Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel 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: The study of Hebrews chapter 11 and I would like you to see here that Abraham in spite of those four things or four words where, how, when and why he still obeyed God and waited on those promises of God. Notice by the way that the word promise is mentioned five time in the text in which we read today from verse eight to verse 19. Let me read you those words. Verse nine by faith he sojourned in the land of promise. Verse nine at the end with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise.

Go down to verse 11. The last part of verse 11 because she judged him faithful who had promised. Go a little bit further down to verse 13 in the first part of verse 13. These all died in faith not having received the promises. Look at verse 17. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac when he that had received and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son. You notice that? Five times the word promise or promises are written here in this text for verse eight to verse 19 of Hebrews 11 which tell us volumes.

It tells us so much because here is a man that did receive promises from God. He received the promises from the God of the universe and he wanted those promises so much for his life. And so beloved look at this. Now as we got those five times we read about the promises of God I would like to show you that Abraham was faithful in spite of the fact that he didn't receive all the promises yet in his life. Number one is found in verse eight to 10. And in verses eight to 10 we read we see that Abraham's obedience to God while not knowing where and here is the word where he is going.

He continued to obey God and even he did not know where he's going to he obeyed God's word and went to where God have told him to go. Look at this verse eight, nine and 10. By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed. And he went out not knowing whether he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise. As in a strange country dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise. And look at this last verse verse 10.

For he looked for a city which has foundation whose builder and maker is God. Look at the man Abraham the first Hebrew that is actually found in Genesis chapter 14 the first Hebrew individual he is called Abraham the Hebrew in Genesis 14 and verse 13 the first man that is called the Hebrew. He trusted God to such an extent beloved brothers and sisters that when God called him in Genesis chapter 12 to leave his family to leave his country to leave all that which is surrounded him and to go to a place which God told him of.

You know he obeyed. We read in this verse. He obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went. Here we see the preciousness of this man the trust of this man. He obeyed God and by the way if you read in other passages if you read in the book of Acts chapter seven you will notice that he stopped somewhere on the way. He actually did not continue all the way to Canaan. He stopped somewhere in the place called Haran. We actually read it today in Genesis 11. And you know what happened here? Instead of continuing all the way to the promised land because of relative because of his father he stopped in Haran and he waited in Haran for a while before he continued to the land of Canaan.

And you know it teaches us many things here. You know what happened with us as believers sometimes? Sometime because of family ties because of parents or children or brothers and sisters and relatives. Sometime because of our relative we don't continue on in spiritual progress because our natural tie is very important for us. You know the expression blood is thicker than water. And you know this is a true expression because many times believers and those Hebrews needed to hear it and you and I need to hear it that a time because of natural ties because we love our parents and because we love our family we don't continue to progress spiritually because we do not want to separate from our blood relation.

We do not want to hurt them. We do not want to lose them and therefore sometime we neglect our spiritual progress because of our own family ties. And you know Abraham we read by the way that Abraham did not leave Haran before his father died. It says by the way I'm reading verse 31 of Genesis chapter 11 and Terah took Abraham his son and Lot the son of Haran his son's son and Sarah his daughter-in-law his son Abraham's wife and they went forth with them from who listen from who the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan.

But look what happened. And they came unto Haran and they dwelt in Haran. They stopped there. They didn't continue and then we read and the days of Terah were 205 years and Terah died in Haran. And then chapter 12 come. Now the Lord said unto Abraham get thee out of thy country and out of thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land which I will show thee. You see beloved God had to repeat the call of Abraham in Haran because Abraham stopped there because of family ties. And that's what happened with us and that was our parcel is telling the Hebrews.

But you notice the interesting part here in Hebrews 11 he does not mention at all the pause in Abraham's life. He only say in Hebrews 11 where we just read he says by faith verse eight Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance he obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went. Interesting. God doesn't mention the stop in Haran at all. You know why? Because God does not look at the negative and the failure and elaborate upon our failure because we didn't catch him by surprise.

He knows this about us but in Hebrews chapter 11 he wanted to show the Hebrews that you and I that Abraham did obey God in spite of the fact that there was a time of weakness in his life. And by the way how do we know that God already called Abraham before he came to Haran? You know how we know it? It was Steven the first martyr who died in the land. Steven says in Acts chapter seven men and brethren verse one and fathers hearken the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Haran.

And he said unto them get thee out of your country and from thy kindred and come into the land which I will show you. He already called him before but you see his family ties. Like you and I family ties are very important but many times they hinder us from faithfulness to the Lord to move forward and to trust him in spite of the fact that our families might not go with us. And so he continued and he said by faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place that he should receive as an inheritance he obeyed.

And he obeyed and he went out and he did not know where he went. I mean this is fascinating. God said to Abraham go. He might have had an elapse in his time. He stopped because of his father until his father died but he went but you notice he went not knowing where he went where he's going. He trusted the Lord. You know sometime I don't know if you feel like this but in faith in the Messiah sometime you do not know what's is going on. So many voices around us so many people to draw us and to tell us come this way and come that way and come this way and look go to this leader and go follow after this leader and you don't know what to do.

But if we set our affection on the Lord Yeshua and we trust him and we wait on him even if we don't know what's next we just continue on like Abraham not knowing whither he went. And by faith it says he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise. You see what he did. He trusted God and he moved forward. He dwelt in Tabernacles it says here which mean tents and he was like a Bedouin like a nomad.

He was moving from place to place even in the land of promise that God had given to him. He trusted God and he moved about as God have led him. But we see here even more in verse 10 about Abraham. He did not know where he was going but he went he trust God but what we see here in verse 10 that he looked for a city which has a foundation whose builder and maker is God. You know what that tells us? That even though God had promised to Abraham to come into the promised land to the land of Canaan Abraham was looking you see he looked for a city.

He looked for a city which has foundation and he wanted that the builder of this city is none else but God himself will be. And so beloved that thing tells us that Abraham looked for much more than just here and now even much more than just a piece of Lot in the land of Canaan. You see yes that will be given to Abraham and that will be given to his descendants Isaac and Jacob and Israel and the whole nation that will be but he looked for a city which the builder and the one that the maker is none else but God himself.

It really tells us that he is looking beyond what's going on here on earth and that tells us what you and I should look for. We are not only to look for here and now but to look beyond what is going on here and now in this earth the temporarily time in which we live here on earth we should look for more than what is going on here and now in this world. Turn with me to chapter 12 of Hebrew. Look at this verse. In verse 22 it says ye are come unto a mount Zion and unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem.

And to the innumerable company of angels. You see what he is saying to these Hebrew believers just like Abraham. Oh yes this land will be given to the people of Israel but you see you have come to a city as it says here unto the heavenly Jerusalem and to the innumerable company of angel. You know it takes us to the new Jerusalem. Take us to the eternal order that is found in Revelation chapter 21. The heavenly Jerusalem that comes out of God and actually coming out and coming down to this earth and that heavenly Jerusalem is the city of God the city where God is the one that is the maker and the founder.

Look at chapter 13 here of the same book of Hebrews in verse 14. For here we have no continuing city but we seek one to come. There is a city that Abraham was looking for which has foundation whose builder and maker is God. And this is the heavenly Jerusalem and we as it says here in verse 14 of chapter 13 in Hebrews we have here no continuing city but we seek one that will come and that's the heavenly Jerusalem that will come and there will be communication between the heavenly Jerusalem and the earthly Jerusalem in the eternal order but the point that we're trying to learn here from father Abraham that he looked for a city that the builder and the maker is none else but God himself.

So he went out not knowing where he's going to. He just trusted God and he just obeyed God. And that's what those Hebrews were challenged to do to trust the Lord Yeshua the Messiah to obey his word and to move on into that present day dispensation of what is known the body of Messiah the body of Christ. And so now notice not only that the word where is found in verse eight, nine and 10 but in the next verses. And here is the second thing that we learn of Abraham and Sarah is the second word how.

Look verses 11 and 12 we read then in these verses we learn Abraham and Sarah obeyed God even when they did not know how God will accomplish those promises. Look we read in verse 11 and 12. Through faith Sarah herself conceive or receive strength to conceive seed. And she was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore verse 12 sprang there even of one this is Abraham and him as good as dead. So many as the stars of the sky in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.

In those two verses there are two statements to highlight in your Bibles. The first statement is past age verse 11. And the second statement is good as dead in verse 12. You see what is the writer telling to those Hebrews? He's telling them look back. Not only the God answered Abraham and Abraham obeyed God even when he did not know where he was going. But Abraham and Sarah obeyed God even if they did not really grasp how God was going to fulfill his promises. Look he says that even when Sarah was past age and when Abraham was good as dead God had brought about his promises to this couple.

This expression past age we know very well that Sarah by the time if you read Genesis chapter 21 finally when she was pushing 90. Can you imagine a woman at the age of 90 giving birth to a child? I mean no wonder she left. How could I ever have borne a child when I am so old? It says here that she was past age. And what about that she looked at her husband and she look at him and she knows wow. He's good as dead. Good as dead. In other words he's unable humanly speaking to be the one that will be used to give a seed to his wife to bring forth a child.

And so humanly speaking by the way not only she left Abraham himself left. And Abraham himself in spite of his laughter in spite of that which seemed to be unimaginable he trusted God. And it says here in those verses 11 and 12 that through faith Sarah herself received strength. It is God who give the strength. It is God who give the ability to bear a child at any age. And she conceived seed. And she delivered a child when she was past age. You know why? It says here because she judged him faithful who had made the promise.

You see she says listen God I don't understand. I'm laughing because it's not possible humanly. And I'm laughing because I look at myself and I know myself and I'm past age God but God you said according to this passage I judge you faithful. I declare you faithful. You are able you are promised and you are going to keep it. And again beloved look at those Hebrews to whom the writer is writing. And they look around and they see everything seems to be falling apart. They believe in Yeshua the Messiah but they look at their own brethren they don't believe in the Messiah.

They believe that he finished the work on the tree and he is the promised one but he looked back and they looked back and they see their people their brethren still offering sacrifices. They tell them that he is the Messiah. They've been persecuted. What shall I do? What shall we do? Here is the writer telling them in spite of the impossibility. God made a promise and even if you ask the question how or like before they ask the question where God is able to fulfill the promises that he had promised. Sarah received strength from God and Abraham good as dead was able to do what he needed to do and God as a faithful God it brought about the promises that he promised them.

And the promise by the way is more than just to have a child Isaac. But the promise is that through this child a nation will be born namely the nation of Israel. And blessings going to be dispensed to the rest of the nations of the world. So precious this beloved brothers and sisters and this is really challenging us. You sometime ask where should I go? God says you trust me and I tell you trust me stay close to me and I'll show you the way to go and where to go. You might ask sometime how is it possible God?

Everything looks so difficult and so gloomy around me. And God says listen I promise you I'm going to keep you. I promise you doesn't matter how I will deal with the how. You just stay close to me and I will lead you and I will bless you and I will give you a fruitful life here until the time that I'm going to take you to be with me in heaven. Now let's move down to the third question that may be asked when. And here we are in verses 13, 14, 15 and 16. Look we continue to talk about Abraham's obedience.

Abraham obedience even when he did not know when God will fulfill the promises. And here we read verses 13 14, 15 and 16. These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and they were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. And they that say such thing declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful of that country from when they came out they might have had the opportunity to have returned but now they desire a better country that is a heavenly where God is not ashamed to be called their God.

For he has prepared for them a city. Now I want us to look at this for a moment. You see in those verses 13, 14, 15 and 16 we see Abraham obedience even if he did not know when God will accomplish the promises to them. And so first of all in verse 13 we see that expression afar off. You notice that in verse 13. These all died in faith not having received the promises having seen them afar off. You see what we learn here from this verse is that by the way it says that now they have all died.

They didn't receive the promises that God had given to them. They didn't have seen them but you know how they or they didn't receive them but by faith they have seen them afar off. You remember what was the expression what is faith? Faith as we have here in chapter 11 faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. And you see they didn't receive them and they died already but they have seen them afar off. You you see sometime when we talk about the things of the Lord we talked about the Messianic age.

We talk about the eternal order. We have never received those promises because we are still waiting for those days but by faith we look at them afar off. We see them in the coming day. We imagine what is we're going to be like. We muse over that. We're looking forward and we see what will it be when we are going to be with the Lord. What will it be when the Messianic age is going to come? What will it be when the heavenly the eternal order where we all going to be around Yeshua the Messiah with no sin any longer no hurt any longer no death no tears no sorrow no trial.

You see they looked at them afar off.

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 1411 Niagara on the Lake Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at Holy Scriptures and Israel.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 Holy Scriptures and Israel.com.

God bless you. Shalom Shalom.