Daily Writing

Friday, 8 March 2019

By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Hebrews 11:11

There is an emphasis in the Greek which highlights the introduction of Sarah. This wording is probably intended to highlight the fact that she was, at first, unbelieving of the promise of a son. The structure in Greek, “By faith Sarah herself also,” reveals this emphasis. The account is recorded in Genesis 18 –

And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. ¹² Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
¹³ And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
And He said, “No, but you did laugh!” Genesis 18:10-15

Sarah lacked faith at first, but “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed.” Though at first she was incredulous that such a thing could take place, that was eventually replaced with a strong confidence that what was stated would, in fact, come about. This demonstrates that faith itself is something that, at times, needs to be cultivated. In Sarah’s case, and after being built up in her faith, “she bore a child when she was past the age.”

She went from a state of laughing that such a thing could never happen to acceptance that it was sure to come about. Indeed, despite her age, she realized that nothing is too hard for the Lord. However, it took the account from Genesis (above) to elicit that out of her. Once this came about, “she judged Him faithful who had promised.”

Sarah went from thinking from the perspective of the world around her, where certain things happened, and other things didn’t happen, to a perspective that the Lord was capable of causing the otherwise impossible to occur. Further, not only can He cause such things to come about, but He was faithful to follow through when He spoke out His word concerning the matter. This is the same sentiment that is seen in the previous chapter –

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23

Life application: The Lord has made certain promises that are recorded in His word. As incredulous as they may seem, they have been uttered, and they reflect the very nature of who He is. Thus, they will come about as He has spoken. However, care must be taken to interpret what the word says. The Lord does not promise health, wealth, prosperity, or long life. At times, these things are spoken of as generally coming about when one follows the Lord and His precepts, but they are not promises. Rather, they are general guidelines. And so we must know the word and understand it in its proper context. In this, we will not be led down a false path of believing that God will keep us from trials and afflictions. Quite the opposite is often true. Be sound in your doctrine, and be sure of the promises which are unconditional. All others need to be taken as grace added to the grace you have already been bestowed.

Lord, You alone have done everything necessary to provide us with righteousness – a righteousness not our own, and not of works, but of faith in You and Your promises. Help us never to forget or misuse this most important precept! And then, give us continued faith to trust that what You have done is also sufficient to carry us through to our completion. Amen.

Thursday, 7 March 2019

…for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:10

There are two articles in the Greek which are rather important in understanding the intent of the words of this verse. The KJV completely botches the translation by ignoring both of them, thus rendering the verse impotent. The NKJV includes one, but not the other. The words read, “the city which has the foundations.” With that understood, we can properly appreciate the words of the author.

Building upon the previous verse, he notes that Abraham “dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country.” He goes on to say that in that land, he dwelt in tents. The reason for this is that “he waited.” If Abraham thought of an earthly possession, he would have claimed land, built a home, and started to build his empire. But God promised that his descendants afterward would possess the land, meaning he would not. Thus, he waited. In his waiting, “he waited for the city which has foundations.”

It was understood that dwelling in tents meant that his lodging was temporary. With the pulling up of the pegs, the tent would collapse. With a strong enough wind, the tent would blow away. There was never a sense of permanence in his tent-dwelling lifestyle. The earth itself was the only foundation. But the earth is in a fallen state. It brings forth life which then eventually dies and returns to the dust.

However, there is the city which has the foundations. It is a city of life everlasting. It is what Abraham looked forward to, and it is referred to by Paul in Ephesians 2 –

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22

Here Paul speaks of a holy temple, but Revelation clarifies the picture –

Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Revelation 21:14

When it says in Ephesians 2 that the household of God is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, it signifies their proclamation of Christ is the foundational message. It is He who is the chief Cornerstone. In the New Jerusalem, the names of the apostles are on the twelve foundations, signifying the work of the apostles in carrying out the foundational message of Christ. In other words, the city with the foundations is speaking of nothing less than the message of Messiah, and the reality of Messiah as the focal point of our relationship with God. It was He who was promised to come and restore all things, and Abraham looked forward to that, not to an earthly inheritance.

His understanding of this was limited to the simple promise of God to Adam, as had been passed down throughout the generations, but it was a promise that was sure to come. It is this city, built upon the message of Messiah, “whose builder and maker is God.”

Babel was a city built by men, and by human effort. The purpose of it was the uniting of the people and to reach heaven. As it says, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens” (Genesis 11:4). However, the Lord spurned this, dispersed the people, and rejected it as a means of restoration with Him.

In the very next chapter of the Bible, it tells of the call of Abraham and the continued work of God in building an everlasting city which would be united in purpose, in speech, and in devotion to God, all because of the work of God in Christ. This is “the city with the foundations.” It is set in contrast to anything available in tents, demonstrating Abraham’s anticipation of future glory in Messiah.

Life application: Many years later after Abraham’s call, while speaking to Pharaoh in Egypt, his grandson Jacob used the terminology of someone looking beyond the life he was living –

“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.” Genesis 47:9

A pilgrim is a person on a journey to a holy place. Jacob, like Isaac and Abraham before him, knew that this life was temporary and troubled, but these men looked forward to that city whose “builder and maker is God.” This is a really good lesson for each of us to consider. How deeply have we set our roots in this life instead of looking at it as a stepping stone for the next? Keep your eyes on the prize and don’t get sidetracked by what is only temporary and fleeting.

Lord God, You are preparing a true home for Your people, an eternal home which is the city with the foundations. It is our great hope since the time of our first father, Adam. Help us to not get so caught up in the things of this world that we forget the promise and lose sight of the goal. Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, and to live in anticipation of the time when we are forever returned to the splendor of Your presence. Amen.

Wednesday, 6 March 2019

By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; Hebrews 11:9

As noted in the previous verse, Abraham was called out of his home to a place which was unknown to him, and by faith he went. It wasn’t until after his arrival that he was informed that the land would be given as an inheritance. But it was not to him directly that it would be given. Rather it was to his descendants after him. As for him, he was given “no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on” (Acts 7:5). This is the state of things at the time which is now described by the author. He says, “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise.”

It is exactly this sequence of events which brings in the meaning of “the land of promise.” The Greek actually reads, “a land of the promise.” It is the promise which is focused on. Whatever land was of the promise is the land which the Lord would ensure was Abraham’s inheritance. Once he had arrived in Canaan, having passed through Shechem and as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh, the inheritance was then promised –

“Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’” Genesis 12:7

This is “the promise,” and it is in the promise that the land is specified. However, the last thing recorded before that promise was made were the words, “And the Canaanites were then in the land” (Genesis 12:6). Understanding this, the land was already possessed by a people group. Despite this, Abraham was told that his descendants would possess it. Thus, the words, “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise,” show that Abraham believed what he was told and lived in faith of the fulfillment of that prophetic word. The land would be his (meaning his posterity) despite it already being claimed by others. Rather than disbelieve, he remained there “as in a foreign country.”

These words describe the words, “by faith.” Everyone who is alive has to dwell somewhere. It doesn’t take faith to keep on living. However, it takes faith to remain in a land which has been given to you, but which you do not possess, waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. During his time in Canaan, he lived without citizenship or the rights of that citizenship. Instead, he was simply a foreigner in a land which he had been promised. Therefore, Abraham was faithful to live out his life “dwelling in tents.”

As the land was not his at this time, but only by promise, he couldn’t go in and start cultivating fields, building houses, opening schools, putting up speed signs (no donkey’s over 10mph!), collecting taxes, and doing all the things that the possessor of the land would do. Rather, he had to watch the land of his inheritance benefit those who would someday be dispossessed by his descendants. All the while, he lived in tents, moved from time to time, and simply passed through time without possessing his promised possession. And this was true with his immediate family after him, both “Isaac and Jacob.”

During Abraham’s life, he waited on a son to inherit the land. By the time he was rather old, no son had come, and yet he still lived by faith. At one point, he noted to the Lord that his only inheritor was a slave, born in his house. But the Lord promised otherwise; he would have an heir from his own body. When that was slow in coming, his wife Sarah gave him her maidservant to bear a son. From her came Ishmael. But the Lord again said that he would not be the son of promise. Rather, it would be from Sarah. Eventually, Isaac was born, and from Isaac came Jacob. They were “the heirs with him of the same promise.” The Lord determined, Abraham (and subsequently Isaac and Jacob) believed, and they lived by faith in the word of the Lord.

Life application: The accounts of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob span chapters 11-49 of Genesis. Each was filled with faults and troubles. The struggles they had with their wives, children, and health are no different than ours today. Favoritism when dealing with others, deceit in relationships, and stubbornness to yield to the better path seemed to plague them. Abraham gave in to bad advice which resulted in the birth of Ishmael – something which later caused him enormous heartache. Isaac had to send his son Jacob away before his other son Esau killed him.

Jacob didn’t restrain his children and ended up dealing with murder, incest, and immense heartache. It is easy to look at our lives today and think about how dysfunctional they are, but comparing them to these patriarchs shows that our situations are pretty normal after all. We may think our health problems aren’t deserved or are greater than they should be, but the Bible records these men suffered from the same conditions.

Today, however, we have medical facilities we can go to. And if we are laid up at home, we have TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators full of yummy food, etc. These people “lived in tents,” they had no access to the local grocery store, and they had to suffer their pains without painkillers or air-conditioned environments. When you think on the difficulties your children are giving you, remember that these men went through the same or worse.

When you think you’ve mismanaged your family relationships, don’t forget that they messed up just as badly. And as you suffer through illness or disease, no matter how bad it is, these people suffered with the same – but in much harsher conditions. In the end, though, they are remembered for one thing above all else – they lived by faith. When your time is up, God will reward you based on your faith as well. Instead of looking at the trials, pains, and troubles as insurmountable, look at them as gifts which challenge your faith. You will be rewarded as you keep your eyes on, and faith in, Jesus.

Jesus, You know the pains of our hearts, bodies, and souls; pains which never seem to end. You know our weaknesses in facing them and how hard it is to endure each day. Be with us, strengthen us, and give us the faith to endure through each difficult moment. And may You alone be glorified as we prevail by Your might. Amen.

Tuesday, 5 March 2019

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

The author next turns to Abraham. He is noted in twenty-seven books of the Bible, and is often used as an example of great faith. Even the Lord Jesus spoke of him on several occasions. He has already been mentioned eight times in Hebrews, mostly in Chapter 7, but it is obvious that he is a pivotal figure in the scene of redemptive history.

Paul uses him in critical sections of his writings to explain profound theological matters, particularly because he predates the law of Moses, and thus sets an example which demonstrates that righteousness, by default, comes apart from deeds of the law. Even James, who is cited by countless scholars as supporting justification through works, actually speaks of Abraham in a unique way which – it is true – involves works, but the works are based on something entirely different than what those scholars conclude. That will be noted in the coming verses of Hebrews as well.

So far, three men prior to Abraham have been noted for their faith, Abel, Enoch, and Noah. Abraham has an interesting parallel to each of the three. Abel “offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,” whereas Abraham offered the most excellent sacrifice possible in his son Isaac (coming in verse 11:11). Enoch walked with God; Abraham walked where God directed him to walk. Noah “became the heir of righteousness” through faith, whereas Abraham became the model of righteousness by faith.

In his beginning thoughts, he says again, “By faith.” The author is ensuring that the pattern which is found pleasing to God continues on unabated. And so, “By faith Abraham obeyed.” In a manner similar to Noah, there is an obedience to the directive which has been given. Noah was told to do something incredible, and he did it. Abraham is told to do something which would lead to a life of pilgrimage, and yet he did it. He “obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance.”

As a technical note, Vincent’s Word Studies shows that the thought of going out is to be construed with “obeyed.” A present participle is used which “indicates Abraham’s immediate obedience to the call: while he was yet being called.” Thus it should be translated as “when he was called obeyed to go out.” He was called, and he did not hesitate to respond as called.

The calling is recorded in Genesis 12:1. It needs to be understood that the promise of inheritance is not found there though. The translation makes it sound like the inheritance was promised at the call. But the inheritance is not noted until afterwards. Further, it is not an immediate inheritance, but one which follows in his seed –

Genesis 12:1-3 is the call to leave his country and go.
Genesis 12:4-6 is the departure and travel through the land.
Genesis 12:7 is the promise of the inheritance to his descendants.

Acts 7:5 calls attention to this order and the fact that Abraham did not personally receive the inheritance, but that it would only come upon his descendants.

With this understanding, the author continues with, “And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Abraham wasn’t an explorer looking for adventure. Rather, he was a man with a home and family who was called to pick up and leave his land and go somewhere he had never been, and without having any specifics at all as to why until after he got there. And yet, by faith, he did as instructed.

Life application: Abraham demonstrated faith, and God was pleased with that. We too are pleasing to God when we demonstrate faith in Him. The first act of faith that we can accomplish which will please God is to believe the gospel message of Jesus Christ. After that, we can continue to please God by accepting His word as authoritative in our lives. Along with that comes faith that His word is, in fact, the authoritative word of God. Accounts such as creation, the flood, and the tower of Babel (among countless others) are written as simple statements of fact. Do we accept them in that manner? Or do we look at them as allegorical representations of other things? The answer we make really matters concerning our faith in what we consider to be the word of God. We are saved by faith in Christ, but we will be judged based upon our lives in Christ, particularly in relation to how we understand, accept, and apply God’s words in our lives. If you struggle with parts of the Bible, talk to God about it and ask Him to reveal to you what you are struggling with. That alone is an act of faith.

Thank You Lord God for the lesson of faith we find in the person of Abraham. Though we don’t always know the path that lies ahead of us, we have been assured in Your word that You are with us and will guide us all our days. Grant us faith like Abraham – to step out and follow where You direct. To Your glory, and to a walk which is pleasing to You, we pray. Amen.

Monday, 4 March 2019

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. Hebrews 11:7

The author now turns to Noah, and the account found in Genesis 6. He begins again with, “By faith Noah.” It is obvious from a single read through the life of Noah that he was a unique man, and a man of faith. Whereas the entire world was destroyed, he was saved. Thus, along with his seven family members, he became the new point from which the earth that is populated today stems from. In explaining how Noah lived by faith, he next says, “being divinely warned of things not yet seen.”

The word used signifies a prophetic oracle, and thus, “divinely warned,” is well rendered. One might ask, “How can it be counted as faith that Noah acted upon a divine oracle?” The question fails to take into account man’s responsibility in adhering to that divine word. A perfect example of not living by faith in what God has said in this manner is found in Numbers 20. There, Moses was told by the Lord to take his rod, go with Aaron, and speak to the rock. In doing this water would issue forth. However, instead of following the Lord’s word, it says –

“Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.” Numbers 20:11

From there, the response of the Lord came quickly –

“Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” Numbers 20:12

Moses “did not believe,” meaning “he lacked faith.” Therefore, faith is still required, even when the Lord speaks to His people. The reason this is so is because the Lord’s word pertains to things “not yet seen.” Noah had not yet seen, and yet he acted in faith. Moses had not yet seen and he failed to act in faith. In the case of Noah, he was “moved with godly fear.”

He was told by God in Genesis 6:13, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” He could have said, “What? No way. How are You going to do that?” His words would imply that what he heard was too impossible to even imagine. But instead, it says he “moved with godly fear.” He heard the word, he believed it was true, and he acted upon that same word in a manner which the world around him must have thought was insane. He built an ark.

As the author says, he “prepared an ark for the saving of his household.” The ark was immense, it took a long time to build, and it would have taken an enormous amount of time and effort. But the Lord had spoken, and Noah accepted that what the Lord said would come about. Every saw of the wood, every hammer of the nail, and every application of bitumen would have been an act of faith. This was not works leading to salvation, but faith leading to salvation. His faith preceded his works, and they were the impetus for them. And it was this faith “by which he condemned the world.”

In his faith, he built the ark. Therefore, it is in his faith that he condemned the world. This same concept will be found in the tribulation saints. In Revelation 14:13, it says –

“Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

It is exactly what occurred with Noah. Faith preceded works, and thus the works which follow become deeds of faith. It is not works that justify, but the faith which precedes the works. They are works of faith. Thus, the righteousness of God is “from faith to faith” (Romans 1:17). The tribulation saints will be expected to act upon the divine oracle which has been given. When they do, they are promised that they too will condemn the world. Their reward is found in Revelation 20:4.

In Noah’s condemning of the world, he “became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Noah believed God, and God counted it to him for righteousness. It is exactly the pattern for what is said of Abraham (see Genesis 15:6). It is a righteousness not their own, but one imputed by God for faith. And this then is what is said of believers in Christ today as is recorded by Paul in Philippines 3:8, 9. It is the heart of the gospel message.

We look to Noah as a man of faith for having responded to the word of the Lord. We look to Moses in the same manner, except in the incident of Meribah. However, do we look to our own actions in this manner? The answer must be based on a single question, “Do I adhere to the word of God?” The same voice that spoke to Noah and to Moses speaks to us today through the pages of Scripture. We are either living in faith and acting upon it in accord with His instruction, or we are not. It is that simple.

Life application: Whether you believe the account of Noah is true or not is of the greatest importance in whether or not you are on sound footing in your doctrine. If you fail to accept the account of Noah as a literal occurrence, then your faith in the word of God is lacking. Likewise, if your faith in the Bible is lacking, then your knowledge of, and faith in, Jesus is lacking. If your faith in Jesus is lacking, your faith – whatever it is – very well may be in vain. Each point of this logic is interwoven with the next. If any part of the tapestry of your faith is missing, the entire fabric falls apart. How can such a claim be made from an otherwise incredible passage of the Old Testament? Because the New Testament states the account is true. Noah is recorded in 6 separate chapters of the New Testament, including Jesus’ genealogy and by the words of Jesus Himself –

“And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: ²⁷ They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:26. 27

If Jesus was merely accommodating the audience by quoting a story He knew was false, then He is a liar and not the Son of God. Also, as the Bible records Jesus’ words and is the only source of our faith in Jesus, then if the account of what Jesus said isn’t true, we are still following a false Lord. Faith in what the Bible says leads us to Jesus. Faith in Jesus is what leads us to the Father. Be wise and have properly placed faith.

Lord, when you put it that way… When You tell us the account of Noah really happened, I need to accept it by faith. Keep my faith strong, O Christ, even in the difficult passages of the Bible. It is evident now how important it is to accept even the stories which seem incredible. Strengthen my faith that I may be pleasing to You! Amen.