Category: Hebrews

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

“It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.

“All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

If you are not familiar with the story of Abraham and Sarah, you can read their story in Genesis 11-25. It’s a long story, but it’s foundational to understanding God’s relationship with his special people. Abraham is considered the father of the Jewish people because in Genesis 12 God called him to a new land and promised to raise up a new people through his family line. The only problem was that Abraham and Sarah had no children. By the time we get to chapter 17, Abraham is 99 years old and they still have no children. They had already tried to figure things out for themselves by having Abraham sleep with Sarah’s servant as a substitute. Not what God had in mind…

I don’t know about you, but it’s pretty hard to keep believing that God has promised you something when everything points to that NOT happening. I don’t doubt God, but I certainly doubt myself. Did I hear that right? Did God really promise that? Maybe I just misunderstood. Sarah went through that journey when she offered up her servant as a possible way to fulfill God’s promise. Yet in today’s passage she is held up as a pillar of faith. Turns out that doubting isn’t the opposite of faith.

Sarah is the perfect example of faith in the midst of doubts. Like me, Sarah doubted her own understanding of the promise but she never doubted God. She was so sure of his promise that she tried to help him out (just in case it was her fault that God wasn’t able to fulfill his promise to her). In the end, Abraham and Sarah died before they got to see the true fulfillment of God’s promise — a blessed nation from their descendants and ultimately the Messiah who would come to rescue the whole world. Imagine Abraham and Sarah’s reaction as they entered into God’s eternal kingdom and the new covenant unfolded before their eyes. That moment when everything makes sense. Don’t worry if you doubt along the way, someday you will get that “aha” moment too.

“It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, ‘Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.’ Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

“It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

“It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

“It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.”

In Genesis 22 we read a disturbing story about a father tying up his son on an altar, preparing to burn him as a sacrifice. That may sound horrific to our modern ears, but in ancient cultures child sacrifice to gods was a relatively common practice. In Abraham’s case, however, there were a few differences. First of all, Abraham didn’t worship “gods,” he worshiped one God: Yahweh. And it just so happened that Yahweh never wanted child sacrifices. The other problem was that Yahweh had promised him a son through which a nation would rise up. He had waited well past his prime and was over 100 years old when this son had been born. So why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac?

As it turns out, this command was a test: how well do you know your Yahweh? Would he really make you go through with killing your own son? It wasn’t just a test of Abraham’s faith, it was a foreshadowing of God the Father sacrificing Jesus on the cross. According to today’s passage, Abraham had confidence in God’s power to resurrect his son. He passed the test and Isaac lived. The story continues with Isaac’s sons, Jacob and Esau, and then on to Jacob’s son Joseph.

Throughout the history of Israel, God has been consistent. He has been there for his people, maintained the same standards the whole way along, and has provided deliverance on more than one occasion. This retelling of history is not just a lesson in what happened. The Jewish readers of Hebrews already knew these stories well. This examination of faith throughout history is building to Israel’s new challenge: having faith in Jesus as the Messiah. The author is using God’s well-known consistency to make the argument that Jesus is the real deal. We’ll learn more as we keep reading.

Take a moment to read Hebrews 11:24-40 before reading the devotional below.

We finish this chapter on the greats of Jewish history with mention of Moses, the crumbling of the walls of Jericho, Rahab, and many others. I would encourage you to read the book of Exodus to get a sense of these stories (you can search by category on the right side of the screen to read my Exodus devotional series).

Verses 32-40 specifically describe the supernatural and heroic acts that have been prevalent throughout Israel’s history. Yet all of these heroes of the faith did not get to see all the promises of God fulfilled in their lifetimes. They did everything God asked, and gained great reputations, but they did not get to experience all that God had in store for them. Verse 40 says, “For God had something better in mind for us…”

God has something perfect in mind: a full restoration of his original design in the Garden of Eden. Jesus came, fully God and fully man, in order to establish a new covenant and fulfill all the purposes of the old covenant. God didn’t stop there. We look forward to his promises yet to be fulfilled, when Jesus returns and establishes a new heaven and a new earth. If you have felt that God has left you hanging and worry that he’s not going to fulfill his promises to you, just wait. The best is yet to come.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.”

Who inspires you? We all have role models we look up to, and perhaps there is someone you can think of that you would say is a “model Christian” — that person who just makes you want to keep growing. Chapter 11 reminded the Jewish readers of Hebrews of all their role models. The message is clear: they did it, you can too!

What trips you up in life and stops you from growing? That’s the next question posed in today’s passage. If Abraham and Isaac and Moses and Rahab and so many others kept running the race in the midst of all the hardship they faced, you can run that race too. Stay strong! Keep your eyes on Jesus! It’s a spiritual pep talk, and it’s a great passage to bookmark and read when you feel discouraged.

Life is hard. I know you are struggling with something right now, because that’s how life goes. Good and bad, easy and hard — these are part of every single day. When we forget to notice the good, we can get consumed by the hard. We can forget why we are even running this race at all. Don’t give up. So many people have gone before you and persevered in trials. Jesus has us all beat and he’s our ultimate inspiration. You may not feel strong, but in 2 Corinthians 12:9 God says, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” He’s running in front of you, beside you, and behind you. Keep going!

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,

‘My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and don’t give up when he corrects you.
For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.’

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”

Discipline is a complicated word. Earthly parents are sometimes too strict or even abusive, causing some of us to connect the word discipline with unjust, harsh punishment. Other earthly parents don’t discipline their children at all. Most of us don’t really want to be around their children. (One store had a sign, “Children left unattended will be given an espresso and a puppy” — that about sums up all our thoughts on out-of-control kids!)

Today’s passage quotes Proverbs 3:11-12 and I find it interesting that these are called “encouraging words.” Kind of like how eating kale is good for you. You know it’s true but that doesn’t mean it’s always fun. People who grew up with fair and appropriate discipline generally become well-respected leaders as adults. They also have learned self-control and are able to live disciplined lives. A little training goes a long way.

If you accept God’s leadership and discipline in your life, then you are building your spiritual muscles. You are getting stronger and becoming more like Jesus. As verse 12 says, “Take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.” You might feel like collapsing after the marathon you’ve been running, but you’re actually stronger than you’ve ever been. I once saw this quote: “It isn’t getting easier, you’re getting stronger.” I bet if you look back over the past 5 years, you’ve come a long way. If that’s not the case for you, what steps could you take towards living a life under God’s discipline?