A Faith That Defeats Death Series

HEBREWS 11:20-22 [Leaving a Legacy Series]

A FAITH THAT DEFEATS DEATH

[ (Gen 27:27–40; 48:1–22; Gen 50:20-25]

The blessing of faith is of constant use throughout the Christian’s life, but it is of special usefulness when we die. Faith has a great work to do in our last days helping believers to finish well, to die in the Lord so as to honor Him and leave behind a witness to the faithfulness of God, His word of truth, and the excellencies of His ways.

God is glorified when His people leave this world with their faith sails flying at full mast. If anyone should die triumphantly it should be believers. When the Holy Spirit triumphs over our flesh, when the world is consciously and gladly left behind for heaven, when there is anticipation of glory in our eyes as we enter into the presence of the Lord, our dying is pleasing to the Lord. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones.” (Psalm. 116:15).

The patriarchs briefly mentioned in these verses illustrate the power of faith in facing death (CIT). Now these saints had not always lived faithfully. They had lived and trusted God imperfectly, just as we do, but they grew in their devotion to God and obedience to His word. Thus Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were able to exhibit great faith at the end of their lives. Each one faced death in full confident faith.

Many believers find it difficult to anticipate and to face death. Yet a Christian, who for the most part, has walked with God faithfully often finds that the last hours of his life are the sweetest. Whatever the ups and downs of their lives, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph went out basking in the sunlight of true faith.

These saints ended life completely confident in God’s word passing on the promises of the inheritance to their children. They not only continue to believe what they had never seen, they passed on what they had never seen to their children. That is the assurance of faith and it was the greatest inheritance they had to pass on to their children. Though they had not seen the land possessed, the nation established, or the world blessed, they bequeath faith in these promises to their children.

These men did not doubt that the promises would come true. They did not die in the despair of unfulfilled dreams, but in perfect peace despite the unfulfilment of the promises, confident because they were God’s promises. They knew by faith that God would fulfill the promises because they knew He was a covenant-keeping God and a God of truth. They died saying, “They will come. In God’s time the fulfillment will come.” They died defeating death, knowing that even though they physically died, God’s promises could not die. That is magnificent faith, the kind of faith that God honors. [MacArthur, John. Hebrews. Moody Press. Chicago.1983. P. 338]

I. ISAAC’S FAITH, 20.

II. JACOB’S FAITH, 21.

III. JOSEPH’S FAITH, 22.

The patriarchs mentioned here likewise looked to the future in faith. In verse 20 Isaac, trusting God to fulfill His promises to Abraham and his descendants, pronounced blessings on his own two sons Jacob and Esau regarding their future. “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.”

“Isaac” was the son who had been promised to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Isaac in the two chapters in Genesis (26 & 27), that record his life was seemingly a passive and quiet man. Though his life was one of many mistakes and failures, he continued to grow in faith.

The greatest thing Isaac had going for him was his father who exhibited and taught the life of faith. This naturally led him to be a son of faith. As a healthy young man in his latter teens he submitted himself to his 100 plus year old father to the extent that he allowed himself to be bound for sacrifice. This is an example of his obedient faith not only to his father but to God.

At Abraham’s death he received his father’s blessing and God Himself reaffirmed His covenant with Isaac in Genesis 26:3-4.

(27:27-29,39,40). Where God said “ I will be with you and bless you.” Without his father’s guidance Isaac stumbled along in life, even wanting to pass on the promise of the covenant to Esau instead of Jacob. Yet it was by faith he blessed them both concerning things beyond this life. Isaac’s faith was particularly exhibited in his old age, when he blessed his two sons in regard to their future (Gn. 27:27–40). In God’s providence, and contrary to Isaac’s natural preference and intention, he transmitted the blessings of the covenant to his younger son Jacob. Though Esau and his descendants would be subservient to Jacob, he also blessed him (Genesis 27:38-40). The irreversibility of the future covenant blessing given to Jacob caused Isaac to acknowledge that God would fulfill His promises in spite of man’s stubbornness or deceptions in His own way in His own time.