“THE FAITH OF THE PATRIARCHS – PART 2”

Hebrews 11:20

INTRODUCTION:

-each of these men and women included in Heb. 11 (called “Hall of Faith”) were brought to the mind of the writer of Hebrews (many Bible commentators believe Paul wrote the book)

-each example in ch. 11 had something to do with the trials and tribulations being experienced right then by those Hebrews who had trusted Jesus to be the promised Messiah

-because of their faith in Jesus as the Messiah these Hebrew believers had suffered greatly, both from their own countrymen and from the Romans among whom they lived

-in those difficult times, there were some who were rethinking their commitment to Jesus

-they were considering that maybe they shouldn’t have let go of the old system of laws and ceremonies, of rites and ordinances

-this book was written to encourage them, to strengthen them in their faith and to show them clearly that Jesus indeed fulfilled all the requirements of the old covenant for them

-through their faith in Jesus, they were fully accepted of God as righteous; don’t turn back

-today we are only going to look at Heb. 11:20; there is something addressed here that is needful for us to be reminded of today

-it has to do with passing down the faith to the next generation

-read Heb. 11:20; pray

I. FAITH IN THE MIDST OF WEAKNESS

A. Background Before the Blessing

-Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were the forefathers of the Hebrew people

-they were men who walked by faith in the person of and in the promises of God

-they believed those promises and passed them down to the next generation

-but as you read their accounts in the book of Genesis, you discover that they were also men who erred and yielded to sin at times

-their children and grandchildren also did not always walk in the way of godliness

-yet these men and women continued to have an active faith in God

-it is interesting to me that none of their sins and transgressions are mentioned here in ch. 11; all that stands out is the faith by which they lived

-Jacob and Esau were twins; they were born to Isaac and Rebekkah when Isaac was 60 years old

-about 70 yrs. later, when Isaac was 130 years old, he gave this family blessing

-Jacob and Esau each received separate blessings; but as we will see there was such a difference between those blessings

B. Betrayal in the MIdst of Blessing

-the Scriptures tell us that when Esau was 40 years old he married two Hittite women from the area; these were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekkah

-some 30 years seems to have gone by since Esau had married these women

-although Esau may have been a ‘man’s man’ he was not a ‘God’s man’; his life can be summed up as a life lived after the flesh, in the strength of the flesh

-Isaac was around 130 years old when this blessing was pronounced by him

-Gen. 27:1 tells us that Isaac was old and couldn’t see; maybe he had severe cataracts being out there in the sun all of his days

-Isaac felt that his own death was near; he needed to impart the family heritage before he died

-if he died before the blessing was imparted he wouldn’t be able to control what would happen with the family heritage

-because of that fear he leaned on his own understanding and emotional weakness and put into motion things that could have been disastrous

-it’s almost as if Isaac’s physical blindness mirrored his own spiritual blindness because of his favoritism of Esau

-Isaac’s favorite son was Esau, the oldest twin; Isaac told him to go out and prepare the blessing dinner so he could impart the firstborn’s blessing

-Rebekkah overheard this and immediately went into crisis mode

-she knew that the spiritual heritage was to pass to the younger twin, Jacob, and not to the older twin, Esau

-God had told her before the twins were even born that the older would serve the younger, implying that the birthright was to go to Jacob over Esau

-it is likely that Rebekkah communicated this to Isaac at least in the beginning

-Esau was a man of the flesh, only concerned with outward prosperity, outward strength and might, and had no heart for the things of God

-he is referred to in Hebrews 12:16-17 as a “profane person”

-years earlier Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob over some humble pottage; this showed Esau’s distain for spiritual things

-but Jacob had tricked his father into bestowing upon him the blessing of the firstborn since it was obvious to the family that Isaac preferred Esau

-this was done at the instigation of Jacob’s mother, Rebekkah; I wonder if Rebekkah was falling back upon the deceitful ways of her brother, Laban

-here is the blessing that was bestowed upon Jacob as recorded in Genesis 27

Gen 27:27-29

27 And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: “Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the Lord has blessed. 28 Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!” NKJV

-the blessing of the firstborn included three major items:
a double portion of the inheritance; rule over the household when the father dies; the promise of the coming Redeemer through their seed

-yet Jacob came in by deceit and stole this blessing from Esau

-it appears that Jacob never told anyone about Esau’s contempt for the spiritual side of the blessing

-this doesn’t mean that Jacob’s deceit was looked upon by God as acceptable

-God would deal with Jacob in the coming years concerning those deceitful ways

-this brings up an interesting point: when another person undermines goodness that should have come to you, is God able to turn all that around for you?

-the answer is yes; but we get so focused on the rights we’re supposed to have in this life that we forget the purpose of Jesus’ entry into this world

-our inheritance is in heaven; that’s where our reward is safe and waiting for us

-to live out a life of physical blessing here on earth is just a special favor from the hand of God; but it is not our right to demand it

-getting back to the story, when Esau came in to receive the firstborn’s blessing from his father Isaac it was discovered that Jacob had stolen his blessing

-Esau begged for some kind of blessing showing that all he was interested in was the outward things and not the inward spiritual future

C. Belief in God’s Providence Concerning the Blessing

-it was at that time that Isaac realized the fullness of what had just happened

-he knew deep down from the prophecy given at least 70 years earlier that the younger was to receive the birthright

-it was then that Isaac affirmed in faith the initial blessing imparted upon Jacob

-this blessing was to remain on him and not be changed

-Esau pleaded for some kind of blessing, something physical at least

-so Isaac in faith then imparted a physical blessing upon Esau

-yet that blessing showed that the strife which had been a part of Esau’s life would pass down upon his heritage

Gen 27:39-40

39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. 40 By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.” NKJV

-each of these blessings was spoken by Isaac in faith, as weak as that faith may have been at the beginning

-Isaac then in faith affirmed the blessing upon Jacob as he sent him off to the northern area of Aram to find a wife for himself

Gen 28:1-4

1 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.

3 “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.” NKJV

II. FAITH TO BE PASSED DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION

A. Sharing the Stories

-Isaac in his own frailty ‘jumped the gun’ so to speak, when he determined to impart that initial blessing upon Esau; he lived another 50 yrs.

-yet after all had been said and done Isaac saw the hand of God working in the midst of it

-with this blessing he was passing down the hope in the promises of God to the next generation, to those who had a true heart for spiritual things

-how important this is to consider for us! it is one thing to live out our faith privately; but what about the work of discipleship to the next generation?

-do we just leave that to the pastors and elders of a church?

-no, we are to understand that it is up to us individually to share our life of faith

-we at least should share our life of faith with our children and grandchildren, and then with other young people the Lord puts into our path

-we may think that our life is no story to be used to display true faith

-but if that’s what you feel, you really need to rethink that; your children and grandchildren love to hear your times of trial and rescue

-illustration: my children and grandchildren

-discipleship isn’t merely a course one takes over a twelve week period and then it’s said, “It is finished”

-discipleship is an ongoing, ‘walking with’ another person through life’s situations

-it’s showing by example what to do, what not to do, how to respond, what those first steps should be when encountering each days’ situations

-all that takes time, it takes being with others, it takes loving others more than you love yourself

-God calls us to pass down the faith to the next generation; but how will that happen if we isolate ourselves from them?

-I encourage all of us to plug into the lives of those who are younger than us

-this is true not only of physical age, but also spiritual age; Jesus commands us to make disciples of all nations

-start at home with your kids, with your grandkids; then look around at the younger generation here in our church

-use the small group settings of the men’s and women’s Bible studies; make use of the home fellowships that are offered

-spend time with those younger than yourself; although you may not like to ‘Twitter’ and ‘Facebook’, at least seek to understand why this is so important to them

-the future of our church depends on the next generation having a passionate faith and living it out; encourage them, support them, pray for them

B. Strengthening the Hebrew Believers

-why did the writer of Hebrews mention this particular incident?

-these things were written to encourage them in their faith during their difficult times of persecution and tribulation

1 Peter 1:6-9

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls. NKJV

-the Holy Spirit inspired all the writers of these 66 books of the Bible

-the accounts that were included had great significance to those who would believe in the future

Ps 102:18 This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. NKJV

Rom 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. NKJV

1 Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. NKJV

-God is working in your lives today so that the comfort you receive and the lessons you learn can be passed along to the next generation

-by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come

2 Cor 1:3-7

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.  Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Click here to view the sermon notes in .pdf format.

INTRO: We all have times where we get angry, frustrated, distraught with life. Life is hard.

Have you ever been angry with God? “UNFAIR”, “UNJUST”, “HOW COULD YOU…”

When we throw our tantrums, He doesn’t kick us out of the family… works on us/ with us – patiently reasoning, lovingly disciplining, graciously teaching us.

* Ninevah has repented; God has relented…. Jonah is frustrated.

JONAH’S TEMPER TANTRUM: (V.1-4)

DISPLEASED, DISCOURAGED,  & DISPLACED: (V.1-3)

displeased exceedingly = (“vexed, irritated, spoiled toward, “it was evil for Jonah”)

He could not come to grips with God on this issue (forgiveness for enemies:  Ninevah destroyed his family/people, hurts run deep… cried out their wickedness, cried out Your doom, JUDGE THEM!!)

* There is a sinful part of us that resists the display of grace & mercy to anyone we don’t think worthy! Jonah has a mistaken patriotism – idolizing own people above God’s heart.

“angry” = “to glow or grow warm” (Hot Head about to blow his top!)

*Anger was not directed toward Ninevah’s response, but toward God’s release. (brother in prodigal son story:  angry at Father’s grace toward the lost son  returning– Luke 15:27)

(2)  In his anger he prays (different heart than one in belly).  He complains to God about God’s character as if there is a flaw in God’s nature.

- Jonah was angry, not because he didn’t understand God’s ways (knew God’s character, experienced personally)…He didn’t like God’s ways! Didn’t want enemies experiencing God… whole reason he fled!  He is discouraged with God…

*How do you respond when God blesses your enemies?  When unrighteous people do the right thing? (show, fake, hypocrite… just watch…)

*God’s mercy toward others is not based on what I think.  Doesn’t consult me.

5 things I KNOW:  1) gracious – getting what’s not deserved (forgiveness) 2) merciful – not getting what’s deserved (punishment) 3) slow to anger – patient, (delayed judgment) 4) abundant in lovingkindness – aspect of favor granted 5) relents from harm – turns from wrath to grace.

problem is not with God, but with us… God chose Jonah for this mission because He wanted to deal with an area in Jonah’s character.  How about you?

Jonah is displaced…”better for me to die than watch my enemies be forgiven!”

earlier saw life gone, saw grace & mercy personally, now different…lost focus, reason.

Note 2 things: 1) Jonah’s honesty with God…not hiding feelings.  Ministers of God – real men!

- the key is to know where to go (God); air out your heart and then don’t leave…listen, learn, love.

Hab. 2:1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.

2) Even believers despair of life:

1 Kings 19:4 (Elijah – running from Jezebel’s threat on his life) But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I [am] no better than my fathers!”

Job 6:8-9 (Job – circumstances) “Oh, that I might have my request, That God would grant [me] the thing that I long for! That it would please God to crush me, That He would loose His hand and cut me off!

2 Cor. 1:8-11 (Paul – trials/ ministry) For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver [us], you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift [granted] to us through many.

DIRECT QUESTION TO JONAH: (V.4)

“Is it right…”

God’s question is not condemning, but searching… get him to see own heart. (hard heart = no blessing)  (1^st mention of anger in Bible – at God…)

Gen. 4:6-7 (Cain) So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire [is] for you, but you should rule over it.” (God reasons, by questions to get man to see his own failure…)

*Is there such thing as righteous anger?  YES!

(ex. Jesus @ temple – zeal for Your house…angry at sin)

Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

It is right to be upset at sin…but don’t let it lead you to sin…don’t give the enemy a place with the issue

Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but [rather] give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance [is Mine, I will repay],” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Release to the Lord the issue…released by the Lord to bless.

James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

How do I know when my anger is justifiable?

Is it about me and my rights or His glory? 2) Is it over sin or just personal preferences?  3) What is the fruit of my anger?

GOD’S TEACHING TOOLS: (V. 5-11)

THE PLANT LESSON: (V.5-8)

40 days past…out of city…builds a  shelter to shade himself to watch the show

- doesn’t even want to see their faces…

- that shelter would become a “school of discipline”

prepared a plant:  “prepared” (appointed, ordered – 4x in Jonah)

- From whales to worms to winds…God is in control teaching us through His tools. (plant pic)

(Hb) “kikaion” (palma Christi) Grows up to 39ft. tall, 18” leaves like a vine, quick growth – hallow stalk, fruit – spiney green capsules – castor oil.

- plant is a miracle (1 day came up – v. 10) shaded Jonah from sun’s heat…comfort Jonah in his misery (from inner conflict).

* God’s GRACE /provisions – cares for us even when we are angry at Him!  What love!

“Jonah was very grateful” …self-oriented, self-absorbed.

**Be careful that your thankfulness is not self-oriented…  only for good things with ME.

(7) prepared a worm: (maggot)

- bit the root, sucked the moisture, useless, withered….brought death.

- Physical illustration to Jonah… bitten & being ruined by anger… missing My Grace!

Heb.12:15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

(8) prepared a vehement wind: desert sandstorms (blowing away the dead plant/shade, burning Jonah…uncomfortably hot!)

- Once again Jonah is lost in perspective… wishes death. Before it was God’s way with others, now it’s God’s way with him – personal comforts effected.

THE PITY APPLICATION: (V. 9-11)

(9) questions again…is it right? (persistent, patient, loving)

* God brings the plants (comforts us in our situation…providing His grace), brings the worms (discomforts us…eating up our security), brings the wind (trials to beat on us) to see if our hearts will turn to Him or from Him.  Will we lift our eyes up or bury our heads in the sand?

(10-11) Application:

Pity on plant (did nothing, no watering, no fertilizing) why mad?  Are the material benefits of more concern to you than the souls of men?

(11) 120,000 infants. (common score 1/5 of total pop. = 600,000)

Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Ends book with a question on purpose:  (searching of heart – “Is it right?” type)

Is it right that we receive God’s mercy, but don’t pass it to others?

God’s mercy to us should extend to others… (Matt.  18:23-33)

The lost world is His concern.  Is it right that it is not MINE too?

Are we too focused on the “plants” that shade ME?…the worms that “bug” ME?  The wind or sun that beat on ME? That we lose focus of eternity and the souls of men that need a Savior!

Although my notes were ready for Hebrews 11:20, I believe the Spirit of God was prompting me to do something different this morning.

I sensed in my spirit there were several folks in the congregation who needed help getting their cares up to the Lord. There were others that were ready to make that commitment to follow Christ either for the first time, or to re-commit their lives because of recent trials and difficulties.

Because we were ready this morning to also partake of the Lord’s Table, it made sense to me to just tie it all in and make a CALL TO OPEN OUR HEARTS TO GOD. When you view the video you will see what unfolded.