THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM
Hebrews 11:8-22
Key Verse 11:17a
"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice."
Today we learn about the faith of Abraham. Abraham is called the "Father of faith." While other men of faith are only mentioned briefly, Abraham consists of the majority of the chapter. The author couldn't but continue talking about Abraham in order to talk about faith. The Bible says that those who believe are children of Abraham and are called to walk in his footsteps. It means that his faith is the model of how all believers are to live by faith. The basis of this model is faith in God's word.
What was Abraham's faith and what did it enable him to do? How can we follow his faith? May God help us to learn to walk in Abraham's faith.
Let's look at each event individually.
1. By faith Abraham obeyed and went to the promised land (8-10).
Look at verse 8: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." The key words here are, "obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."
When Abraham was called by God it was the first time God revealed himself to Abraham. It was an invitation from God. God told Abraham to leave his country, his people and his father's household and go to the land God would show him. God was very specific about what Abraham was called to leave. But God didn't specify where Abraham was supposed to go. And he wouldn't find out until he actually made the decision and left everything behind.
How could Abraham take up this calling when he didn't know where he was going? How could he leave everything he knew about his life for what was unknown? Now consider that there was a lot at stake for Abraham. Abraham was already 75 years old when God called him. He thought that he didn't have much hope in his life. He was old, and his wife was old, and they did not have any children. He was probably settled in his hometown and wanted to live out his remaining years comfortably. But when God called him, hope sprang up in his heart. God gave him a promise to make him into a great nation, to make his name great, to bless all peoples on earth through his offspring.
We can see that this could have potentially caused Abraham much mental anguish. The promises were really good, but command didn't make any sense. A lot of questions might have come to mind. How was he going to prepare for the journey? Was he coming back soon? How was he going to explain this to his wife? How was he going to explain this to the rest of his family? How was he going to support his family in a foreign country? Abraham was too old to get a new career as if he were in his 20's or 30's, or even his 40's or 50's. He already qualified for Social Security. If he knew where he was going, he could have taken care of alll of these questions and more, easily. The point is that it seemed completely illogical for him to make the decision to leave his life behind and begin a new life with God. In fact, so many people today are scared to begin a life of faith in God and follow God's leading because they don't know where he is going to take them or where their lives will end up. Because they can't see what's going to happen, they don't turn to God. It doesn't make sense.
But how did Abraham respond to God's calling? Look at verse 8 again. He "obeyed and went." How could he do this? Was he being stupid and just ignoring the facts? No. For the first time he made the smartest decision in his life. So, how did he overcome this conflict of reason? It says, "By faith." By faith Abraham obeyed and went. What did he have faith in? He had faith in the word God gave him. He had nothing else to depend on or trust in, in making this decision, except God's word of promse. He simply took God at his word. God told Abraham to leave and go, and then gave his word of promise. He believed it, obeyed and went, following God's leading step by step. He was sure of the hope God gave him. So by faith he could do what normally could not be done and began a new life in God full of hope and vision.
Look at verses 9-10. "9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." When he reached the promised land, by faith he made his home there and lived in tents. This wasn't easy as well and required faith. When Abraham reach the promised land, he didn't have a nice house or even a small apartment waiting for him. Canaan was already filled with people and cities. As he roamed around in tents, he didn't look like he believed he was going to inherit that place, but was just passing through. Not only that, but he living in tents provided no security, no shelter from the weather, no privacy, no root in building up a life in Canaan. He lived the whole time as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived differently than the people around him.
There's a lot that can be said here, but the point is that Abraham didn't live in God according to what he saw, or just what he could understand, or how much money he had. He lived by faith in God's promise. And he taught his descendants Isaac and Jacob to live in tents as well, meaning, he taught them to live by faith in God's promise as he did. Ultimately, he discovered that he was being led to a city with foundations, a permanent city designed and built by God himself. It was Abraham's sure hope. He was certain of it, even though he could not see it.
The city that God prepared is also our hope as well. And we learn from Abraham that just as we began a life of faith based just on God's leading, we have to continue in this kind of faith based on God's promise until we reach this city God has prepared. It means that by faith we don't take root in a worldly life here, and we don't follow God according to what we can see or calculate, but we live simply by faith in his word of promise. We live a tent life. Life on earth is like a tent. It's temporary and then we reach our real, heavenly home.
2. By faith Abraham became a father (12-16).
Look at verses 11-12. " 11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore." The key words here are "even though he was past age--and Sarah herself barren..." and, "and he as good as dead." Here we have a second, "even though," that seems much more difficult than the first one. It means that Abraham again faced an impossible and illogical situation, and another potential mental crisis and anguish. The author couldn't stress enough that Abraham was too old to become a father, and that it was definitely impossible for Sarah to be a mother.
God promised to make Abraham a great nation and give him countless descendants. When Abraham was first called he was 75 and Sarah was 65. He might have thought that there was some hope for one child to come out, by God's help; a miracle could happen. But God didn't give him descendants immediately. He got older and older, until, eventually, more than twenty years had passed, and Abraham still didn't have a child. But God told Abraham that he would have a child at 100 years of age. At that point he was surely past age and Sarah was barren. Of course, by all reasonable understanding and logic, it was impossible for this old couple to have a child naturally. Abraham could have suffered from a sense of loss or despair. He could have felt that he was traveling through the promised land based on an empty hope. He could have felt ridiculous to live by faith. And in fact both Abraham and Sarah laughed in God's presence when he said they would have a son in their old age. But God rebuked them and said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord. No. I will give you a son at 100 years old. And you will name him Isaac, which means laughter."
How did Abraham react even though that was the reality? God said that he would become a father and Abraham believed that God was faithful and would surely keep his word. By faith Abraham was enabled to become a father. He was enabled to do what was impossible and completely ridiculous to him, but the coming reality to God. Look again at verse 12. "And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore." God finally gave Abraham visible fruit of his life of faith, a baby boy named Isaac. And then they all laughed with heavenly joy at finally seeing the fruit of faith. Yet it wasn't that Abraham just became a father to one, two, or even five children, but he became the father of so many descendants it is like the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. The Bible says that God makes all those who believe children of Abraham.
When Abraham held on to God's promise, he was strengthened in his faith all the more. And he overcame this most impossible situation by faith. When doubt tried to pierce his heart like a flaming arrow, he guarded his heart with the shield of faith. He said, "I believe that God is faithful! He must be out to make me the oldest father in history." Faith worked practically to shield Abraham's heart and to strengthen his faith. And by so doing, he claimed the promise that he held on to by faith and he was enabled to do what was otherwise completely impossible.
2b. By faith they didn't look back, but looked heavenward (13-16).
Look at verses 13-16. "13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."
Here the author wanted to make an important point about their faith.
(1) They made a good confession about their life of faith, "They admitted that they were aliens and strangers" (13). It was a sign that they made a firm commitment to live by faith in God's promise.
(2) They didn't look back or even give themselves opportunity to look back at what they had left behind (14-15). As we saw, living by faith meant that Abraham had to leave his old life behind.
(3) Instead, they looked heavenward (16).
Living by faith in God was not something that just came up every once in a while. It was a practical struggle to hold to God's word of promise each day throughout their lives. Things were not easy for them. And at times they even made mistakes. But one thing they absolutely didn't do was look back at what they had left behind. Once, in the time of a famine, Abraham got scared and ran away to Egypt. But he didn't even think about going back to his hometown. Instead, they were always looking heavenward, according to the promise God gave them. They made such a decision of faith not to look back because they were sure of God's promise and they were certain of it, even though they didn't see it. The fruit of such living was that they became free from materialism and self-seeking in this world, and they were able to see eternal life.
At first it sounds shocking that they died still having faith and that they didn't receive the things promised. Indeed, Abraham didn't see a great nation come out during his lifetime. But by faith they saw them and welcomed them from a distance. Dead people do not have any hope. Once you die, all hope is lost for you But these people were still living by faith. It only means that they saw eternal life in God. And so they put their hope in the heavenly country God was leading them to. They were like heavenly pilgrims journeying from earth to the kingdom of God. They were "longing for their heavenly home." It was a journey of faith. And more and more the heavenly reality and the kingdom of God was revealed to them.
The author wanted to make this known to the audience because like Abraham, many believes begin with the good confession and they leave their sinful life behind in repentance, and they turn to God. But the problem is that what was left behind does not always stay behind. If we think about what was left behind, the temptation and opportunity is there to return. And the old life calls subtly, "Ah, come back. Don't you miss me?" Or we might feel a sense of loss in this world or despair. To successfully live by faith, a believer must make the firm decision not to look back or even think about what was left behind--this too requires faith in God's promise.
Look at the end of verse 16. "Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." God is proud to be known as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. In fact, this is God's own declaration about who he is. Exodus 3:15 says, "God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation." God is pleased to be the God of those who live by faith. God is faithful and has prepared a real and heavenly hope for us in the city of God. We thank God for his faithful and for the hope he has given us in his word.
3. By faith Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice (17-19).
Look at verses 17-19. "17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." The key words in these verses are "even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned" (18). We have another "even though" here. Abraham was faced with another impossible and completely illogical situation. The second one looked too difficult, but this third one was even harder.
God gave his word of promise regarding Isaac, that Abraham's offspring would be reckoned through him. But now God's word told him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. What was God doing? Was he cutting off his promise after more than 25 years? Was he quitting on Abraham? What was Abraham going to do? Isaac was his one and only son, whom he loved dearly. Nothing about this situation made any sense at all. Abraham could have dismissed the command and reasoned, "God doesn't say such things," or, "Maybe it was just a dream. I'll wait and see if God asks me again." But instead he looked at the situation from faith in God's promise that Abraham had held on to throughout his life. He reasoned and understood the situation, "God gave his promise regarding Isaac. Now God commands me to sacrifice him. There is only one conclusion. God must raise the dead because he surely keeps his promise." And so by faith, Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice, and passed God's test of faith. Amazingly, Abraham was able to discover the reality of the resurrection and the power of God. More amazingly still, was that Abraham was free to obey God at this point without even hesitating, though the stakes were so high, and even though there was something there which made acting by faith look impossible. By faith Abraham gave his best to God, he obeyed God, and didn't withhold anything from God. And Abraham came to realize that the visible fruit was not the meaning of living by faith, but securing the fellowship and right relationship with God who is our very great reward.
What do these three events have in common? By faith Abraham was enabled to do what was beyond and outside of any kind of normal reasoning, because of faith in God and in his word. All of his decisions of faith were based on God's word of promise. The fundamental aspect of his walk of faith was that he took each step based on that word of promise. Through making those practical decisions, he learned that God is good and faithful and his word stands. He became free to obey God in any situation. He was secure in the hope God gave him of the heavenly country. Nothing could move Abraham. He was like a big mountain. though the storm winds blew, or the icy snow fell, or fires raged, he still stood strong. We learn from Abraham faith in God's word and the practical, daily obedience that goes hand in hand with it.
This teaches us that God trained Abraham in faith to give him true security and a heavenly reward. People are scared to live by faith because it doesn't seem secure, because you can't see what's happening or why things are happening all the time. But those people live in fear and calculation and by sight their whole lives, suffering from stress disorders, anxiety, and dissatisfaction.
Like Abraham, we encounter a lot of "even though's" (that is, seemingly impossible situations and realities that we can't overcome) throughout our life of faith. But we learn from his example to keep holding to God's word, obeying God and believing in him, without doubting. God alone is the object we are to put our faith and trust in. When he gives his word, it's as good as done. But we can only claim the promises by faith. Living by faith opens our eyes and is the way to live in God's reality, experiencing his blessing, provision, power and joy and live as a spiritual people. God's word is the one path that is secure for us to follow. And we can't go beyond what the word of God says, and we can't settle for anything less than what God says. God would not let Abraham settle for anything less than what he promised. The same applies to us. We too must not settle for anything less than the hope of eternal life in the kingdom of God that God has promised in Jesus Christ. At the same time, we mustn't hold anything back, but bring our best to God all the time.
4. By faith Abraham passed the blessing to the next generation (20-22).
Lastly, by faith our forefathers passed the blessing and promise to their children and the future generations. As we saw, Abraham taught his descendants to live by faith in God's word of promise. How did they do?
Look at verses 20-22. "20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones."
They also lived by faith in God's word of promise and passed it on to their children. Abraham passed the blessing to Isaac, and Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob blessed his son Joseph's sons. Because they were sure of God's word of promise they were able to speak about the future and bless others according to that word of promise. They didn't bless their children to have great wealth or fame, but to keep hold of God's promise and hope in God. Joseph was even able to speak about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt hundreds of years before it happened. He was so sure about it that he gave instructions about his bones. His confidence came from faith in God's word that it would be done. In the way the hope of the people was always in God and they could become a truly God-centered people. We learn from these men to teach faith in God's word absolutely to our children and to others, especially by setting the right example for them to follow through our own obedience.
From today's passage we learn that we walk by faith according to God's word alone, not by sight. We may not always know where God is leading us or understand how God is working. We know that there will be hardships and difficulties to endure. But we also know that God is good and faithful and his word is completely trustworthy. As we live by faith in his word we can live heavenward lives with confidence and have many descendants. May God help us to practically trust and obey his word each day and teach others to do the same.
One Word: Walk by faith in God's word
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