Hebrews (written)

Thursday, 21 March 2019

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Hebrews 11:24

The author now turns directly to Moses. Whereas the previous verse spoke of Moses only in relation to his parents, the faith of Moses himself is now highlighted. The author notes the account of Exodus 2:11, where he cites the Greek translation of that passage saying, “when he became of age.” The entire verse says –

“Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.”

This is then followed up by the author with the thought that he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.” The text implies this in the next verse of Exodus 2, which says that “…he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand” (Exodus 2:12).

By aligning himself with the Hebrew people, he disassociated himself from his adopted family. He understood that he was, and would always be, a Hebrew. Though it would be many years later before he was truly aligned with them in a way which would benefit them, this first recorded act on his part demonstrated that his natural inclination was to be identified with the Hebrew people. The author will explain what this means concerning Moses the man in the verses ahead.

Life application: It is important to be careful not to let movies or written stories over-influence our notion of biblical characters. Very little is said of Moses’ adopted mother or him during his youth. If you read Exodus 2:5-10, that’s all you’ll get about her and his early life from the Old Testament. The very next verse (verse 11) occurs when he is forty years old. The only other thing that we can determine from the Bible about the intervening years is recorded in Acts 7:20-22 during Stephen’s speech –

“At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. ²¹ But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. ²² And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.”

Unfortunately, because of movies like The Ten Commandments, people mix story information with the Bible. This verse in Hebrews gives us an insight into Moses and his character not otherwise revealed elsewhere in the Bible, and which probably came from a source similar to that spoken by Stephen in Acts 7. This may have been an oral or a written tradition, but as it was written by an apostle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we can be certain of its accuracy. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus records quite a bit of extra-biblical information on Moses which is interesting, but should that not be held as authoritative. All of the writings of Josephus can be found online by a simple internet search. Enjoy your studies, but be careful to remember what is, and what is not, Scripture.

Lord God, how wonderful it is to read and know your word! Thank you that what the Bible records is useful for our instruction, our edification, and our contemplation. Thank you also for telling us about the faithful believers of the past. By reading about their lives, we can be built up in our faith as well. Thank You for having provided us so much in Your word to guide our steps. Amen.

Wednesday, 20 March 2019

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. Hebrews 11:23

The author now moves to Moses. He will be mentioned directly or indirectly in more verses in Hebrews 11 than any other figure. And, as usual, the author begins with, “By faith Moses.” However, this first noted act of faith is not directly by Moses, but by his parents. This is noted in the words, “when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents.”

The parents of Moses were Amram and Jochebed. In the last verse of the first chapter of Exodus, it says –

“So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.’” Exodus 1:22

This is followed immediately by these verses from Exodus chapter 2 –

“And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. ² So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. ³ But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. ⁴ And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Exodus 2:1-4

The account in Exodus ascribes the act of hiding Moses to the mother. And this would have been mostly her doing. The father would work and be concerned with the greater affairs of the household. The mother would be the one to accomplish the majority of the duty of hiding the newborn. But the father would not be unaware of the act, and he would bear moral responsibility for it. Therefore, both are mentioned here. And this is because “they saw he was a beautiful child.”

The Greek word is asteios, and it is only found here and in Acts 7:20 where it also speaks of the beauty of Moses. The word comes from astu, a city. And so this word literally means, “belonging to the city.” This is because a city is considered a place of polished manners and living. Thus, one could paraphrase this word as “he was a city dweller,” and the sense may be brought out.

Because of the elegant nature of the child, the parents were all the more emboldened, “and they were not afraid of the king’s command.” The two aspects, that of the beauty of the child, and their not caring about obeying an immoral command, combined into their determination to hide the child. It is ascribed to them as an act of faith.

Life application: Keeping the child would have resulted in death if they were caught, but by disobeying the edict for these three months they gave the baby a fighting chance – no matter how small – compared to that of a newborn. As Peter says in the book of Acts, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Even after placing the child in the basket, they had Moses’ sister watch out for him until he was found and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. This account should remind us that God is working out all things for His purposes. Even when we don’t understand the sorrows or troubles we are facing, He does. Nothing you are facing is beyond God’s knowledge or is outside of His plans and purposes. Have faith, just as Amram and Jochebed did, even in the face of great hardship.

Lord, give us the ability to trust that the sadness, loss, hardship, and uncertainty we face really do serve a higher and more glorious purpose. As hard as it is, help us to never grumble against Your perfect plan which is being worked out through us, Your children, through faith in Christ. Amen.

Tuesday, 19 March 2019

By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. Hebrews 11:22

The author now turns from Jacob to Joseph, the beloved first son of his favored wife Rachel. He says, “By faith Joseph.” The whole recorded life of Joseph is one which is filled with amazing stories and faithful conduct. But of all of the things recorded of him which the author considered, the one he decided was most worthy of note was “when he was dying.”

The word gives the sense of “drawing to an end.” Joseph knew that his days were coming to a close, and yet he gave specific instructions to his brothers. The words are recorded in Genesis 50 –

“And Joseph said to his brethren, ‘I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ ²⁵ Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’” Genesis 50:24, 25

In these words to his brothers, he “made mention of the departure of the children of Israel.” The word in Greek is “exodus.” It signifies a going out, or an exit. It is only found here and in Luke 9 and 2 Peter 1. The other two instances speak of the “departure” in leaving this body, meaning dying. In Luke, it refers to Jesus, and in 2 Peter, the apostle speaks of his own departure which was prophesied by Jesus.

Here we have one who is drawing to an end, and thus ready to depart his body, but who speaks of the departure of Israel from Egypt. This was promised to his fathers before they ever entered into Egypt, and Joseph believed that it would be the case. Further, when Jacob had come down to Egypt, he made a promise to Joseph based on that assurance of departure –

“Then Israel said to Joseph, ‘Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers. ²² Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.’” Genesis 48:21

Even though Joseph was set to die in Egypt, he had faith in the word of the Lord that the past promise would someday come about. Because of this, he “gave instructions concerning his bones.”

Joseph was the second ruler in Egypt, and it was, therefore, appropriate that he should be buried among those he led, but he also desired that his final internment would not be in Egypt, but in Canaan. Having total faith that Israel would depart, he made his brothers give an oath that his remains would go out with them. The beginning of the promise was fulfilled, as is recorded in Exodus 13 –

“And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.’” Exodus 13:19

The promise was completed some years later as is recorded in Joshua 24:32 –

“The bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in the plot of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of silver, and which had become an inheritance of the children of Joseph.”

Life application: Of all of the amazing things which Joseph did in his life from which the author could choose as an example of faith, this example of faith in a future he would not participate in while alive was selected. This should give us an indication as to what is also a demonstration of faithfulness in our lives – looking forward to the as yet unfulfilled promises of God and to the “better country” He has prepared for us.

As directed, in Exodus 13:19, Moses and the children of Israel took Joseph’s bones with them when they departed the land of Egypt. Joshua 24:32 records the burial of these bones in Shechem, in the land Jacob promised Joseph and as Joseph had instructed. These events occurred several hundred years apart, but what may seem slow by our standards in coming to fulfillment doesn’t mean it won’t happen exactly as God has promised. Remember this lesson as you patiently wait on the promises of the Lord. He will carry His people to their promised inheritance.

Lord, it is hard to wait on what we desire. We are earthly and constrained by time and decay. Because of this, we ask that You grant us Your Spirit of patience and control – even during the moments where nothing seems to occur as we would like. Thank You for granting us Your peace. Amen.

Monday, 18 March 2019

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. Hebrews 11:21

The author now turns from Isaac to Isaac’s own son of promise, Jacob by stating, “By faith Jacob.” The author then looks to two defining moments in the life of the man. The life of Jacob spans Genesis 25-49, and it was a life which filled the pages of Scripture with countless exciting details. And yet, once again, the author focuses first on the act of blessing his progeny.

When Jacob was very old and sick, Joseph came to his bedside with his own two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. With Joseph at his side, and while dying, Jacob “blessed each of the sons of Joseph.” The account, found in Genesis 48, records very specific wording and actions in order to make a point about redemptive history. Jacob knowingly placed the younger son, Ephraim, above the elder, Manasseh. He did this understanding that Ephraim would grow to become, as he said, “a multitude of nations.”

Like his father, he spoke the blessing with the surety that it would come to pass, exactly as spoken; and thus, this most significant act is recorded here in Hebrews. Along with that, a second moment of faith is also recorded about his life. It is that he “worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.”

This actually occurred prior to the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh, in Genesis 47:31. The reason for having the two accounts chronologically backward is probably to first tie the blessing by Isaac of the previous verse in Hebrews in with the blessing by Jacob here. With that connection made, it then goes back in time to Genesis 47. The words here in Hebrews are a direct quote of the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The Hebrew reads, “So Israel bowed himself on the head of the bed.”

The difference between the Hebrew word for “bed,” which is mittah, and “staff,” which is matteh, is only a few vowel points which didn’t exist when the Bible was written. They were added later to help in pronunciation, word clarity, and comprehension.

The Greek is surely what is correct here. When the Hebrew scribes who inserted the vowel points did so, they probably indicated “bed” rather than “staff” to keep Jacob from looking as if he were using the staff as an idol. But if he were an old and feeble man, he would worship leaning on his staff simply to stay up. Either way, what is implied is that Jacob was thanking and praising God for what had occurred in the previous verses of that passage which concerned Joseph’s vow to Jacob to have his body interred in Canaan rather than Egypt. But more specifically, he asked to be buried in the burial place of his fathers which is a specific cave bought by Abraham.

The purchase of that cave is recorded in Genesis 23. Instead of being buried with his beloved Rachel, he asked to be buried there instead. It was a significant spot which looked forward to the resurrection of the righteous. It is to this location that he asked for his remains to be interred.

Thus, he is noted – in both of these instances – for faithfully looking forward to the promises of God and the growth of God’s people, far into the future. Such acts are demonstrations of great faith.

Life application: As has been seen several times already, the doctrine of divine election is noted in this verse. Jacob’s blessing on Ephraim was a movement of the Holy Spirit which again directs the reader to an important truth in God’s redemptive plan for all of mankind. Jacob said that Ephraim would become melo ha’goyim or, literally, “a fullness of the Gentiles.” Understanding this passage led Paul to write his analysis of the Jewish/Gentile situation as is recorded in Romans 9-11. By God’s foreknowledge, Israel would reject their Messiah which would open the door to the Gentile-led church age. Ephraim, used as a synonym for the fullness of the Gentiles, would come to Christ through faith in His glorious work. In Romans 9:25, 26, Paul quotes the prophet Hosea to help us understand this mystery –

“I will call them My people, who were not My people,
And her beloved, who was not beloved.”
²⁶ “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,
‘You are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”

If you struggle with the thought of your salvation, for whatever reason, understand that it was something that God had known would occur all along. The fact that Jacob’s blessing, which occurred thousands of years ago, would point to the Gentiles being brought into His redemptive plans shows that God knew and purposed that you would be a part of His salvation found in Christ. Instead of fretting over your state of salvation, be grateful for it, and know that because of God in Christ, you are made acceptable to our heavenly Father.

O Lord! Although Your word can often seem difficult to grasp, one thing is easy to understand – faith in Jesus equates to eternal salvation. Because of Your great love for the people of the world, You have given us the right to be called sons of the living God. All we can do in response is to shout praises to our mighty Lord! Amen.

Sunday, 17 March 2019

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Hebrews 11:20

The author now moves to Abraham’s son of promise, Isaac. He completely skips over Ishmael as irrelevant to the continued history of the redemptive narrative. Though mentioned four times in Hebrews 11, this is the one instance of Isaac’s life which is selected for mention in the Hall of Fame of Faith. Again, as before, he says, “By faith…”

What will be described is considered an act of faith because Isaac knew he was the son of promise. The words he was to pronounce were thus a divine oracle, and he was certain they would come out as prophesied. In his faith, “Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.”

In another example of divine election, the words place Jacob ahead of Esau even though Esau was the firstborn of Isaac. This selection wasn’t something that occurred later during their lifetimes and which should have surprised Isaac. Rather, when the twins were jostling in her womb, their mother Rachael was so disturbed that she inquired of the Lord about it. She asked, “If all is well, why am I like this?”  And the divine response –

“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”Genesis 25:23

Before either child was born, the Lord had already divinely elected Jacob over Esau. God’s sovereign choice continued through their descendants which became “two nations.” In Malachi 1:2, 3 the Bible records –

“I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?”
Says the Lord.
“Yet Jacob I have loved;
³ But Esau I have hated,
And laid waste his mountains and his heritage
For the jackals of the wilderness.”

Paul quotes this verse in Romans 9:13 when discussing God’s sovereignty. In relation to that choice of God, Isaac’s blessings came upon his sons when they were seventy-seven years old, and the words have borne the truths revealed in them for thousands of years. The two blessings are found in Genesis 27, and they reveal matters “concerning things to come.”

The prophecies laid out the future destinies of the two sons, and they also pointed to truths found in redemptive history in regards to the coming Messiah. Isaac knew this and when confronted about the blessing upon Jacob by Esau, his response in Genesis 27:37 was, “Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?”

Isaac spoke, in faith, of the surety of the outcome of the blessing, and thus he is rewarded by God – and noted here in faith’s great Hall of Fame – for his faith. Though he was old, and his eyes were so dim at that time that he could not see, he still had absolute clarity of spiritual sight in regards to these matters. He could see into the future, based upon the spoken words, and know with surety that they would come to pass.

It is for this reason that Isaac, once again, blessed Jacob before he departed to Padam Aram in order to find a bride –

“May God Almighty bless you,
And make you fruitful and multiply you,
That you may be an assembly of peoples;
⁴ And give you the blessing of Abraham,
To you and your descendants with you,
That you may inherit the land
In which you are a stranger,
Which God gave to Abraham.” Genesis 28:3, 4

Isaac understood that his first blessings upon Jacob and Esau would come true, and thus his second blessing upon Jacob clearly granted Jacob the continued promise of Abraham. Isaac was a man of faith, and he acted upon that faith, trusting that God’s ways were right and proper.

Life application: Life seems unfair at times. People are born into different situations as determined by God, and rather than being unhappy about it, we need to accept our situation and work within the parameters of our station to bring the most glory to the Creator who placed us where we are for His purposes. This doesn’t mean we have to accept our plight and wallow in it without trying to better ourselves, but it does mean that whatever our station is, we should be content in it, even as we look to better it.

O God, we often wonder why we were placed where we are. Help us, Lord, to bring glory to You by being the most faithful Christians that we can be – using the time, place, and circumstances You have dealt to us in lives which are worthy of the title of “Christian.” To Your honor and glory alone! Amen.