Faith that Overcomes the World
Gregg Bing
The 11th chapter of Hebrews is often
referred to as the "Faith Chapter" or the "Hall of Faith."
The opening verse reads:
"Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)
This is not a definition of faith, but a
description of the nature of faith. Contrary to what many critics of
Christianity contend, faith in God is not a blind faith. Faith has substance;
it has a basis or a foundation on which it rests. Faith is based on evidence,
even of things we cannot see. This substance, this evidence is the Word of God,
for "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans
10:17).
A
Great Cloud of Witnesses
Difficult concepts, such as faith, are
sometimes best understood when demonstrated in the actions of real people as
they face the challenges of life. Hebrews, chapter 11, records how the saints
of old, both men and women, responded "by faith" to God's Word, and,
by their actions, bore testimony to the character of true faith (Hebrews 11:2).
Hebrews 12:1 refers to these faithful servants of God as "a great cloud of
witnesses."
As we consider Hebrews 11, two questions
arise: "Why are these men and women selected as examples of faith?"
and "Why are these particular instances of their faith singled out?"
For example, why isn't more space given
to people like Gideon, David, and Daniel? Gideon and David are identified by
name, but no act of faith is highlighted, and while it says that God
"stopped the mouths of lions" (Hebrews 11:33), there is no mention of
Daniel's faith.
We can understand why some are included
as examples of faith: Abel's faith in offering a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain (Hebrews 11:4), Noah's faith in building an ark to save his family
(Hebrews 11:7), and Abraham's faith in leaving his home to go to a land God
would show him, dwelling in tents as a stranger in this land, and being willing
to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. We might wonder, though, "Why is
Isaac identified as a man of faith?" and "Why is his blessing of
Jacob and Esau considered an act of faith?"
We know little about Isaac's life: his
miraculous birth, the selection of his bride, his role as the father of Jacob
and Esau, his sojourn in Egypt, and his digging of wells; much of which casts
Isaac in a negative light. As far as Isaac's blessing of Jacob and Esau, the
Scriptures clearly indicate he intended to bless Esau, but was tricked into
blessing Jacob instead. Where is the faith in this?
We have to remember why God included the
men and women of Hebrews 11 as examples of faith. Not necessarily because their
entire lives were characterized by faith, but because there was a particular
act of faith by each one that illustrated an important aspect of the nature of
faith.
Dr. E. W. Bullinger has written a fine
book on Hebrews 11, The Great Cloud of Witnesses, which outlines these aspects
of faith. Abel (vs. 4) illustrates "Faith's Worship of God," bringing
the offering God required. Enoch (vs. 5-6) shows us "Faith's Walk with
God" and how vital faith is in pleasing Him. Noah (vs. 7), who moved with
godly fear to build the ark, demonstrates "Faith's Work and Witness for
God." In the extended section on Abraham and Sarah (vs. 8-19), we see
"Faith's Obedience of God" as they trusted in His person, His
promise, His power, and His purpose for their lives.
Moving on to Isaac (vs. 20), we find
"Faith Overcoming the Will of the Flesh." Isaac clearly preferred his
oldest son, Esau, over the youngest, Jacob, but for fleshly reasons. Esau was a
man's man, an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, and Isaac loved to eat the game
his son provided (Genesis. 25:27-28). Isaac intended to bless Esau over Jacob,
though he knew God had told his wife, Rebekah, "the older shall serve the
younger" (Genesis 25:23). He only blessed Jacob because he was tricked
into doing so. Where, then, do we find faith in Isaac's blessing of Jacob and
Esau? It comes after the fact.
When Esau learned his father had blessed
Jacob instead of him, he sought to have his father change his mind about who
would inherit the blessing. Nevertheless, "he was rejected, for he found
no place for repentance, though he sought it diliGenesistly with tears"
(Hebrews 12:17). Isaac, by faith, refused to change his mind, knowing it was
God's will that Jacob be blessed over Esau. Isaac made this clear to Esau, when
he said, "I have blessed him (Jacob)—and indeed he shall be blessed"
(Genesis. 27:33).
When we come to Jacob (vs. 21), we find a
similar situation involving Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons, but we see
"Faith Overcoming the Will of Man." Joseph was Jacob's beloved son,
the one he doted on. Yet, in spite of Joseph's desire that his oldest son,
Manasseh, should be blessed over his younger son, Ephraim, Jacob acted "by
faith." Instead of bowing to Joseph's will, Jacob followed God's will
instead, blessing his younger son over the older one.
The
Faith of Joseph
This brings us to Joseph (vs. 22) and his
act of faith. The life of Joseph is remarkable in many ways. To begin with,
Joseph's life serves as a type of the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ: the
beloved son of his father, rejected by his own brothers, suffered unjustly and
considered dead, but later raised up and exalted to become a savior and a ruler
of his own family and of the world.
Joseph's life also provides a wonderful
example of faith and integrity. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own
brothers while he was still a teen-ager. He was taken to Egypt, where he faced
numerous trials, suffered terrible injustice, and, no doubt, felt great
disappointment at his circumstances. In spite of these difficulties, Joseph
remained true to God, continuing to trust and obey Him. Thus, the Lord was with
Joseph and prospered him in all he did.
Joseph must have wondered why he had to
undergo such tribulation, and he certainly longed to go home, but he never
doubted God. Eventually, Joseph learned that, while his brothers meant evil
against him, "God meant it for good," to save the lives of his family
and to preserve God's purpose for the nation they would become (Genesis.
45:4-8; 50:19-20).
However, none of these examples of
Joseph's life of faith are mentioned in Hebrews 11. Instead, Joseph is noted
for an act of faith at the end of his life, an act that involved two things:
"By faith Joseph, when he was dying,
made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions
concerning his bones." (Hebrews 11:22)
At first glance, we wonder how this was
an act of faith, but a closer look at this verse and the record of when it
happened helps us understand another significant characteristic of faith.
The expression "made mention
of" is translated from the Greek word mnemoneu which means "to
remember" or "to call to mind." Our English word mnemonic, which
refers to a memory aid, is a transliteration of this same Greek word. While the
primary meaning of this Greek word is "remembering," it also includes
the idea of "reminding." Joseph remembered and reminded his brothers
of something specific: "The departure of the children of Israel"—and
he did so "by faith."
Since it was by faith, Joseph must have
heard the Word of God (Romans 10:17) and was persuaded that what God said was
true. How did Joseph hear about "the departure (literally ‘the exodus') of
the children of Israel?" There were no Scriptures for him to read; they
did not exist yet. There is no record of Joseph receiving this truth directly
from God through an appearance, a dream, or a vision. This truth was likely
passed down to Joseph by "the fathers."
The day God made a covenant with Abram,
He told him:
"Know certainly that your
descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve
them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom
they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great
possessions." (Genesis. 15:13-14)
Abram could be certain these things were
true because they came from the mouth of God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
God later confirmed this same truth to
Joseph's father, Jacob, as he journeyed with his entire family to Egypt where
Joseph would provide for them during the seven years of famine. Jacob may have
been hesitant to go down into Egypt, knowing what happened when his
grandfather, Abram, went there (Genesis. 12:10-20), but God assured him:
After blessing Joseph's sons, Jacob
passed this promise of God on to Joseph:
"Behold, I am dying, but God will be
with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers." (Genesis. 48:21)
When you consider the statement God made
initially to Abram, it was not Genesiseral or vague, but quite specific and
clearly related to the covenant God initiated with him and his descendants.
However, at the time of Joseph's death, none of the negative conditions spoken
to Abram were true yet. Jacob's family was not in bondage and under affliction
in Egypt. They were actually highly favored among the Egyptians, dwelling in a
special land in Goshen, their needs fully taken care of—all because they were
the family of Joseph.
As for Joseph himself, we might say he
was "on top of the world." He was the prime minister of Egypt, second
in power and prestige only to the pharaoh. His wise planning had saved not just
his family, but the land of Egypt and the world. Everyone knew the name of
Joseph—he was a national hero!
At that time, it might have appeared that
Egypt was a great place for Joseph's family to be. Joseph's legacy in Egypt was
seemingly assured, thus providing protection and provision for his descendants
after his death. The prospects for the people of Israel in Egypt looked to be
quite good. But, Joseph walked by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). He
knew that Egypt offered no future for the children of Israel. He knew that what
awaited them in Egypt was bondage and affliction (Genesis. 15:13-14), and
though these trials would be long and difficult, Joseph knew that God would one
day bring them out of Egypt and back to the land promised to their fathers.
Joseph knew these things because he had been taught the promises God made to
Abraham, and he had faith that these promises were true.
Therefore, when Joseph neared the end of
his life, he remembered God's promises and reminded his family of them.
"Joseph said to his brethren, ‘I am
dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the
land of which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." (Genesis
50:24)
Joseph then acted again "by
faith" and "gave instructions concerning his bones." The
expression "gave instructions" is from a word which means that he
commanded or charged his brethren regarding his bones. He "took an oath"
from the children of Israel, saying:
"God will surely visit you, and you
shall carry up my bones from here." (Genesis 50:25)
How many times Joseph must have dreamed
of returning to his family in the land of Canaan, yet he remained in Egypt the
rest of his life. Joseph died there at the age of 110, was embalmed, and then
laid in a coffin. Looking at things from the vantage point of "the
flesh," Joseph could easily have been carried away with the prospects of
Egypt, both for himself and his family. Egypt had been his home for over 90
years, since he was a teen-ager, and for the last 80 years Egypt had been very
good to him. Upon his death, Joseph would likely be given the type of state
funeral typically reserved for a pharaoh; he would be buried in a majestic
tomb; and the legacy of his salvation of Egypt and the world from the seven
years of famine would seem to assure the future of his people, Israel.
But, as history records, Egypt offered no
such future for the people of Israel. After Joseph's death, time passed, and
the family of Israel grew to become the nation of Israel. Eventually a new
pharaoh arose who did not remember Joseph; he and his legacy were, indeed,
forgotten. Fearing the growing numbers of the people of Israel, the new pharaoh
did exactly what God told Abram would happen; he enslaved the Israelites and
afflicted them with hard bondage. Though all this would not happen until many
years after his death, Joseph saw it all—with the eyes of faith. He trusted
God's prophetic promise to "the fathers" instead of relying on the
prospects that appeared to be available in the land of Egypt.
Joseph knew God had promised something
more for his family, for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants. The land
of promise was Canaan, not Egypt, though, during their lifetime, his family
dwelt in tents and lived as strangers in the land, never possessing it for
themselves.
The land of Canaan was to be an eternal
possession of Israel, but not particularly the cities and homes that were built
by the Canaanites. Abraham had an eternal perspective, one that rested on the
promise of resurrection (Hebrews 11:19; Matthew 22:31-32). Abraham "waited
for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God"
(Hebrews 11:10). This city and homeland that God promised Abraham was heavenly
in origin and would be Israel's eternal home (Hebrews 11:14-16); it is the new
Jerusalem seen coming down from God out of heaven in the Revelation, chapter
21.
Therefore, "these all died in faith
(as did Joseph), not having received the promises, but having seen them afar
off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13). They never experienced the
things God promised them, but they saw them with the eyes of faith, and thus,
were assured of them. They were willing to dwell as strangers and pilgrims in
the land because they had hope, they had confidence in God that He would one
day fulfill His every promise to them.
Joseph understood that his hope, his
future, as well as that of his people was not in Egypt, but in the promised
land of Canaan. What led to this strong faith in Joseph? As we saw earlier, he
had been taught God's promises by his father, but Joseph had also heard God's
Word for himself in the form of dreams: his own two dreams of his family bowing
down to him, the two dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker, and the two dreams
of Pharaoh of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. All
these dreams were fulfilled exactly as God gave them. Joseph also had faith in
God because he experienced God's presence with him at all times, God's
prosperity of all he did, and God's providence in working out His purpose in
and through Joseph's life.
What
This Teaches Us
Joseph spent most of his life in Egypt;
it became his home. The culture, the language, his wife and children, even his
work were all centered in Egypt and must have exerted a strong pull on his
life, especially considering the success he enjoyed there.
We live in this world, as Joseph lived in
Egypt (a type of the world). We are born here; we grow up here; we have family
and friends here; we go to school here; we fall in love here; we marry here; we
have children here; we work here; we play here. While there are times of pain,
sorrow, and trouble in this world, we also experience pleasure, prosperity, and
success. There is nothing wrong with this, for even these things God gives us
richly to enjoy.
However, if we are not careful, we can
become so caught up in the world and its prospects, that we forget this world
is not our home; we forget this world is under the sway of Satan, the wicked
one (1 John 5:19); we forget this world offers no hope for the future,
certainly no prospects for eternity.
Our time here on earth, and all the world
affords us, is temporary. As believers, we must look beyond the world, beyond
the things we can see with our eyes, to the things which are not seen, the
things which are spiritual, the things which are eternal (2 Corinthians
4:16-18). By faith, Joseph remembered God's promises to Abraham and his
descendants. As believers, we need to remember God's promises to us, as members
of His body, the church. This world is not our eternal home. Our citizenship is
in heaven (Philippians 3:20-21). Our hope is eternal life (Titus 1:2), a hope
that is laid up for us in heaven (Colossians 1:5).
Our time here on earth, like that of
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and even Joseph, is spent as strangers or pilgrims. We
are here as "ambassadors for Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:20),
representing our Savior to an unsaved world. Joseph was sent to Egypt by God
and through the wisdom and knowledge imparted to him by God, he saved his
family and the people of Egypt. As members of God's church, we are in this
world to share the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who are in
spiritual darkness; to proclaim the good news that Jesus Christ, the eternal
Son of God, came into this world and "died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day
according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). As we impart this
wisdom and knowledge that God has entrusted to us, those who hear and believe
are saved from their sins (Ephesians 1:12-13; 2:8-9) and reconciled to God (2
Corinthians 5:20).
Joseph knew God had promised that, in His
time, He would visit His people in Egypt and bring them out. When our time on
earth is done, we know that God will take us home to be with Him for all
eternity. As believers, if we physically die, we will leave behind our bodies
of sinful flesh, and enter into the presence of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
If we remain until Christ appears to take His church home, then we will
"appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4). He will transform our
lowly bodies and conform them to the glorious body of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20-21), and "thus we shall always be with the
Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Remembering God's promises regarding our
future and looking forward to this blessed hope, encourages us to live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present age (Titus 2:11-13); it helps us keep
our minds focused on what is most important in life, not the things of this
world, but the things which we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ (Colossians
3:1-2).
Walking by faith, not by sight, enables
us to overcome the pull the world has upon us, just as Joseph's faith overcame
the pull of Egypt upon him. The world will pass away, along with everything it
offers. Only what we have in Christ and only what we do for Christ will last
eternally. Let us be careful, then, to walk each day in the footsteps of faith,
the type of faith exhibited by Joseph—the faith that overcomes the world.
(A 10 Minute Video)
How
God Saves Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
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