LEARNING DAILY

 

Hebrews 11:20-22, It was by faith that Isaac blessed his two sons, Jacob and Esau.  He had confidence in what God was going to do in the future.  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. And it was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, confidently spoke of God’s bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt.  He was so sure of it that he commanded them to carry his bones with them when they left.  (NLT)

 

Ray Stedman has written, “The thought of a faith still trusting in the very face of death leads the writer [of Hebrews] to focus on Abraham’s descendants – Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.  They see their own deaths and yet look beyond with unwavering faith.  The point about all three is that they clearly saw aspects of the future because they exercised faith in what was invisible at the present.”  The faith of these men is examined together because they were facing death but did not believe or accept death as the end.  There belief anticipated future blessings of God.  David Jeremiah has written, “When believers have nothing of heir own strength left to give at the end, God calls them to hope in Him and to bless those who are coming after them.” (DJSB).

 

Yesterday Abraham faith was exercised when God told him to sacrifice Isaac; I have to believe Isaac had to maintain his faith when Abraham bound him on the wood for the burnt offering.  Isaac remained strong in his faith throughout his life.  His wife Rebekah was barren; because Isaac prayed diligently for her to conceive God answered his prayer and Jacob and Esau were born. He blessed both of them as he was dying. Yes, there was deception involved but the concept to understand is the blessing to come.

 

Jacob deceived his father to give him the blessing that Esau, as the first born, should have received.  Jacob knew the importance of the blessing but did not trust God to work this out in His own way.  Deception – but he still ends up in the Hall of Fame of Faith.  Jacob desired the promises of God and his life after he deceived Isaac show that God did bless him.  When facing death, Jacob held to the promises of God and blessed each of his grandsons. 

 

Joseph was a faithful individual!  His brothers sold him into slavery.  He was falsely accused by an Egyptian leader’s wife and placed in prison.  But he never forgot who he was and he followed the God who was able to fulfill His promise to him.  The situation and circumstances did not determine who he was.  Again, we turn to the end of his days and see that he focused on what was ahead.  He could have focused on his wealth and position in Egypt’s government; he focused on the promise of a kingdom to come.

 

Here is the take away.  The Expositor’s Bible Commentary states, “With all three the significant thing was their firm conviction that death cannot frustrate God’s purposes.  Their faith was such that they were sure God would work His will.”  Today’s word is not about our death; it is about God working His will in the future.  All of us face death unless the rapture occurs first.  Regardless, God is going to work His plan even if He has not done so as we face death.  That is why it is so important to pray for your children (even when grown) and for your grandchildren.  They must know who they are in Christ in order to face what lies ahead.   I want my faith in God doing what He has said He will do to be the faith of my family if I am already in Heaven with the Lord! 

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.