Hebrews 11:29-31

 

  I.  By faith we have courage to obey when our path is difficult.

-Ex. 14:10-12, 13-14,

-Ex. 14: 21:22

-when they attempted = he peiran labontes = when they attempted to take

-drowned = katapino = to swallow down, to engulf

-O'Brien "Our author, who is aware of the biblical account with its emphasis on God's awesome salvation, uses it to draw attention to the theme of faith. Israel's trust consisted of their willingness to go forward at God's word, and so they were saved. By contrast, the implication is that the Egyptians came to grief because they had no faith."

 

  II.  By faith we maintain the resolve to obey when our path seems illogical.

-Joshua 5:13-15

 

 III.  By faith we sacrifice all to obey seeing the high price of the path of disobedience.

-Joshua 2:9-11

-Gen. 15:16, Deut. 20:17

-Francis Schaeffer "When the children of Israel were about to leave Egypt, they were given the blood of the Passover lamb under which to be safe. When the people were about the enter the land, they were met by a different, but parallel sign - a red cord hanging from the window of a believer."

-Joshua 6:24-25

-Numb. 7:12, I Chronicles 2:10-11, Matt. 1:4-6

-Luke 9:23-26

Hebrews 11:23-28

I.  By faith we remain obedient in the face of the world's hostility.

-Ex. 2:1-4

-Acts 4:19-20, 5:29

   a.  Moses' parents trusted God for his future.

-Acts 7:20

-Calvin "There was some sort of mark of excellence to come, engraved on the boy, which gave promise of something out of the ordinary for him."

   b.  Moses' parents trusted God not fearing the king.

-Acts 5:29

 

 II.  By faith we know in whom we have our identity.

   a.  Moses repudiated the world's prestige.

-had grown up = megas genomenos = became great

-Ex. 2:11-13

-Acts 7:22-26

   b.  Moses refused the temporary pleasures of sin.

-Job 20:5

-James 1:15

-Bruce "Even if (as some have imagined) the crown of Egypt was within Moses' reach had he remained where he was, and his name had been perpetuated in history as the greatest and wisest of the rulers of the land, he would never have attained such a reputation as he did by making the great refusal. But when Moses made that refusal he did not foresee the reputation which he was going to establish for himself; he had nothing to look forward to but privation, danger, scorn, and suffering...To have remained at Pharaoh's court would have been lasting dishonor, and that dishonor would be a price to high to pay for material advantages which at best would be but short-lived."

   c.  Moses willingly received the reproach of Christ.

-considering = hegeomai =consider, regard, think; involves careful thought, not a quick decision

     i.  The reproach of Christ was greater than the riches of Egypt.

-reproach = oneidismos = reviling, disgrace, insult

-riches = ploutos =riches, treasure, wealth

-treasure = thesauros = treasure, store, treasure box, storeroom

-Phil. 3:7-8

    ii.  He was looking toward the eternal reward.

-looking to = apoblepo = to look away, (with preposition eis) to look toward; imperfect act. ind.

   

  III.  By faith we refuse to allow fear to deter us.

Ex. 14:1-4

-endured = kartereo = to be strong, to hold out, to persist in any undertaking

 

  IV.  By faith we trust confidently in God's provision.

-kept = poieo = to do, to make; perfect active indicative

-Ex. 12:23-27

Hebrews 11:17-22

I.  In faith we place God and His directives above all.

    a.  Abraham obeyed to sacrifice his only begotten son.

-only begotten = monogenes = only, only begotten, unique

-Gen. 22:1-3

-offered = prosphero = to offer, sacrifice, present; occurs twice

First occurrence is perfect active indicative

Second occurrence is imperfect active indicative

    b.  Abraham believed in God's ability to raise the dead.

-considered = logizomai = to calculate, count, reckon

-Gen. 22:4-8

-type = parabole = parable, figure, symbol

 

  II.  In faith we look beyond death assured of God's promises.

-Gen. 28:1-4

-Gen. 50:25-26

-make mention of = mnemomeuo = to remember, to keep in mind

-O'Brien "For the listeners of Hebrews there was a pertinent message. 'Joseph's confidence of being taken to the promised land after his death reinforces the hope that the believer's final rest will be in the place that God promised.'"

Hebrews 11:13-16

I.  Genuine faith finishes well.

-Adrian Rogers "A faith that fizzles before the finish was flaw from the first."

-II Tim. 4:6-8

   a.  The Patriarchs trusted in God's promises without receiving their fulfillment.

-Kent Hughes "Death is the final test of faith..living by faith right up to the last breath. The beauty of their dying was that they died in faith though never receiving the fullness of the universal blessing that had been promised."

   b.  The Patriarchs believed God's promises while only seeing them from afar.

-welcomed from a distance = aspazomai = greet from afar; idea of passengers on a ship greeting friends on shore

   c.  The Patriarchs confessed they were pilgrims in a foreign land.

-Gen. 23:4

-stranger = xenos = foreigner

-exiles = parepidemos = one who makes his home along side of, one from another country, pilgrim, one who stays for a while in a strange place

-I Pet. 1:17, 2:11; Phil. 3:20

   d.  The Patriarchs refused to consider returning to the land they left.

-thinking of = mnemoneuo = to remember, keep in mind

-Morris "All these men wholeheartedly accepted God's word. Had they been earthly minded, they could have gone back to Mesopotamia. But their hearts were set on their heavenly home and they did not go back."

 

 II.  Genuine faith longs for its true, better home.

-desire = oregomai = to stretch oneself out for, aspire, yearn for, strive for

   a.  God was not ashamed to be called their God.

-Mark 3:34, John 15:12-15

   b.  God has prepared an unshakable city for His people.

-has prepared = etoimazo = prepare, make ready.

-Rev. 21:2

-Bruce "The earthly Canaan and the earthly Jerusalem were but temporary object-lessons point to the saints' everlasting rest, the well-founded city of God. Those who put their trust in God receive a full reward, and that reward must belong not to this transient world-order but to the endure order which participates in the life of God."

Hebrews 11:8-12

I.  By faith we obey as we walk the unseen path before us.

-Ps. 119:105

-Josh. 24:2

-Acts 7:2-3, Gen. 11:31

-obeyed = hupoakouo = to listen to, to attend to

   a.  Abraham left not knowing where he was going.

   b.  Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of promise.

-Acts 7:5

-alien = paroikeo = to dwell along side of, be a foreigner residing in a foreign country

   c.  Abraham looked forward to God's permanent inheritance.

-ekdexomai = to wait for expectantly, look forward to

-architect = technites = craftsman, designer

-builder = demiourgos = maker, builder, workman

 

 II.  By faith we know nothing is impossible for God.

-Matt. 19:26, Luke 1:37, Jer 32:17, 27

   a.  God enabled the aged couple to conceive.

-Rom. 4:19-20

 

-O'Brien "The implication for the listeners is patently clear: let them trust in the God who will certainly be faithful to his final promises to them.”

 

    b.  God brought a multitude out of one.