Title: Succession of Faith/Hebrews 11:20-22
Content Ⅰ. entry
We should always remember that the book of Hebrews is a letter. The fact is that a letter has an object, the writer's intention to write, and focuses on the time in which he or the recipients are placed rather than spanning multiple eras. Therefore, if you do not understand the circumstances of that time, you will never be able to properly understand the book of Hebrews.
The writer of Hebrews wrote the book of Hebrews as a reassurance, comfort, and exhortation to recipients in the wandering and drifting faith during Nero's reign. Since the recipients at the time were Jews, especially in the context of the Old Testament, the mind is developing the ideas of the New Testament, citing many Old Testament events. Now, as the writer of Hebrews reaches the climax of his argument, he is unfolding an illustration of the saying {these advanced nations have gained evidence}. By examining Abel and Enoch, and Noah and Abraham, we were able to organize the evidence obtained by the forefathers in our own way.
Today we are going to look at Abraham's 4th generation descendants from Abraham to Isaac Jacob and Joseph. As we inherit the four generations of faith, we will see a faith that shines even more as we approach death in common. And you will be able to see how Abraham's faith is being passed on.
II. text observation
i) Isaac - Verse 20
* Key - Isaac blessed .... (Asked question - Who? How?)
Isaac's faith revealed through Abraham's final test - Genesis 22:7-10
But repeated mistakes - Genesis 26:6-8
Childless - Genesis 25:21-23 * Yahweh - Verse 23 (Isaac's forgetfulness)
Covenant Renewal - Genesis 26:1-3 (Earth, seed, and all peoples under the heavens will be blessed) - Things to come
Isaac's favoritism - Esau meets his taste (Genesis 27:1-4)
TURNING POINT - Genesis 27:33 (Arthur Pink) 28:1-4 (True Blessing)
ii) Jacob - Verse 21
* Key point: Jacob ......... blessed, worshiped
Jacob's life full of deceit and lies - Had he known and received the normal guidance of God, his life would have been much more beautiful and he would have enjoyed the joy of fellowship.
When we die by faith - the death of faith as a product of the process
The meaning of blessing and worship
* Blessing (Gen. 48:14, 48:19 - Joseph's objection) - God's will must be inherited through Ephraim (Gen. 48:5).
* Worshiping (Gen. 47:27-31, Genesis 48:2-4) - 47:31 Jacob's death was a death with conviction and worship with deep faith before God.
TURNING POINT - ① The Jabbok River case (Genesis 32:22-32)
- ② Genesis 43:14 May God Almighty be gracious to you before the man, that he may send your other brothers and Benjamin back. If I lose my children, I will lose them. Trust in God and rest
* Although Jacob's youthful days were a purpose-driven life that would do anything for an end, he gradually learned to trust God as he approached the twilight of his life. And it began to manifest itself in his life. Even so, he confessed, “If I lose my children, I will lose them.” He blessed with faith, worshiping God until the moment he took his last breath, and died of worship. The writer of Hebrews goes through Jacob's entire life (and the recipients at the time was well aware of this) and declares that his death was a solemn one in his firm beliefs.
iii) Joseph - Verse 22
* Key point: Joseph ... says he will leave (REMEMBER)
commanded for the skull
At the time of death ( ) - A death that has a strong meaning of settlement of accounts, such as complete or finished, rather than a general meaning of death.
Joseph's life was a lifelong struggle to keep chastity before God and not sin.
Genesis 50:24 Joseph said to his brother, "I am dying, but God has counseled you and brought you out of this land, which he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Trusting God's Promise of the Exodus from Egypt
Gave instructions about his bones - Genesis 50:25 And Joseph swore to the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely counsel you, and you shall carry my bones up here." Exodus 13:19 - Moses took the skull of Joseph, because Joseph had made the children of Israel swear firmly, saying, "God will surely admonish you, and you shall take my skull and go out from here."
* Joseph lived purely before God all his life, and as the writer of Hebrews interpreted it, toward the end of his life, he firmly remembered the hope of the exodus with firm faith, and showed his faith more clearly by telling him to take his skull and go out. .
Ⅲ. Conclusion and application
If Abraham's faith was a history of patience and obedience, we can find at least two things in common through the lives of Isaac and Jacob and Joseph that followed.
It is, first, a faith that shines more brightly at the end of life.
Isaac and Jacob Joseph were three generations of completely different temperaments. Isaac was a quiet passive person, and Jacob was a strategist and active person who would do anything to achieve his goals. And Joseph was indeed a faithful man of a gentle disposition. But what these three men had in common was their faith, which was revealed {at the time of death and at the time of death}. At least during their lifetimes, they did indeed take on many different forms of life, but on the same path.
Dear all! I am not here to tell you that you only have to keep your faith when you die. At least these three are people who, though different, have continual change. Even today, there may be differences in the process of different people depending on their temperament and personality, but the conclusion is the same. Do they not continue to pass on their faith to their descendants as they die in such a way? The two important things are whether there is a change through faith in our daily life and how that faith is passed on when we die. What are we trying to pass on to our children who love us for our descendants? As I look at Abraham's family line, I hope that you will have the challenge of wanting to build such a family as well.
The second thing they have in common is that they have blessed {something to come}. In fact, none of them made their wills based on what happened in their time. He believed in the things that would happen in the future and left his will. That is why the writer of Hebrews said that {they all died according to their faith (Hebrews 11:13)}.
Dear all! We may remember that Hebrews 11 said at the beginning of chapter, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Aren't these three generations just such people! Amazing faith that has not been accomplished in his own time, but he is confident that it will be accomplished in the generations of his children and is blessing him! That is why the writer of Hebrews did not hesitate to list them as heroes of the faith.
The age we live in is an age of uncertainty, when nothing is certain. It is also a time of diversification and rapid change. So we are all looking for stability. Here is the most solid guarantee. When we see all things through the eyes of faith, we will be transformed into happy people with a guaranteed future that is no longer uncertain or fluctuating. ( * )