From the time Moses led the Hebrew people out of Egypt and delivered them safely to the borders of the Promised Land, he was one of the most honored and respected patriarchs among the people of Israel. After Jesus Christ and David, he is the most mentioned person in the Bible. For the Jews who lived during New Testament times, Moses’ words and commands were solemnly esteemed and observed. Moses is mentioned seventy-nine times in the New Testament, more than any other Old Testament person, and Jesus referred to Moses and the Law of Moses numerous times in His teachings. So it is no wonder the writer of Hebrews, in encouraging the faith of early Jewish believers in Christ, held Moses up as an inspirational example. We have seen in Hebrews 11:24-25 that by choosing ill treatment with the people of God over the passing pleasures of sin, Moses’ faith was evident. The writer goes on to tell us in 11:26 that Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. Stop and think about this statement for a moment. To Moses, the reproach of Christ was greater riches than the treasures of Egypt! What an astounding testimony to Moses’ faith! Of all the treasures he could have had as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses turned his back on them all and chose the reproach of Christ, something most people would not consider a treasure at all. But Moses was familiar with God’s promises and he believed them. He believed and clung to God’s promise that He would make Israel a great nation, that He would bless them as a nation, and that through them all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:2-4; 17:4-6; 18:18; 26:4; 28:14; 46:3; Deuteronomy 26:5-9).
 
So when the writer of Hebrews says that Moses chose the reproach of Christ, it means that Moses identified himself with the promises of God, with the people of God, and the purpose of God through Jesus Christ. Of course, Moses and his generation lived long before Christ, but throughout their history the people of Israel were the people of Christ, for they looked forward to the promise of the Messiah who was to come. Every law they followed and every sacrifice they made was a reminder of that promise, and Moses was one who longed for and lived for the fulfillment. He demonstrated that by the choices he made, and by faith he became a part of God’s plan in leading His people out of Egypt to the Promised Land where that promise would be fulfilled.
 
Identification with the people of God was not a positive thing in the eyes of the world. The Hebrew people were disdained by the Gentile nations, including the Egyptians, particularly because of the covenant of circumcision they had made with God. That is why we see in Joshua 5:9, after the Israelites entered the Promised Land and the children of the wilderness wanderings were finally circumcised, the Lord told Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.”  
 
Moses was not a shortsighted man. He was not one who looked for instant gratification or for approval from the world he lived in. He looked past the reproach. He looked past the indignity of slavery in Egypt to freedom, to the inheritance of the Promised Land, and ultimately to the heavenly reward. His faith was not in things he could see and touch and taste (Hebrews 11:1). His faith went beyond the promise of the inheritance in the land. Moses looked to the exceeding great reward (Genesis 15:1; Numbers 18:20; Psalm 58:11). For other encouraging Bible passages concerning the reward, see Matthew 25:21; Romans 6:3; Philippians 3:14; Colossians 3:23-24; James 1:12.
 
By faith, Moses understood that the reproach was temporary and that an eternal reward lay ahead. In a small way, Moses shared in the sufferings of Jesus Christ who left the privileges of glory, came to earth as a human baby, indentified with the suffering of His people, and bore the reproach of rejection and death on the cross. The New Testament admonishes us to look past the reproach of the world also. Jesus called all who would be His disciples to “take up your cross daily and follow me “(Luke 9:23). The apostle Peter tells us we were called for a purpose: Jesus is our example and we are to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21).
 
So what is your greatest treasure? Who are you following? What reward are you seeking? Who is your example? These are some of the questions Moses, Peter, and Jesus might call us to consider today.
 
With love
~Suzie
 
 

Before Moses was born, Pharaoh had issued a decree that all Jewish male babies were to be thrown into the Nile River. So according to Egyptian law, Moses never should have survived But by faith Moses’ parents risked the fury of Pharaoh and their own lives by ignoring the king’s command and keeping Moses hidden to save his life. If Pharaoh’s guards had discovered their disobedience, the whole family would have been executed. It was through the faith of his parents and the grace of God that Moses lived and was eventually adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. In Exodus 2, we also see the kindness of God in allowing Moses’ mother to keep him and nurse him until he was old enough to go and live in the palace as a royal prince. In those very early years of his life, Moses’ parents must have taught him about God, His promises, and the importance of faith because Hebrews 11:24-25 tells us that Moses had faith too. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; -- choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.
 
From the time he was weaned, Moses had grown up in the luxury of Pharaoh’s palace. He had the best of everything Egypt had to offer. But when he reached adulthood, he made the choice to identify with the Hebrew people rather than enjoy the position, possessions, and pleasures of Pharaoh’s palace. The lesson we learned from Moses’ parents (Hebrews 11:23) was that faith overcomes fear. Faith believes in God and obeys God’s laws above the laws of men. In those few short years Moses was with his parents, faith must have been implanted in his heart. For when he grew to be a man, Moses boldly made godly choices.
 
Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Hebrews 11:24). He chose to give up his position as one of the most honored and respected men in Egypt. He turned his back on the power, prestige, and wealth of the royal family. He gave up influential relationships, meals at the king’s table, and friendship with the wealthy powerful young men he had grown up alongside. He turned his back on the worldly values of Egypt and its people, choosing rather to identify with the lowly, despised slave laborers who were the people of God. Moses’ decision teaches us that he was a man a faith. He was willing to stand for what he believed in and make godly choices even when it was difficult and did not conform to worldly expectations, and even when he did not know what the consequences would be.
 
Hebrews 11:25 says Moses chose rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. The world of Pharaoh’s court was no doubt lavish, attractive, and indulgent of worldly pleasures while the people of God lived under an iron fist of oppression. But Moses made his choice by faith and not by sight. He closed his eyes to the sparkling world of royalty and trusted God and His promises regardless of the consequences. Hebrews 11:25 has been one of my favorite Scripture passages ever since I first read the Book of Hebrews. Many times in my life the words have helped me make godly decisions when it would have been easier and certainly seemed more enjoyable to go along with the crowd. Hebrews 11:25 tells us that Moses chose the less desirable way (in worldly terms) rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. It is important to remember that the pleasures of sin are always just "passing". We indulge for momentary, fleeting gratification, and then the pleasure fades and is gone, leaving us longing for more or for something a little better. The world’s pleasures are ephemeral. The promises of God are everlasting. Although we may find them difficult to cling to and live by in this life, we will find them to be eternal and always trustworthy. The promises of God are the best and far above any good we might enjoy of the pleasures of the world.
 
If you read the full story of Moses life in Exodus and learn how God used him to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt, you see of the goodness and faithfulness of God. Moses did not have an easy life, but he lived in reliance on God, and God always came through! He always does, and His way is always best. Besides that, God is always victorious. When we choose to trust God and follow Him by faith, we don’t just get through life “somehow”, we live life triumphantly.
 
I hope Moses’ faith will inspire you in the daily choices you make. May the example of Moses give you strength and courage to make godly decisions to stand for your convictions. The decisions you make every day ultimately determine the direction and destiny of your life, and not just yours, but the lives of others too.

With love and prayers,
Suzie
 

Exodus Chapter 1 tells of the suffering of the Hebrew people in Egypt under a Pharaoh who ruthlessly oppressed them. The Hebrew people had moved to Egypt nearly four hundred years earlier, and during that time they had increased in number until the land was filled with them (Exodus 1:7). Because of their growing numbers, Pharaoh saw them as a threat, so he subjected them to slave labor and commanded every male baby to be thrown into the River Nile.
 
So when Moses was born, his parents had a decision to make -- would they obey Pharaoh’s order and throw their baby into the Nile to die or risk their own lives to save their little son? They surely had a fear of Pharaoh and his power over them and their family. But they also feared and reverenced God and they believed His promises. Ultimately, they had faith in God that overcame their fear of Pharaoh, and the writer of Hebrews declares: By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict (11:23).
 
Because of their faith, Moses’ parents chose to disregard the danger to their own lives in order to save their baby. The Hebrews passage says it is because they saw he was a beautiful child.  The Greek word for "beautiful" in Hebrews is “asteios”, the same term used in Acts 7:20, “At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God's sight.” Both apparently refer back to Exodus 2:2 where the equivalent Hebrew term is used. Moses’ mother conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 
 
According to these passages, God saw Moses as a beautiful baby, and his parents, having faith in God, were of the same mind. Aren't all babies beautiful in the sight of God and in the eyes of their parents? All babies are the miraculously precious creation of our loving and gracious God. They are all created in His image (Genesis 1:27), and meant to be beautiful in the eyes of their parents. God is intimately familiar with each child of His creation even before birth. David wrote, in Psalm 139, For you formed my inward parts; you wove me in my mother’s womb.
I give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  (13-14).
And God told Jeramiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Furthermore, God’s Word reveals that all children are a blessing, Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward (Psalm 127:3).
 
Legally, Moses’ parents were required to throw Him in the Nile River when he was born, but morally they were committed to honor God and obey His commandment, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). By faith they honored and obeyed God! As a result, the Nile River did not become the place of baby Moses’ death but the means of his salvation (read what happened in Exodus 2:3-10), and ultimately God used Moses to bring about the deliverance of His people.
 
Because of the faith of his parents, Moses lived to fulfill God’s calling and lead his people out of slavery in Egypt and deliver them to the freedom of the Promised Land. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that faith is a gift of God. Are you exercising the faith God has given you? What fears have you overcome by faith? How is God using the fruits of your faith to bless the lives of others?

With love,
Suzie

In Hebrews Chapter 11 we have been inspired by the faith of Old Testament men and women of God. From Abel to Jacob there are beautiful examples of faith, trust, and obedience to God. Enoch walked with God for over three hundred years, Abel humbly offered acceptable sacrifices to God, Noah was obedient in building the ark while the rest of the world mocked him, Abraham followed God without question, even to the point of willingness to sacrifice his own son.
Sarah’s faith allowed her to conceive and give birth to a son even in her old age.
Isaac overcame his own selfish desires and surrendered to God in faith, and Jacob clung to God’s promise in blessing his sons.

In Hebrews 11:22, we see the extraordinary faith of Joseph, even in his dying breath. Joseph’s faith had been cultivated from an early age. (You can find the story of Joseph’s life in Genesis 38-50.) As a teenager, his jealous brothers had sold him into slavery. Joseph was taken to Egypt and purchased by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. Joseph was faithful in every job he was given and Potiphar promoted him to be overseer of the household. When Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him, Joseph was sent to prison, but he trusted God and was faithful. He was a model prisoner, God was merciful to him, and the prison keeper put him in charge of all the prisoners. Joseph humbly served in the prison and remained faithful to God in all he did. By faith, he was able to interpret dreams, ultimately even Pharaoh’s dreams, and was given a place of authority, second in command over all the land of Egypt. In his place of power, Joseph devised a plan that saved Egypt from starvation during seven years of famine in the land. During that time he was reunited with his brothers, and he never held a grudge. Instead, Joseph showed compassion and moved his whole family to Egypt where he could care for them and provide them with food. He faithfully served Pharaoh and the Egyptian people and his family until the day of his death. He never stopped trusting in God. And his faith honored God at the end.
 
In his commentary, on the Book of Genesis, Matthew Henry wrote, “faith has its greatest work to do at last, to help other believers to finish well, to die to the Lord, so as to honor Him, by patience, hope, and joy—so as to leave a witness behind them of the truth of God’s word and the excellency of his ways.” And that is exactly what Joseph did! "By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones"  (Hebrews 11:22).
 
Do you remember the promise God made to Abraham 200 years earlier (Genesis 15:18-21) and later repeated to Isaac (Genesis 26:3) and then to Jacob (Genesis 28:13)? He promised their multitude of descendants would become a great nation and inherit the land of Canaan. But at the time of Joseph’s death, his generation of descendants were settled in Egypt and thriving. No one was even thinking of leaving. It would be another two hundred years before God would fulfill His promise. But Joseph had faith! As he breathed his last, he reminded his family of the promises and encouraged them, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here”. Joseph did not want a permanent grave in Egypt. He wanted his bones to be part of the exodus out of Egypt, bound for the Promised Land. He had faith that time would come and he let his brothers know, encouraging their faith.
 
Joseph practiced his faith his whole life long. He clung to God, obeyed Him, and honored Him when he was a slave,
when he was unjustly treated,
when he was a prisoner,
when he was the second most powerful man in Egypt.
 
Joseph never gave up when things looked darkest,
never took personal credit for success,
never failed to give glory to God,
and was never corrupted by power.
 
Joseph didn’t give in to self-pity when his brothers sold him into slavery,
he didn’t fight back when he was unjustly treated,
he didn’t give up when he was thrown into prison.,
when he was given power, he used it to help others and not himself,
and he never sought revenge for what his brothers had done to him.
 
At the end of his life, Joseph’s faith was strong and shone brightly for all to see as he looked ahead to the fulfillment of God’s promises. Joseph’s faith did not fail. In fact, it seems his faith grew stronger through every trial. So even though he died in Egypt, he knew the Promised Land was a future reality. God had never let him down. In all he had been through, God had never failed him. He knew God’s promises would not fail and he shared his assurance with his family by reminding them of the promises and commanding that his bones be taken along when God moved them to the Promised Land.
 
It was faith in God that sustained Joseph all through his life and gave him strength. At the end of his life, Joseph never looked back. He passed his faith on to his brothers -- and to you and me -- with the encouragement to look to the future and to the fulfillment of all God’s promises. So lets be like Joseph. Let’s practice our faith every day, let’s cling to God’s promises in His Word, and let’s keep looking to the future, knowing God’s promises are real and will never fail. Let’s strive to be like Joseph and become an example and an encouragement to others.
 
~with love,
Suzie
 

By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff (Hebrews 11:21).
 
In Hebrews 11, we have been considering the importance of faith while looking at the lives of Old Testament men and women of faith. Hebrews 11:21 speaks of the faith of Jacob. The thing that struck me while thinking of Jacob’s faith, is the importance of faith in our old age. Faith is not something that grows dim as we grow older. As we grow older, our knees may become weak and give out, our hearing may decline, and our eyes may grow dim, but our faith should grow stronger and shine brighter than ever for everyone to see.

God had promised Abraham, in his younger days (Genesis 12, 15), that He would bless him, make him a great nation, make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens, and give them the land of Canaan. But Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac, was not born until Abraham was one hundred years old!  Abraham had slipped up a bit in his faith and tried to help God by having a child by his wife’s maid, Hagar. But the promise was not to be fulfilled through that child. What joy must have filled the household when Abraham’s wife gave birth to Isaac, the son of promise. But then God tested Abraham’s faith and commanded him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. We saw in Hebrews 11:17-19, Abraham’s faithful response to that command and God’s provision of an alternate sacrifice. Abraham was over one hundred years old when his faith was sorely tested and his faith prevailed and brought blessing.
 
In Hebrews, our attention has also been directed to the faith of Isaac in his old age when his eyes were dim and he wanted to bless his son before he died. We saw that his faith did not seem so strong as he tried to manipulate God by the giving the blessing to Esau, knowing that was wrong. But when his sin became clear to him, Isaac surrendered to God and his faith shone brightly.
 
Toward  the end of  their lives, neither Abraham nor Isaac had seen the fulfillment of God’s promise of  the land of Canaan nor had they become a great nation and their descendants were not as numerous as the stars in heaven. But that did not dim their faith, for they looked to the future, believing God would keep His word. For faith is having confidence in things you do not see (Hebrews 11:1). They knew the important things were invisible,  intangible and part of God’s sovereign plan .
 
Hebrews 11:21 gives a glimpse of Jacob following in the footsteps of faith of his father and grandfather. This verse reflects upon the incidents of Genesis 48 when Jacob was on his deathbed. Many years before, his favorite son, Joseph, had been sold into slavery by his brothers, and Jacob thought he was dead. By God’s grace, Joseph was very much alive and had risen to become the “prime minister” of Egypt (second in command only to Pharaoh). After learning that Joseph was alive, Jacob took his family, 75 persons, to Egypt to escape the famine in the land and to be near Joseph. Seventeen years later, when Jacob was old and near death, Joseph took his two sons to pay their respects to the venerable patriarch. Jacob mustered all his strength, sat up in his bed, and asked for his grandsons, Ephraim and Manassah, to be brought near to him. He laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left on the head of Manasseh and blessed the boys and adopted them as his sons. Thus Ephraim and Manasseh each became a tribe of Israel along with Joseph’s brothers and each of them received an inheritance in the land when God’s promise to the patriarchs was fulfilled. Jacob's faith looked ahead to that day.
 
Jacob, although knowing he would die in Egypt, had faith that God would keep His promise and take his descendants into the Promised Land. Knowing this, he gave a blessing to his grandsons and then he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. Jacob worshiped God, knowing in his heart that the promised blessings given to his grandfather, Abraham, his father, Isaac, and passed on to him would be fulfilled. Jacob’s faith is also seen in his last words to all his sons in Genesis 49:29-30, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,  in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah….in the land of Canaan [the Promised Land]”.
 
Jacob is an illustration of what the apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Jacob was a man of faith who struggled much of his life with the reality of faith. But when he came to die, Jacob looked back over his life and remembered God’s blessings, God’s promises, God’s leading, and God’s redemption (Genesis 48:3-4, 15-16). In spite of (and often because of) struggles, his faith had grown and at the end his faith was strong and a living testimony that God’s promises are real and reliable.
 
May the lives of the patriarch’s inspire your faith in God and help your faith to flourish in all circumstances all through your life,
Suzie
 

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come (Hebrews 11:20).
 
This is a curious statement, because if we go back to Genesis 27, we see that Isaac’s intention was not to bless Jacob at all, but to give the blessing to Esau. There was clear favoritism in this family, as we shall see.  The two boys. Jacob and Esau, were twins, and while their mother, Rebekah, was pregnant, they had struggled together within her so she went to the LORD to ask what was wrong. He spoke to reassure her.
 
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”
(Genesis 25:23)
 
Esau was the older, the firstborn, and Jacob had come out holding onto the heel of his brother. They  grew up to be very different young men. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob (Genesis 25:27).
 
So when Isaac grew old, he had a plan. He called Esau, the eldest twin, and told him to go hunt game for him, “and make savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die” (Genesis 27:4). Of course, we know from the LORD’s previous words to Rebekah that the eldest was not to receive the blessing.
 
And in the providence of God, Isaac did not end up blessing Esau -- because Rebekah also had a plan. She overheard Isaac’s words to Esau, and as soon as he had gathered up his quiver and bow, she ran to Jacob and instructed him on her deceitful plan to trick Isaac into blessing him instead. After all, the blessing was rightly his, because God had given precedence to the younger ("And the older shall serve the younger.")
 
Rebekah quickly set her plan of deception in motion. She cooked up a savory stew, found Esau’s best clothes and put them on Jacob (so he would smell like Esau), and covered Jacob’s smooth hands and the back of his neck with kidskin, so he would feel hairy to the touch, like his brother.
 
Jacob followed through. He took the stew to his father and lied to him, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.”  Isaac was a bit puzzled at first.  His eyes were so dim that he could not see (27:1), but it sure smelled like Esau, and the hands were hairy like Esau’s, and the aroma of the stew Rebekah had whipped up was inviting. So Isaac was deceived. He ate and drank and then called his son, who he thought to be Esau, near to him and blessed him.

"....may God give you of the dew of heaven,
Of the fatness of the earth
And plenty of grain and wine.
Let the 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."
(Genesis 27:27-29)
 
It wasn’t long before Esau returned home with his game and took the savory food to his father. Isaac was shocked beyond words! He trembled exceedingly (27:33). He surely realized right away that God had dealt with his disobedience. Surely he remembered the LORD’s words to Rebekah before the twins were born, “Two nations are in your womb….. And the older shall serve the younger.” Furthermore, and above all, Isaac knew the blessing and promise from God had been given to Abraham :

"I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:2-3).

This blessing had been passed down to him and he knew this blessing was to continue through Jacob (not Esau). But knowing full well the destiny of the promise, he was willing to defy God’s plan by blessing Esau. Disobedience! Rebellion!
 
This whole story is one of favoritism, lies, and deceit.  Isaac tried to alter the channel of the blessing from God. He knew through whom God’s blessings would be fulfilled, but he wanted to alter the channel and have them come through Esau, his favorite. Rebekah knew Isaac was wrong and took the matter into her own hands, failing to trust God. Jacob, though he had a heart for God, deceived and lied to his father to obtain the blessing he longed for.
 
But where is Isaac’s faith in all this? After being confronted by the pitiful, weeping Esau, who, by the way, is described in Hebrews 12:16 as a profane person, Isaac responded, "I have blessed him [Jacob] -- and indeed he shall be blessed" (Genesis 27:33). S. Lewis Johnson, in his sermon, “The Faith of the Patriarchs”, sees Isaac’s  statement as an act of faith. Isaac had sinned in trying to deviate from God’s revealed plan, but now he held to that plan in faith. His words, “And indeed he shall be blessed,” indicate Isaac’s genuine faith, as he  recognized, in the midst of it all, the providential hand of God. “It was something he didn’t want. It was something he was willing to attempt to alter. But when God in effect had providentially caused him to bless the person he didn’t think he was blessing, he said, ‘And indeed he shall be blessed.’ So he bowed to the providence of God.”
 
Isaac is an illustration of the way we ought to act when we have sinned and acted in rebellion against God. Have you ever done that? Have you ever deliberately acted in defiance of what you knew was right and good and God’s will?  Have you ever wanted something so badly that you didn’t care if you sinned - you just did it? When you’ve done something that is plainly wrong and it’s pointed out to you, how have you responded? Isaac acknowledged that he was wrong and that God was right. He showed faith in response to his sin.
 
Even though we are saved, we are still sinners and tempted in this world. Even when we go astray, may our faith always reign in the end.
~Suzie

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac (Hebrews 11:17)
 
So far, in Hebrews Chapter 11, we have seen Abel’s faith in his offering to God, Enoch’s faith in his walk with God, Noah’s faith in his obedience to God, Abraham’s faith in following God into the unknown, and Sarah’s faith that God would give her the ability to conceive and bear a child in her old age.
 
Now, the writer of Hebrews is giving us a deeper look at Abraham’s faith. We saw Abraham embark on his journey of faith by following God’s command to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees and travel to an unknown land. Now we see the depth of Abraham’s faith and his commitment to obey God when the cost gets greater and his understanding is still small.
 
Hebrews 11:17 tells us that God was testing Abraham. God tested Abraham by commanding him to take his son Isaac, whom he loved, to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:1). Can you imagine how Abraham must have felt? Isaac was his son, his flesh and blood, the son of promise, the miracle son of his old age. And all of God's promises were bound up in Isaac. God had promised Abraham, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.” God’s promises to Abraham were to be fulfilled through Isaac. Yet God commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. Read Genesis 22:1-14 for the full and true story of Abraham’s heart-rending obedience to God. But don’t miss what our writer to the Hebrews tells us in 11:19. As Abraham acted deliberately and faithfully in obedience and fear of God, he considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead. Abraham had full and complete faith in God’s promise concerning Isaac. He was so sure of it that he was willing to obey God’s command to offer his son as a burnt offering. Abraham knew that God had the power to raise his son from the dead and he had faith that God would keep the promises He had made.
 
But God’s plan for Isaac was not death. As Abraham lifted the knife to sacrifice his son, the Angel of the LORD spoke to him, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad,…..for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me” (Genesis 22:12). And as Abraham looked up, he saw a ram caught in the bushes, and he took the ram and offered it in the place of his son.

And Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided” (Genesis 22:14).
 
By God’s grace, provision had come and rather than Isaac’s death, a substitute had been supplied. Instead of Isaac’s blood being shed, a sacrificial animal was offered in his place. With thankful heart, Abraham named the place “The LORD Will Provide.” He didn’t name the mountain, “The LORD Has Provided” because, as at least one commentator has observed, there was more to come. And the more that God would provide was Jesus Christ who came by His grace as the perfect substitutionary sacrifice for our sins (Romans 5:8). But now Christ has been raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20).
 
Hebrews 11:19 ends with the words, Abraham received him (Isaac) back as a type. By faith, Abraham relinquished Isaac to God, fully intending to obey His command to sacrifice his son. But God, by His grace, gave Isaac back to Abraham, in a figurative sense, just as if he had died. Isaac’s "resurrection" was a parable, symbolic of Jesus’ physical resurrection from the dead. And in that Isaac was a type of Christ.
 
What a profound application of Abraham’s faith. God used this picture of the depth of Abraham's faith to show us, and help us understand, the depth of His love and grace and commitment to us, as sinners.

How does God desire to use your faith to show others His love, His grace, and His mercy?

~with love,
Suzie
 
 
 

The story of Abraham’s wife, Sarah, is awe inspiring. When I stop and think of it, it is incredible what God did in the life of Sarah. She was the wife and woman of faith behind Abraham, the man who believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3,9,22; Galatians 3:6; James 2:22-23). When God called Abraham to leave his home in Ur and travel into the unknown, Sarah faithfully packed up and went with him. When Abraham twice asked Sarah to pass herself off as his sister to protect his own life, yet exposing her to harm, Sarah obeyed. Sarah faithfully followed Abraham wherever God led without complaint. The apostle Peter wrote of her, Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord (1 Peter 3:6), and God honored her by giving her a new name (Genesis 17:15). He changed her name from Sarai, which means “my princess”, (limiting her honor to one family) to Sarah, which signifies a princess of multitudes. Thus, Sarah became a fellow heir of God’s promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, “I will bless you and you shall be a blessing….and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” For by the power of God, Sarah gave birth to Isaac, thus becoming a significant matriarch in the line of Jesus Christ.
 
The writer of Hebrews wrote, By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man [Abraham], and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore (11:11-12).
 
When the Lord appeared to Abraham (Genesis 18:1-15) and told him that Sarah would bear a son, Sarah was eavesdropping, and knowing that Abraham was 100 years old and she was well past the age of childbearing, she laughed within herself, saying, “after I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
 
I think its unfortunate that many commentators take Sarah’s laughter to signify unbelief and turn this passage around and make it all about Abraham. But I don’t think Sarah’s laughter was lacking in faith. I think she laughed because the news she had just heard was, to the human mind, absolutely too good to fathom. Have you ever received news that you thought was just too good to possibly be true? Did excited laughter ever well up inside you spontaneously because you wanted it to be true with all your heart but you knew that humanly speaking it was impossible? If you have, you know that it’s an instantaneous laughter that is uncontrollable. It just comes out because the news you have heard is so incredible. But you know deep inside that with God anything is possible, and you want it to be true with all your heart. So when the Lord heard Sarah's laughter and asked the rhetorical question, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” Sarah’s faith was confirmed. All thoughts of her own and Abraham’s inability to conceive were overcome by her belief in God’s power and faithfulness. Surely this was strengthened by her life experiences of God’s faithfulness through the years.
 
Sarah was a woman of faith who is held up to all women as an example of faith. In 1 Peter 3, the apostle addresses women, encouraging us to adorn ourselves with ornaments of inner beauty, an incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear (verses 3-5). The Bible presents Sarah as our example of faithful, fearless womanhood. Her entire life was lived by faith and God honored her.
 
So just as the men of faith described in Hebrews 11 are an example to all people, including women, so Sarah is an example of faith to all people, including men. Because Sarah took it to heart that nothing is too hard for the Lord. Like Sarah, we need to remember that Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). He is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Our faith is not in ourselves or in our faith, but in God who is faithful. So when we are faithful in the little things, like following wherever God leads and being obedient even when we’re afraid, then God entrusts us with the big things -- even when we’re old.
 
May your faith shine like Sarah’s,
Suzie
 
 
 
 
 

When I was a kid, my family moved a lot - almost every year. My dad was in the army and before I entered high school I had lived, gone to school, and made new friends in five states, two foreign countries, and one U.S. territory. We didn’t think it was a big deal. Almost everyone we knew did the same thing. Besides, it was my dad’s job. He was an army officer and he obeyed. Being an “army brat”, I followed.
 
All of this moving, and never really settling down has helped me relate in small ways to Abraham’s family who followed God to places they didn’t know and where they never settled down. They moved because of Abraham’s faith in God, and I think that in a sense we did too. It’s hard for me to fathom how anyone would move all around the world without faith that God was guiding and protecting? But we’re going to talk about Abraham. Hebrews 11 tells us, By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (11:8-10).
 
We have seen in Hebrews 11 that faith means believing that God and His promises are real and then stepping out with confidence into the unseen to act on that belief.  Hebrews 11 has taught us that Aaron acted in faith by offering acceptable worship to God (a blood sacrifice). Enoch acted in faith by walking with God for over 300 years. Noah acted in faith by working to build the ark as God commanded. Now we see that Abraham acted in faith by following God wherever He led, even into the vast unknown.
 
In Genesis 12:1-4, we learn that God spoke to Abraham and told him to,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you………….
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
 
And what was Abraham’s response? He went forth as the Lord had spoken to him.
 
When God spoke these words to him, Abraham was 75 years old and living in Ur of the Chaldeans (present day Iraq). He was a pagan, descended from pagans, and living in a pagan city (Genesis 11:28 and Joshua 24:2). But God spoke to Abraham with a call and a promise. Abraham believed God’s promise, responded to His call, and followed Him even though he didn’t know where he was going. He traveled to the land of Canaan: first to Shechem, then east of Bethel, and when famine struck, down to Egypt. Later he followed God back to Canaan and lived between Bethel and Ai before finally settling down in Hebron (Genesis 12:5-13:18).
 
 The Hebrews 11 passage tells us that all this time Abraham lived as a sojourner (KJV), or an alien in the land of promise (NASB). He did not settle down as a permanent resident. He never owned a house or land except for a small plot he purchased in his old age to bury Sarah, his wife. He lived in tents with his family, by faith, as a temporary resident in the land of Canaan. Abraham did not follow God in order to acquire a fancy home or riches on this earth. By faith, he was looking ahead to the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10). He knew this earth was not his home but that God had prepared a place for him. Abraham looked ahead to his true home - heaven. What plans Abraham might have had for his life before God spoke to Him were left behind as he went forth as the Lord had spoken to him (Genesis 12:4).
 
So what are your plans for your life? What is God calling you to do? As you read His Word prayerfully, He will speak to your heart, open doors, and guide you. There’s a chorus from a little song my boys sang in our church’s children’s choir that always reminds me to seek and follow God’s leading. It goes like this:
 
I’m just a child, my life is still before me.
I just can’t wait to see what God has for me.
But I know that I will trust Him
and I’ll wait to see what life will be for me.
 
As believers, we are all God’s children and we always will be. So why not humble ourselves as children and trust Him and wait for Him to lead the way in our lives. We’re never too old to do that! That’s living by faith! If we’re living by faith, then we’re like Abraham - sojourners here on earth with our eyes on God and our feet ready to jump up and follow Him whenever and wherever He calls.
 
The things of this world will all pass away, but the promises of God are forever. Will you choose to put your faith in what is fleeting or in our eternal Creator and His Word? The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).
 
May you be blessed along with Abraham the man of faith (Galatians 3:7),
Suzie

Hebrews Chapter 11, the chapter of faith, emphasizes and illustrates the importance of faith. Verse 6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please Him [God]. And after giving us the definition of faith, the whole chapter is filled with examples of Old Testament men and women of faith. These are meant to be an encouragement to us in our faith as we live by faith in a fallen world.
 
The apostle Paul, in Galatians 1:8-9, also draws attention to the importance of faith, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not the result of works, so that no one may boast. This tells us three important things about faith. First, we are saved by God’s grace through faith. Secondly, faith is the gift of God. And thirdly, faith does not come from ourselves or as the result of any works we do. As God’s gift to us, all we have to do is humbly receive the gift of faith.
 
We have taken a look at the faith of Abel who offered the acceptable sacrifice and Enoch who walked with God. The next example we are given in Hebrews 11 was a great grandson of Enoch who also walked with God - Noah. Genesis 6:8-9 tells us that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (KJV), that he was a righteous man blameless in his time, and he walked with God
 
Noah lived in a time when God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and….that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,…… and He was grieved in His heart (Genesis 6:5-6). But Noah was different from other men. Hebrews 11:7 reveals, By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith (Hebrews 11:7). When God warned Noah about a coming flood and destruction of every living thing on the earth, Noah believed God’s warning. Because he believed, Noah revered God, listened to God, and acted upon God’s words. By faith, Noah drew near to God and became an heir of righteousness. The term “heir of righteousness” does not mean that Noah inherited righteousness from his ancestors. It means, because he believed, God regarded him as an heir, and therefore treated him like a righteous man.
 
In 1 Peter 3:20, the apostle tells us the result of Noah’s faith. After being warned by God and commanded to build the ark, Noah began construction, and the patience of God kept waiting until it was completed. Thus, Noah and his family, a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Peter also tells us that Noah was not just a builder, he tells us Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5).  We don’t know if Noah warned the wicked people of his day by proclaiming God’s Word to them or if his actions of building the ark were a living sermon. Probably both. Either way, there is no doubt the wicked unbelievers mocked him because their hearts were evil (Genesis 6:5-5), and they did not listen nor turn and repent. This is what the writer of Hebrews alludes to in writing that Noah, condemned the world (as in Hebrews 11:7 above). Noah and his family and the animals they took aboard the ark were the only survivors of the flood.
 
When you think about it, Noah’s faith seems so simple. All he did was believe God’s word. Then, because he believed, he acted on it. Are you reading God’s Word? Are you listening to what He says? Do you believe Him? Your response to His Word is the answer to that last question. If you believe, you will obey Him, and along with Noah, you will be an heir of righteousness by faith. And you will be called to be a preacher of righteousness by your life and by your words. Because whatever God calls you to do, you will obey His Word.
 
My prayer is that the example of Noah will be an inspiration to all of us and that we will follow his example, though the world around us may mock us and think us foolish. And much of it will. May we stand strong, with integrity, and proclaim, along with the apostle Paul,  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).
 
With love,
Suzie