THE POSITIVENESS OF FAITH

(HEBREWS 11:13-16)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

⁹ By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;

¹⁰ for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

¹¹ By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised;

¹² therefore, also, there was born of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

¹³ All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

¹⁵ And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.

¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;

¹⁸ it was he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.”

¹⁹ He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type. (Heb 11:8-19 NAS)

ALL THESE DIED IN FAITH, WITHOUT RECEIVING THE PROMISES, BUT HAVING SEEN THEM AND HAVING WELCOMED THEM FROM A DISTANCE, AND HAVING CONFESSED THAT THEY WERE STRANGERS AND EXILES ON THE EARTH. (11:13-16). For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they want out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. (11:13-16)

NOT ABRAHAM, ISAAC OR JACOB EVEN POSSESSED THE PROMISED LAND. IN FACT IT WAS ALMOST 500 YEARS AFTER JACOB DIED THAT ISRAEL FIRST BEGAN TO POSSESS CANAAN. ALL THESE DIED IN FAITH, WITHOUT RECEIVING THE PROMISES. Far from being a lament, however, this statement is a positive declaration that these men died in perfect hope and assurance of fulfillment. For the person of faith, God’s promise is as good as the reality. His promise of the glory ahead was as encouraging and certain to the patriarchs as actually possessing it could have been.

THE PROOF OF FAITH (11:17-19)

BY FAITH ABRAHAM, WHEN HE WAS TESTED, OFFERED UP ISAAC; AND HE WHO HAD RECEIVED THE PROMISES WAS OFFERING UP HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON; IT WAS HE TO WHOM IT WAS SAID, “IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDENTS SHALL BE CALLED.” He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type. (11:17-19)

THE PROOF OF ABRAHAM’S FAITH WAS HIS WILLINGNESS TO GIVE BACK TO GOD EVERYTHING HE HAD, INCLUDING THE SON OF PROMISE, WHOM HE HAD MIRACULOUSLY RECEIVED BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH.

IF NOAH ILLUSTRATES THE DURATION OF FAITH, ABRAHAM SHOWS THE DEPTH OF FAITH.

AS IT TURNED OUT, BECAUSE HE DID NOT ACTUALLY DIE, ISAAC BECAME ONLY A TYPE OF THE RESURRECTION. HE WAS OFFERED BUT HE WAS NOT SLAIN. God provided a substitute. It was the fact that Abraham offered up Isaac that proved his faith. The final standard of faith, its real proof, is a willingness to sacrifice. “If anyone wishes to come after Me,” Jesus commands, “let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom.12:1).

THE PATRIARCHS, THEREFORE, HELD TO THE FIVE GREAT STANDARDS OF FAITH: ITS PILGRIMAGE, IN SEPARATION FROM THE WORLD; ITS PATIENCE, IN WAITING FOR GOD TO WORK; ITS POWER, IN DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE; ITS POSITIVENESS, IN FOCUSING ON GOD’S ETERNAL PROMISE; AND ITS PROOF, IN OBEDIENT SACRIFICE.

FAITH THAT DEFEATS DEATH (11-22)

BY FAITH ISAAC BLESSED JACOB AND ESAU, EVEN REGARDING THINGS TO COME BY FAITH JACO, AS HE WAS DYING, BLESSED EACH OF THE SONS OF JOSEPH, AND WORSHIPED, LEANING ON THE TOP OF HIS STAFF. BY FAITH JOSEPH, WHEN HE WAS DYING, MADE MENTION OF THE EXODUS OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL, AND GAVE ORDERS CONCERNING HIS BONES. (11:20-22)

MATTHEW HENRY SAID, “THOUGH THE GRACE OF FAITH, IS OF UNIVERSAL USE THROUGHOUT THE CHRISTIAN’S LIFE, YET IT IS ESPECIALLY SO WHEN WE COME TO DIE. Faith has its great work to do at the very last, to help believers to finish well, to die to the Lord so as to honor Him, by patience, hope and joy so as to leave a witness behind them of the truth of God’s Word and the excellency of His ways.”

GOD IS GLORIFIED WHEN HIS PEOPLE LEAVE THIS WORLD WITH THEIR FLAGS FLYING AT FULL MAST. IF ANYONE SHOULD DIE TRIUMPANTLY IT SHOULD BE BELIEVERS. When the Holy Spirit triumphs over our flesh, when the world is consciously and gladly left behind for heaven, when there is anticipation and glory in our eyes as we enter into the presence of the Lord, our dying is pleasing to the Lord. “Previous in the sight of the LORD is the death of His godly ones” (Pa. 116:15);

THE THREE PATRIARCHS MENTIONED IN HEBREWS 1:20-22 ILLUSTRATE THE POWER OF FAITH IN FACING DEATH. THESE MEN HAD NOT ALWAYS LIVED FAITHFULLY. THEY TRUSTED GOD IMPERFECTLY, JUST AS WE DO. All three men’s names appear frequently and favorably in Scripture, and we are inclined to think of them as models of the life of faith. In some regards they were. Joseph especially stands out. Though he was hated by his brothers and sold into slavery, he trusted and obeyed God amid many temptations and hardships, while completely separated from his family in a pagan foreign land.

THE EMPHASIS OF THIS PASSAGE, HOWEVER, IS ON THE FAITH THAT ISAAC, JACOB AND JOSEPH EXHIBITED AT THE ENDS OF THEIR LIVES. EAVH ONE FACED DEATH IN FULL, CONFIDENT FAITH. FOR THAT THEY ARE IN THE HEBREWS HEROES GALLERY.

PROFESSOR’S CORNER

THE POSITIVENESS OF FAITH (HEBREWS 11:13-16)