The Faith Of The Patriarchs
THE FAITH OF THE PATRIARCHS
HEBREWS 11:13-22
What are you looking forward to? Read verses 14 to 16 to see how it matches with what these heroes of the faith had their sights set on.
This passage divides into two sections, the first a general consideration of what is implied in the faith of the people spoken of, and a second in which individual patriarchs are mentioned. The outstanding character of the faith of people like those mentioned is shown by the fact that to the very end of their lives they never did see the realization of the promises of God. This happened, of course, because these promises are bound up with the saving work of Christ.
Until Christ came there could be no complete fulfillment of God’s promises, whatever partial anticipations might be granted the people of old. But if they did not see the fulfillment, there was nothing wrong with their vision. They saw themselves for what they were, “strangers and exiles on the earth” (11:13). If their interest had been in earthly possessions, they would have been able to go back to the land from which they came (11:15). But their vision was fixed on something far better, on that spiritual possession that God had for them. They were giants in faith. And it is a wonderful thing that is said of them when our writer reports that “God is not ashamed to be called their God” (11:16). It calls for heartsearching on our own account as to whether God could in any meaningful sense be called “our” God. Would he be ashamed of being called the God of people like us?
When he gets down to cases, the author thinks first of Abraham’s readiness to offer up Isaac, that son in whom God had said the promises would be fulfilled. The patriarch trusted God, that God can even bring people back from the dead. Indeed, the author sees a figurative resurrection in the way Abraham received his son again. Again, Isaac looked forward to a future he would not see as he called a blessing on Jacob and Esau. And Jacob and Joseph followed in the same way by looking forward in faith to what they knew God would bring to pass after their lives had ended. So each of the patriarchs sets us an example. They all trusted God against the present indications. And in each case their faith was vindicated.