Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Holy Scriptures and Israel A is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective here is Gideon Levitan.

Gideon Levytam: Okay everyone, please take your Bibles now and turn with me to the book of Hebrews. And today we are going to read a few verses from the 11th chapter, the chapter that deals with faith. We are right now moving forwards towards the end of the book of Hebrews and it is so interesting that when we study such a book and such a chapter we can learn so much from what happened to the first early believers of first century. The lesson that they had to learn as believers in Yeshua the Messiah and the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

The verses that I want to read today are very a few. In fact I might not read even all what I want to share with you today. I first of all going to read three verses Hebrews 11 and the verses 20 21 and 22. Let just read those three verses. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob when he was a dying blessed both the sons of Joseph worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph or Yosef when he died he made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and he gave commandment concerning his bones.

And I'll pause here and I'll stop with the reading at this moment because we might not even cover more than those three verses and if we can we'll continue from verse 23 to verse 29 talking about the faith of Moses of Moshe. Now remember that we are in the book of Hebrews and Hebrews is a letter that had been written by the apostle in order to encourage Hebrew believers of first century because of the challenges that they were facing. They were going through persecution. They were going through perhaps a time of difficult because of the fact that they did not know how to behave.

The temple was existing. Yeshua came and he died for them and they believed on him but they were inclining to go back into the system that had been finished at the coming of the Messiah. And all kind of things like that maybe they have lost lands that they owned because they've been outcast by their own brethren like we have already in the beginning of the book of Acts. So the book of Hebrews were written to those early Hebrew believers to encourage them but also to warn them. To warn them because of the danger they have had to go back to that which have been fulfilled in the person of the Messiah and to neglect to follow after the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

So the whole book was written with five warnings that they had received. One after another to challenge them to continue following after the Messiah. So when we have arrived now to the 11th chapter of Hebrews what we find a completed chapter with 40 verses without to mention one time New Testament individual and all the names that are mentioned in Hebrews 11 are either Hebrews or some individuals that became believers in the God of Israel in the past history of the nation. And you notice that as we have covered from the beginning from the time that we have read in chapter 11 and the theme is faith.

What is faith? Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things which are not seen. That's what the writer is telling them. That's what faith is. And through faith and by faith believers throughout the ages continue to follow the Lord, continue to follow the God of the Bible, the God of Israel. And you know you and I are in the same situation. We also do not walk by sight but we walk by faith. We need by the grace of God to continue to follow Yeshua the Messiah not because we see him, not because we see things but simply believing the word of God, what God says in his word.

And so we too often times fall into condition that is not pleasing to the Lord. We don't trust the Lord in many areas of our life. We don't have faith enough in him in many areas of our life. We often have no faith with regard to our jobs, with regard to our family, with regard to various situation, health situation. We simply find ourselves just like the Hebrews in a need of simply trusting the Lord and having faith in him. And so chapter 11 is a total chapter that deal with the theme of faith. And we talked about Abel, we talked about Enoch, we talked about Noah, we talked about Abraham and Sarah and now we have arrived finally to the children and the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren of the first Hebrew namely Abraham our father.

And so notice the three verses that I've read in chapter 11 verse 20 21 and 22 there are three men mentioned and interesting enough that the Bible mention only one event here in chapter 11 though their history was so rich in the Hebrew scripture, in the Old Testament, in the Tanakh. But the writer only pick up one event in their lives. You notice it says and I'm reading by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob when he was a dying blessed both of the sons of Joseph and he worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff.

And by faith Jacob when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones. You notice that beloved brothers and sisters there is only mention one event in the life of each individual here in these three verses. One event in the life of Isaac one event in the life of Jacob and one event in the life of Joseph. Now I'm going to zero in a little bit about those verses as we move on but I want to point one thing in each and every one of our life and every person's life.

You know we became children of God at a certain point of our life. Maybe we were 20 years old or 15 years old or 10 years old or maybe 50 years old or 60 years old. We became believers in Yeshua the Messiah. From the time that we became believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah until the time that the Lord is going to take us home. God left us here to learn lessons in life to live for him in this world to seek to learn from Yeshua and to testify for Yeshua here in this world.

But we as we move on in our life as believers going through many changes and many exercises in our lives. Sometime we are faithful sometime we are not. Sometime we are living for the Lord and we give our life for the Lord and we trust him for everything we have and everything we possess and all our family situation. But sometime because there is a lack of belief, there is a fear and maybe disappointments that come into our life we do not simply trust the Lord in those times and we don't give him the glory that he deserves.

Well it's the same thing in the life of our forefathers. Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, their parents and grandparents Abraham and Sarah and so on they have been people just like us. And they also have gone through trials and difficult times in their lives. You know there is so much to tell in the Bible about Yitzhak, about Isaac. We can read about him in chapter 27 and earlier when he was born and you remember the story of the life of Isaac. But God have chosen to teach us a lesson, very important lesson about Isaac here in verse 20.

And look what he is telling us about Isaac. He says by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Now listen to this beloved brothers and sisters. We read here in the Bible that by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Isaac concerning the future day, concerning things that were going to come in the future day. Now do you remember the story of Isaac? When Isaac life he was a man of peace actually. He was a man that we read about him that he made peace. He did not go through a lot of trials and problems in his life.

He was a man that in comparison to Jacob and to Abraham there was not as much written about him in the Old Testament but he was a man of peace who sought to live for God. But we discover at the later part of his life when he was ready to leave this scene, when he was ready to die and he was ready to go on to his people as we read it in the Old Testament we find out something about Isaac that we didn't learn all alone. I want you to turn to Genesis chapter 27 for a moment.

I want you to just go back to Genesis chapter 27. I want you to see what we read there about Isaac. Genesis chapter 27 we read this about Isaac. Then we didn't learn or we didn't hear so much or we didn't think about Isaac when we read the story of his life. In chapter 27 we read this and it came to pass when Isaac was old verse one. And his eyes were dim so that he could not see. And he called Esau his elder son and he said unto him my son. And he said unto him behold here am I.

And he said behold now I am old. And I know not the day of my death. Now therefore take I pray thee thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow and go out to the field and take me some venison and make me savory meat such as I love. And bring it to me that I may eat and that my soul may bless thee before I die. Those are first four verses of Genesis chapter 27 tells us so much about Isaac. You see Isaac when he have gotten older as he moved on in his life we find out that he built a relationship with his elder son Esau and not as much with his younger son who was actually the same age because they were twins by the name of Jacob.

Esau was very dear to the heart of Isaac but Jacob was not in the same way as close to his father as Esau. Jacob was actually in far more communication with his mother than Isaac and Isaac was so much more connected to his father and not as much to his mother. And when Isaac got to the age into the time when he was ready to leave this scene he called his older son and he says son I want you to take your ammunition and I want you to go to the field and I want you to kill an animal and I want you to make for me such food as I love.

That I will bless you Isaac. Now that it says in verse four make me savory such as I love, bring it to me that I may eat and my soul will bless you before I die. We learned very quickly here beloved that Isaac was not really in a proper will of God at that stage of his life. Isaac who should have known very well from what happened when the two boys were born that their elder will serve the younger Isaac still did not have or did not allow God to have his mind and his will in his life.

And so what does he do? He called his older son Isaac and he wanted to give him the blessing of the firstborn son. And in doing that he violated the will of God. And so what we find out that God had to allow some interference to come in. He allows something to happen here in the story of chapter 27 we learned what actually happened. His wife Rebecca heard what happened there. And you remember the story beloved brothers and sisters what his wife said to him. She said immediately she called her son Jacob and she said Jacob Jacob I heard what your father he was going to bless your brother.

You Jacob go you take quickly go and I will make for you food ready so that your father will be eating it and he will bless you rather than he will bless Esau with the first born rights of the blessings. And you notice what happened. The wife did not tell the husband what happened. She sent the son neither the brother nor the father knew anything about what's going to happen. She prepared the food. She put upon her son Jacob the hairy skin of the animal and she told Jacob here's the food and you go to your father and you tell your father that you are Esau his son.

And what we find out beloved brothers and sisters that Jacob end up lying to his father and that Rebecca end up lying to her husband. Esau end up going out trying to take the birthright that he sold which we read about it earlier in the book of Genesis and Isaac was not in the will of God at this time at all. And look what the Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 20. By faith Isaac blessed notice the order blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. You see what Isaac had to learn at the end of his life that he had to let go and let God.

This is exactly when you and I need to learn in our lives as well as we trust the Lord in our lives. To let go and let God take control of our life. Isaac was planning to give Esau the first born rights blessing which was actually belong to Jacob. And how do we know that? When the babies were born. And even before they were born you remember they were in the belly of the mother Rebecca. And it was struggling inside and she went to the Lord and she asked the Lord about this. We read it in chapter 25 the book of Genesis and the Lord said to Rebecca there are two nations in your womb.

There are two people in your womb. And they're struggling with each other and he says the elder will serve the younger. It is the younger that I've chosen to be a blessing to this world through. It's not the elder. But you see what Isaac did. Isaac who have known that and I'm sure he had known it because his wife have let him known that that God have in mind to have Jacob lead and through him the blessings we come to this world and not through Isaac but Isaac at the last days of his life. Eventually believed God word.

And as we read here by faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. And you know when he blessed them when he was old and ready to die. It teaches us that though he had experience of life and challenges in life really what God looked upon the fact that he finally release he finally allowed God to have his ways with him. He had his own plan and God had another plan. He had his own agenda and God have his own agenda. And isn't it true beloved brothers and sisters with you and I in our own life?

God have a plan for you and I. And yet you and I have an agenda a plan for ourselves. You know what we read in the scriptures in the New Testament that God his own purposes has to work in our own life, not our own purposes, not our own plans. And we learn here you remember he's writing to the Hebrew believers. He's saying to them listen you need to let God lead you in your life because he has a plan and a purpose for you. Look what happened to your forefather Isaac. He had his own plan but eventually by faith he blessed Jacob and he blessed Esau in the proper order concerning things to come.

You remember let me just read you what he said about the things to come that we read here in the book of Genesis chapter 27. Look what we read. When Isaac after he blessed Jacob look what he says in verse 18 he came to his father this Jacob came to his father and he said my father he said here am I and he said who are you my son? And he said I'm Isaac thy firstborn. I have done concerning what you have told me to do. And then we moving forward and we read in verse 26 and Isaac said unto him come near unto me and kiss me my son.

And he came near and he kissed him and he smelled the smell of his raiment and he blessed him. And he said see the smell of my son is the smell of the field which the Lord had blessed. Therefore God give thee the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine. And look what he says in verse 29 let people serve thee nations bow down to thee be Lord over thy brethren. And let thy mother's sons bow down before thee. Cursed be everyone that curses thee and blessed be he that blesses thee.

Look at the blessing that he gave. Initially he intended to give it to Esau but God allow the intervening of Rebecca and Jacob and brought about what God have really intended for Jacob and not for Esau. But we find out beloved brothers and sisters in Hebrews 11 we don't read it so much in Genesis chapter 27 but in Hebrews 11 we find out that somehow out of this mess that have occurred in Genesis chapter 27 we find out that Isaac by faith have blessed Jacob and blessed Esau concerning things to come. And at the last days of his life he realized that God must have his way in the life of the people of God.

And that God eventually will have his ways for his own people. He will have it in the life of Isaac, he will have it in the life of Jacob but he will also have it in your life and in mine. Even though we sometimes sadly so have our own agendas and plans and desires yet eventually everything will work according to his purpose. And so ask the Lord and we need all of us to ask the Lord to help us that as we live here our lives here that we will already at the younger age will say Lord have thy own way in my life and don't allow me to have mine own way because we are always going to mess it up.

And we only going to go in a wrong direction if we will not have the Lord have his way with us. So the first men beloved brothers and sisters here in chapter 11 and verse 20 is Isaac. When he became old by faith he blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Now here's the second men and look at the next men. Now we are talking about Jacob. And look what we read here. It says here in verse 21 by faith Jacob when he was a dying. Notice again we are talking about a man that at his last days of his life.

When he was a dying he blessed both the sons of Joseph and he worshipped leaning on the top of his staff. Now here is another interesting individual by the name of Jacob. We have a few Jacobs here in our midst but Jacob was an interesting person and Jacob is actually a picture of me a picture of us. Jacob of the Tanakh of the Old Testament is a picture of everyone of us in this room whether we have the name Jacob or whether we don't have the name Jacob. He had his own plans. He had his own agenda.

We know it very well. You remember that. We read about Jacob. He was a man that all his life he made his own plans like you and I, like us. He was trying to work things out in his own way. You remember he started we read already by buying their birthright from Esau. You remember when Esau was very hungry and Jacob exchanged with him a little bowl of soup for the birthright. What a deal. He's exchanged. He said you take soup or something to eat and I'm going to get the right the blessings of the birthright.

What a deal. I mean it's not even an even deal. He was thinking, he was planning, he had a plan he had a program like you and I. You remember later on we find out that was what we just read in Genesis chapter 27. He came before his father and his father asked him who are you? And he says I'm your son Esau. He's standing before his father and he's telling his father that he's the other son. His father was blind. And then later on you remember what happened. He have ended up and he have fled away and he lost.

He never seen his mother anymore. And when he got to another country, to another land you remember to the land where we read about it in the book of Genesis a little bit later on in chapter 28 and so on he have gotten to his uncle by the name of Laban who was far more trickier than him. And you remember what Laban did to him. He says you work and you're going to get this daughter of mine Rachel. So he works very hard Jacob to get Rachel and guess what happened at the night where he was supposed to receive his wife.

He has somebody that trick him far more than what he did to his father and to his brother. He came at night and instead of finding Rachel he found Leah. And he tricked him his uncle and later on his uncle made him work another seven years. And then he finally got Rachel and then he worked another seven years. He had his plan of his own. And now we find out he had to leave his family because of his mischiefs and so on. He tried to bargain with God on the way. You remember when he went on the way in Bethel he said if you will bless me then I'm going to give you 10 percent.

And then we move on in the life of Jacob and we see that Jacob had been living a life not necessarily a life that was pleasing to God in every form and shape.

Guest (Male): You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levitan. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry write to Holy Scriptures and Israel box 14 11 Niagara on the Lake Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program visit holyscripturesandisrael.com.

God bless you. Shalom Shalom.