By Faith (Pt. 3)

Big Idea

Tension: How does the author of Hebrews seek to instill a lifelong faith in his audience?

Resolution: By mainly pointing them to the theological trajectory of those who trusted God, culminating in Christ, for examples.

Exegetical Idea: The author of Hebrews seeks to instill a lifelong faith in his audience by pointing them to the theological trajectory of those who trusted God, culminating in Christ, for examples.

Theological Idea: God has given his people a great cloud of witnesses, culminating in Christ, to understand and to imitate their faith.

Big Idea: Let us look to the heroes of our faith, and especially Christ, to strengthen our faith today.

Outline

Background:

Goal of perseverance in the faith

He points us to the hero Abraham in chapter 6 to understand faith

There will always be discontinuity with those we imitate

Yet, there will always be something we share in common with them

We share in common with all of these heroes of our faith the quality of faith, the one we have faith in, and the same rewards.

Now we’ve seen Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and finally Joseph.

Introduction: How does faith survive?

Moses’ Parents: (Heb 11:23)

When he was born - imagine what his parents have done

Hidden for three months by his parents

because they saw that the child was beautiful - why would they do this? Because they saw that the child was beautiful.

they were not afraid of the King’s verdict. (Acts 5:29)

Moses:

When Moses grew up

He refused to be called the son of the daughter of Pharaoh

verses “beautiful” - i.e. - well bred?

Here Moses is growing up in the household of the most powerful person in the world, he probably had a posh, luxurious life awaiting him as a diplomat somewhere. He was well-educated. And he left all of that to own parents who were slaves. This is somebody who escaped and chose to go back.

Why would he do that? Why would he choose to enter into the sufferings of God’s people when he could stay in difficulty? Most of us would choose ease rather than suffering. But Moses chose suffering rather than ease. Why would he do that?

1. The pleasures of sin are fleeting - to hold onto bitterness, that might seem easier in the moment, but I promise that is just fleeting. It might seem better to stretch the truth to make you look good in the moment, but that is fleeting.

2. The reproach of Christ is worth more than all the treasures of Egypt. To share in Christ’s reproach, to be united with him, is more valuable than to all the wealth and treasures that Egypt can offer.

Why are the reproaches of Christ superior to the treasures of Egypt? Because, “he was looking forward to the reward.” And what is that reward?

Look up in vs. 6, “Without faith, it would be impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and he rewards those who seek him.”

Moses chose to make that tradeoff because it was more worth him to know Yahweh, even if it meant enduring the sufferings of this present age, than to entertain all the wealth and luxury that this world can offer. (Phil 3:8-11)

So by faith, he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king - notice how Moses himself is pictured as someone who imitated the faith of his parents.

Now wait a minute, you and I all know what it says in Exodus 2:14-15…

Faith is not the absence of fear or anxiety or worry. But faith, true faith, conquers fear. And even though this world is filled with trouble, with difficulty, with hurt, faith eventually outlasts fear.

For he endured as seeing him who is invisible - his faith was so strong, that he could see what could not be seen. His faith was the substance of what he hoped for. His faith was evidence to him that what he hoped for was true.

By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. And I would say in this, we see that Moses’ faith led him to perform a priestly action, of course pointing us forward.

I would also add that here he is highlighting that even Moses was forgiven by faith. It was his faith that was substance that forgiveness and justification comes by faith.

And what greater reward could there be than that, that we are forgiven by our God and king? That we are justified before him,t hat we are untied with Christ, that all our sins are removed.

Exodus Generation:

By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they were attempted to do the same, were drowned.

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

You’ll notice that the faith that led to their obedience is something they learned from Moses, who learned it from his parents.

Rahab:

Rahab the prostitute had faith.

It was because of her faith that she did not perish with the disobedient

Because she had given a friendly welcome

Why? Because her faith led her to show hospitality.

It was her faith that led her to obey and welcome others.

Christ - And here we see that all these are simply imitators of Christ (Heb 12:1-2). Like Christ, Moses’ parents were not afraid of men. Like Christ, Moses chose suffering. Like Christ, Rahab welcomes us in. Christ is the object of our faith, he is the one who we give up everything to find, he is the one we go in search of. He is our rewarder. But he is also our exmaple. He is the one who we look to as an example of our faith. And if we would have the faith of Jesus, Jesus would say to look to these examples.

Application

You don’t need to have perfect faith.

Moses’ parents were slaves

Moses was a murderer and fearful.

The Israelites were stubborn and rebellious

Rahab was a prostitute

But you do have to have real faith.

Moses’ parents despised the decrees of Pharoah and passed the faith onto their children

Rahab showed hospitality and split from those who were disobedient

The Israelites walked into the Red Sea and aorund Jericho

Moses’ faith conquered fear

The Faith that lasts gets the reward

Christ says he rewards the one who seeks him.

So are you worried, are you anxious, are you nervous? Look to the reward. (1 Cor 9:24)

The day when you will see him, and he will wipe every tear from your eye, and sya, “well done, good and faithful servant.”