The Promises of Faith

Topic: Attitude
Passage: Hebrews 11:13–19

February 4, 2021

Commentary

In this chapter the writer gathers together the names of those who have faithfully passed the legacy of faith on to the next generation. He reflects on the lives of heroes of the faith like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel. Many of these people died without receiving all that God had promised, but they never lost their vision of heaven.

It is easy for us to become discouraged when our wants, expectations and demands are not met. In the middle of this long list of the faithful, there is the momentary pause in the person by person account in order to point out certain Spiritual qualities manifested in the lives of these Old Testament personalities:

  1. Their confidence (v. 13). “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them a far off were persuaded (assured) of them…”
  2. Their witness (v. 13). “…embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
  3. Their goal (v. 14). “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country."
  4. Their discernment (v. 15). “And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.”
  5. Their security (v. 16). “God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.

Application

I must never feel frustrated or feel defeated because my needs, wants, expectations and demands are not met. Instead I need to keep my focus on heaven, just as the heroes of faith did.

Hebrews 11:13– 19 (NET)

13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son. 18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,” 19 and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense he received him back from there.