BY FAITH (1)

“BY FAITH Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son” – Hebrews 11:17

One phrase that stands out in Hebrews 11 is, ‘BY FAITH’: “BY FAITH Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son” (Heb.11:17). This phrase is used seventeen times in the NKJV of this Faith-filled chapter. The author takes us on a tour of Israel’s sacred past, naming heroes of the Old Testament who were led BY FAITH to claim the blessings that God had in store for them and by extension, for us. These saints of old embraced God’s promises from a distance, looking ahead to their fulfilment, even beyond their own lifetimes. Verses 17-22 capture the four most important Patriarchs of Jewish Scriptures – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph – illustrating for us what it means to live BY FAITH!  

God instructed Abraham to offer up his only begotten son, Isaac. Meanwhile, he had the promise that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars through this same son (Gen.21:12). Abraham had faith that God would fulfil His promises, believing in God’s ability to raise people from the dead (vv.17-19). Abraham was prompt to obey God’s instruction, believing that He would resurrect Isaac. Thankfully, God stopped the obedient Abraham before he sacrificed Isaac. In a sense, Abraham received him back from the dead since he had decided to obey God. His obedience to this test brought him God’s blessing (Gen.22: 15-18). Later in time, it would be near the very spot where God provided the sacrificial ram, that the Lord Jesus Christ would be crucified!

Isaac also looked beyond death by Faith: “BY FAITH ISAAC blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come” (v.20). No doubt Isaac never forgot the event of his father’s faith on Mount Moriah. As he grew, he would have remembered the promise that God renewed to Abraham concerning him (Gen.22:18). Isaac lived as the inheritor of this great promise from God; and he knew that he must also pass it to his children. In Genesis 27, he blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things that would happen long after his death. Jacob had faith that even though he would be gone, God would work in the lives of his sons and bless them.

Jacob, Isaac’s son who received a blessing, also had faith beyond death: “BY FAITH JACOB, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (v.21). Similar to Isaac, Jacob blessed Joseph’s two sons while on his deathbed, having faith that God would work in the future. Jacob worshipped God even on his deathbed (Gen. 48:15-16). Jacob remained faithful until he finished his work.

“BY FAITH JOSEPH, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (v.22). When Joseph was at the threshold of eternity, he mentioned God’s promise to Abraham, saying to his brothers, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob” (Gen. 50:24). Joseph had lived in Egypt for a long time and yet he believed that one day God would fulfil his promise. He requested that his bones be taken with them to the land that God had promised.

These examples infer that the Living Hope that the Believer’s home is not here, but is with God in heaven, stirs extraordinary Faith in the face of death. Those who remained faithful to the end of their lives viewed their time here as a pilgrimage with their final destination being eternity with God: “These all died IN FAITH, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (v.13). They also viewed God’s promises to their descendants as a great blessing to them. We also must keep true to God’s promises in Christ Jesus.