Hebrews 11:23-40

February 17, 2013 We come to this second half of Hebrews 11 and I think its important that we once again get our bearings to make sure were interpreting it correctly. The point of Hebrews is the same point as the rest of Scripture: it glorifies Christ. The people listening were Jews who had converted to Christianity and who were being persecuted for it. They were tempted to turn around and go back to Judaism, and the writer uses their own history to show how turning back is a terrible sin and not a trait they learned from the patriarchs. Those men of old looked for and expected a Messiah and held fast their profession of Him even when it led to their deaths or much hardship; they believed they didnt really belong here on earth and they expected a much better inheritance from God. Therefore, they obeyed and followed Him wherever He led. Abel offered a right sacrifice, Enoch walked with God, Noah built the ark, Abraham and Sarah had a son, and Abraham offered Isaac on an altar: these all died in faith not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth (11:13). And thats why he tells them: ye have need of patience. That, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37For yet a little while and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38Now the just shall live by faith (10:3638). And faith is the thing that proves whats going on behind the scenes. I will show thee my faith by my works (Jas. 2:18). Just as a fig tree bears fruit simply because its a fig tree or a grape vine bears grapes, so we bear the fruit of the Spirit simply because we are the elect children of God. Go back and read Hebrews 6:4-9. When it was put before the Israelites to enter in or turn back they chose to go back and their unbelief was the evidence of things not seen. When it was put before Cain to love his brother or hate him (Gen. 4:7), Cain proved his unbelief when he murdered Abel. Jesus told the Pharisees: I know that ye are Abrahams seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abrahams children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42Jesus said unto them, If

God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not (Jn. 8:37-45). But the people in Hebrews 11 do just the opposite. They have heard the truth, and because they are of their Father from heaven they believe; they do the works of Abraham and they love the Son of God. This faith is the proof that Christ lives in them and that they belong to Him. And so now, working our way through Jewish history, we come to Moses and his parents:
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By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the kings commandment. Youll remember that Jacob and his 12 sons ended up in Egypt after a severe famine. After 400 years they were a pretty big clan which made the Egyptians afraid. They were concerned this new people group might try and take over and Egypt just wouldnt be Egypt any more if the sons of Israel were running it. So, as a solution they forced the Israelites into slavery and treated them harshly. To control their population the king decreed that all the male babies were to be thrown into the river, but Mosess parents refused to obey. Instead they made a little ark for him and set him in the river and kept a sharp eye on it. One day Pharaohs daughter sees the basket, takes it up and you know the rest of the story. The writer tells us that it was by faith that they decided to disobey; no, by faith they were not afraid of the kings commandment. When faced with murdering Moses or hiding him they feared the one who has power to destroy both the body and the soul (Mt. 10:28). The kings command came from disbelief, but the parents response came by faith. Imagine what this means to the first listenerswho shall we fear?
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By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

This is the verse that helped me to refocus on this passage. Hebrews 11 isnt about enduring the hard times by faith; Hebrews 11 is about Christ and its about His work in a mans life. Moses had a good life in Egypt and I suppose He could have gone on that way for a long time, but Christs calling brought him to repentance. Let worldly minds the world pursue, What are its charms to me? Once I admired its trifles too, But grace has set me free. Its pleasures now no longer please, No more content afford. Far from my heart be joys like these, For I have seen the Lord! By faith he looked at all he had and said, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation (Ps. 91, A Psalm of Moses). He believed that Egypt was nothing compared to Christ, and so:
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By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Having seen them afar off!

For yet a little while and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Staring right in the face of the wrathful king, Moses yet believed the one he could not see.
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Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned. The Passover was something new: cover your doors with blood or youll die? But Moses believed that promise and did as instructed. Put a stick in a river so you can find passage through it? That doesnt even make sense, but Moses believed and did it! In our day we find all these people trying to give scientific reasons and explanations for what could have happened, but here we see that these things were done by faith. God did them and theres nothing plain natural about it.
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By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. 31By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. 32And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. 34Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. The Old Testament saints trusted in the promise of Christ and life in Him. They endured to the end, and this leads us into chapter 12 where were encouraged to take notice of all these and run with perseverance the race marked before us.

I spent a lot of time this week thinking over the application. As far as I know, we dont have a lot of people thinking about throwing in the towel; were certainly not being persecuted to the same extent as the original readers. How do we take this and say, This is how it does us good. This is how it trains us in righteousness? Let me give you a few statements: 1. It shows us the glorification of Christ even in the Old Testament. 2. It shows us that men have always been saved by grace through faith and never from self-effort or religious observations. 3. It shows us that good works necessarily accompany faith. 4. It shows us that faith often results in triumph or tragedy. 5. It shows us that the purpose of this life is not preservation or joy or riches but rather the continued glorification of Christ and the gathering of the church. Faith doesnt mean we get what we want. It means we trust we will get what God promised. 6. It shows us that God is faithful even when hundreds of years pass between promise and fulfillment. 7. It prepares us in case we do suffer persecution. 8. It shows us that it is better to fear God than any man. 9. It shows us that theres a difference between perfection and faith. Think about Samson and Rahab. How could these two possibly be on this list? Maybe weve got some misperceptions about the righteousness that comes by faith! 10. It shows us that the body is one body from the time of Adam on down to today and that God works for the good of that body as a whole. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (II Pt. 3:8-9). newgracebaptistchurch.wordpress.com