Contributor: Adewale Abiona

INTRODUCTION

As we consider some of the few remaining verses in last chapter of the book of Hebrews, and as the author has encouraged us to show the love of Christ towards all, both Christians and strangers, and to remember show empathy to those in hardship. He goes further to remind us to honour marriage, to be content with such things as we have, and to remember those that help build the foundation in our Christian lives.

Today, we will consider the consistency of God’s word under the heading “Jesus Doesn’t Change”
As you rightly know that the motto for this mission is the verse 8 of this very chapter taken from KJV version “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”

Verse 8: Jesus Is The Same
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”

When we consider the world today, in comparison to few years ago, you will realise how things has evolved. The magnitude at which things has changed and the rate at which the society look forward to new things is very interesting. Things people once loved yesterday has become a thing of the past today. If we consider Nokia Phones in their time and todays mobile technology, you will agree that Samsung and Apple has make life easier through their technology.
In like manner people change from time to time. The person that liked you yesterday, no longer want to see you today. The level of inconsistency with man or desire for new things seem to be what we expected of God.
We everything is going well; we believe God must be smiling at us but when thing isn’t going our way, we think He must be angry at us.

But He is the same,

Mal. 3:6
"I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. (NLT)
His decisions are constant"

James 1:17
"Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow." (NLT)

God is our rock - stable, unmoving, unshifting, unchanging.

2 Samuel 22:47
The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

Verse 9: Divers and Strange Doctrines
"Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them"

Because Jesus is the same, His teaching does not change either. It stays the same, generation after  generation. Although society changes, trends shift, and styles go in and out, however, the gospel, the message, the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, remains the same.

In 2Tim. 1:13
"Apostle Paul told Timothy to “Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.” (NLT)

"A Pattern" is some that is repetitive. It is something that doesn’t change, done over and over again.
Now this kind of repetition is not exciting enough for some people, especially as we get use to the dynamics of thing. Many are always on the lookout for the new thing, new method, style, New wave of glory, new outpouring of the Spirit, new revelation, new truth, new understanding, and new way to tolerate and accommodate (even iniquity?) They want more and go off in search of " Divers and Strange Doctrines."
The Bible warned that this would happen in the last days:

1Tim. 4:1
"Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons." (NLT)

2Tim. 4:3-4
"3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths." (NLT)

We see it all around us today - Divers and Strange Doctrines surround us. They fill Christian world, all kinds of Christian TV stations, and Christian churches.
The Old Testament Law had much to say about which foods were clean and which were unclean and the early church observance of this becomes religious ritual on how to find favour with God. But did observing the food laws make a man any more holy or righteous?

Jesus said in (Mark 7:18-19),
18 “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? 19 Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.”

By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.

And in 1Cor. 8:8 Paul said
"It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do."

A lot of people like to be religious and be bound by or make such a big deal about following food laws, and judge anyone who claims to be a believer, but doesn't follow those same standards.

The Bible tells us in Col. 2:16-17
"16 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality."

The Grace of God, which is His love and favour given to us does more to make us righteous than following any religious believe. Because His love in our heart will guide us into all truth.

Verse 10: A New Altar, A Better Sacrifice
"We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat."

The priests that served in the temple ate from the sacrifices on the altar. They are the people with more restrictions placed on them regarding what and where to eat

Leviticus 10:12-15
12 Then Moses said to Aaron and his remaining sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, “Take what is left of the grain offering after a portion has been presented as a special gift to the LORD, and eat it beside the altar. Make sure it contains no yeast, for it is most holy. 13 You must eat it in a sacred place, for it has been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the special gifts presented to the LORD. These are the commands I have been given. 14 But the breast and thigh that were lifted up as a special offering may be eaten in any place that is ceremonially clean. These parts have been given to you and your descendants as your portion of the peace offerings presented by the people of Israel. 15 You must lift up the thigh and breast as a special offering to the LORD, along with the fat of the special gifts. These parts will belong to you and your descendants as your permanent right, just as the LORD has commanded.”

But this verse declares to us that we have a new altar that our sacrifice is on. Our sacrifice is Jesus on the cross." This is a once and for all sacrifice that isn't allowed to be eaten of by the temple priests. He goes on to explain how Jesus was a fulfilment of the sin offerings in the temple

Verses 11-12: Bearing the Suffering all Alone
"11For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate."

Lev. 16:21-22
"21 He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness. 22 As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people’s sins upon itself into a desolate land."

The scapegoat was an illustration of Jesus Christ. The goat had all the sins of the people transferred to itself. It alone would bear them all. The same is true for Jesus:

Isa. 53:6
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.

Then the goat was taken outside the city. So too with Jesus, who was led out of Jerusalem to be crucified on Calvary.

Ps. 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

This goes to show the consistent of God’s love for His children and how much he cares for us to the point of putting our sins away from us and laid upon His own begotten Son.

Verses 13- 14: Let Us Go Forth To Him
"13Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
Here we are been encouraged to leave the four walls of religion and go all out for Jesus bearing the pain and anguish that come with identifying with Christ. Establishing relationship with the Holy Spirit, who will guide us into the perfect will of God 14For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.
Knowing that our reward is not in this world, but of the new one to come. To forget about our comfort zone, our earthly Jerusalem, because the heavenly Jerusalem is waiting for us."

Verse 15: The Sacrifice Of Praise
"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."
The only sacrifice that is required of you and I continually praise the King of Kings and the Lord of lords for all that is has done to redeemed us from ultimate penalty of sin and has blessed us, making all grace to abound unto us.

CONCLUSION
Since the fall of Man in Genesis, God sought to reconcile man back to Himself. Though He was frustrated at first that he created man but His unique intention for creating man cannot be derailed or defeated. God took three tremendous steps to carry out His original plan of imparting His eternal life into us so we could share His life and express Him.
Step 1—God became a man named Jesus Christ (incarnation)
Step 2—Christ died on the cross to redeem us (crucifixion)
Step 3—Christ rose from the dead (resurrection)

While the burden appeared to be too heavy for Christ to bear, he stayed focused, submitting to the course of redeeming you and I and this gives me the assurance that he will never leave nor forsake me. He is dependable, reliable, unchangeable, unbreakable and ever constant friend
The question for you and I is
• Can you stick to Him till the very end?
• Can you trust Him with your life?
• Will you remain loyal to Him as He is to us?
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Contributor: Ngozi Roberts

INTRODUCTION
Last week we treated the topic ‘Unshakable Kingdom” we were encouraged as believers to conscientiously continue to run the Christian race and not give up notwithstanding the everyday challenges that comes our way. We were reminded that as believers we have become part of Gods City calledMount Zion. As citizen of this city or kingdom we should be rest assured that our representative and Mediator has made available to us so much grace to live by and face whatever challenge that comes our way. The writer reassured us that Christ as a Purifier Himself will ensure that through His cleansing fire, He will not quit until He has purified us unto Himself. Therefore, we have a reason to be deeply grateful to Jesus Christ.
Today we are going to discuss the topic ‘Live to Please God’. And in this study, we are going to see how the writer brings to the believer some tips of how to live in brotherly love amongst themselves.

VERSES 1-3

"Let brotherly love continue. 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body."

We see the writer starts to mention ideal ways that we can live to enable us be Christ like. The first being that we should love one another by being on good terms with each other strangers inclusive. This way some of us would have extended a hand of hospitality to angels without know it. This brings to remembrance the story of Abraham in Genesis 18: 1-33.
When Abraham unknowingly entertained angels through his hospitality. In fact, if you read to the end, we see how he was eventually rewarded, how he was given the opportunity to intercede for his neighbours – Sodom and Gomorrah – and through his intercession, his brother Lot was saved. So, you see when the bible encourages us to let brotherly love continue amongst us, its not only for us to visit each other, text each other but also to pray and intercede for one another genuinely as if we are praying for self.
So, the writer explains that our love for one another should be so deep that when we remember brethren that are in pain, prison or suffering it should be as if we are the ones in that pain.

VERSE 4

"Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

The writer was bringing home to us the meaning of the Love he is talking about that should exist among us Christians. You see, the bond between a man and a woman in marriage is based on this kind of Love. Marriage counsellors will tell you that there are different kinds of love. But the only type of love that as believers we should aim for is the Christ kind of love called Agape love. This is the unconditional kind of love. The kind of love that Jesus Himself showed by example by dying on the cross for us His bride. In Ephesians 5:25- 25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.
Christ being the husband and the church being the bride. Here we see the reference to this kind of love. Knowing that it is with Agape kind of Love that Christ demonstrated when He died for the Church. Likewise in Marriage, this undefiled agape love ought to be seen. I believe this is the kind of love the writer is encouraging us to show to one another. This kind of love we see in marriage. That is why he explained that it is an honourable thing. An admirable and a sacred institution therefore should be respected. Therefore, when we understand and practice this in our relationships and love for one another, it will be like practising how to be the bride knowing that Jesus is our bridegroom.
 

VERSES 5-6
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

The writer is urging us to be content with what God has provided us with. Always remember that God has assured us that in this Christian race He will never leave us nor forsake us.
The author invariable was encouraging the Hebrews in the same way Moses encouraged the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
He was telling the Hebrews not to relent in the face of adversity but to be consistent in their godly way of life knowing that it is not by their power or might but if they depend on God, He will never leave them nor forsake them. So long as we continue in this knowledge, we can always confess and prophesy continually that God is always ready to help us! We will not live-in fear no matter what!

VERSE 7 

"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation."

The author went on to remind us of our Pastors and leaders and those God has placed in authority over us. These people God has used to tailor our faith in the right direction through the right use of the word of God. Let their faithfulness, mannerism and truthfulness teach us the way we should live and in so doing, there will be consistency in our Christian living as brothers and sisters!

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the writer in these verses of scripture has shown us how to live a Christlike way of life in our mannerism, character, attitude, hospitality and boldness and fearlessness. Trusting God that He will always lead us aright and in the end when

Contributor: Peter Folikwe

INTRODUCTION
Last week the topic excellently treated was “A call to listen to God”.
We were admonished to make it a lifelong project to live in peace with everyone and at the same time honour our God with a lifestyle of holiness.
Furthermore, we are to look out for each other; supporting others where they are weak with our strengths, not exploiting their weaknesses for personal gains.
We were warned against the ‘Esau syndrome’ that tends to have a myopic view of the ‘now’: the consequence of which is mortgaging enduring blessing of the future for short lived, immediate gains.
The concluding verses anchored on the call to hear and listen to God. That, if we choose not to listen to Jesus, we become distracted by lots of negative voices. In those days the Jews requested Moses who was considered holy to approach the mount of God - Sinai to hear from ‘a dreaded God’ on their behalf.
Today’s study will be looking at the concluding verses of Hebrew chapter 12: mainly encouraging us as believers to painstakingly continue to run the Christian race and not relent despite challenges of our faith along the way.

Heb. 12:22
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,”

Unlike the fearful and dreadful mount Sinai described in V18-21, we are encouraged to approach mount Zion (a place of friendship with God) - the heavenly Jerusalem to hear from ‘a loving and approachable God’, based on the finished work of salvation on the cross of Calvary.
The old covenant relationship God had with His people as described at Mount Sinai presented God as mean, dreaded and unapproachable God, because of their sins.
Reason being that the problem of sin still debarred people from approaching the presence of God in those days and Moses was the only one privileged to fearfully approach His presence to hear on behalf of his people; even though he trembled at God’s presence.
We thank God for the finished work of salvation on the cross of Calvary.

V22 reassures is that we have come to a spiritual and not a physical mountain: the spiritual presence of ‘the Holy, Living God’. Hallelujah!
It went further to describe this awesome presence of God as a place where innumerable company of angels dwell and worship the Almighty God. Imagine how dreadful mount Sinai was where God occasionally visited and talk with His people, compared with mount Zion where we have the audacity to approach His very presence and where innumerable company of angels dwell with Him.
The latter ought to be more dreadful, however our liberty to approach His very presence came through the blood of Jesus.
In addition, His word to save us, forgive us, heal us, transform us, encourage us when facing unpleasant circumstances, and ultimately translate us into His heavenly Jerusalem are freely available for us in the Bible.

Heb. 12:23
“to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,”

You and I have our names -This verse gives us the exposé that the church of God registered in heaven, in the holy presence of God. Another good reason why we relentlessly.must keep running the Christian race
Apostle Paul says in Rom 8:35-39....
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ...... nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.”
Reading further V23 states that God is the supreme Judge, not to be judged by Him, but allowed into the very presence of this awesome everlasting Judge; what a privilege!
A place where those who trust in God once physically alive but now dead, received their promise/reward dwelling the presence of God; enjoying the largesse of His eternal kingdom.

Heb. 12:24
“to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”

This tells us clearly that Jesus is the one that mediated or simply put reconcile our relationship with God, changing the dreadful relationship at mount Sinai into a caring and loving relationship at Mount Zion.
Please note that God remains unchanged - Holy, He is the same God at mount Sinai and same at Mount Zion. Man on his part has remained sinful.
The sinful nature of man is probably worse these days than they were during the days of Moses, but we are able to approach the very presence of God today because of the new covenant in the blood of Jesus.
While the blood of Abel and all those innocently murdered continued cry to God for justice and vengeance, the blood of Jesus continues to cry out to God for mercy and compassion.
Rom 8:1 further confirms that “

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
In the early part of our study of the book of Hebrews we read that the early Jews offered the blood of animals as an atonement for the sins of men year in year out, but with the blood of Jesus, it is a once and for all sacrifice for our sins that reconciled us to God permanently. His blood has paid for all our wrongdoings, enabling us to be in the approachable presence of and unapproachable God.

Heb. 12:25-27
“See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,” 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” 27 “Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.”

The unique gift God, He gave us in His only begotten son - Jesus according to John 3:16, brought us expressly into the presence of God unhindered. This verse admonishes us to listen to Jesus and not refuse His instructions in order not to lose he privileges to ultimately dwell in the presence of God.out in t
This tells of how valuable we are before God. Value as we know = Benefits less the cost. The higher the benefits, the higher the Value.
It means that God sees so much value in us that He decided to bear the cost of the life of His begotten Son for the benefit of our souls. In return, when we are offended by people, we bear those pains and forgive them as God did for us, considering the benefits ahead of us.

The second part of V25 however comes with a warning. Children of disobedience who refuse God’s word through Jesus face the consequence of the judgement of the wrath of God.
Meaning the inescapable way to avoid the wrath of God is to follow and listen to Jesus. John 10:4b says it is the sheep that hears the voice of the shepherd that follows Him.
This takes us to the promise of God in V26 which says God will shake away all our inadequacies and challenges: even the unpleasant circumstances that shake our faith
will be shaken away, if only we follow and listen to Jesus, clinging onto Him always.

V27 also emphasized things that cannot be shaken.
The word of God remains constant and unshakable. His promises are sure, His compassion they fail not. His kingdom is unshakable. Christ remains the solid rock in which we stand.

Heb. 12:28-29
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”

CONCLUSION

The concluding verses assures us of receiving this unshakable kingdom here on earth by faith.
The Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11: 2 “.....When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.”

We are therefore expected show gratitude to God by holy living.
Finally, the last verse emphasized that God, Who was feared and trembled at in the days of Moses has not changed from being a “Consuming Fire”. The only reason we are not consumed is because of Jesus our mediator of the new covenant. We therefore must offer a pleasing and acceptable worship to God with reverence.
We cannot afford to be playing church or behave like the hypocrites, just because Jesus has brought us to the presence of God unhindered by our sins.
God is a consuming fire.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION

In last week’s study titled “Understanding God's Discipline” we looked at the reasons that underlays God’s discipline and the benefits of such discipline. We learnt that trials are a part of the Christian walk and different from God’s discipline. God always has a purpose for allowing His children go through difficulties such as the teaching of obedience, the glory of His name, the building of our faith, etc. We also learnt that He only chastises or disciplines you and I because He loves us. Today we shall be considering A Call to Listen to God following from the admonishment in verse 13 to strengthen hands that are down and feeble knees . . .

VERSE 14: PURSUE PEACE, PURSUE HOLINESS
“Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”

This verse addresses two important aspect of the Christian life. The KJV leads with the phrase “Pursue peace”, the NIV says “Make every effort” Here the NLT admonishes us to “Work at it!” In other words, make it a project, make it your goal! Understand how to live in peace “with everyone” We have been commanded to seek and live in peace among ourselves. (See 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:13).

But is this ever possible? To live in peace “with everyone”?

There are those who you simply cannot live in peace with unfortunately. Not because of you, but because of them! That is why the Bible in Romans 12:18 says:
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”

Having said that; we should ensure we are not the ones causing the strife. We should make every effort to live in peace. You should not be the one on the war path with another, the troublemaker and street fighter.

The second part of this verse addresses holiness. We are admonished to “work at living a holy life” We are meant to make every effort as well in living a holy life. Whereas righteousness is credited to us by the finished work of the cross, holiness is not credited to us; we are expected to work at it. 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV) says:
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (See Lev. 11:44-45)

The pursuit of holiness; that state of continual sanctification, that life of purity and detachment from the world and all its lusts, without this detachment and sanctity no man shall see the Lord. To see God, in the Hebrew phrase, is to enjoy Him; and without holiness of heart and life this is impossible.

VERSE 15: WE MUST BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER
“Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

Each of us run personal races; but we are called to run in it together. We were made for community; for fellowship. It is truly not good for a man to be alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV says:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

The second part of this verse tells us that bitterness is poisonous; and we should watch out for it! it also tells us of three consequences of bitterness
1. The first is from the first part; which tells us that it could cause a person to fail to receive the grace of God
2. The second is that when the poisonous root of bitterness grows up, it becomes trouble to us
3. And finally it will lead to corruption.

VERSE 16: ABSTAIN FROM THE ESAU SYNDROME
“Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal.”

Immorality and godlessness are snares that the devil uses to lure people away from their destiny into destruction. We should not indulge in them or accommodate them. It is usually the pleasure of a passing moment; but the result is deadly!

The MSG version says: “Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite."

We find Esau’s account in Genesis 25: 29-34. From this account we learn the following “Attributes of the Esau Syndrome”
We see that . . .
• He was only concerned about “the now”;
• He did not know the value of what he had so he treated it with levity;
• He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn Genesis 25: 34
• He was godless (Heb.12:16)
• He was driven by his belly and “fainted” under the pressure of hunger.
All these put together caused him to trade away God’s lifelong gift.

VERSE 17: CONSEQUENCES OF THE ESAU SYNDROME
“You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.”

There are consequences for every action we take. And when we suffer the consequences of our actions, we should know that it is not God punishing us! It because if we sow a lifestyle that is in direct disobedience to God's revealed Word, we ultimately reap disaster.
The consequences of sin may not come immediately but they will come eventually. And when they do, there will be no excuses, no rationalization, no accommodation. God does not compromise with consequences. So for Esau, when the time came for the blessing, he reaped the consequences of his actions.
The (b) part of this verse says:
“It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.”

CONCLUSION
VERSES 18-21: THERR ENCOUNTER WAS A MORE PLEASANT ONE
“You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”

Here the Apostle wanted the Hebrew Christians to realize what Jesus did in drawing us onto the Father by drawing their attention to the encounter their forefathers had in Exodus 19:12,13 & 19.
Right before their eyes, there was flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind. They heard the fierceness of God’s voice and were frightened to extent that they begged God to stop speaking! Even more frightening was the command they could not endure that even if an animal touched the mountain, it will be stoned to death not to talk of themselves!

The MSG version says in verses 19-21:
“The ear-splitting words and soul-shaking message terrified them and they begged him to stop. When they heard the words—“If an animal touches the Mountain, it’s as good as dead”—they were afraid to move. Even Moses was terrified."

So just in case the Hebrew Christians were thinking the Apostle was being too “harsh” on them; talking about discipline (verses 5-13) and the pursuit of peace and holiness; they should realize and so must we that they have it easy by virtue of Jesus’ blood granting us bold access to the Throne of Grace.

Contributor: Clem Roberts

INTRODUCTION
In our last study we were encouraged “That we should not be slothful, but followers of them who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises of God.” To lay aside the baggage of religion, nonchalance and sin. We were also admonished that we should keep on looking unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Today we shall be looking at understanding God’s Discipline, the reasons that underlays God’s discipline and the benefits.

Verses 5-6: "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

Yes The Righteous Do Suffer
• Job 5:7 - Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward...
• John 16:33 -… In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world...
• Psalm 34:19 - Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
• 2 Timothy 3:12 - Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution...

But Why Trials?
• For taking a stand for truth and righteousness (1 Pet 3:14).
• Because of our own behaviour that shows a lack of good sense or judgement.
• and our own sin (1 Pet 2:20).
• We suffer for sin in our lives (1 Cor 11:31).
• For our past sins (Gal 6:7).
• part of the sufferings that led up to His death (including his young years: Ps 69).
• Some lofty purpose of God (Job).
• For their faith (Heb. 11).
• For discipline (Heb. 12:6).

What’s The Purpose?
• To teach obedience and discipline (Acts 9:15-16; Phil 4:11-13).
• To glorify God (Dan 3:16-18, 24-25).
• Discipline for known sin (Heb. 12:5-11; James 4:17; Rom 14:23; 1 Jn 1:9).
• To prevent us from falling into sin (1 Pet 4:1-2).
•To build faith (1 Pet 1:6-7).
•To keep us from Pride. Paul kept from pride by his “thorn in the flesh.” (2 Cor12:7-10).
•To cause growth (Rom 5:3-5).
•To equip us to comfort others (2 Cor 1:3-4).
•To demonstrate the reality of Christ in us (2 Cor 4:7-11).
•So we can testify to the angels (Job 1:8; Eph 3:8-11; 1 Pet 1:12).
•Profit from these trials. James 1:2-4

Verse 7:  "If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?"

Verse 8: "But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."
•Chastening is the moral training and education of children ;
•Chastening correct mistakes and curbing passions.
•Chastening is an evidence that we are sons.

Verse 9: "Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?"
•Earthly fathers may make mistakes but God never make mistakes

Verse 10: "For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness."
The pinnacle of it all is:
•spiritual maturity and to be partakers of God’s Divine Grace and Holiness!

Verse 11: "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

Verses 12 – 13: "Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed."

•The stronger members should assist the weaker ones (Ex 17:10-12).
•The path should be made straight so they don’t keep going in circles

CONCLUSION – culled from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
By steadfastly looking to Jesus, our thoughts would strengthen holy affections, and keep under our carnal desires. Christians should not faint under their trials. Though our enemies and persecutors may be instruments to inflict sufferings, yet they are Divine chastisements; our heavenly Father has His hand in all, and His wise end to answer by all. We must not make light of afflictions, and be without feeling under them, for they are the hand and rod of God, and are His rebukes for sin.
We must not despond and sink under trials, nor fret and repine, but bear up with faith and patience. God may let others alone in their sins, but he will correct sin in his own children. In this He acts as like a father. Our earthly parents sometimes may chasten us, to gratify their passion, rather than to reform our manners. But the Father of our souls never willingly grieves nor afflicts His children. It is always for our profit.
Our whole life here is a state of childhood, therefore we must submit to the discipline of such a state. When we come to a perfect state, we shall be fully reconciled to all God's chastisement of us now. God's correction is not condemnation; the chastening may be borne with patience, and greatly promote holiness. Let us then learn to consider the afflictions brought on us by the malice of men, as corrections sent by our wise and gracious Father, for our spiritual good.
A burden of affliction is apt to make the Christian's hands hang down, and his knees grow feeble, to dispirit him and discourage him; but against this he must strive, that he may better run his spiritual race and course. Faith and patience enable believers to follow peace and holiness, as a man follows his calling constantly, diligently, and with pleasure.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
In the last chapter we looked at what faith was and concluded studying about the faith of the Patriarchs. We saw how they endured hardship by faith and achieved great things for the Lord. Apostle Paul relayed all of their encounters as an introduction to today’s study. He started off verse 1 of chapter 12 by saying . . . “Therefore . . .”

Verse 1: Application Of The Demonstrations Of Enduring Faith
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”

The MSG version says:
“Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins”

a. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
The Apostle Paul uses the example the previous champions of faith in chapter 11 as spectators from the heavens, cheering us as we press on to overcome present discouragement as in an athletic competition.We must picture those who have gone before us being witnesses to us of faith and endurance, in all they have lived and experienced. Their experiences should keep us encouraged.

b. Let us lay aside every weight
Sin can hold us back. But there are also things that may not be sin (every weight) but are merely hindrances that can keep us from running effectively the race God has for us.
Our choices are not always between right and wrong, but between something that may hinder us and something else that may not. Is there a weight in your life you must lay aside?

c. And the sin which so easily ensnares us
The words easily ensnares is translated from an ancient Greek word (euperistaton), which can be translated four ways: “easily avoided,” “admired,” “ensnaring,” or “dangerous.”
Let us lay them all aside:
• Some sins can be easily avoided, but are not
• Some sins are admired, yet must be laid aside
• Some sins are ensnaring and thus especially harmful
• Some sins are more dangerous than others are

d. Let us run with endurance
God has set before every one of us – a race. You must run it, and it will involve effort and commitment. The assumption is this race will not be easy, but the proper path to run has been set before us by God. The Aramaic can be translated “the race [personally] appointed to us.” God has a destiny for each of us that we are to give ourselves fully to reach.
Endurance is needed to run that race. Again, this “Endurance translates the ancient Greek word “which does not mean the patience which sits down and accepts things but the patience which masters them.” It is a determination, unhurrying and yet undelaying, which goes steadily on and refuses to be deflected.”
In Acts 20:24 Paul pictured himself as a runner who had a race to finish, and nothing would keep Paul from finishing the race with joy. In that passage, Paul spoke of my race – he had his race to run, we have our own – but God calls us to finish it with joy, and that only happens with endurance.

e. The race that is set before us
Race is the ancient Greek word agona, a word used for conflict or struggle of many kinds, and a favourite word of Paul (Philippians 1:30, Colossians 2:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:2, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7).

Verse 2: The Ultimate Example - Jesus Christ.
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The MSG version says:
“Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.”

a. Looking unto Jesus
We can only run the race as we look to Jesus and have our eyes locked on to Him. He is our focus, our inspiration, and our example. This implies a definite looking away from other things and a present looking unto Jesus.

b. The author and finisher of our faith
Jesus is not only the author of our faith; He is the finisher of it also. The idea of He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6) was comforting indeed to these discouraged Christians.
He is not only there with us at the starting line and at the finish line, but with us all along the way of the race that He sets before us.

c. Who for the joy that was set before Him
Jesus did not regard the cross itself as a joy. But He could look past the horror of the cross to enjoy the joy beyond it. The same mentality would enable these Jewish Christians (and we ourselves) to endure.

d. Endured the cross
Jesus was able to endure the ordeal of the cross because He understood the good that would come of it – the good of a redeemed, rescued people honouring God for all eternity.
Knowing all the good that would flow from this most agonizing experience, Jesus was able to do it and to endure it with triumph. Through the ordeal of the cross:
• He kept His tongue.
• He kept His course.
• He kept His progress.
• He kept His joy.
• He kept His love.

e. Despising the shame
One of the most prominent elements of the torture of the cross was its extreme shame. Jesus did not welcome this shame – He despised it – yet He endured through it to victory.
Shame is a significant trial. Daniel 12:2 says that shame will be an aspect of the terrors of hell:
“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Jesus bore this hellish shame to accomplish our redemption.
• He bore a shameful accusation: blasphemy.
• He bore shameful mocking.
• He bore a shameful beating.
• He wore a shameful crown.
• He wore a shameful robe.
• He bore a shameful death on the cross.
This is a stumbling block to many. They will do just about anything for Jesus except endure shame or embarrassment.

f. And has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
This speaks of Jesus’ glorification. The same promise of being glorified (though in a different sense) after our shame is true for the Christian.

Verses 3-4: Consider Jesus
“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”

The MSG version says:
“When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed!"

a. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself
Even in their difficulty if they would consider Jesus they could be encouraged, not discouraged, knowing that they were following in the footsteps of Jesus. As Paul wrote, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:17)

Think of all the hostility Jesus endured from sinners:
• At His own synagogue in Nazareth they wanted to kill Him.
• The religious leaders constantly tried to trap and embarrass Him.
• They lied about Jesus, saying He was a drunkard and a glutton.
• He was betrayed by one of His own disciples.
• He was mocked and beaten by many.
• His own people cried out against Him, “Crucify Him!”

b. Lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls
Knowing that Jesus doesn’t ask more of us than what He has Himself experienced, and that He knows exactly what we are going through will keep us from becoming weary and discouraged in your souls.

c. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin
Many Jewish Christians then, like many Christians today complain and get discouraged when they face difficulties. Here the Apostle was not going to sugar coat the situation and pamper them with statements like “everything is going to be alright.” Instead, he pointed it out to them that they should continue to strive against sin and be ready to continue even to the point of shedding blood because others have suffered far worse, not to mention what Jesus went through!
 

CONCLUSION
The race set before us; though difficult, is not an uncommon race. The patriarchs of faith ran in it, Jesus did the same. And the proper path to run in it has been set before us by God. The Apostle Paul’s admonishment for us is that when we find our faith dwindling, what we need to shoot adrenaline into our souls and get us going again, is by going over Jesus’ story again, item by item, all the hostility he went through and how He was able to endure it with triumph.

Parts of this study was culled from: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-12/

Contributor: Dolapo Olaoye

INTRODUCTION
We have learned so far that faith is rooted in God’s Word (vs. 1–3), and therefore faith worships (v. 4), walks (vs. 5–6), works (v. 7) and waits (v. 8). We learnt that faith is deeply connected to waiting. We always get what God promised, but not according to our schedule as it’s always better managed by God.
Truth is God blesses those who have complete faith with remarkable results (11:32-35).

Some of the things Faith does are:
- Faith enables flawed people to accomplish great things for God.
- Faith enables us to accomplish things that are only explainable/doable by God’s power.
- Faith entitles us to God’s blessing of eternal rewards.

VERSE 32: FAITH REGARDLESS
“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets”

There are some names, in this chapter, which we should hardly have expected to see there, the characters mentioned having been so disfigured by serious faults, and flaws, and failings; but the distinguishing feature of faith was there in every instance, and especially in the case of Samson.
The first five men listed here all had some serious shortcoming but regardless of their flaws, God still honored their faith. (i.e.: Gideon (Judges 6-8) was a coward and had to be sweet-talked in the start to doing what God called him to do or Samson (Judges 13-16) directed the Philistines on many occasions, yet he was tripped up by his lust for women). In spite of all these men’s flaws God used them because they trusted Him in difficult/challenging situations.

In each case, these people listed here were of faith and held on to the conviction that God’s Word was true. They were confident in God, they understood, the covenant promise of the gospel and the kingdom. So, they faced difficulties believing that God would deliver on His promises, some way, and somehow.
Keep in mind that regardless of where you are, faith marches on and therefore our faith can keep us in check. Your environments/surroundings do not alter the truth and neither do they alter God’s character. It is for this reason that you should march on confidently, clinging to God’s word, trusting him every step of the way.

Discussion: Where is the balance between tolerating our shortcomings and yet striving by faith to overcome them?

VERSES 33-35a: FAITH CONQUERS
“who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to fight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.”

God did these wonderful deeds, but He did so in accordance with the faith of those involved. Doesn’t minus the fact that God is sovereign, but it is equally true that He has freely determined that He will work through means. And faith is a prescribed means.
The point of application that we can draw from these accounts is that, when faced with tough difficulties, faith stands from generation to generation because the Lord does not change. The past faithfulness of God to reward responses of faith should encourage us that He can and will do the same today – unchanging God.

Discussion: Does faith replace planning, preparing and hard work? How can we know if the power is from God or from our planning and effort?

VERSE 35b: FAITH IS CONFIDENT
"Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection."

The word “tortured” can be literally translated, “beaten to death.”

So, how does one develop such confidence? By growing in our knowledge of God. Read, study and meditate on the Scripture. Love and get to know God, and as you know God you will love God and will desire to please God, regardless of the cost. Our confidence in Him will grow to the degree that our relationship with Him develops.

VERSES 36-38: SUFFERING FOR FAITH
Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
Here, the writer informs us of those who, like those in v. 35, suffered for their faith apparently without pardon. He tells us that some “had trial of mocking and
scourging, yes, and of chains and of imprisonments.” Thinks of Jeremiah, who was imprisoned for proclaiming God’s Word.
These great individuals were mistreated as they were “afflicted” and “tormented.” Such suffering on the part of faithful saints can be confusing to us all. It can be alarming, but the fact remains that the scripture did not promise a rosery garden to Christian—not yet, anyway. One day, the roses will bloom continuously, and the scent will delight our senses. But in the meantime, we may have our share of affliction, loneliness and even torment.

Discussion: Any reasons why God may not deliver those who trust Him?

VERSES 39-40: FAITH IS COOPORATIVE

"And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us."

Here we are encouraged to keep on believing. We are reminded that God has provided something better for us. The writer has told us all along what this “better something” is: a better hope (7:19); a better covenant (7:22; 8:6); better promises (8:6); a better sacrifice (9:23); and a far better country (heavenly country) (11:16)

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, let’s look back at verse 32 which speaks of those who “through faith” accomplished great things. Yet when you consider men such as Barak (who seemed rather cowardly at one point), Jephthah (who was rough and rash), Samson (who was often characterised by the flesh), David (who broke the Ten Commandments), and Samuel (who failed horribly as a father), you might wonder how they made the list? But thank God they did! Because these believers resemble the likes of us: sinful believers.

Remember the issue is not the quality of our faith or the quantity of our faith but rather the object of our faith - The great news. Bear in mind also that at the end of the day, all the glory goes to the one who makes faith possible: God. Believe in GOD.

Contributor: Alex Kokobili

Introduction:
The previous discussion in the preceding verses in Hebrews 11 showed the inward power of faith displayed in the lives of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. The lives of the likes of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc. revealed faith as an unseen weapon that is seen in miraculous manifestations. Their lives changed and challenged all odds from the ordinary to the extraordinary through their unbending trust in God. They were not born as perfect people, but they believed God for who He is and tarried on until the manifestation of that which He promised them.
They were willing to lose their lives and served God with their best not taking for granted the supernatural experiences of God. The faith of Abraham earned him the title “friend of God”, and he was willing to sacrifice his son in obedience to God, and also gave a tithe to Christ in the Bible in the representation of the King of Salem. Abraham’s testimony showed he was an intercessor, a soldier, a father of nations, a successful businessman, etc., which were all rooted in his journey of faith. We sing and lay claim to Abraham’s blessings which was a shadow of the Godly inheritance in the Old Testament now manifested in Christ Jesus, but are we willing to manifest the Abrahamic faith?
Today’s focus on Moses would help us understand his life and the journey of faith which distinguished him as a prophet haven survived childhood and progressed to be the leader of a nation. The miracles associated with his ministry are overwhelming of which I would call “strange faith” of supernatural exploits which we can best describe with the gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12: 9).

Verse 23:
“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.”

The kind of faith portrayed by Moses’ parents confirmed that they believed that God had chosen their child for a special purpose. They were not the only parents who gave birth during that period, as we understand that other male children were killed but they risked their lives to save Moses (Exodus 2:1-10).

Verses 24 – 27:
“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible”

Moses did not spend too much time with his parents, but I believe that with the little time they spent with him, they were able to plant the seed of faith in him as we noticed his sibling also had a divine assignment. How do we know this? Aaron his brother was chosen as his mouthpiece (Exodus 14: 12-17) and he later became a priest (Num. 17: 1-7), likewise, Miriam became a prophetess (Exodus 15:20-21). Moses’ outside the palace proved to him and the people of Israel that indeed God is sovereign. Bible scholars believe
Moses had learned a lot of astrology as the prince of Egypt as Pharaoh’s son which focused on the spiritual climate of Egypt and that is why we hear about the mystical books of Moses or the seven Books of Moses which are not in the Bible because he abandoned all this for the true Jehovah El-Shaddai. This point is important because Moses had tasted the spiritual architecture of the gods of Egypt and that of the God Yahweh and was convinced beyond doubts about the power of God starting from the burning bush experience (Exodus 3:1-6).

Verse 28-30:
“By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days”

The people of Israel still had faith in God despite their inconsistency but Moses was unwavering because he had a relationship with God beyond the signs and wonders that God did through Him. We need a steady relationship with God for our faith to be consistent! Moses had faith to the point that he wanted to see God, but Israel would complain at the slight inconvenience. Their faith was limited in several ways and they paid dearly for their moment of unbelief. But one must acknowledge that they had faith in the word of God through Moses. For instance, they believed Moses when he asked them to sprinkle the blood of the animals on their door their firstborns would not be killed. They believed him also at the crossing the Red Sea, and the walls of Jericho, etc. But despite this, they were often difficult to handle (Exodus. 32: 9-10) “They are stiff-necked people”.

Verse 31:
“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”

Faith comes with obedience and in this verse, we see Rehab believed the spies were God sent and Israel God’s chosen people to possess the land of Jericho, and she also obeyed the spies by putting the scarlet cloth attached to her window (Joshua 2: 17-21) believing they would come back for her.

Conclusion:
Unknown to many, Moses focused on a Godly relationship which eventually embolden him to function at the miraculous levels of faith as God’s prophet over Israel. He was privileged to write the law as directed by God and his counter with God revealed to him the creation of humankind and it was not a surprise to read about his appearance on the mount of transfiguration with Elijah and Christ in the New Testament.

Contributor: Wale Abiona

INTRODUCTION: In 1 Cor. 10, the apostle Paul reminded his readers of the things that had happened to the people of Israel during the Exodus. He highlighted their unfaithfulness to God, and the things they suffered as a result. And then he told his readers, “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” (1 Cor. 10:11).

God preserved the Old Testament stories for us so that they would serve as illustrations to us—in that case, illustrations of what to avoid.

As we come to Hebrews 11, we find some other great Old Testament examples given to us. But in this case, they are illustrations of what to embrace. The writer of Hebrews had stated his main proposition in verse 1—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

And in order to illustrate that proposition, he took his Jewish readers back to those Old Testament stories, highlighted the acts of the Jewish patriarchs, and asked them to learn from their examples of faith in the promises of God. He wanted his readers to see how these Old Testament saints embraced the promises of God from a distance, and looked ahead to their fulfillment—even if the fulfillment of those promises would be past their own lifetimes. As he wrote in verse 13;

"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).
In the passage before us, the writer continued this theme. He taught his believing Jewish readers about the need to keep true to God’s promises in Jesus Christ. And he illustrated this lesson to them through the faith of the four most important patriarchs of the Jewish Scriptures—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

I. ABRAHAM, AND HIS OFFERING OF ISAAC AT GOD’S COMMAND (Verses 17-19).
One of the most powerful of all illustrations of faith in the promise of God is found in these verses.

A. The writer would have immediately captured the interest of his readers when he reminded them of one of the most important stories they had ever learned. A story that would have been taught to them from the earliest days of childhood:
“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son . . .” (v. 17).

It was to Abraham that God made the promise “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” That was a promise that found its ultimate fulfillment in the birth of his biological descendant Jesus the Messiah—even though, at the time, Abraham was childless and far along in years. In due time, God kept His promise to Abraham, and his wife gave birth to a son from his own body. But after many years—when the boy was thirteen, and when there was no other son—God put Abraham to the test. He commanded him, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2).

B. This must have been a dreadfully difficult command for Abraham to obey. God had finally given him a son through whom the great promise He made to him would be kept. But was He now commanding that his only son be sacrificed by him on the altar and put to death?—the one, as the writer of Hebrews puts it, “of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called’” (see Genesis 21:12)? If Abraham obeyed, and sacrificed his only son—and he himself being well over 100 years old—what then would happen to God’s promise? Yet we find no evidence that Abraham resisted or delayed. We’re told, “So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3).
He did this by faith in the God who made the promise. As James 2:21 puts it, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?”
That is to say, didn’t his faith in the promise of God prove itself by the fact that he obeyed God’s command? And wasn’t he then proven righteous by the fact of his active obedience?

C. The greatness of Abraham’s faith was hinted at in what he said to the young men who travelled with him. As they came to the place that God commanded the sacrifice to occur, Abraham told them, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5).

Note carefully that he said, “we will come back”. How could this be? The writer of Hebrews explained that he said this, “concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead . . .” (Hebrews 11:19).

Abraham had so trusted in the promise of God that, if God commanded that he sacrifice of his only son through—whom the promise must be fulfilled—he believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead; “from which”, the writer explained, “he also received him in a figurative sense.” As Genesis 22:12-14 says, the Angel of the Lord spoke to Abraham just before he was about to sacrifice his son and said;
“Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided” (verses 12-14).

D. Later in time, it would be near that very spot that the Lord Jesus Himself would be crucified.
In this respect, then, the ram caught in the thicket by its horns was a picture of Jesus Himself; and this would give special meaning to the writer’s words concerning his trust in God regarding Isaac, “from which he also received him in a figurative sense” (v. 18). Isaac became a picture of God’s sacrifice of His only begotten Son for us—whom also God literally raised from the dead. This may even explain Jesus’ remarkable words to the Jewish leaders;
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56).
That is, perhaps, the greatest example that can be pointed to of an Old Testament saint’s faith in God’s New Testament promises regarding Jesus. But there are others. The writer also points to the example of . . .

II. ISSAC, AND HIS BLESSING TO HIS SONS WITH RESPECT TO THE FUTURE (In Verse 20).
A. No doubt Isaac never forgot the event of his father’s faith on the mountain of sacrifice.
And as he grew, he surely would also have remembered the promise that God renewed to Abraham concerning him after the event was over:
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:18).

Isaac lived as the inheritor of this great promise from God; and he knew that he must also pass that promise on to his children.

B. But like Abraham, Isaac lived for a time without offspring. He pleaded with God that his wife Rebekah would bear children. In due time, God answered the prayer in the births of the twin sons Esau and Jacob. When they were in the womb, they struggled together; and God told Rebekah,
“Two nations are in your womb, And the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23).

Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other,
And it was with respect to these two sons that the writer of Hebrews said, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come” (v. 20).

C. But the promise only applied to Jacob. He—not Esau—was the ascendant of the Lord Jesus. How then did Isaac’s blessing to both sons relate to the promise? It helps to remember that Isaac originally intended to give the blessing to his firstborn son Esau—in spite of the fact that God had told Rebekah that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). As it turned out, through the encouragement of Rebekah, Jacob deceived his father and pretended to be Esau; and Isaac, thinking he was blessing Esau, passed the blessing on to Jacob instead. He told him—in words that clearly reflected the promise God had given to Abraham; 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," (Genesis 27:29).

By deceit, then, Jacob usurped and received to himself the blessing that Isaac was placing on Esau. But even though it was through the misguided intent of Isaac and the deceit of Jacob, God nevertheless fulfilled His promise to Rebekah concerning Jacob. And Isaac—without realizing it—demonstrated a faith in God’s promise to the son that God had appointed with respect to things to come. For Isaac, the promise was sure; even if his application of it was mistaken.
The writer next points to the example of . . .

III. JACOB, AND THE BLESSING OF HIS GRANDSONS WHILE STILL IN EGYPT(In Verse. 21).
A. After the event, Jacob lived many years with the fact that he had deceived his brother. Nevertheless, he went on to have twelve sons who were the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel. The last two of his sons—from the wife of his first choice, Rachael, were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph, through the providence of God, became the Prime Minister of Egypt; and he made it possible for Jacob to live out his final years in comfort and prosperity. But he lived in a foreign land—far from the land that God had promised Abraham.

B. The time finally came for Jacob to die.
And perhaps it was the remembrance of his deception that led him to do what he did when it came time to bless his grandsons. Jacob called the sons of Joseph to himself, and placed his right hand on the younger son Ephraim—instead of on the older son Manasseh; and passed the blessing on to the younger. Thus the writer of Hebrews wrote;
“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (v. 21).
He made sure that they too were included in the promise of God to Abraham. And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth (See Genesis 48:15-16). 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: “God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

C. The significance of this might be seen in what the writer says at the end of verse 21 That Jacob passed on this blessing, “and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff”. Genesis 47:31 tells us that before he died, he asked Joseph to swear to him that he would not bury him in Egypt, “but let me lie with my fathers; you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”

Jacob wanted to be buried in the land of promise—not in the foreign land of Egypt (see also 49:29-33). Joseph swore to do as his father Jacob had asked; and indeed kept that promise (see 50:1-14). And at the time when that promise was made, we’re told that “Israel [that is, Jacob] bowed himself on the head of the bed” (Gen. 47:31). This same faith was also expressed by the next generation; as we see from . . .

IV. JOSEPH, AND THE INSTRUCTIONS HE GAVE CONCERNING HIS BURIAL
(Verse 22). A. The writer tells us that, “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (v. 22).

Joseph had lived for many years in the highest position possible in the land of Egypt. And yet, his heart was inclined to the land of promise. Just as his father wanted to be buried next to Abraham and Isaac in the land of promise, so also did Joseph. He told 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.” 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).

B. Joseph requested this because he had faith in the promise of God and knew that God would do as He said. As God had told Abraham;
“Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Genesis 15:13b-16).

And when that promise to Abraham finally came to pass, and the people of Israel departed from Egypt under Moses’ leadership, they made sure to take the bones of Joseph with them (Exodus 13:19).
Those bones were passed on to the stewardship of Joshua, and then to the leaders of Israel who—after they took possession of the land—buried his bones in 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” (Joshua 24:32).

CONCLUSION
Each of these patriarchal fathers placed their faith in the promise of God from afar. They didn’t see the fulfillment of these things in their own lifetimes; but trusted that God would do as He said. And their faith proved justified; because God did indeed fulfill His promises—not only concerning the land, and not only concerning the offspring, but also concerning the Lord Jesus who is the blessing to all the earth.

Study, Courtesy of: https://bethanybible.org/new/bible-study/pm/2016-03-09/four-patriarchs-who-had-faith-%E2%80%93-hebrews-1117-22

Contributor: Martins Olubiyi

INTRODUCTION
Last week we studied about the “Faith of the Patriarchs”. We learnt that faith is indispensable; it gives substance to spiritual things and the things God is doing in our lives. Faith is an attitude of trust in which a believer receives God’s gift of salvation (Eph. 2:8; Acts.16:30, 31) and lives in that awareness thereafter (Gal 2:20). Faith sees the invisible and believes the impossible. In today’s study, we want to learn the motive behind the faith of the Patriarchs.

Verse 13: Motive That Transcends the Ephemeral.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

This verse might appear to express tragedy. For instance, Abraham and those with him spent their whole lives longing for things they were promised, longing to have a land of their own. They trusted God for this and believed the promises He gave them, yet they died without having received them. What a travesty of tragedy! What an appalling commendation for the faith they professed and represented! If this is what our faith is about, dying with only unfulfilled hopes, then we are, as Paul said “of all men most miserable” (1Cor. 15:19). One thing this tell us is that Christianity is not a religion focused on the mundane and this present life. Paul says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth” (Col. 3:2).

Dying in faith: Writing about “These”- “Saints” Spurgeon made this startling remark in his devotional from Morning and Evening- “In faith they lived-it was their comfort, their guide, their motive and their support; and in the same spiritual grace they died, ending their life-song. Dying in faith has distinct reference to the past - They believed the promise and assurance of their sins forgiven and blotted out through the mercy of God. Dying in faith has to do with the present - These saints were confident of their acceptance with God, they enjoyed His love and rested in His faithfulness. Dying in faith looks into the future - They fell asleep, affirming that the Messiah would surely and He would on the last day appear upon the earth, they would rise from their grave to behold Him. To them the pains of death were but the birth-pangs of a better state”.

Jesus taught, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt. 6:19-20). This run contrary to a view that that is prevalent in our time: a packaged version of Christianity that offers mainly temporal benefits. Such as, if you trust Jesus, you will get this; you will have that. Of course, Christianity does give us spiritual resources that transform this present life. Resources like righteousness, peace and joy. But we are quick to forget that to be a Christian means to be persecuted in this world. Our blessings are
spiritual rather than material (Eph. 1:3). To be a Christian means: living as an alien and a pilgrim; it means not being able to fit in with others who are slaves to sin; it means denying yourself and picking up your cross; it means a life of struggle and fellowship in the suffering of Christ. The Christian life means, peace with God, but war with the flesh, the world, and the devil. The primary blessings Christianity offers do not lie in this life at all, but in the life to come, in the resurrection from the dead. Indeed, even our present blessings, abundant and wonderful as they are, are located in heaven, and are accessed by the exercise of faith.

The Vision of Faith: The characteristic of those living by faith is that they have a “Visionary Faith” in other words; they see the promises from afar off. Through our vision with eyes of faith, we get a proper perspective on this short time on earth versus the time forever in the future. It is obvious that the Patriarchs have eternal perspective in their expectation of God’s promises. Their perspective informed what they see with the eyes of faith. Their perspective informed their persuasion. It informed their acceptance (embrace). It informed their confession. It also helped them to know who they are and where they were. We could learn and gain from Job’s encounters on God’s eternal perspective on death and judgement. Read Job. 1:21. Job kept eternal perspective in a temporal world. He speaks of three profound realities: (i). “Naked”- he knew material blessings are temporary. (ii). “My mother’s womb”- he knew life is brief. (iii). “I will depart”- he believed in heaven.

Verse 14 & 15: The Patriarchs Were Goal Getters:
"For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country 15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned."

When Abraham came to Haran, he could have turned around and journey back into Babylon. But with the eyes of faith, he obeyed unquestionably the commands of God, from whom he received repeated promises and a covenant that his seed would inherit the land. Recall, Col. 3: 2: “Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Similarly, in Luke 9:62, Jesus said “No man who puts his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Verse 16: Desire That Births Expectation
But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city.
It takes grace and desire to obey God. As we step out by faith, then our expectation will be on God’s promises. Here the ultimate promise is heaven.

Things to Do:
We Must See God’s Promises - Before we can believe in God’s promises, we must see them. Before we can see them, God must open our spiritually blinded eyes (Mat 13:11-15; 2Cor 4:4, 6)

We Must Welcome God’s Promises - Having seen God’s promises, the Patriarchs welcome them. They greeted God’s promises with open arms.

We Can Only See and Welcome the Promises from a Distance - This means that the patriarchs did not receive the total fulfilment of God’s promises in this life. They only received a taste of them. The same is true of all believers. God Has promised us eternal life and yet, like the Patriarchs, we all die. The only exceptions are those who will be alive when the Lord returns.

Seeing And Welcoming God’s Promises Alienates Us from This World - The reason that Abraham left his homeland and migrated to Canaan was because he had seen and welcomed God’s promises. When he left his family and friends, he then lived as an alien in the land of promise, casting down shame and reproach because of eternal reward of a prepared city.

CONCLUSION
As Christians, we need to think of ourselves as travellers who are just passing through this sinful world. We are not permanent residents, but Pilgrims on a journey to a better land. Therefore, we need to “travel light”, not burdening ourselves with an undue attachment to the material things of life. The more we care for the luxuries and possessions of earth, the more difficult will be our journey to heaven. Christians must centre their affections on Christ, not on the temporal things of this earth. Material riches lose their value when compared to the riches of glory. (D.C. Egner).

Material culled from www.precetaustin.org/Hebrews_1113-16