HEBREWS: THE INFINITE SUPREMACY AND SUFFICIENCY OF JESUS CHRIST

XIX. Motivation From Examples Of Faith

(Hebrews 11:17-40)

I. Introduction

A. We live in an era of great need for an encouraging word amid man's discouraging spiritual failure, so a word from God on the infinite supremacy and sufficiency of His Son Jesus Christ is both desirable and fitting.

B. The Epistle of Hebrews offers it, and Hebrews 11:17-40 provides motivation from Biblical examples of faith in God, timelessly invaluable insight, so we view it for our application and edification (as follows):

II. Motivation From Examples Of Faith, Hebrews 11:17-40 ESV.

A. Hebrews 11:17-38 provides a long record of believers of old who lived by faith in God (as follows):

1. Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead were he to obey God and sacrifice him on the mount, Abraham's beloved son in whom resided the promises of God, Hebrews 11:17-19.

2. Isaac believed God would bless Jacob and Esau though those blessings would come after his death, v. 20.

3. Jacob believed God would bless Joseph's sons, bowing in worship as he leaned on his staff, Heb. 11:21.

4. Joseph believed God would take Israel to Canaan after his passing, so near death, he gave instructions regarding Israel's taking his embalmed body with them in the Exodus for burial in the Land, v. 22.

5. Moses' parents hid him for 3 months as an infant, seeing he was beautiful, and realizing that God had used Joseph as a handsome man, God must have planned to use Moses, so they hid him from being killed by Pharaoh's edict that he be drowned in the Nile River, Hebrews 11:23 with Gen. 39:6b and Ex. 1:22-2:10.

6. Moses believed God's promises about Israel's future, choosing to be mistreated with his people and refusing to love this world's fleeting pleasures in being called a son of Pharaoh's daughter, Heb. 11:24-26.

7. Moses left Egypt by faith in God's promises to Israel, not fearing Pharaoh's anger but trusting the invisible God, Hebrews 11:27. Moses kept the Passover with the sprinkling of the blood on the doorposts of Israel's dwellings, believing the Destroying Angel of God would not slay the Hebrews' firstborn sons, Heb. 11:28.

8. Israel by faith crossed the Red Sea on dry land while the Egyptian chariot army drowned in it, Heb. 11:29.

9. Israel by faith in God circled Jericho for seven days only to see God flatten its city walls, Hebrews 11:30.

10. Rahab the harlot who dwelt in a house on that wall (Joshua 2:1, 15) believed in Israel's God, so she hid the Hebrew spies and let them escape from her house on the wall, Joshua 2:18. God then preserved the part of the wall on which Rahab's house was built so that she and her family were saved, Jos. 6:22-25; Heb. 11:31.

11. Other Biblical saints like Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets by faith in God conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained God's promises, stopped lions' mouths, quenched the power of fire, escaped death by the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight and women received back their dead by resurrection, Hebrews 11:32-35a.

12. Still others suffered loss by faith in God, hoping for His blessings beyond this life. They were tortured, refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better life in the resurrection, Hebrews 11:35b.

13. Others suffered loss by faith in God through suffering mocking, flogging, chains and imprisonment, being stoned to death or sawn in two or being killed by the sword, Hebrews 11:36-37a. They went about in the skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated, people of whom this world was not worthy, and they wandered about in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth, Hebrews 11:37b-38.

B. These Old Testament saints who either succeeded or who suffered loss by faith, though commended for their faith, did not fully receive what God had promised them in the eternal sense, for God had provided something better for us, that apart from us these great saints of old should not be made complete, Hebrews 11:39-40!

Lesson: Throughout Biblical history, saints of old have trusted God's Word regarding circumstances they faced in their lives, and though they believed God, they have yet to see the complete fulfillment of God's promises to them since God has planned that they, without us believers in Christ in our era, would be incomplete! Realizing this fact gives US believers TODAY great CAUSE to be MOTIVATED to TRUST God with issues WE face.

Application: (1) May we view ourselves as part of a long, vast timeline of believers who have been called of God to trust His Word relative to issues we face in our era, that we be MOTIVATED to live by FAITH in God! (2) May we also recall that since GOD has made ALL the Old Testament saints INCOMPLETE WITHOUT US, HE views OUR EXISTENCE on the EARTH NOW as being EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, that we then NOT SQUANDER our time here in UNBELIEF, but OBEY the Lord in FAITH in our sojourn on earth!