The Whole Picture - Hebrews 13:1-25

We’ve reached the end – the final chapter of the book of Hebrews. This book has taken us to an amazing depth and yet, I know we’ve only scratched the surface. “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow” (Hebrews 4:12). We may scratch the surface of God’s Word but the Word penetrates to the very core of who we are to separate us from the world, from the beings of death whom we once were, and take us into the presence of Holy God. Amen to that.

With this final section, the whole picture that we’ve studied throughout this series will come into focus. We’ll see the author’s whole thesis of his book boiled down into one statement. We’ll cross the bridge to enter the promise for which we all hope. Please start by reading Hebrews 13:1-25.

Click here for a printable handout for this section.

The book of Hebrews wraps up as do many New Testament books. The author encouraged us to draw near to God through faith, to run the race focused on Jesus, and live at peace with God and others. Now, he’s going to give us some very practical lifestyle choices that will help make those things a reality. Beneath that list, though, hovering below the surface, is a life transforming message that will rock our world. Let’s consider the surface list, however, before we dive beneath the surface.

The First List of Seven

Love (13:1)
Let it continue. It can’t continue if it never started within us. It never started if we don’t first recognize the love Jesus has for each one of us. He is our example of love and we are His witness of love to the world.

Hospitality (13:2)
Show it to others. Open your heart, your wallet, and your home. Share a meal, a moment, and a smile. Who knows – you may be taking in one of God’s holy angels.

Prisoners (13:3)
Remember them. This probably originally referred to those imprisoned for their faith but it spreads to all incarcerated. Yes, they might have made some mistakes in their life, but haven’t we all? In prison, walls separate them from the Christian influences of society; they’ll never hear unless we take the message to them.

Marriage (13:4)
It’s one guy and one girl with a sexual relationship only between the two of them that’s consummated after the wedding vows are made. It drips with corruption in our perverted world and yet God calls us to live a life where the marriage bed is undefiled. Our standards may have deteriorated but His remain the same.

Money (13:5)
Don’t love it; live free from its consuming pull on your life. If money is the love of our lives, then we'll never be satisfied. We'll always live lusting after more, discontent with what God has given us.

Satisfaction (13:5-6)
We could link together this point with the last one but we can find many areas in our lives to harbor discontentment besides our financial situation. We cheat on our spouses, gripe about our jobs, accuse our kids of not living up to their potential, and dream of bigger houses and nicer cars. All that we have is from God; He gives us exactly what we need for the life to which He calls us. Be content.

Leaders (13:7)
Remember them. People have given of their lives to instill God’s Word into your life. They did so out of love for God and to pay it forward as a recognition to those who invested in them. Honor those people who have made a godly impact in your life and try to live your life according to their example.

The Second List of Four

We’re going to skip Hebrews 13:8-14. We’ll come back to it in a minute. First, let’s skim through our second list of lifestyle qualities consistent with one who has drawn near to God.

Praise (13:15)
Offer it as a sacrifice. Don’t only stand up and sing on Sunday morning. Sacrifice your thoughts and words until every one honors Holy God. Praise Him in those moments of struggle and pain when words of anger would so much easily slip from your mouth. Yes, it’s hard. If it isn’t, then it’s not a sacrifice.

Goodness (13:16)
Do it. Be generous; share with others. This one is similar to praise –don’t only give a little. Give until it’s a sacrifice to do so.

Obedience (13:17)
God established authority in our world; He expects us to obey those He put over us. Yes, sometimes they call us to do something contrary to God’s Word. At those times, we have to walk away. We have to obey God’s Word over the words of man. However, in general, God expects us to obey our leadership.

Prayer (13:18)
You’ll never make it if you aren’t regularly, intimately talking to God in prayer. It’s not hard, complicated, rigid, or structured. It’s a relationship where you sit and talk; sometimes you talk and sometimes you listen.

Beneath the Surface

I almost divided this last chapter into two sections. This list we’ve considered is already a lot to take in. I know I’m not living that way and I’m guessing you probably aren’t either. Despite the length, I sense God calling us to push on. After all, if we can’t read a few hundred extra words then we probably aren’t ready to run the marathon race to which He calls us.

Buried almost in the middle of these two lists are some significant verses that don’t really seem to fit in. That doesn’t surprise me, however, because I’ve learned that Hebrew writing often places their main point right in the middle of a text. We tend to put the main idea at the beginning or perhaps even at the end, but Hebrew writing doesn’t. We could almost picture a Hebrew text as an ancient pyramid with both sides building to the peak right in the middle.

This case is no different. Right between a list of seven and a list of four, we find the author’s thesis statement of his whole book – the whole picture painted in one powerful statement. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be led astray” (Hebrews 13:8-9).

The world will come at you trying to persuade you to follow a different Jesus or convince you that Jesus has changed. They’ll lure you away with a new message that’s contrary to the pages of Scripture. DO NOT be led astray. Jesus won’t change and neither will His message.

I don’t believe it’s an accident that the pinnacle of the pyramid is between the lists of 4 and 7. Those two numbers have repeated throughout this book; every time they contained significance as four directed us to creation and seven pointed toward the heavenly. Here in chapter 13, we see Jesus’ eternal, unchanging message is the bridge that links together the created and the spiritual.

Jesus’ Eternal, Unchanging Message

Establish your heart in God’s grace, not in rituals (13:9)
“It is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by foods, since those involved in them have not benefited” (Hebrews 13:9). The author of Hebrews uses the dietary restrictions here as an example of the rituals of the Old Testament. Even then, the foods and rituals of the law didn’t provide salvation. They were only the parable. Even then, salvation came by faith in God alone.

Eat at God’s Altar; His Body the Bread (13:10)
“We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle do not have a right to eat” (Hebrews 13:10). Because we have chosen to draw near – because He has called us as priests in His holy and true temple – we have the right and privilege to eat from the true table of bread in the heavenly holy place. The earthly priests didn’t have that privilege even though they did weekly eat the bread from the table in the earthly temple. And remember, Jesus is the bread that came down from heaven. Click here and here to read more.

Go to the Sacrifice; His Blood the Cup (13:11-13)
Our hope is the heavenly sanctuary; our inheritance is with Jesus forever. These have been common themes throughout this study. Right now, though, the work is done outside the camp and outside the temple. We can’t go into the eternal temple until we have first gone outside the camp where Jesus shed His blood. Click here to read more.

“Let us then go to Him outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:13).

• We go to Him there because that is where He suffered. He told us in John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” We go to Him to suffer as He suffered because He is greater than us. May we never consider ourselves greater than Him.
• We go to Him there to be sanctified (13:12). It is there that He sets us apart from the world and consecrates us as holy unto Himself.
• We go to Him there to bear His disgrace. How can we be honored when He was shamed before the world? How can we be exalted when He was humiliated? How can we be praised when He was insulted?

Focus on the Eternal, Enduring City (13:14)
“For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come” (Hebrews 13:14). Like all those listed in Hebrews 11 – from creation to the flood, from the flood to the Law, and from the Law to the cross – we focus not on the city of this world but on the city which is to come. We are part of those listed in the history of faith and, with them, we have a part to play in God’s story. Like them, we seek a future homeland – not the land from which we’ve come but the land to which we’re going.

Conclusion (13:20-25)

We leave our middle pinnacle point to focus on the conclusion of the chapter, the book, and this study. It’s been an incredible journey through the book of Hebrews – one that has brought me into a greater intimacy with the Savior, a greater perspective on His eternal plan, a greater understanding of His sufficient sacrifice, and a greater hope of our future home. Finally, it’s given me a greater focus on the work I need to do and the life I need to live right here and right now. I hope you’ve shared in this growth process with me.

All these areas overwhelm me at times. However, “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you (or me) will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). I didn’t start this study on my own; I started it because of a compelling and prompting of the Spirit within me to draw near to Him through the study of the fullness and depth of His Word. And to that end, I know He will continue to work in my life – and in yours.

He alone has the power to raise Jesus from the dead and grant eternal life. It is with that same power that He promises to do all of these things and more within each one of us who draw near to Him. That is why the author of Hebrews leaves us with one final message which is where I also will end…

“Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus – the great Shepherd of the sheep – with the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to Him forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

← Previous Section: Finding Peace through Grace

Finding Peace through Grace - Hebrews 12:14-29

We’re entering the final words – the final message – of our study through Hebrews. Chapters 3-12:13 built a phenomenal argument for Jesus’ identity. The author covered every aspect as he taught us that Jesus was the fulfillment of the promised Messiah. I encourage you to read Hebrews 12:14-29 before continuing with this section.

Click picture for a printable handout for this section

Don’t we all long for a world of peace? Wouldn’t life be so much simpler without war, discontent, and violence? Yet, they are an inevitable and constant part of our world.

Despite their inevitability, God says “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness – without it no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Despite our culture of conflict, God tells us to pursue peace. He doesn’t let us off the hook. He calls us to pursue peace with everyone – an outward attempt that strives to bring peace to all of our relationships. He calls us to holiness – an upward attempt that strives to bring peace to our relationship with God.

Peace is hard sometimes but probably not as hard as we try to make it. We find peace with God and others through grace. We accept God’s grace to find peace with God; we extend God’s grace to find peace with others. That’s it. It’s a simple concept but one that’s hard to live out in the real world.

Accept God’s grace. Let me emphasize this point for a second. We don’t earn God’s grace. We don’t buy God’s grace. We don’t even have to wait for it. He’s given it to every single last one of us. It’s poured out and waiting for you to receive it. The only way we can fall short of the grace of God is to not accept it.

What might keep us from accepting God’s grace?

Root of Bitterness (12:15)
The mention of a root of bitterness ties back to Deuteronomy 29:16-21, specifically verse 18. “Be sure there is no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit” (Deuteronomy 29:18). In the midst of an admonition against idolatry, God commands the people to watch out for and avoid the growth of poisonous and bitter fruit. Note that the problem isn’t the idolatry. Seeking after false gods is the effect of a worse problem – a heart that has turned away from God due to the growth of a root of bitterness.

If we allow bitterness – especially bitterness toward God – to take root and grow in our life then we will soon replace the one true God with false idols within the sanctuary of our hearts. We will no longer be accepting God’s grace as we turn away from Him and turn toward the impotent, insatiable idols of this world.

Immorality and Irreverence (12:16-17)
These verses tie back to Genesis 25:29-34 and the story of Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. Think about that – Esau’s birthright wasn’t only the property and riches he might inherit from his father, Isaac. Esau’s birthright was the promises made by Holy, Eternal God to Abraham who passed it down to Isaac. God spoke to Isaac, “I will confirm the oath that I swore to your Father Abraham. I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky, I will give your offspring all these lands, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring” (Genesis 26:3-4). We studied the promises in more detail in an earlier section.

Similar to our previous inhibition to accepting God’s grace, Esau’s story is an effect rather than a cause. Esau sold his God-given birthright for a bowl of stew but the greater problem was the heart within the man that led him to do such a thing. Esau was an immoral, irreverent man. He didn’t care about what was important – he held nothing as sacred or holy. We don’t see sexual immorality in the Genesis story but the author of Hebrews describes him as such. Immorality exemplifies Esau’s corrupt heart because sexual sin devalues what God has created as holy and set apart unto only one spouse. God chose Abraham’s descendants above all other nations of the earth; Esau tossed his inheritance aside like an abandoned wife in exchange for a moment of satisfaction from a bowl of stew. How cheap.

The immoral and irreverent don’t accept God’s grace because they don’t care at all about what God has given them. They take the holy, special gift of God’s promise and toss it aside for a moment of pleasure. They don’t repent because they don’t recognize the significant. They only shed tears because they don’t get what they want, not because they value what they have lost.

Focus on the Physical, not the Spiritual (12:18-27)
Our third inhibition to the acceptance of God’s grace is a focus on the physical, created world instead of the spiritual world of the Creator. The passage ties back to Exodus 19:9-25 and also Deuteronomy 4:11-12; 5:22-26. God called Moses to the top of Mount Sinai in order to give him the words of the law. While he was there, no other person or even an animal could touch the mountain. The consequence if they did was death. Hebrews describes the whole event as “terrifying” (Hebrews 12:21).

The author of Hebrews describes the event in four different ways that tie in with our senses and what is created. When the people came to Mount Sinai, they came…

• To what could be touched (touch)
• To a blazing fire (smell, sight, touch)
• To darkness, gloom, and storm (sight)
• To the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words (heard)

But the author of Hebrews tells us we have not come to Mount Sinai. We have not come to the created, to the law, to the fear and trembling, to the things of this earth. We have come to Mount Zion. The author continues by describing Mount Zion in seven different ways. In Hebrews 12:22-24, we have come…

• To the city of the living God
• To myriads of angels in festive gathering
• To the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven
• To God who is the judge of all
• To the spirits of righteous people made perfect
• To Jesus the mediator of a new covenant
• To the sprinkled blood

Let’s compare these two mountains. The author used four descriptions for Mount Sinai and seven for Mount Zion. He has used the comparison of seven and four a few times throughout this book; each time the four shows us some aspect of creation and the earth whereas the seven shows us some aspect of the spiritual and the divine. We see the same thing here. Mount Sinai gave us the message of the earth – the Law. Mount Zion gives us the message of heaven – grace.

Even though the message of Mount Sinai was part of earth and creation, our rejection of it still had eternal consequences. If that’s the case, we can be confident that our rejection of the spiritual message from Mount Zion will have eternal consequences as well.

Those consequences will become apparent at some future date when God will shake things up a little bit. Well, more like a lot, actually. He will “shake not only the earth but also heaven” (Hebrews 12:26). When He shakes things up, the created will no longer stand. Our confidence can’t be in the things of earth, as they will all be gone. At that time, we better cling to the spiritual message of grace from Jesus because it is the only thing that will endure God’s shaking. Grace from Jesus cannot be shaken.

Hold on to Grace (13:28-29)

Let go of bitterness toward God and others.

Value and hold dear what is sacred and holy.

Rely on the spiritual work of the Creator, not on the creation.

Bitterness, irreverence, and the things of this world keep us from accepting God’s grace. They separate us from the relationship He so desperately longs for with us. However, when we overcome them and accept His grace then we finally find a way to live in peace. Without them, our God is a consuming fire because His wrath burns toward anything that separates us from Him.

This verse ties back to Deuteronomy 4:24. Moses lived a life in close communion with God. We’ve discussed it many times throughout this study – here, here, here, and here. However, even Moses messed up and had to face the consequences. His sin kept him from entering the earthly Promised Land. That experience led him to warn the people with a message very applicable to us today. Here’s my modern day paraphrase of Deuteronomy 4:21-24…

You’re about to enter the Promised Land. Not the physical one over in the Middle East but the spiritual one in the presence of Holy God. Don’t forget the covenant that God made with you when He died and resurrected back to life. That death – that covenant – made it possible for you to enter the Promised Land. Don’t go chasing after the immoral and the irreverent. Don’t replace a relationship with Him with impotent idols. Why? “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24).

You’re better off to hold on to grace. Only then will you find peace with God.

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The Struggle against Sin - Hebrews 12:1-13

Life is full of choices. We’ve been studying the most significant choice of our lives for the last several sections. The author of Hebrews laid out his case for Jesus’ deity, kingship, priesthood, and eternally sufficient sacrifice up through chapter ten. At that point, he told us we have to make a choice. We can either “draw near” or we can “deliberately sin.” He’s not going to force us one way or the other; the decision rests entirely on us. For those of us who choose to draw near, God calls us to endure until the end because Jesus is coming and we must live by faith until that happens.



Click picture for a printable handout for this section

We find ourselves at the beginning of chapter twelve facing more details about the lives of those who choose to draw near. It’s not an easy life; the heroes of the faith in chapter eleven witnessed to this fact. However, God’s given us a few advantages to help us as we journey by faith. I encourage you to start by reading Hebrews 12:1-13.

Who are the Witnesses? Why are they surrounding me? (12:1)

The witnesses are the heroes of the faith from chapter eleven; they are witnesses to an agreement made between God and us. The book of Hebrews calls that agreement a promise. Even more, the author of the book has been explaining it to us since chapter three. We discussed the promise in detail in an earlier section so I won’t review it again here.

They surround us as a memorial to our faith. We studied twelve groups and individuals whom God approved for their faith in the last three sections. Their stories took us from creation to the flood, from the flood to the law, and from the law to the Promised Land. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the detailed stories stop with the peoples’ entrance into the Promised Land. Here’s why…

The Israelites crossed the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land after wandering in the desert for forty years. “After the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord spoke to Joshua: ‘Choose 12 men from the people, one man for each tribe, and command them: Take 12 stones from this place in the middle of the Jordan where the priests are standing, carry them with you, and set them down at the place where you spend the night’” (Joshua 4:1-3).

The men did as Joshua instructed. “Joshua set up in Gilgal the 12 stones they had taken from the Jordan” (Joshua 4:20). The name Gilgal means wheel or a large circle of stones. The stones served as a memorial, in short, “that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord’s hand is mighty, and so that you may always fear the Lord your God” (Joshua 4:24).

Here’s how this connects with Hebrews 12:1 and our surrounding witnesses… The word for “surrounding” means to lay objects around something or to encircle it with those objects. Joshua laid the stones in a circle at Gilgal to remind the people that God is mighty and they were to fear Him as they entered the Promised Land. Likewise, God lays the witnesses around us to testify of His might and to remind us to fear Him – not our circumstances. In other words, to live by faith.

Their stories encircle – or surround – us as memorial stones. They stand as a witness to...

• the reality of our unseen hope,
• the reality of the promise in a future Promised Land, and
• the reality of our victory that defeats our fears.

How Should I Respond? (12:1-2)

God laid these witnesses of the faith in a circle surrounding us. His purpose in doing so calls for a change in each of us.

Lay These Aside
He laid the witnesses around us so we might lay aside the weight of our burden. Yes, this applies to many burdens but I think it specifically applies to one – the prominent, bulging mass of sin that weighs us down for eternity.

He surrounded us with witnesses so sin might not encircle us. The verse says, “the sin that so easily ensnares us” (Hebrews 12:1). The word for easily ensnares seems to be an extremely rare Greek word but it communicates the idea of something that is very good at surrounding something else. Sin is skilled at encircling us. However, God laid witnesses of faith around us so we can lay aside the sin that is so good at surrounding us.

Run the Race
Our second response to the witnesses of the faith is our willingness to run the race. It’s not an easy race; at times, it will take everything you’ve got and more. At times, you’ll only be able to put one foot in front of the other by the power and endurance of the Spirit working within you.

We run with our eyes focused on Jesus. He is the source of our faith and the One through whom our faith will come to perfect completion before the holy throne of God. The whole picture we’ve considered throughout this study is a focus on Him – the Alpha and the Omega. We don’t turn our head to the sin trying to encircle and ensnare us. We keep our eyes straight ahead just like Jesus did as He focused on the joy that lay before Him.

Take note of that a second… Jesus focused on the joy that lay before Him as He endured the cross and the shame. Jesus is God – He was present at creation, participated in the glory of the Father in eternity past, and delighted in the triune communion of Himself, the Father, and the Spirit. He had it all; what joy could He find in the suffering and shame of the cross? The only thing missing from the sinless, glorious perfection of heaven was us. The whole of humanity – God’s beloved creation – had rejected Him and separated themselves from Him. The love of the triune God was too powerful for that so it was with joy that Jesus kept His eyes on the cross before Him that He might restore our relationship with Him in the beauty of God’s eternal presence.

Why run the race? (12:2-4)

In short, we run the race because Jesus ran the race. We struggle against the problem of sin because He struggled against the problem of sin. He ran with His eyes focused on the joy of the cross. We run with our eyes focused on Him.

Jesus’ struggle against the problem of sin led to the shedding of His blood. Only His sinless blood was sufficient to sprinkle on the true altar of the heavenly sanctuary. As hard as our struggle may get, we haven’t endured to the point as did Jesus. No one has asked us to shed our blood to pay the debt of sin for all mankind.

Why the pain? (12:5-12)

We endure pain in our struggle against sin because God loves us; He wants us to come willingly to Him as a child. Part of that process is allowing us to feel pain in our sin struggle so we choose to turn away from it (repent) and turn toward Him. If we felt no pain in our struggle against sin, then we would never turn away from it. We would never leave our masochistic relationship with sin.

You know, I’ve wondered why Jesus had to endure the torment of a Roman flogging before they hung Him on the cross. His death was necessary for our sin atonement but why permit them to whip Him first? Turns out it was all a part of prophecy – Hebrews 12:6 quotes Proverbs 3:11-12 when it says “The Lord disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He receives.” The Greek words for disciplines and punishes both contain the idea of scourging and flogging. Jesus struggle against sin endured flogging because He was the beloved Son of the Father. He couldn’t fight the battle of sin’s struggle without enduring the pain associated with sin. He never knew the pain inherent in one of God’s children as we recognize our own sin because He never sinned. However, He experienced the pain literally and physically as every piece of metal and glass on the tips of the whips shredded His holy skin into bloody ribbons.

We struggle with sin because God loves us and chose us. If we aren’t feeling the pain of the whips with each sin that expresses itself in our lives, then maybe we aren’t God’s child. Maybe we need to personally and individually examine that possibility a little. If we’re feeling the pain of the whips when we sin, that means God is at work within us to draw us unto Himself. We recognize the ugliness of the sin in our lives and struggle to get rid of it.

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By Faith, from the Law to the Promised Land - Hebrews 11:23-40

Creation, Abel, Enoch, and Noah taught us that faith is the reality of our hope even when it is unseen.

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph taught us faith is the reality of the promise in a future promised land.

In this final section of Hebrews 11, our last group of faith heroes will teach us one more key point about living by faith. For them – and for us today – faith is the reality of our victory that defeats our fears.



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Faith is the reality of our victory that defeats our fears. All of the people in this section faced some powerful fears – governmental powers, loss of loved ones, slavery, and deadly defeat. They never would have found victory in their own strength and power. But they experienced fullness and abundance of life when they each stepped out in faith thereby conquering their fears and experiencing God’s victory.

By Faith, from the Law to the Promised Land

I encourage you to start by reading Hebrews 11:23-40.

By Faith, Moses (11:23-28)
Moses’ parents – especially his mom – stepped out in amazing faith soon after Moses’ birth. Pharaoh decreed that all baby boys were to be killed but Moses’ mom saved his life. She put him in a basket in the reeds by the Nile River. Pharaoh’s daughter found him there, took him as her own son, and raised him in the Egyptian palace.

• Fear: Moses’ mom feared the loss of her son’s life.
• Victory: She found victory when Pharaoh’s daughter found him in the basket and raised him as her own son.

Moses grew to be a man who lived a life of faith. The opportunities given him as a prince of Egypt were far from what we might call a godly lifestyle. Even in the midst of pleasure and abundance, God called Moses unto Himself and began him on a journey that changed the world.

• Fear: Moses separated from the love of his Egyptian family along with the wealth and luxurious ease of a palace life.
• Victory: He found true riches as “he considered the reproach because of the Messiah to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egyptian, since his attention was on the reward” (Hebrews 11:26). Moses also apparently knew our second key point - faith is the reality of the promise in a future promised land.

After a violent outburst and a poor decision, Moses later faced the wrath of the Pharaoh. In response, he left Egypt and all he had ever known behind.

• Fear: Moses could have feared the anger of the Pharaoh.
• Victory: Instead of fear, he found victory in a new land where he found a wife, a peaceful lifestyle, and eventually a calling from God out of a burning bush. He lived as one "who sees Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27). Moses also knew our second key point - faith is the reality of our hope even when it is unseen.

At God’s calling, Moses returned to Egypt to lead the Israelite people out of slavery. Pharaoh wasn’t too keen on letting his slave labor force leave, however. God sent a series of plagues that eventually persuaded Pharaoh to release his grasp on the slaves. The final plague was a violent attack on the lives of the firstborn sons in each household – Egyptian and Hebrew alike. The death angel passed over all of the homes on which the family had painted the blood of a lamb on the doorpost. That final plague initiated their journey out of slavery and into freedom.

• Fear: Moses and all of the people feared for the lives of their firstborn sons.
• Victory: In the blood of the lamb, the people found freedom from slavery.

By Faith, the Israelites (11:29-30)
Moses led the people away from Egypt with Pharaoh’s reluctant blessing. Pharaoh soon changed his mind, however, and the Israelites found themselves trapped between a raging Red Sea and Pharaoh’s armies. God didn’t view them as trapped; He saw a people about to experience freedom.

• Fear: The people feared they would have to choose between drowning in the sea and allowing their own slaughter at the hands of the army.
• Victory: The people experienced one of the greatest victories ever as God parted the Red Sea allowing them to walk through on dry land. Pharaoh’s army, on the other hand, drowned as walls of water came crashing down on top of them.

Moses didn’t make it to the Promised Land; Joshua instead led the people to the end of their journey. Along the way, they had to defeat the city of Jericho.

• Fear: The people could have feared the people of Jericho and the looming battle for control of the city.
• Victory: Instead, they trusted the words of God who promised them victory over the city through His power rather than the power of their swords.

I’ve written in the past about an interesting correlation between the parting of the Red Sea and the walls of Jericho. The two miracles are powerfully related so I’m not surprised to see them singled out and paired together in this significant historical chapter. Click here to read more.

By Faith, Rahab (11:31)
Joshua sent two spies into Jericho before they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. Some of Joshua’s confidence came from their report that the people lived in fear of the Israelites because of the miraculous things God had done for them. Read the article I mentioned in the last paragraph for more. Rahab, however, used her fear to her advantage. She recognized the power of the God of the Israelites; she responded by saving the lives of the spies who in turn saved her and her family.

• Fear: Rahab feared the God of the Israelites.
• Victory: She put her trust in Him rather than the false security of rock walls. She found victory in the salvation of both her physical and spiritual life.

The World was not Worthy of Them(11:32-40)

These verses form one of the most powerful passages in Scripture. Every time I read it, I approach it with a sense of respect and humility. It’s a verbal walk through the cemetery of war heroes who died that we might hear truth and find freedom. It’s a somber moment of reflection at the base of a monument inscribed with the names of those who gave all they had because they chose to live by faith.

The people entered the Promised Land but that didn’t mean life was perfect. Living life by faith – even in the Promised Land – was rough. So I have to ask myself, “Why should I think my life will be any better?”

Living our lives by faith may mean some pretty hard times during our life here on earth. Like the heroes of this chapter, we have to realize the Promised Land of this earth isn’t the end goal. Like them, we have to look “forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. … These all died in faith without having received the promises, but they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth” (Hebrews 11:10, 13). Like these heroes, we have to realize faith is living in a different reality where our hope isn’t seen, the promise awaits us in the future, and we have victory over our fears.

“All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised.” Each of these men and women still await the promise because “God had provided something better for us, so that they would not made perfect without us” (Hebrews 11:39-40). Here’s the deal, friend… they can’t receive the promise until we have done our part by faith. You and I each have a job to do – a calling to which we need to be faithful. The question then becomes, “Is your name on the list? Are you serving and living by faith? Are you living in a reality where your hope is unseen, your promised reward awaits, and you have victory over your fears?”

Those are important questions to consider because one day we will fully see our hope, God will give us what He has promised, and the victory will be ours. When that day comes, trust me, you’ll want to be a part of it.

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By Faith, from the Flood to the Law - Hebrews 11:8-22

We began a three part study of Hebrews 11 – “The Faith Chapter” – in the last section. In it, we considered the stories of creation, Abel, Enoch, and Noah. The stories all testified to the importance of our first key point… Faith is the reality of our hope even when it’s unseen.

In this section, we’ll study the lives of five more people. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all lived in the time period between the flood and the giving of the Law. Even more, these five heroes of the faith teach us our second key point on faith… Faith is the reality of the promise in a future promised land.

I encourage you to start by reading Hebrews 11:8-22.

Click picture for a printable handout for this section

Faith is the Reality of the Promise (11:13-16)

I’ve often wondered about the encounter between God and Abraham that prompted Abraham to live such an outstanding life of faith. Yes, he blew it sometimes, but overall, he was faithful at an incredible level. Regarding that encounter, was it a burning bush like Moses? Or was it a dream like Joseph? Did they wrestle as God did with Jacob? We don’t know the details but something significant must have happened because Abraham’s encounters with God transformed him for life.

The reality of a future city
Regardless of how the encounters between God and Abraham played out, Abraham knew that the promised land for which he waited wasn’t of this world. I believe he could have conquered the land and established a kingdom; we studied that here and here. But, Abraham wasn’t content with a kingdom of this world. He “was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

The reality of a future homeland
A friend of mine is from Togo, Africa but he lives here in the United States. He may have a place to stay here but Togo is his homeland. Togo is his culture, his heritage, his family, and his language. Our homeland is where we come from. Remember, however, that faith sees things differently. Faith sees with spiritual eyes rather than physical ones; usually, the results are opposite of each other. For us, our homeland is where we come from. When we see with spiritual eyes of faith, however, our homeland is where we’re going. It’s the reality of a promised eternity in heaven. Our future home defines our culture, our heritage, our family, and our language. Think about that. “Those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland” (Hebrews 11:14).

The reality of a future promise
All of these people died without having seen the future promise – not just Abraham, but all of them (Hebrews 11:13). Faith faces death knowing the Promised Land which awaits is our reality. The author of Hebrews has taught us about this promise for several chapters now. We’ve learned the promise is…

• To enter His rest. Even more, it remains open to us even after we've wandered in our desert (4:1).
• For “those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance” (6:12).
• Confirmed with an oath by an unchangeable God (6:17).
• Passed down through Abraham (7:6).
• That on which Jesus Christ founded and mediated a new covenant (8:6).
• An eternal inheritance made possible by Jesus’ spilled blood and sacrificial death (9:15).
• For those who persevere in doing the will of God until the end (10:36-37).
• Passed down through Isaac and Jacob (11:9).
• Of a city built by God, of a country in heaven (11:10, 13-16).
• Of countless descendants through a sacrificed son (11:17).
• Not yet received by anyone. All recipients await the future inheritance (11:39-40).

Click here to read even more about that foundational promise made to Abraham.

By Faith, from the Flood to the Law

By Faith, Abraham (11:8-10, 17-19)
We’ve already discussed Abraham so much in this section. The section I referenced in the last paragraph goes into even more detail about his faith in the promise. He is the one who “believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). Let’s consider a few more details here, though.

Because of faith, Abraham was able to go when God said go and wait when God said wait. God told him “Go out from your land… to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Like I said, that encounter must have been pretty significant because it was enough to prompt Abraham to go. How confusing… difficult… frustrating… it might have been, then, when Abraham got there and God said “Wait.” He didn’t give the Promised Land into Abraham’s hands; he allowed Abraham to die as a foreigner in the land (Genesis 23:4).

Faith helped Abraham to find victory in the hardest test of his life – God’s call to sacrifice the son of promise, Isaac. Again, I don’t know how Abraham knew what he knew, but he had some pretty difficult concepts figured out. In this case, he knew Isaac was the son of promise but he also knew that if God asked him to take Isaac’s life, then God would make a way for the promise to still be fulfilled. He realized, by faith, God had the power to give Isaac back to him again by raising him from the dead.

By Faith, Sarah (11:11-12)
By faith, Sarah conceived and gave birth to Isaac even though she had been barren for decades and was long past the age to bear children. In their story, we see a reminder of our first key point – faith is the reality of our hope even when it is unseen. In a moment of intimacy between Abraham and Sarah – a man almost dead and a barren woman – God took what had been unseen until that moment and created something seen. He created the child of the future promise – Isaac.

By Faith, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph (11:20-22)
Joel Rosenberg is one of my favorite authors. On September 11, 2001 – as Islamic radicals attacked our nation – he was already completing his first fictional novel which included an attack on our nation by Islamic radicals who flew an airplane into a building. He wrote in his subsequent books about America’s invasion of Iraq and the death of PLO Leader Yasser Arafat; in both cases, he predicted the events before they happened. This string of events led people to call him a prophet or a modern-day Nostradamus. In actuality though, Joel’s stories weren’t due to some type of prophetic vision. He looked at the geopolitical state of affairs prophesied by Scripture and compared it to the current geopolitical situation at the turn of the millennium. By faith, Joel knew the end events would occur; all he had to do was analyze what events would be required to bring the world from it’s then current situation to the situation necessary to usher in the end times. We were in point A; what would it take to get to point B? Faith helped him connect the dots.

I tell you this story because Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph’s faith stories are a similar situation. All three of them gave blessings over their children by faith in future events. They knew the words God had spoken and the promises God had made. They lived by faith that those words would come to pass. They were all in their own respective point A and they figured out how to get to point B.

By Faith, for Us

God gave us the stories of these five people to inspire us to live a life by faith as well. Our circumstances may look different but we can still learn from them what it means to live by faith.

By faith, we can go when God says go, even if He wants us to wait once we get there. We want to believe that a call to go somewhere means that grand and glorious work awaits us. Sometimes, however, the grand and glorious outcome isn’t seen on this side of eternity.

By faith, we follow when God calls us out of the place we've been and asks us to live set apart as a stranger in a hostile world. We follow because He's transformed us; we realize our new home is an eternal one in heaven - not that from which we came.

By faith, we find victory in the most difficult of tests. We realize we are totally dependent upon God, muster all of our courage because of His work in us, and struggle through the test. In the end, we look back and realize victory came because of our faith.

By faith, we realize God will make a way to accomplish His plan even when the way seems impossible to us. We don’t have to know all the details; He doesn’t have to follow our logic and work the way we think is right. We can let go of our urge to control and trust Him for the results.

By faith, we recognize God can take what we can’t see and create what we can see. I don’t know how it works – it’s beyond me. But that’s part of living by faith, as well.

By faith, we know the future God has prophesied and discern how we should live until we get there. The Promised Land isn’t here and now; faith realizes it’s then and there. It’s a future reality that will become sight when Christ returns. We’re in our point A; faith guides us until we reach our future point B.

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By Faith, from Creation to the Flood - Hebrews 11:1-7

With this section we begin a three part look at a well-known chapter in the Bible. We could probably spend months here but three weeks will have to suffice for us. Christians often refer to Hebrews 11 as "The Faith Chapter" as it recaps the stories of 12 Old Testament heroes of the faith. The author even tells us he would like to tell us more stories but he knew himself that his room was limited. Maybe someday we’ll all sit down together in heaven, grab a cup of coffee, and laugh together as we celebrate everyone’s individual stories of what they accomplished by faith. By then, we won’t be limited by time; we’ll have all of eternity to celebrate the outcome of our faith.




Click picture for a printable handout for this section

The author of Hebrews uses the expression “by faith” 21 times in this chapter. The math is pretty simple to know that 3x7=21. In Scripture, three represents divine perfection as seen in the Triune God. Seven represents spiritual perfection or that which God has made complete or perfect. Faith, therefore, is the combination of God’s divine perfection working in us to make us spiritually complete or perfect. That’s already an amazing thought!

I encourage you to start by reading Hebrews 11:1-7.

Faith is the Reality of our Hope

“Faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

I wrote one time, “Hope isn’t a distant, vague dream; through Jesus, hope is realized - completed - finished - fulfilled.” Faith realizes our hope isn’t some wishful possibility; hope is the reality in which we live. Hope is to see God glorified, to be set free from death and decay, to experience eternity in heaven, to live in the freedom of salvation, and more. Click here to read about the full picture of biblical hope along with Scripture references to support each aspect. Check it out – couldn’t we all live with a little more assurance of hope?

His Pleasure; Our Approval

“Our ancestors won God’s approval by it. … Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:2, 6).

Pleasing God begins when we come to Him by faith. We please God when we let go of our own desires, opinions, and self-interests and allow a radical transformation to occur in our minds. “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2, emphasis mine). Remember when we looked at this verse a few sections ago? We learned our spiritual worship is our latreia service as priests in the true temple of God. I encourage you to go back and read it; it’s too much to recap here. We also learn from these verses in Romans that pleasing God requires a renewing of our mind. We no longer think like the world thinks; we no longer prioritize like the world prioritizes. We no longer strive as the world strives. Instead, we come to Him by faith as we realize that the hope we have in Him is reality. Eternity is the reality – not the struggles, goals, priorities, and philosophies of this world.

Faith transforms our thinking to focus on the reality before the throne of God. Faith builds a foundation for pleasing God. Finally, faith allows God to look down upon us and say, “Yes, she is approved.” Faith allows God to bear witness to the fact that ours was a life transformed by Him and for Him.

On God's Side

“The one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The last two sections compared two different reactions to Jesus sacrificial death. In the first one, those who believe He died as the Messiah draw near to Him, hold on to the confession of their hope, and are concerned for one another. In the second one, those who reject Him as the Messiah arrogantly decide His death was no more than a premeditated murder as they reject Him as the Word made Flesh. They trample on Him, consider Him ordinary, and insult the grace He offers. Their outcome is fire and judgment.

Those who live by faith have picked on which side of this comparison they want to be. Faith is the side of the one who draws near to God and finds rest in the hope of the unseen. God says, “My righteous one will live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38).

By Faith, from Creation to the Flood

Hebrews has helped us understand and visualize God’s plan for all of creation – from beginning until the end. God’s plan since the beginning has been for us to come to Him by faith regardless of the time era in which we live. That’s why the list in this chapter of those who live by faith begins at creation and ends, well, at the end when He brings us all together in one eternal kingdom.

Creation (11:3)
Read the story of creation in Genesis 1.

I don’t think we’ll ever scientifically prove the processes of creation. Scientists and theologians argue back and forth relentlessly. The final argument, however, comes down to an acceptance of God’s creation by faith. Notice this interesting correlation within these verses… Faith is “the proof of what is not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is required to understand that God took what was unseen and with it, created what we now see. With the power of His spoken word, “what is seen has been made from things that are not visible” (Hebrews 11:3). Faith realizes the reality of the spiritual, heavenly, unseen world. Faith then goes one step further and recognizes that God used what is unseen to create the universe.

Abel (11:4)
Read the story of Abel in Genesis 4:1-12.

God’s acceptance of Abel’s sacrifice and rejection of Cain’s had anything to do with what they brought. He based His response on the hearts of those who brought the sacrifice. Abel came before God by faith. This pleased God and God accepted Abel’s sacrifice. We don’t know Cain’s motive but it’s a safe implication that Cain didn’t come before God by faith.

Abel was the first person to die in faith of the coming Messiah. He was the first murdered, the first persecuted for obedience to God, and the first to die with hope in an unseen eternity. As the first murdered among men, his blood still cries out to us by faith today waiting for redemption and resurrection.

Enoch (11:5)
Read the story of Enoch in Genesis 5:18-24.

We don’t know much about Enoch. We do know, however, that he walked with God in a special understanding and relationship. Jude 14-15 refers to him as a prophet who knew judgment would come upon the earth because of man’s wickedness. Indeed, he named his son Methuselah which means “when he is dead, it shall come.” Methuselah lived longer than any other man in history because of God’s grace but when he eventually died, the flood came upon the earth. God brought judgment for man’s wickedness.

We know that Enoch lived by faith. By faith, He looked at the sin of the world and knew that God couldn’t allow it to continue that way unchecked. A righteous God would require judgment. The same faith that knew God would judge also motivated Enoch to walk closely with God. Enoch walked with God on this earth until one day when God said, “Yes, you are approved. Come walk with Me in heaven.” God took Enoch - who was seen - and suddenly "he was not there because God took him" (Genesis 5:24). Or, as another translation says, "one day he disappeared" (NLT).

Noah (11:7)
Read the story of Noah in Genesis 5:28-9:29.

Almost 700 years after God took Enoch into heaven, in the year of the death of his son Methuselah, God sent judgment upon the earth in the form of a worldwide flood. God warned Noah about the judgment to come; by faith in the surety of God’s warning, Noah was motivated to prepare. Noah had never seen rain because it had never fallen upon the earth at that point in history. Even though he'd never seen rain, Noah had faith in the unseen. He built an ark to save his family and the entire animal kingdom.

By Faith, for Us

These stories aren’t our stories but I still see points to inspire us as we walk with God by faith.

By faith, we understand that more exists than what we see with our physical eyes. Faith is living in the reality of that spiritual, eternal kingdom.

By faith, we understand God used what we can’t see to create what we do see. Science can’t prove it; we must humbly accept it as part of God’s plan.

By faith, God is pleased with us and approves us for entry into His kingdom.

By faith, we realize that death here isn’t the end. It’s only a pause until the end of the plan when God brings resurrection to all who follow Him.

By faith, we can be part of those who draw near to Him and not part of those who face judgment.

By faith, God can protect us from coming judgment.

By faith, we recognize a righteous God requires judgment for sin and this should motivate us to walk with Him.

By faith, we recognize that judgment will come and we give our lives to preparing ourselves and those we love for that judgment.

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The Other Option on that Day - Hebrews 10:26-39

The curtain of Jesus’ body was torn that we might enter in to the Most Holy Place in the true sanctuary of heaven before the throne of God.

He is the High Priest we need to permanently and sufficiently atone for our sin.

I had no sooner finished typing those words when my husband laid his hand on my shoulder to tell me a friend of ours passed away. A young wife and mother of six succumbed to leukemia. After a moment of reflection, I looked back at my screen and heard the words, “She has passed through the curtain.” My friend knew Jesus’ sacrifice covered her sin. She was a testament to His grace and the power of a relationship with Him up until the end.

The author of Hebrews began last week’s section with those two opening statements. We considered a possible response to Jesus’ sacrifice… to draw near to Him, to hold on to the confession of our hope, and to be concerned about one another. That's the life my friend lived.

Another response exists, as well. It’s, well, let’s just say that God didn’t sugar coat the message on this one. To begin, I encourage you to read Hebrews 10:26-39.

Click picture for a printable handout for this section

Deliberate Sin (10:26)

If a person hears the message of Jesus’ sacrifice, they may choose a different response than the one we considered in the last section. They may choose to reject it. The author of Hebrews classifies this response as a deliberate sin.

The Law classifies two other sins as deliberate sins – premeditated murder (Exodus 21:14) and rejection of the Word of God (Numbers 15:30). If we deliberately reject Jesus’ message of truth, then we likewise reject the Word of God as He is the Word made Flesh. Our rejection arrogantly declares that Jesus’ death wasn’t an atoning sacrifice but was only another premeditated murder; a murder for which the guilt lies upon us because it was for our sin that He died. If we hear and reject Jesus’ gospel message, then we are guilty of both of these deliberate sins and Scripture guarantees the outcome.

Guaranteed Outcome (10:27-31)

During the era of the Old Testament and the Law, if someone heard the message of the Law and disregarded it, then the punishment was death without mercy. The gospel message is superior to the Law. How much worse, then, is it to disregard the gospel message of Jesus?

If we disregard His message, we don’t only turn His sacrifice of love into a barbaric, premeditated murder. We also…

• Trample upon Him. Jesus will make a footstool of His enemies of sin and death but when we reject Him, we conceitedly try to make a footstool of Him. Pride didn’t work out too well for Satan and it won’t for us either.
• Regard Jesus’ blood as common, profane, or ordinary. Remembering the first century Jewish context of this book, our rejection of Jesus’ sacrifice arrogantly declares the blood of bulls and goats to be more precious than the blood of Jesus sprinkled before the throne of Holy God in the true sanctuary.
• Insult the spirit of grace. We insolently decide the Law was a superior message than the message of grace we have available to us through Jesus.

Yet, God guarantees the outcome for those who choose this option over the option to draw near to Him as we considered in the last section. The outcome for those who choose to reject Jesus’ sacrifice is vengeance and judgment at the hands of the Living God. Like I said, no sugar coating on this message.

When Times get Hard (10:32-34)

Difficult times will come as a follower of Christ. We all experience times of doubt as we wonder if the struggles are worth it. We all question if the foundation of our faith is secure. In His Word, God often asks us to remember how He worked in the past – to pause and reflect on where we have been in our journey – in order to find comfort and encouragement to continue.

He does so here; “Remember the earlier days when…” (Hebrews 10:32). Remember how your friends and family persecuted you because you accepted Jesus’ message. They rejected you because you accepted Him. Remember the time you were willing to go to prison rather than deny your faith. Not just you, but you saw your loved ones suffer in their prison cells, as well. Remember the time when the government took away all your stuff. Even then, you knew it was ok because your treasures are in heaven, not here on earth. Those were rough times and yet, Jesus sustained you through them. You were so confident in your faith that no persecution of this earth could stop you. You clung so tightly to the hope before you that the cares of this world drifted far beneath you. Remember those days now.

Why? (10:35-39)

No one ever promised this journey is going to be easy. Leukemia takes young moms away from their children. Governments confiscate the belongings of those who follow Jesus; they imprison those who preach His Name. Loved ones abandon, ridicule, and harass us for believing the truth of God’s Word. Any of these – and more – can happen to any of us. Even here in America.

We can’t give up now. We can’t throw away our confidence. We must endure. Jesus is coming and we want to be found faithful.

Don’t throw away the confidence and boldness we have because Jesus made a way through the curtain. Our confidence comes with a great reward – restored access to the Father. “Hold on to the courage and the confidence of our hope” (Hebrews 3:6).

God created us for a purpose – His will for us to accomplish in our time on earth. Strong’s describes it as a “deliberate purpose” which I find interesting because we began this section by considering “deliberate sin.” We see our choice here once again; we either deliberately sin by rejecting Jesus and His message or we choose a deliberate purpose for which God created us. As we follow through in that purpose, we have to endure. The battle is long, the persecution intense. The journey isn’t easy. We won’t be able to make it until the end unless we develop the ability to endure through the struggle. Then, in the end, when the purpose is done, we’ll receive the promise.

Jesus is coming and we aren’t quitters! It’s been a long wait from our human perspective but each day brings us that much closer to His imminent arrival. Until that moment, our call is to endure and persevere by faith. God says of those who won’t step forward in faith, “If he draws back, I have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38). Those who draw back are destroyed but that’s not us. We are the ones called to move forward in faith – despite the struggle – and find the life which God intended for us.

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