A Response Of Saving Faith-5 Series

A RESPONSE Of SAVING FAITH-V—Hebrews 11:3-40

Attention:

Faith’s response to life’s challenges

We indeed bring something of value to the table when we are saved!

Need:

The Hebrews writer sought to encourage & exhort his readers(hearers) by recounting the very practical responses which faith had wrought in their forebears/ancestors.

Saving faith yields practical responses to life, which encourage others.

What are some practical responses to life by saving faith?

How does saving faith respond to life?

Previously in Hebrews, we found 5(6) responses to life’s challenge afforded by saving faith.

Saving faith meets life’s challenge with...

1. A Particular WORLDVIEW(:3)—Concept presented 05/20/2012 with 10:39—11:3 as FELLOWSHIP

2. OFFERINGs Of PECULIAR QUALITY(:4)

3. DESIRE For GOD’s PLEASURE(:5-6)

4. CONDEMNING TRUST(:7)

5. A Particular PLACE(:8-10)

6. A Particular OUTLOOK(:11-12)

7. A Particular VISION(:13-16)

8. A Particular CONCLUSION(:17-19)

9—Saving faith meets life’s challenge with...

A Particular BLESSING(:20-21)

Explanation:(:20-21)

:20—“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob & Esau concerning things to come.

The incident spoken of here is from Gen. 25 & 27.

Isaac did something specific which marked it as having been done “by faith.”

Isaac “blessed”(Gen. 27:26-29; Gen. 27:33-41) his twin sons(Gen. 25:21-26) “by faith.”

Gen. 25:21-24—“Now Isaac pleaded with the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; & the LORD granted his plea, & Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; & she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her: “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.” So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb.”

Gen. 27:26-29—“Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now & kiss me, my son.” And he came near & kissed him; & he smelled the smell of his clothing, & blessed him & said: “Surely, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field Which the LORD has blessed. Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain & wine. Let 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!””

Gen. 27:33-41—“Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, & said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game & brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, & I have blessed him--& indeed he shall be blessed.” When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great & bitter cry, & said to his father, “Bless me--me also, O my father!” But he said, “Your brother came with deceit & has taken away your blessing.” And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, & now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Then Isaac answered & said to Esau, “Indeed I have made him your master, & all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain & wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?” And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me--me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice & wept. Then Isaac his father answered & said to him: “Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.” So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, & Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.””

*The “blessing” reflected the providential favor of God upon Jacob.

The nature of blessing was different for both Jacob & Esau. Jacob received all the actual “blessing” of God, while Esau was made party to the blessing thru Jacob.

“Blessed”(See :21)—eulogew—1) To praise, celebrate with praises; 2) To invoke blessings; 3) To consecrate a thing with solemn prayers—3a) To ask God’s blessing on a thing, 3b) pray God to bless it to one’s use, 3c) Pronounce a consecratory blessing on; 4) of God—4a) To cause to prosper, to make happy, to bestow blessings on, 4b) Favored of God, blessed. Strong—To speak well of, i.e. religiously--To bless(thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper).