Title Hebrews 11:17-22 Faith through generations
Content: Faith through generations (Hebrews 11:17-22)
The text briefly introduces the faith that has been passed down through the generations of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
Faith and lineage are separate things, but God raised up children to continue the generation of faith in order to keep his promise to Abraham.
Although the backgrounds and circumstances of the four people were different, they all left their mark of faith.
1. Abraham overcame temptation
Last time, we thought about the fact that Abraham moved to Canaan in absolute obedience to God's command, lived as a stranger while looking at the promise four hundred years later, and his wife Sarah, believing in God's promise, and rejoicing in the birth of Isaac.
The writer of Hebrews continues to foretell the event in which Abraham overcame the test by faith.
(1) Trial: When Sarah saw that Ishmael, Hagar's son, was making fun of young Isaac, Sarah asked Hagar and Ishmael to go away. Abraham was troubled about this, and after receiving God's answer, he sent them away.
After that, God called Abraham and said, “Take your only son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on a mountain as long as I will show you” (Genesis 22:1-2).
(2) Obedience: Abraham obeyed God's command and took Isaac to Moriah and built an altar. He did not object to God's command, nor did he discuss it with his wife.
(3) Faith: Isaac was the son of God's promise. The son was not yet married. If this child is sacrificed, God's promise that his descendants will prosper like the stars in the sky cannot be fulfilled. Still, God told him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham did not hesitate to sacrifice Isaac on the altar of Moriah because he had faith in God's promise. He thought, "God is able to raise him from the dead."
People of faith obey God because they believe in God no matter what difficult trials they face.
2. Blessed Isaac
Isaac was the promised child of Abraham and Sarah. He lived a quiet life compared to other chieftains. He met and married Rebekah at the age of 40, but had no children. I prayed about this, and after 20 years Rebekah conceived twins. God foretold the future of the two babies in Rebekah's womb. “The older will serve the younger.” The two children born were very different. The eldest son Esau was active and the younger son Jacob was a calm person.
Isaac loved Esau and wanted to bless him, but Rebekah and Jacob conspired to deceive his father, who could not properly discern things due to his presbyopia, and received the blessing instead.
Later, Esau wept and wanted to bless him too, but Isaac realized God's ordained will and did not change it.
Complaining that things don't work out the way you want them to and trying to enforce your own thoughts is not faith. Isaac realized God's will and immediately gave up his thoughts.
3. Jacob worshiped the Lord even when he died
Jacob is Isaac's second son. He was hated for taking away the blessings his older brother Esau would receive, and he lived as a refugee for many years. In reality, despite receiving blessings, he lived a more difficult life than Esau.
Although he had a rough time (Genesis 47:9), Jacob was convinced that he had lived by God's grace all his life, so he fell ill and lay in bed. When Joseph brought his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, he leaned on the head of his staff and worshiped God. He testified to God and placed his hands on the heads of his grandchildren and blessed them. After that, he called his twelve sons, blessed each of them according to their size, and asked them to be buried in the cave of Machpelah, and he died.
Although the outward man was insignificant, he worshiped God to the end, testified of God to his children, and prayed for blessings.
4. Joseph who gave hope for the land of Canaan
Joseph was Jacob's most cherished and loved eleventh son. He was sold as a slave to Egypt because of the envy of his brothers, but was falsely framed and imprisoned.
But God exalted him to become the prime minister of Egypt, and he became a great contributor to saving Egypt by preparing for a famine. He forgave his brothers who had betrayed him and moved his famine-stricken family to Egypt.
After many years, when he was about to die, Joseph left a will to his family. The day will come when Israel will leave Egypt and return to the land of Canaan.
After four hundred years had passed, on the day Israel left Egypt, the ashes of Joseph were also brought out.
* It is a great blessing that the price of faith is not cut off. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph... The lives of these four generations were different, but their faith in God's promises was the same.
Let's become believers who can overcome temptations, give up their thoughts, testify to God, and give hope to others.