THE NEW TESTAMENT
BIBLE STORY
Epistle to Hebrews #15
Chapter 11 - Faith - continued Noah sure had to have faith. God told him there would be 120 years for his society to repent and mend their ways. Sometime during that time Noah was told to build an Ark for the saving of his wife, three sons and their wives, and the animals god would bring to him. A false misconception is that Noah was building the Ark for 120 years. The account in Genesis does NOT say the Ark took 120 years to build. The reader can go to my studies on this Website for both sides of the question as to the flood being LOCAL or UNIVERSAL. Noah BELIEVED God and acted with faith on the instructions the Lord gave him. Except for his immediate family, the whole of his society laughed at him, rejected him, and continued to depart from the ways of the Eternal God (verse 7). Abraham is called the "father of the faithful" - he left his home with faith that God would guide and lead him in the promise that the Almighty had given him. When I came to Canada at age 18, not knowing one single person in the country, the first ones I met and talked to thought I was very brave to venture out on my own to a new country, where I was a total stranger. But, not like Abraham, I knew the town I was to live in, I had the immigration officers meet me at the train-station, and they had already acquired a house where I would have board and room. Maybe it took some faith for me to do this move from Britain to Canada, but it was not near the great faith that it took for Abraham to obey God and pack his things and move out to a place chosen by God for him, but which Abraham did not know. Abraham lived in a strange land, new to him, and dwelt in tents or tabernacles. He never really inherited the land, never really established himself there in a mansion and took control as some kind of a king over that land. But, in faith, he looked ahead to the day when that would be the case, when he would inherit a city from God, inherit the land as a mighty leader over the land, and in fact over all the earth. That reality will not come until Abraham is in the resurrection of glory, at the coming of Jesus, to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. Abraham lived by faith, that the thing promised, which he could not see in reality, would be performed by God, as promised to him (verses 8-10). Then there was Abraham's wife - Sarah. Most immediately think about Sarah laughing at God when it was told that she would have a son in her old age. But here Paul floats right over that happening and focusses in on her basic faith. at first mention of having a son, she may have smiled, chuckled, and said, "Oh, yes, tell me another one." But when it was said that NOTHING is impossible with God, when the reality set in, that the Lord was indeed giving His word that she would have a son, she BELIEVED Him, she lived by faith, that what was not yet seen in reality would come to pass. And it DID! She had a son of promise, who was in figure, as good as dead, and from that one son, has come so many as the stars of heaven, as the sand on the sea shore. Though there have been millions of Jews down through the centuries, the Jews were only ONE tribe of 13 tribes of Israelites. The multitude of Israelites from the time of Sarah, has indeed been as the stars of heaven and the sand on the sea shore. NOTICE verse 13. THESE ALL DIED IN FAITH, not having received the promise. It says ALL DIED .... that includes Enoch! None mentioned inherited eternal life. None of them are up in heaven looking at the face of God or whatever people that "go to heaven on dead" are supposed to be doing in heaven. NONE of them received the promise of eternal life. They had faith in what was yet to come, after their death. They did not look back from where they had come, their mind did not dwell on the country they left, or they may have decided to return to their old life. No, they looked ahead, in faith, they looked towards a heavenly country, they looked towards eternity, living, inheriting, eternal life, living in a country so to speak that was heavenly. They looked towards the Kingdom of God on earth, coming at the glorious appearing of Christ Jesus, who will raise the children of God from death, glorify them, give them their rewards according to their works, and who will all then descend from the clouds, the sea of glass, and establish the rule of God on earth, first from Jerusalem and then eventually the entire planet. All of these promises I have covered in great detail in many studies on this Website. Back we go to Abraham again in verses 17-19. All Bible readers are familiar with the wonderful story of Abraham being told by God to offer up his promised son (Genesis 22). God had promised Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age (normally an impossibility), and now God wanted Abraham to sacrifice him. The faith he had developed by now, stood fast, he knew God could do anything, nothing was impossible for the Lord to do. If it was to be so, then Abraham knew the Almighty could raise that promised son from death. We know Abraham was about to bring that knife down on his son when the angel from the Lord stopped him. Remember also (which is often forgotten) that the son Isaac must also have had great faith in willingly submitting to being a sacrifice, if it was God's will. Isaac himself gave blessings on Jacob and Esau, gave blessings in faith, that what he blessed would one day come to pass on both of those sons of his (verse 20 with Genesis 27:27). It was by faith that Jacob blessed both the sons of Joseph (verse 21 and Genesis 48). Most Christians today have no idea of the truth of the matter concerning Genesis 48. Most Christians in the Western world are living WITHIN the very fulfilment of the blessings given and promised to the sons of Joseph. Those two sons of Joseph have become the peoples of the British Commonwealth of nations and the great United States of America. Yes, in this 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries - in our so-called modern times, space age world, the faith of Isaac in giving blessings to Joseph's sons way way back in human history has come to REALITY. God is MIGHTY, He is FAITHFUL, He is true to His word and His promises. One of the greatest proofs that God does exist, that the Bible is His very inspired word, is the promises given way back in Genesis 48 by Isaac on the heads of the two sons of Joseph. Read Genesis 48 and 49. Joseph was to be given the blessings of the earth, sea, heavens. He was to be like a vine planted by a well, whose branches would run all over the well, spread abroad, and be physically blessed like no other peoples who have ever been on this earth. History has never seen such a mighty and prosperous BROTHER peoples as are the brother peoples of the British Commonwealth and the United States. None of the four world Empires of the past B.C. times can compare to the might and physical wealth of the modern Anglo-Saxon peoples. The one time Russian Empire of the 20th century, the one time Chinese Empire of the past ages (and maybe the one to come), the Japan Empire of the past and its power-house economy of today, or any other Empire of the past or present can compare in POWER and PHYSICAL MATERIAL BLESSINGS with the British Commonwealth of nations and the United States of America. You are seeing, before your very eyes, the fulfilment of the FAITH of Isaac as he manifested that faith in a blessing on the heads of the two sons of Joseph, way back in history as recorded in Genesis 48. There was the faith of Joseph (verse 22 with Genesis 50:24,25) - who had faith that his bones would not be lost or left behind when Israel came out of Egypt. His faith did become reality, it was done according to his faith. Then there is the famous Moses. Moses' parents had faith to send him as a baby down the river in a basket. Their faith was answered. What Paul brings out here is that which is not found in the Exodus account. When Moses was of age (some time before that he found he was really an Israelite) he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He had faith in being a part of the children of God, than serve the pleasures of sin for a season. He looked with faith to the distance beyond just this life, and was willing to put away the life of fulfilling the sins of the flesh. As Pharaoh's daughter, you can only imagine all the lusts of the flesh he could have lived, "wine, women and song" as the saying goes. It is interesting that Paul here says Moses had greater esteem for CHRIST than the riches of Egypt. Jesus Christ WAS the GOD of the Old Testament. Did the people of God know that God by the name of "Christ"? No, not at all, but the fact brought out by Paul (and the Gospels) is that Jesus the Christ WAS the GOD of the Old Testament. The member of the Godhead that Israel knew, that Enoch knew, that Abraham knew, was the one that became the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. This I have proved and shown in many studies on this Website. see the studies under "All About God." Yes, Moses' faith may have wavered or became weak when he fled Egypt after striking the Egyptian task-master and killing him (as the account in Exodus records), he may have wondered why he found himself working as a shepherd or cattle-man for 40 years. God sometimes allows us to experience things in life that we wonder about, or question why we are in the situation we are in. But in the end it is true that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Moses was eventually brought to a very close contact with the Almighty in the famous "burning bush" encounter. Moses came to look beyond the present to realize their would be great reward in serving the true God (verses 23-26). It was through faith that Moses forsook Egypt and led the Israelites out of bondage, he looked to THE ONE who is mostly invisible to us. Moses was one of the few in history who was given at times the privilege of seeing God in person, one time seeing the back parts of the SPIRIT GLORY of God, as well as speaking face to face as friends may do (Exodus 33). It was through faith that Moses observed the very first Passover and he obeyed the instructions of the Lord about the sprinkling of blood so the destroyer of the firstborn sons would not touch the Israelites (verse 28). It was by faith that Moses passed through the Red sea as the waters opened up and God made the sea bed dry. The Egyptians passing through that dry sea bed were drowned as the waters came crashing down on them (verse 29). What people have done through faith down the centuries of time is truly amazing. You may have stories of miraculous faith you have encountered in your personal lifetime or know of faith experiences of others, that you can share with different people as time and situations permit. Sometimes we may have to give our lives in faith, as Paul mentions in some of the remaining verses of this chapter. There was the fabulous faith it took to walk around the mighty city of Jericho for seven days, and know that the promise of God that the walls would come tumbling down would happen as the Almighty had said it would (verse 30 with Joshua 6). Paul lists many who exhibited faith in their lives in one way or another, people like Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, and many of the ancient prophets of God. Faith subdued kingdom, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions (the famous Daniel in the lions den is probably the first we think about in that regard), quenched or overcame fire (Daniel's three friends throw into the fire pit comes to mind), some escaped death (David from Saul comes to mind), from weakness became strong, were brave in various types of fight, turned armies away in defeat, women had children brought to life (2 Kings 4). Then some of God's people had and used faith while being tortured, even unto death. Others had faith through mockings and whippings, tied in chains and thrown into prison. Some were stoned and even cut to death, went through all kinds of trials, some killed by the sword, others destitute of many of life's daily needs, some had to be wanderers with no large wardrobe of clothes, Others afflicted and mentally tormented by others as they had to wander around in the desert, mountains, caves and dens of the earth. They all kept FAITH in their hearts, and they all kept THE faith of God, living according to the will and commandments of the Lord. Paul says of such people of God that the world was not worthy of them. It is not the rich and the famous per se that count with God. Riches and fame are not wrong in and of themselves. Indeed some of God's people down through history have been both rich and famous. But the bottom line, where it truly counts with God is you as a person being willing to hear what the Lord says, to walk the pathway that leads to eternal life, to humble yourself and to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and life. Living by faith, living by the very faith of Christ in us (Galatians 2:20) is where it counts with God the Father, Notice verses 39,40. Everyone that Paul listed he said did NOT receive the promise, they did not inherit eternal life, not yet. They were NOT made or glorified into immortal perfection. God has planned and designed that THEY of the past, will not be PERFECT IN GLORY, without US! We shall ALL, past present, future, be glorified to immortal PERFECTION at the same time, at the time of the resurrection to glory at the coming back to this earth of Christ Jesus. The plain truth on the subject of death and immortal glory, is all found in many studies on this Website. The FAITH chapter - Hebrews 11 - what a chapter it is. The Bible is FULL of life examples of LIVING faith. They are recorded for our admonition, our edification, our encouragement, our inspiration. ..................... Written April 2007 |
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