Personal Study of Hebrews 11 - Part 3

Welcome back!

The following is a continuation of the breakdown of Hebrews 11, this time we will look through verses 13 to 19. Each verse will be stated from the ESV, followed by connecting scripture references, word studies or other personal thoughts. I continue to hope you find this resource useful, insightful and perhaps even encouraging. Because faith, as I’ve heard it said, is the currency of heaven.

Faith: 

complete trust 

or confidence 

in someone 

or something.

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Hebrews 11: Part 1 – Verses 13-19

¹³ These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Sometimes you don’t get what you’ve been promised, yet you hold on to the hope that you will receive, because your faith has seem the possibility and assurance from afar (see Hebrews 11:1).

This verse follows the mentioning of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah... which makes me wonder if the “all of these” related to the bible characters listed above. For example, Abraham was promised to be the father of many nations, but he only saw Ishmael, Isaac, and his other children (see Genesis 25:1-8). He didn’t see the multitudes of nations which God had promised, yet he died in faith that God would fulfill His promise.

¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

As mentioned in verse 13, “having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth”, I believe it is in reference to a longing for a heavenly home. It reminds me of what Paul wrote in the second letter to the Corinthians, “For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down, we will have a house in heaven an eternal body made for us by God and not by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT).

¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.

Perhaps they were mentioning this in regards to Ur or Egypt.

Either way, if we look back, and keep our minds fixed on what WAS, we might miss out on what is directly ahead. 

¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

See verses 10, 13 and 14, of Hebrews 11. This finally confirms the idea of a heavenly city in which these biblical characters, and ourselves, are looking forward to. We all have access to this promise through the death and resurrection of Jesus.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,

So we’ve met Abraham back in verse 8. We saw the promises God has made to him and his offspring, but it doesn’t end there. In Genesis 22:1, God tested Abraham’s faith. He asked Abraham to give up, through the act of sacrifice, to see Abraham’s capacity to obey God.

In the act:

The fear of the Lord was in Abraham, and as I mentioned in verse 7 with Noah, when we have reverent fear of God we will honour him through how we live by being obedient to His commands... even when it doesn't make sense.

¹⁸ of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”

Genesis 17:19 – “God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.”

Now God was asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son? You might be thinking; how can an everlasting covenant be everlasting if it were to end so quickly?

¹⁹ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

When Abraham went to sacrifice his son, he brought two of his young men (most likely servants) with him, and when they arrived close to the place God had instructed him to go (the land of Moriah to one of the mountains there), Abraham said, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you” (Genesis 22:5). Abraham declared that both him and Isaac would go, and come back again, even though Abraham would follow through with God`s instructions to offer up Isaac as the sacrifice.

And just as Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son, an angel of the Lord called from heaven saying, “Abraham, Abraham! Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld you son, your only son, from me” (Genesis 22:10-12). 

Thank God Abraham was listening, someone when we are told to do something, by our parents or a loved one, we may close our ears even though we still do as we’re told. Abraham had great faith to follow through with God’s instructions, but was sensitive enough to know when God intervened and changed directions. 

Genesis 22:13-14 goes one to say, “And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” 

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And this concludes part three of my personal study of Hebrews 11. More to come!