Hebrews 11:17-29
The Faith of the Patriarchs (Gen. 22:1–14; 48:8–16; 50:22–25)
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
The Faith of Moses (Ex. 2:1–10; 12:31–51)
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
Faith is on display for us to see throughout the Bible. We see it in Abraham who trusted that God to obey when commanded to offer his only son on the altar to the Lord, knowing that he could never physically have another son yet still believed it was true that the promise to bring the Seed of the Messiah and have many nations come through him. It says here that this meant Abraham believed if it was necessary that God could resurrect his only son Isaac from death to life in order to fulfill the promise. We of course see later that through this Seed Jesus Christ the only Son (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9) of God was Himself offered and brought from the grave of death to resurrected life as an answer to this faith (Romans 9:7-8, Galatians 3:6-7, 8-9) which we who trust in Christ share with Abraham. He then had faith to bless Jacob (Israel) and Esau, particularly Jacob who would in turn bless his own prodigy’s sons while worshiping God in faith for the future of the promise. Then we see the son Joseph who was shown the future rescue of his descendants from famine in Egypt and their time there in bondage ending in their entrance into the promised land as was told to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob before him. God’s promises happen in His time, not ours, and we do well to learn that faith trusts over much longer times that our expectations of His answers. We do not give up if we do not see the fulfillment of them right away (2 Peter 3:8-9) in our limited view of God’s time and predetermined plan. Faith is that certain assured substance and proof based on God’s word made clear to us, not with immediate satisfaction according to our wishes. We see Moses whose parents defied the decree to have their son killed by the Egyptian king who feared God’s people and who later turned from being called the Pharaoh’s son to one of God’s people instead, leaving fame and fortune by faith for what mattered most even if he suffered for that choice. This is a clear example of the Old Testament faithful who looked for Christ to come and were saved by the same faith that we are now,after His coming to walk among us. Like Moses, they esteemed “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” They understood enough to trust the promise of a deliverer, a savior, even though they dod not see everything about Him. This is how people were saved by faith before Christ because they still believed in Him to come. This same Moses endured by the unseen proof of the faith (Hebrews 11:1) that took God at His word even when it seemed impossible or beyond understanding. He even trusted that the blood of a sacrificial lamb on their doorposts would avert the judgment of God’s destruction on their firstborn as Egypt suffered, and celebrated this as the passing over of God by grace which we now see was a foreshadowing picture of the Passover Lamb of God slain for us (1 Corinthians 5:7) on their doorposts cross covering the doors of our hearts from sin’s bondage and penalty. By this same trusting faith Moses led the people through the Red Sea safely and covered the pursuing enemy with destruction just as the Lord will see us safely through to eternal life with Him while the destruction of judgment covers those who disbelieve and disobey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10) which trusts in Christ alone for deliverance from sin and its everlasting penalty of suffering judgment. These examples of faith on display are a warning of rejection and an encouragement to trust God with a certain hope of salvation that does not fade (1 Peter 1:3-5) away. Is your faith on display? Trust Him, only trust Him!
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