Epistles

Thursday, 14 March 2019

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Hebrews 11:17

The author now returns to Abraham and his life of faith, once again saying, “By faith Abraham.” In verse 8, it was noted that he was called to move in order to receive an inheritance by faith. The author continued with that thought and included Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah in his words concerning what that meant. Now, still speaking of that same thought, he says, “when he was tested.”

God had promised him an inheritance. By faith, he went to the land which would be received by his descendants as such. But along the way came a test of his faith. This was not because the Lord needed to know the faithfulness of Abraham’s heart, but so that Abraham might know it. Further, it was then to set an example of faithful obedience for those who would read the account and be encouraged to emulate the same faithful obedience to the Lord. And also, the Lord used the account to then show types and pictures of what God would do in His own Son, Jesus. The type, Isaac, anticipated the Anti-type, Christ Jesus. And so it says that Abraham “offered up Isaac.”

The NKJV, following the KJV, misses the intent of what is said. The verb “offered up” is in the perfect tense. Abraham “had offered up.” The intent is to show that while the sacrifice was in the process of happening, Abraham had – for all intents and purposes – actually offered him up in his mind. To him, it was an accomplished fact (see James 2:21).

A promise of inheritance is no good if there is no one to inherit it! And yet, God asked Abraham to offer up the son who was to be the one through whom the promise would be received. As can be seen, the author has not changed the subject at all. He is continuing on with the thought of the promised inheritance. As it says, “and he who had received the promises.” This is speaking of Abraham. The actual promise is found in Genesis 21 –

“So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. ⁹ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. ¹⁰ Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.’ ¹¹ And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son.

¹² But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called.’” Genesis 21:8-12

The Lord had spoken the word that Isaac was the son of promise, and it was through him that Abraham’s seed would be called. And yet, in Genesis 22, the Lord asked Abraham to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering. Being faithfully obedient, he “offered up his only begotten son.”

As directed, Abraham followed the instructions of the Lord precisely. In doing so, the typology of the coming Christ was set. The Father would offer the Son, substitution for man’s sins would be effected, and life through Messiah was made possible. The land of inheritance, meaning reentry into God’s paradise, was realized. Canaan is a land which was (and continues to be) only typical of something greater. Abraham didn’t know these things, but God did – even knowing that Abraham would be willing to do them.

Life application: Most people have heard of the account of Abraham and Isaac. It was “by faith” that Abraham was willing to offer up his son – the son of promise. In this verse, the NIV incorrectly states – “his one and only son.” Abraham had another son before Isaac named Ishmael. This error is repeated in the NIV in John 3:16 when the same terminology is used of Jesus, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” In fact, God claimed Israel as a son long before the advent of Jesus – “Thus says the Lord: ‘Israel is My son, My firstborn’” (Exodus 4:22).

This is an important point in understanding redemptive history and divine election. In both Isaac and Jesus, they were the “only begotten” sons of promise, not the claimed “firstborn” sons, and thus we have the resulting concept of divine election. For a list of other “replacement seconds” of note in the Bible, one can refer to this link: http://www.wonderful1.com/page17.html.

In addition to the second replacing the first, there is another wonderful parallel of Abraham/Isaac and God the Father/God the Son. Abraham had his son Isaac carry the wood on his back up the hill just as the Jesus carried the cross up to Calvary. The father was to perform the sacrifice, just as the Father allowed the great, final sacrifice. Both occurred in the same location as is indicated in Genesis 22:14, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for the sacrifice.” and this is what happened in Christ – the Lamb of God was sacrificed for the sins of the whole world in the same place about 1900 years later. Truly, on the mountain of the Lord, God provided. Thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord. To watch the sermon, go to this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlFD9BEoO3c

Lord, thank you for the wonderful truths which are plainly evident through a study of Your word. Just as the first man, Adam, brought condemnation on all men, so faith in the second Man, Jesus, brings salvation to all who call on Him. Your word is perfect in all it teaches us. Thank You for the treasures it contains! Amen.

Wednesday, 13 March 2019

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:16

The author now begins a new thought concerning Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with, “But now.” It is a contrasting thought to what he just said about the fact that if they wished to, they could have returned to the country from which they had come out. Rather than that though, “they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country.”

Instead of an inheritance in an earthly country, their hearts, minds, and future affections are set on what God has promised for man, not on what man currently has, or can, possess. Earlier in Hebrews, the author spoke of entering God’s promised rest. This was to be, in type, Canaan. However, it is seen that Canaan was only typical of a spiritual reality. In Hebrews 4:3, speaking to his audience who are in various places (and who continue on in various times since the letter was written), it says, “For we who have believed do enter that rest.”

What was thought to be the obtaining of God’s rest through entrance into Canaan is actually the entering of God’s rest through belief in God’s Son. By faith in Messiah, one enters into God’s promised rest. This is what is again being relayed here. Canaan, the promised inheritance for Abraham’s descendants, is only given in type and shadow of the “heavenly country.”

As these men lived in faith of something they did not possess, and as that thing which was promised was only typical of heaven, then the promise must stand for any who look forward to God’s promises by faith as well. And so it is. This will be made explicit in the final verse of the chapter. For now though, and because of their faith in this promise, the author says, “Therefore.”

It is based on these things, which have been spoken of, that he says, “God is not ashamed to be called their God.” The word signifies being surnamed. The patrimony of God rests upon the individual, without any hint of shame or embarrassment by Him, because of their faith in Him and His promises. This is why God said to Moses of them in Exodus 3:6, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” This is so clear in God’s mind that “He has prepared a city for them.”

There is no doubt that this is speaking of the restored paradise where God will dwell with man. It is known as “the New Jerusalem” in the book of Revelation. These men of God looked back on the story of their first father, Adam, having understood that he –

1) was created (Hebrew11:3),
2) fell and was cursed along with the earth (as is implied in the need for an offering as seen in Hebrews 11:4), and
3) was assured of the promise of restoration at some point (as is implied in the translation of Enoch in Hebrews 11:5).

Each of these was understood from the early Genesis account, but they are lined up in the words of the author in a manner which reveals these truths in Hebrews. These men knew the story of these beginnings, they grasped the meaning behind them, and they looked forward in anticipation of seeing the plan come to its fruition. Thus, they walked as strangers and sojourners, awaiting the fulfillment of the promises. A city is prepared for them, and it is available to any and all who will come by faith.

Life application: This verse tells us that our faith in, and anticipation of, a greater home – a better country than the one in which we live – is also a point which truly pleases God. When we put all of our time in the pleasures of this world even after God has promised something so much greater, we show a lack of faith in His promises. Look ahead to what God has planned and have faith that what is ahead is infinitely more wonderful than the temporary pleasures of this world.

Thank You, Lord, for the wonderful promises of a greater life to come. These are found in the same word which tells us of Jesus making access to that life possible. We believe in Jesus, but surely we are limited in our ability to see beyond our current circumstances, and so give our souls a fresh filling of Your Spirit of promise so that we can rejoice, without fear or trepidation, in the promises of the life yet to come. Amen!

Tuesday, 12 March 2019

And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. Hebrews 11:15

This continues to speak of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as Sarah – “And they.” The author now makes an obvious point concerning their status as sojourners, strangers, and pilgrims by saying, “if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out.”

It was Abraham who had been called, and so the words also speak of the choice of both Isaac and Jacob – being of the same stock of Abraham – and pursuing a course that Abraham also could have pursued, as if an inherited right. The land from which Abraham was called was Ur of the Chaldeans. If these men found their status as strangers highly unappealing, they could have simply headed back to where Abraham came from. As it says, “they would have had opportunity to return.”

It was certainly a much less arduous thing to head back to Ur than it would have been to continue as strangers, bearing with that state all of the difficulties which arise as strangers, but they were looking beyond their current state to a promise which extended beyond their personal, temporary, but difficult situations. Instead, they looked to the promise which lay beyond their own years of pilgrimage.

Even more than four hundred years later, the same opportunity could have existed for the people of Israel, after having entered into and subdued Canaan. Joshua 24 leaves the possibility open for them. First, they were provided the history –

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods. ³ Then I took your father Abraham from the other side of the River, led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. ⁴ To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.” Joshua 24:2-4

Later in the chapter, Joshua tells them that the home and station of Abraham was still open to them, but that his hope was not found in that ancestral inheritance –

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

The obvious connection that the author of Hebrews is making is that of a life of living by faith in Christ as opposed to a return to a life of deeds under the law. He has spoken of this continuously throughout the epistle, and he is showing that those of past times chose the promise found in Messiah over the circumstances in which they existed in whichever dispensation they lived. From the beginning, and through each dispensation before Christ, people of faith anticipated the coming of the promise found in Messiah. Now, how much more should the people of God continue to live in faithful anticipation of the promises found in the Messiah who has come!

Life application: Have you ever noticed how immigrants who can’t speak a word of the native language, and who even come with nothing but the shirt on their back, often establish a business, drive around in better cars than their neighbors, and send their children to private schools – all within a short time?

Wang Chung could arrive from China, spend a few months in anxiety and sadness, and return home to a safer existence, but something inside of him is stronger than the bonds he cut when he left home. The opportunity to return is there, but the motivation for a better life in a new land is stronger than the desire to look back.

Such should be the case with every believer in Jesus. We have been called out of the world of sin and death and into His kingdom of righteousness. Instead of wallowing in the past and looking back to the previous life of whatever bound us, we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Those who had the most to gain often make the best converts. When someone leaves behind a life of drugs, alcoholism, or some other major sin, they tend to rise far above those around them who have become complacent in their salvation. They have their eyes on a better life in this world and eternal rewards in the next.

If you feel your Christian walk is floundering, look back to where you were before you met Christ. If there isn’t a time that is striking and memorable, look at those whose lives were changed and emulate their positive steps. Just as the foreigner excels and receives reward based on his hard work and dedication, so the Christian will excel and receive a greater reward based on his devotion to Christ. Don’t think of the country you left with a desire to return, but look to Jesus and His glory.

Lord, keep us from looking back now that our hands are on the plow. Instead, give us the heart’s desire to work towards the rewards of the eternal life that we already possess in Christ, and to revel in the blessing that comes from a faithful walk with You. May our lives be a pleasing sacrifice all our days – to Your honor alone. Amen.

Monday, 11 March 2019

For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. Hebrews 11:14

The word “For” is based upon the words of the previous verses dealing with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is they “who say such things.” This is referring to words such as being a stranger and a sojourner which Abraham declared before the sons of Heth, proclaiming the days of one’s pilgrimage (meaning being one who is on a religious quest to a place of worship) as Jacob did before Pharaoh, and other such utterances.

When people say such things, they “declare plainly.” The word means “to make manifest.” There is an intent in them which is brought forth in the very words they speak. When a Christian says, “This isn’t my home,” it is a manifestation of a desire to be taken to his “real home.” A person who believes that this is his one chance at life would never speak in such a way. Rather, he will be sure to take every opportunity to increase his station in this life in whatever way he feels will be the most beneficial to that station.

However, when one makes it manifest that this is not their final destination, it indicates “that they seek a homeland.” Here the word is patris. It indicates a fatherland, and thus one’s homeland. A person may be in the foreign service, or in a company in a foreign country, for many long years. He may have a house and lots of goods accumulated during that time, but he will still speak of returning home when his service is complete. This is the idea which is spoken of here.

The walk for a believer is one which anticipates a home that he longs to return to. Even if he has never actually been there, he was there in his first father, Adam. As all humans were potentially and seminally in Adam when he was created, there is a connection back to what he experienced. For the believer, there is a desire to go where Adam had been. The child of the person in the foreign service mentioned above may have the same longing to return to his father’s country as his father had. Should the father die, the son may make an appeal to return to the land of his father. This is the idea being conveyed here. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob understood this. Faithful believers in Messiah continue to understand it today.

Life application: It really is a wonderful thing to hear a Christian say, “This ain’t my home.” This is especially so when he is receiving a reward, honor, or is just having a great day. When things are going wrong, or when life is beating you up, it is easy to wish for another home without the difficulties and trials of the moment, but when things are going right and you still can say this – wow! That is true dedication to the promises of the Lord.

When this is the heart’s desire of a faithful believer, and yet difficult times to come, their hope and faith are only increased, not shaken. On the other hand, if a person is happily content to put off the Lord’s coming for another day, then when trials come, the response may be different. Yes, their faith may be strengthened during the trial, but the pressure of the ordeal will certainly be greater than it otherwise would have been. Today, even right now, check out your faith level. Is there anything coming in life that would make you say, “I hope the Lord waits just a little while before coming”? Other than desiring the salvation of another person, there should be nothing more anticipated than the promise of His return. This is exactly why we should be evangelizing at all times.

Keep your eyes on Jesus through the good and the bad, and look for a country of your own in the life to come.

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1

Lord Jesus, fill our souls with a longing for You alone. May nothing ever take our eyes off of You, and may nothing ever divert our thoughts from the glory of Your majesty. How precious to us is the day that You return to take us home! And may that day be soon. Amen.

Sunday, 10 March 2019

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:13

Speaking of those mentioned in the previous five verses, meaning Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob, the author stops for a moment and notes how their life of faith ended. He states, “These all died in faith.” To grasp the full extent of this statement, one can take the definition of faith provided in verse 1 and include it as a part of the thought –

“These all died having the substance of things hoped for, and with the evidence of things not seen.” Their hope remained with them concerning the things they had not seen, but knew to be true. Their faith at their time of death was not realized in seeing what they hoped for. As the author says, “not having received the promises.”

At the fall of man, the Lord God promised One who would come to restore that which was lost. This was a hope of these people, and that hope had not yet transpired. At the call of Abraham, the promise of an inheritance was added into that. For him and his wife Sarah, and then their son Isaac, and then their grandson Jacob, that hope was not realized upon their deaths. But they knew it was to come about. These people had, in fact, received the promises but not the substance. Despite this, the author says, “but having seen them afar off were assured of them.”

Jesus takes this state of Abraham and shows how true it was with him. In John 8:56 we read –

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

Abraham saw the promise afar off, and he was assured of it. Messiah would come! The promised rest would be granted! All things would be made new! This is how each of these lived. There was the absolute assurance in their souls that God’s promises would be realized. In this, the author then says they “embraced them.”

Here, the NKJV (following the KJV) destroys the intent that the author is attempting to convey. The translation of “embraced,” can be inferred from the original Greek, but to translate it this way ruins the symbolism. To embrace is to hold. These people of faith saw the promises from a distance and “saluted” them, or “greeted” them, knowing they could not expect their fulfillment in this life. It is as ships passing by which can only be hailed with a salute. The only possible way of translating this “embraced” while conveying the proper intent would be to make a lengthy paraphrase, such as “embraced them in their minds,” or something to that effect. Rather than embracing them, they saluted them from afar “and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

The author was probably thinking of Abraham’s words when he penned this. In Genesis 23:4, at the death of his wife Sarah, he said to the people of the land, “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you. Give me property for a burial place among you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” Though promised the land as an inheritance, during his life he remained a stranger and a pilgrim. Jacob, when introduced to Pharaoh, spoke of his own pilgrimage –

“‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.’ ¹⁰ So Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.” Genesis 47:9, 10

The final words of the verse, “on the earth,” could be speaking of only Canaan, as it does at times in the New Testament, but it certainly means more than this. It extends to the entire earth. Jacob claimed he was a pilgrim while in Egypt. The arena in which these people of faith lived was a proving ground for their faith in preparation for a home which they could only see from afar and greet with a hopeful, but assured, confidence that the promises would be fulfilled someday.

Life application: We all treat this life in different ways. Some, as the old saying goes, are “so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” Some hold on to this life as if it is the only thing that can be fully trusted – even doubting the promises of Scripture beyond John 3:16. In between these two are countless variations. Some people “really want to see the Lord” but just “not today.” Some want Him to come after their child’s wedding – but anytime after that is fine. Others continue to work diligently in their jobs, but they never stop hoping for the Lord’s coming. Each moment for them is a moment of anticipation – even in the midst of life’s joys and trials.

The last is the type of person being described in this verse. He admits he is only an alien and a stranger. Temporary aliens in a foreign land continue to work, tend to life’s business, and raise families, but they always wait for a return to the land they love. This is similar to what the Jewish people would state, year after year for almost 2000 years, at their annual Passover – “Next year in Jerusalem!” Even though they were scattered around the world – even to the remotest parts – they never stopped hoping for a return to their land of promise.

Watching old footage of the joy of returnees after the long dispersion is a wonderful experience. This is what it should be like for every Christian as we wait on the Lord Jesus and the promise of the heavenly Mount Zion – the New Jerusalem. In fact, the last prayer of petition in the Bible leads us in the attitude we should hold dear, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20. What is the great hope of your life? Heaven awaits, and where heaven is, there the Lord Jesus is. Yes, come Lord Jesus.

Lord God, there is nothing in this world that truly has value apart from the sure hope we possess in Christ Jesus. Without that hope, everything else is futility and chasing the wind. We heap up wealth for a future which is unknown, and certain to end in death. What is the point apart from hope in Christ? But in Him, we have the surest hope of all. Our pilgrimage here makes all the sense in the world when we anticipate what He has made available to us. Hallelujah for Jesus our Lord. Amen!