A RESPONSE Of SAVING FAITH-VIII—Hebrews 11:3-40
Attention:
Faithfulness
The front door was accidentally left open & our dog was gone. After unsuccessfully whistling & calling, my husband got in the car & went looking for him.
He drove around the neighborhood for some time with no luck.
Finally he stopped beside a couple out for a walk & asked if they had seen our dog.
"You mean the one following your car?" they asked.
The dog exhibited 'saving' faith by his response to life’s challenge.
We indeed bring something of value to the table when we are saved!
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?
In previous weeks we have observed 11 Responses to Life’s Challenge afforded by Saving Faith. These responses have focused upon the “elders”(:2)(patriarchs) but their application is for us.
We have found that 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. A Particular BLESSING(:20-21)
10. A Particular PREPARATION(:22)
11. A Particular BOLDNESS(:23)
12. A Particular FEARLESSNESS(:24-27)
Today we will look at a portion of Scripture(11:23-29) which records A RESPONSE Of SAVING FAITH as it pertains to MOSES. There are 3 responses of faith to be garnered thru Moses’ example.
13—Saving faith meets life’s challenge with...
A Particular DISPLAY(:28)
Explanation:(:28)Instruction/Direction/Allegiance/Display of faith
:28—“By faith he kept the Passover & the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.”
Even though technically a ‘slave’, Moses & others “kept the Passover” in obedience to their(the Hebrews) recognized King(of kings) which was consequently in defiance of the Pharaoh & particularly of his gods.
YaHWeH had initiated & completed 9 plagues upon the land of Egypt & its people by the hand of Moses & Aaron...
1)Waters of the Nile River became blood(Ex. 7:14-25)—Caused the fish to die & stink. Lasted 7 days.
2)Frogs— Ex. 8:6—““So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, & the frogs came up & covered the land of Egypt.”—The next day the frogs died but the land stank.
3)Lice—On man & beast
4)Swarms of Flies—Upon the Egyptians, but none upon the Hebrews.
5)Pestilence on livestock(cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, sheep)— Upon the Egyptians, but none on the Hebrew’s livestock.
6)Boils—Upon man & beast
7)Hail & Fire—Very heavy hail(unique) which killed animals left in the field & destroyed crops(flax & barley)—Upon the Egyptians, but none upon the Hebrews. Never before or after as severe().
8)Locusts—So many that they darkened the land. Ate the crops left from the hail & fire. Never before as severe a plague.
9)Darkness—Could be “felt.” Upon the Egyptians, but none upon the Hebrews.
THEN:
10)Death of firstborn— Passover was initiated with this plague.
Ex. 11:4-7—“Then Moses said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; & all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, & all the firstborn of the animals. Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the LORD does make a difference between the Egyptians & Israel.’”
Ex. 12:3, 5-13—““Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.’”.....“‘Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood & put it on the two doorposts & on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. ‘Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread & with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ‘Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire--its head with its legs & its entrails. ‘You shall let none of it remain until morning, & what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. ‘And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, & your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’S Passover. ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, & will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man & beast; & against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. ‘Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; & the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; & you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.”
“Passover”—xop peh'-sakh—Strong—A pretermission, i.e. Exemption; used only techically of the Jewish Passover(the festival or the victim). Eng.—Paschal Lamb
A major aspect of celebrating the Passover was the “sprinkling of the blood” on the lintel & doorposts, a very public act! It was a blatant identification of oneself with YaHWeH the God of Israel, & as such was a blatant denouncement of all other gods, particularly those of the political culture.
This was a one-time occurrence. Moses had absolute & specific direction from God. It was an act which would gain God all glory thru His miracles. Not to be repeated without certainty.
Political engineerings of ethnic & religious ‘cleansings’ pale in comparison to the perfect & controlled power of God in Christ.
Faith took Moses to a greater fear/respect of the revealed God than than of the most powerful man & nation in his world!
“Sprinkling”—proscusiv—1) A pouring or sprinkling upon, affusion. Strong—from a comparative of prov & cew(to pour);A shedding forth, i.e. Affusion. Used 1X.
“Destroyed”—oloyreuw—1) To destroy. Strong—To spoil, i.e. Slay. Used 1X.
“Touch”—yigganw—1) To touch, handle—1a) To do violence to, injury. Strong—To manipulate, i.e. Have to do with; by implication--To injure. Used 3X.
Argumentation:
Mt. 6:19-21—““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth & rust destroy & where thieves break in & steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys & where thieves do not break in & steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Acts 5:17-33, 40-42—“Then the high priest rose up, & all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), & they were filled with indignation, & laid their hands on the apostles & put them in the common prison. But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors & brought them out, & said, “Go, stand in the temple & speak to the people all the words of this life.” And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning & taught. But the high priest & those with him came & called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, & sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came & did not find them in the prison, they returned & reported, saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, & the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, & the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. So one came & told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple & teaching the people!” Then the captain went with the officers & brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, & intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” But Peter & the other apostles answered & said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince & Savior, to give repentance to Israel & forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, & so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” When they heard this, they were furious & plotted to kill them.”.....“And they agreed with him, & when they had called for the apostles & beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, & let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, & in every house, they did not cease teaching & preaching Jesus as the Christ.”
Illustration:
An obvious display of the church in America is selfless giving to those who may be undeserving or sidelined by society(homeless)/Providing meals & clothes free of charge/A Particular DISPLAY
Baptist Men’s Disaster Relief Quick Response Team, training & tools/A Particular DISPLAY
Door-to-door sharing the Gospel/A Particular DISPLAY of faith
Titheing/A Particular DISPLAY of faith
Building an edifice in which to worship/A Particular DISPLAY of faith
Worshiping despite governmental sanctions against it/A Particular DISPLAY of faith
Making time in your day for Study of God’s word, Prayer & Worship/A Particular DISPLAY of faith
Application:
?Does your life evince A Particular DISPLAY in God?
?How do you Respond to life’s challenge?
?Is yours a Response of Saving Faith?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Faithful dog following the car.
Action:
Saving faith meets life’s challenge with...
13. A Particular DISPLAY(:28)
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. A Particular BLESSING(:20-21)
10. A Particular PREPARATION(:22)
11. A Particular BOLDNESS(:23)Risk taker
12. A Particular FEARLESSNESS(:24-27)
Presented 11/25/2012am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
