"Faith Hall of Fame"
Hebrews 11:8-12
• Abraham believed God when he did not know “where”.
• Abraham believed God when he did not know “how”.
• They believed God when they did not know “when”.
Hebrews 11:13-16What do Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham have in common? They did not view themselves as citizens of earth, but of God’s kingdom and “strangers and exiles on the earth”. See Revelation 21:1-2
Hebrews 11:17-19 We know that God will work things out in our life “somewhere’, “somehow”, and even at ‘some time”, but biblical faith requires trusting in His Word and ways even when it’s not fully revealed why.
• Abraham believed God when he did not know “why”.
Hebrews 11:20 Isaac had such strong faith in God’s Word that although it would never come to pass in His own life, He passed on to Jacob God’s Word given to him through Abraham. Biblical faith trusts in God’s Word regardless of when it will come to pass, even if not until future generations.
Hebrews 11:21 It was odd that Jacob switched his hands, reversing the positions of the elder and the younger when blessed Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh? Although Jacob’s physical eyesight was gone at this time, he still saw things correctly by faith.
Why might it be significant that Jacob worshiped atop his on staff? A staff was a symbol of authority.
Joseph, as appointed ruler of Egypt, would have held a staff some would have considered of greater, earthly authority than that of Jacob’s.
Jacob had greater faith in God’s authority represented by his own staff than even the greatest earthly authority represented by Joseph’s staff.
Hebrews 11:22 Joseph knew of God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 15:13-16) that Israel would one day be delivered from Egypt.
