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. 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 been 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 looked at him and she knows she wow He's good as dead.

Good as dead. In other words he is 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 have 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 right to tell of 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 these 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 whence 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 all 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 anymore no hurt anymore no death no tears no sorrow no trial. You see they looked at them afar off. They look at them it says here they have seen them afar off. And then it says they were persuaded of them and they embraced them and they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth. Do you know what happening when a person trusts God in any dispensation?

In any dispensation when a person believe and trust God he or she become like a stranger and a pilgrim. No wonder those early Hebrew believers became strangers to their own brethren. No wonder you and I many times find ourselves around the people which we work with as strangers. we have no common goal. We have no common hope. We have nothing in common. We want to speak about the Lord and they want to speak about the world. We want to talk about the Bible and they want to talk about something else. We want to talk about Yeshua the Messiah and they don't want to hear about him.

And you feel like a stranger and a pilgrim. What a pilgrim? We are on a journey. Actually beloved this place is not our home. We might have beautiful homes here. We might have many good things. We might have all kind of beautiful cars and beautiful clothes and all kind of things we may have but actually beloved brothers and sisters everything is temporary. We are sojourning. We are heading. We have a home that we are going to go soon. We are going to be in a place that nothing going to get rusted and corroded and decayed.

We are heading towards the father's house. And you know that is exactly what Abraham and his children have been is Isaac and Jacob and so on. Even though they were promised the land and yes they eventually he did gave them the land but they didn't get all the land because it is awaiting the future day but even that the land itself without God without the Messiah something was missing. But even beyond that to go and to look into the eternal order in which ultimately no sin no wrong no harm no sorrow going to be here in this world.

You see we longing for this day and here we see of Abraham and his descendants they became strangers and pilgrim in this world. You know why? Because this earth and this world rejected the son of God the Messiah himself. Look if you turn with me please to the book of Peter the first epistle of Peter first Peter chapter one. Look I'm going to read of first Peter. By the way Peter also wrote to Jewish believers to Hebrews and they became believers and they suffered and they were rejected and they became like strangers scattered around. Notice it says first Peter one verse one Peter an apostle of Yeshua the Messiah to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia.

Verse two elect according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus the Messiah grace unto you and peace be multiplied. You see he called them strangers and scattered but those people who are strangers and scattered are actually are Hebrew believers who are scattered abroad. Look at chapter two of first Peter. First Peter two verse 11 and look what he telling them in verse 11 first Peter two 11. He says to them dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul.

But you notice he called them beloved. He called them strangers and pilgrims. You see what happened? They became strangers and pilgrims by virtue of their faith in the Messiah the faith in God and they have been scattered abroad and they became strangers. Wherever they have gone they really did not have a place to be called as their home because they have been all scattered all as pilgrim moving from place to place because of persecution and rejection that they have experienced. And really what we learned here from this passage and I'm back to Hebrews chapter 11 in verse 14 is they became strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Misunderstood by the people around them. They were moving from place to place anticipating the time where God is going to give them what he had promised them and it says listen in verse 14 then he generalizing he said they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. See when you call yourself a stranger and a pilgrim and you declare that you are stranger here in this world that this is not your home you actually saying I'm waiting for another city. I'm waiting for another country. And that city and that country is the city of God the city where God have his rightful place in the midst of his own.

And so you and I can say definitely that we are strangers and pilgrims. Listen doesn't matter who you going to vote for today whether it is here or whether it is in Israel or whether it is in Canada or whether it is in the USA. Whoever you going to vote for it's still not going to be a home for the people of God. The one that we are waiting for the one that we have voted for is waiting to come very soon. And those Abraham and Sarah and his descendants were strangers and pilgrims. They were moving about.

They declare that they are looking for a country. And the country that they are looking for the city that they are looking for is the city that God is the one that is the builder and the maker where he has his rights where he has authority where he is the one that filling their soul of his own people and with joy and with blessing. And so it says in verses 15 and 16 look God is not a shame to be called those people's God. It says in verse 13 and 15 and 16 and truly if they had been mindful of that country for whence they came out they might have had an opportunity to have returned.

You see they were not mindful to go back to where they came from. But if they might would have wanted to go back but they didn't want to go back. They could have gone back. Abraham could have gone back but he did not go back. He looked forward. And that's why look at this it says in verse 16 but now they desire a better country. That is a heavenly. And you see even though Abraham was looking for the city in the land of Canaan looking to be in the promised land but he looked beyond it.

He looked for the heavenly city the heavenly place the heavenly country. And you see look what it says he looked for a heavenly and then look because of this it says God is not a shame to be called their God. You notice this? How many time we read or at least we are ashamed of God and ashamed of the Lord. How many time to our own shame? How many time we ashamed? You know there is a song that I love to hear and and it's been sung by a Hebrew believers Jewish Jews for Jesus wrote that song some it's called I'm ashamed of my sins and the sins of my people.

But I'm not ashamed of the gospel. And you see Abraham Isaac Abraham and Sarah they were not ashamed of God. They were not ashamed of the God who called them out and that's why he's not ashamed to be called their God. He's not ashamed to be called their God. He's not ashamed to be called their God because he has prepared for them a city we read in verse 16. He's not ashamed to be called their God because they have trusted him. They have followed instruction. They were moving on in spite of difficult and those question that they have asked and they obeyed him even if they did not know where they are going.

They obeyed him even though they didn't know how he's going to accomplish what they have promised. And they obeyed him even if they did not know when he's going to give them what he promised to them. And that 's why he's not ashamed to be called their God. What a wonderful statement to come in the Bible. God called Abraham the friend of God. What a precious truth to get a hold of. When you sometimes feel discouraged when you sometimes feel disappointed in yourself just look away from yourself and look at Jesus the Messiah and see how much he love you and how much he care for you and what he have done for you.

And how he wanted to draw you to follow after him and to obey him. How much he want to see obedience in our lives. That's the most difficult thing in our lives is to obey. You know that sin came by disobedience. That's our sin came into this world. And so we see God is not ashamed to be called their God. He's not ashamed. Precious isn't it? Amazing. How wonderful the writer encouraging the Hebrew believers here. And now look at this and I'm going to move to the less verses here that we have read today. Verses 8 9 and 10 Abraham obeyed God even if he didn't know where he was going to.

Verses 13 to 16 Abraham obeyed God even if he didn't know when God would fulfill his promises. Verses 11 and 12 Abraham and Sarah obeyed God even if they did not know how God is going to do that. And now let's look at the less verses and verses 17 18 and 19 Abraham obeyed God even if he did not know why God does what he does. And look at this verse 17. By faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaac. And he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son of whom it is said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead.

From whence he also received him in a figure. Two things here that I very precious. You remember we had just the other day Genesis chapter 22. Really those verses connect us with Genesis chapter 22. And where God asked Abraham to offer up his son his only begotten son and God says take now thy son thine only son whom you love Isaac and offer him up on one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. Genesis 22 and verse one. And can you imagine the thought that God after he had finally fulfilled the promise of giving him a son and finally the son has come now God is asking Abraham to offer him up as a sacrifice on one of the mountains.

Now it is immediately gives a dilemma to a person such as Abraham would give to anyone a dilemma. On the one hand you finally give him a son in my old age 100 years of age. On the other hand you asking me now to offer him and to kill him. Well what's the point? How is it possible God? Why is it that it is expected from me? And why are you asking me such a difficult question? And you and I and perhaps those Hebrews that the apostle write to they ask God why. Why our people are not all believers right now in Yeshua the Messiah?

Why should we leave them and why should we not continue with certain things? And he had to explain to them. But they still needed to obey the word of God. And here we see Abraham it says here in verses 17 and 18 that by faith Abraham when he was tested he offered up Isaac his son. He that have received the promise offered up his only begotten son and listen verse 18 of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called. If in Isaac shall thy seed be called why do I need to go and offer him?

Abraham had the only solution that he had to this problem is to trust God. That if God said that he's going to give through Isaac shall seed be called and blessing a nation going to come and if God expects him for me now to slay my son I'm going to trust God that he's going to do the best that he knows how and he's going to fulfill the promises that he had promised. And that's where the trust in God that was needed by Abraham and that's why it says in verse 17 and 19 it says accounting that God was able to raise him up.

What Abraham really said is simply this. If God ask me to offer up the very son whom he had given to me and promised me that in Isaac shall thy seed be called then I believe that God is able to raise him up from the dead. So he the seed Isaac will bring forth the seed Jacob and the nation of Israel will be born as a nation. He trusted God and you see the point here in verse 19 he accounting God that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead. He's the God of the impossible.

He's the God who can do all things and the lessons beloved brothers and sisters that the Hebrews of all the you and I learning from this is that in Abraham we see the life of faith. Waiting on God in every situation of the life of the believer of the child of God. Many things I'm sure you ask in your life and asking about your family your friends your job your all kind your health situation and you ask where how when why. And you and I ask that. But in every situation really the answer here is simply trust God obey his word.

And he going to answer every question that you have in his time. Sometime we seeing in his time he makes all things beautiful in his time. And that's the lesson that we learned from Abraham and Sarah. Faith waits on God at all times. And when we fail and when we have lapse on our lives the thing to do is to confess it before the Lord. And say Lord I fail you. To brush up if you will ourselves and to get up and to continue to go. Don't look within because within you see disappointment. Don't look without because without you see a lot of discouragements.

But to look upwards where the person of Yeshua is and to see delightness. He's such a delight to look at. A man that loved us gave himself for us a man that have done everything for us to give us hope to give us a future to give us a reason for living. And so we can live our life like in some small measure like Abraham their life of faith. Living for our blessed Lord Jesus the Messiah. Can we say amen to that? Amen.

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 holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1:00 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.