Hebrews 11:8-22 Faith of the Patriarchs
Notes
Transcript
Intro John 2:10
Intro John 2:10
Previously in Chapter 10:
Previously in Chapter 10:
Main ideas:
1. Hebrews 10:1-4 The picture of the sacrifice in the OT
2. Hebrews 10:5-10 The plan of the sacrifice of Jesus (commentary on Psalm 40:6-8)
3. Hebrews 10:11-18 The perfect(ion) of the sacrifice
Jesus opened the way, so draw near to God (10:19-22)
Hold fast to the truth (10:22)
Be active with your Christian community (10:24-25)
Discard the sacrifice of Christ and be punished (10:26-39)
Be encouraged, God has stood by you before (10:35-39)
Chapter 10 wraps up the last main argument of the sermon. Chapters 11-13 are the outworking of this faith in Jesus.
Does your heart sink when you get caught in a mistake?
Why is doing the right thing expensive and exhausting? Or should it be?
What would make you ashamed of your children? Is God ashamed of us?
Hebrews 11:8-22
Hebrews 11:8-22
Main Ideas:
Abraham’s obedience to his calling to go, v.8
Abraham as a foreigner/wanderer in faith, v.9-10
Sarah’s faith and its results, v.11-12
What the faith of Abraham and Sarah teaches us, v.13-16
Abraham’s faith that God could keep his promise
by raising the dead, v.17-19
Isaac’s faith beyond death, v.20
Jacob’s faith beyond death, v.21
Joseph’s faith beyond death, v.22
As we go through this list, we have to ask ourselves why each of these men and women are on the list.
As we go through this list, we have to ask ourselves why each of these men and women are on the list.
Everyone on the list either sinned or suffered spectacularly (except Enoch, but I have a theory).
Abel was killed for giving an approved sacrifice. (suffer)
Enoch was the last righteous person in the line of Cain. (possible suffer or sin)
Noah was a drunk and suffered the loss of the world. (suffer and sin)
Abraham was a liar and a rapist (sin).
Sarah laughed at God. She was complicit in Abraham’s sins. (sin)
Isaac repeated the lying of his father, took Hittite wives, lost land promised to his father, and sowed family division. (sin)
Jacob lied, tricked his family, and sowed division like his father. His slaves bore him children. (sin)
Joseph was sold into slavery and suffered in prison. (suffer)
Moses was a murderer. (sin)
Rahab was a prostitute. (sin)
Gideon was a hot mess of sins. Barak was shamed by a woman. Samson was a murdering, lying bro. Jephthah killed his own daughter. David was a murderer and womanizer. Samuel suffered Israel’s unbelief but also was a bad father.
Why are all these people on this list? Verse 2 tells us.
Why are all these people on this list? Verse 2 tells us.
Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved.
Abraham and his wife, Sarah
Abraham and his wife, Sarah
They believed in God’s power over death, and the resurrection.
Watch how their faith is described.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
The first call-out of Abraham’s faith: living in tents.
Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself: “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I have delight?”
By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful. Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore.
The second call-out of Abraham’s faith: Sarah as a new Eve.
These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
The explanation of Abraham and Sarah’s faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring will be traced through Isaac. He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead; therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.
Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.”
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.
The top of his staff: Jacob was still a wanderer, a foreigner in his final hours, looking forward to the promises of God.
Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph: all were looking forward to the unseen.
They lived now as if the unseen thing was a reality.
Application
Application