s interesting isn’t it, we’re in a place now where even the world around us is starting to say “this place doesn’t feel like home anymore.”

Christian, this world is not your home. California is not and was never meant to be your home. Florida isn’t going to solve it, tennessee, texas, even Idaho won’t do it.

I’m not saying there aren’t valid reasons for moving places and I’m not here to guilt trip anyone who feels like they need to move. What concerns me is when I see Christians seeking after heaven on earth as if they will find the satisfaction that is Christ in something or some place that is fading away.

The picture of these saints is one that saw the promises, meaning they understood the reality that they were strangers and exiles here waiting for their heavenly home.

He says in verse 15 “Look if they were looking to feel at home they easily could have gone back to Ur.” It wasn’t that far.

How many times have you said “If I could go back and tell myself how good I had it.” What homeland are you seeking? Is Christ your homeland?

I’m so convicted by verse 16. I spend so much of my time looking for satisfaction on earth. If I just had enough money, or time, books, or… Put it the opposite way Paul says “i’m not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation.”

What right does God have to be ashamed to be called our God? The God of Wes? That’s a shameful name. He doesn’t think so.

What’s the evidence of this? He has prepared for us a city. Jesus goes to prepare us a home. That’s the evidence. Are you seeking him?

(17-19) Faith Thinks Deeply About God

Last Abraham offers up Isaac, his only son (same word used of Jesus in John 1:18 btw). We could say faith obey’s God even when it doesn’t make sense to us. Or faith is ready to give up what is most dear. But I think really what we see here is a faith that thinks deeply about God, and is therefore ready to respond when God calls.

Abraham was told that through this only son of his, the promise would be given. And then he was told to sacrifice him. Now there’s plenty to talk about there, but to keep it to what the text says “Abraham considered.”

This doesn’t mean that Abraham thought about it before obeying or tried to reason his way out of it. Rather Abraham obeyed, and based on what he knew about God, reasoned that he was going to raise him from the dead.

Now where did he get that from? I think this is why Paul in Rom 4:19 uses this word and up here in 11:12 used it. Sarah and he were dead when it came to having children.

God raised that from the dead. Isaac was already miraculously brought from the dead. God is able to raise him here too.

Abraham knew God could be trusted, God keeps his word, God is a resurrecting God. And the text tells us, in a very real way Isaac was given to Abraham back from the dead.

How can you not see the the text is pointing us to God’s only Son who was not spared from death, but endured it, and was raised by the resurrecting Father, to bring us access to him?

Our faith is in this Christ, and it is he who enables these heart which were once dead to respond in obedience and joy to the calling of our Savior.