Hebrews 11:17-31 Lesson 431

Hebrews 11:17-31
Lesson 431

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

We continue with the practical segment of Hebrews.

The superiority of faith over the rites and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law.

More members of "faith's hall of fame."
Abraham (11:17-19).
Isaac, Jacob, Esau, and Joseph (11:20-22).
Moses (11:24-28).
From slavery to Canaan (11:29-31).
Rehab (11:31).

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down." (11:30)

(Unknown artist)

Who was -

Esau -
Esau was the son of Isaac and Rebekah, and was Jacob's older twin brother. Esau was profane, irreligious and detested his birthright. As the oldest son, Esau was his father's (Isaac) heir, but traded his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of pottage (Genesis 25:29-34).  Against his parent's wishes, Esau married two Canaanite women (Genesis 26:34-35) and then tried to set things right by marrying his cousin Mahalath (Genesis 28:8-9).  Jacob became the patriarch of the Israelites, while Esau aligned himself with the Ishmaelite tribes and became a powerful chief in the kingdom of Edom. The Bible calls Esau the father of the Edomites (Genesis 36:9; 36:43).  You can read more about Esau in Genesis 25:1-36:43.

Joseph -
Born in Haran, Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel and Abraham's great-grandson. As a youngster, Joseph was prideful, overconfident, boastful, his father's favorite, and the apparent heir to the family birthright. This angered Joseph's brothers, so they sold him into slavery (Genesis 37). At seventeen, Joseph was sold a second time to "Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian" (Genesis 39:1).  Thanks to his ability to interpret dreams and leadership skills, Joseph found favor with Pharaoh.  By the age of thirty, Joseph was a high-ranking Egyptian official. Joseph forgave his brothers for selling him, saved them from a famine, and had his family brought to Egypt to live with him. Joseph is an example of faith and perseverance in the face of temptation and adversity. Joseph trusted the promise God made to Abraham to make Israel a great nation, even as he lay dying (Genesis 50:24-25).  Joseph died at the age of 110 (Genesis 50:22). Four hundred years after his death, Moses carried Joseph's bones to be buried in the land God promised them (Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32).  You can learn more about Joseph in Genesis 30-50.

Rehab -
Sometimes called Rachab. In the Old Testament, Rehab was a Canaanite prostitute from the fortress city of Jericho. Rahab is considered a Jewish hero of faith.  Rehab hid two Hebrew spies sent to inspect Jericho's defenses out of faith in a God she knew little about. She then helped them escape (Joshua 2:1-15). Thanks to her faith, she and her family were spared (Joshua 6:17) when the Israelites (under Joshua) captured the city (Joshua 6:22-23; Hebrews 11:31).  Rehab eventually married Salmon, an Israelite, and is the founding matriarch of the family line that gave birth to King David and Jesus (Matthew 1:16).

Additional note: "Under the Church of the Nativity, in Bethlehem, there is a room in which, it is said, Jesus was born. An old tradition says that this same room was part of the ancestral home of David, and before David, Boaz (Rehab's son) and Ruth. Thus, according to this tradition, Boaz took Ruth to be his bride, and started the family that was to bring Christ into the world, in the very same room in which, 1100 years later, Christ himself was born." ("Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 176).

The way to salvation:

First, acknowledge that we have all sinned and that the penalty for sin is eternal death.
Second, confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins and was resurrected.
Lastly, pray and make Jesus a part of your life.

The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Hebrews

The King James Bible

Hebrews 11:17-31
Faith of the forefathers

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Margin notes:

"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac." (11:17) - "Out of faith, when Abraham was tested, he offered up (his son) Isaac."  God tested Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18; James 2:21).

"In Isaac shall thy seed be called." (11:18) - Because Abraham passed God's test, He promised Abraham that his descendants would be blessed (Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7).

"Accounting that God was able to raise him up." (11:19) - "Knowing that God could raise him (Isaac) from the dead." Since God had promised to bless Abraham's (and Isaac's) descendants, Abraham believed that if he sacrificed Isaac, God would resurrect him.

"In a figure." (11:19) - "Figuratively speaking."

"Blessed both the sons of Joseph." (11:21) - Joseph's sons were Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:5).

"By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." (11:22) - Joseph trusted God's promise to give the Israelites a homeland and make them a great nation and arranged for his bones to be saved and buried later in the promised land.

"They saw he was a proper child." (11:23) - Moses' parents saw that he was a godly child and believed God would protect him (Exodus 2:2).

"The king's commandment." (11:23) - Pharaoh ordered all male Hebrew children to be "cast into the river" (Exodus 1:22).

"When he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter." (11:24) - "When he was an adult, Moses refused the benefits that came with being the son of Pharaoh's daughter."

"Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin." (11:25) - Moses chose suffering with the Israelites over the decadent pleasures of sin.

"Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." (11:26) - Moses learned there would someday be a Messiah through a prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:15). Though he didn't know if the Messiah would arrive in his lifetime, Moses chose suffering for Him over the riches of Egypt.

"He had respect unto the recompence of the reward." (11:26) - "He looked forward to his (eternal) reward."

"By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king." (11:27) - "Out of faith, Moses left Egypt, and had no fear of pharaoh."

"Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood." (11:28) - Moses instructed the Israelites to sprinkle the blood of sacrificed lambs over the doors of their homes to protect them from the angel of death (Exodus 12:1-51). The angel passed harmlessly over their homes but took the lives of the firstborn of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:13). This convinced Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. This miracle is called Passover and is celebrated annually beginning on the fourteenth day of the seventh month (Abib).

"They passed through the Red sea as by dry land." (11:29) - God parted the Red Sea so the fleeing Israelites could escape the Egyptian army. The Israelites made it safely to the opposite shore while the Egyptians drowned (Exodus 14:9-30).

"Jericho." (11:30) - An Old Testament fortress-city located in the southern part of the Jordan Valley, north of the Dead Sea, fifteen miles from Jerusalem, and five miles west of the Jordan River. Its ancient remains are dated back to 8,000 BC, making it one of the world's oldest cities.  With God's help, Jericho was destroyed by an Israelite army led by Joshua in 1400 BC (Joshua 6:1-27) and became a Jewish city of the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:21).  By Jesus' day, Jericho was a wealthy resort town rebuilt by Herod the Great south-east of its original location and surrounded by beautiful palms trees (which no longer exist).  Jesus passed through Jericho on his way to be crucified, healed two blind men (Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52), and brought salvation to the wealthy tax collector, Zacchaeus (Luke 19:2-10).

"After they were compassed about seven days." (11:30) - "After they were encircled for seven days." Following God's instructions, the Israelite army marched around Jericho in a circle, shouting and playing trumpets. After seven days, the walls of Jericho crumbled, and the Canaanites were defeated (Joshua 6:20).

"By faith the harlot Rahab perished not." (11:31) - See Joshua 6:25.

"She had received the spies" (11:31) - "She had welcomed the spies."

The story of Moses can be found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

New Living Translation

Hebrews 11:17-31

17 It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God's promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac,

18 even though God had told him, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted."

19 Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

20 It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

21 It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.

22 It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.

23 It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's command.

24 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

25 He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.

28 It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

29 It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

30 It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

31 It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's question:

1. What is faith?

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Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. "Faith means believing in and obeying God, which requires relying on what we cannot see - God's promises, provisions and concern for us. An inner attitude alone does not define faith, though. For faith to be present, action is required. Faith proves itself by obedience to the Lord.

The writer of Hebrews expressed faith in two directions: faith toward future things (what we hope for) and faith toward invisible things (what we do not see). When we are certain God is in control of these areas (and we live like he is in control), that's faith.

The two sides of faith - assurance and expectation - can be seen in the lives of those listed in this chapter. They had strong convictions about unseen present realities. They also had a strong assurance that God's promises would be fulfilled - even in the face of evidence that seemed to suggest otherwise."

(The "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 1736)



Application thought for the day:

Faith opens the window to God's favor.

Read Hebrews 11:1-3 and ponder which lesson of faith is the most poignant and how you can apply it to your life?

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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