Letter to the Hebrews Volume 137

 The Faith of Moses' Parents

Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. KJV

The Parents of Moses lived during the time shortly after the King of Egypt began to fear the tremendous growth of the Hebrew people and in so doing he began to oppress them as it is written, "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour." (Exodus 1:8-14) (KJV). When Moses was born (this same King of Egypt), then ordered or commanded all the Hebrew midwives to kill every male born son to the Hebrew Mothers, but keep alive every female born daughter to them, as it is written, "And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them." (Exodus 1:15-19) (KJV). This infuriated Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) and caused him to order his soldiers to find every male born son during that time and cast them into the river to be drowned, as it is written, "And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive." (Exodus 1:22) (KJV). Well, the Parents of Moses (and surely all the Hebrews Parents) were not going to let this evil happen to their son, so they hid him from place to place for three (3) months, but the soldiers of Pharaoh were relentless and they kept coming back to make sure that they found every male born son and kill them.

But, after three (3) months of doing this, they knew that they had run out of safe places to hide their 3 month old son from the Egyptians. Then God stepped in and placed it upon her inner woman to place her son in a basket  and set him in the river at the edge of the rivers bank hoping and praying for an Egyptian woman to see him and take him in as their own baby. Then, not by happenstance or luck or fate or any other superstitious notion, but the Divine will and plan of All Mighty God that very thing did happen, as it is written, "And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water." (Exodus 2:3-10) (KJV). However much they came to the Parents of Moses with threats that surely turned into physical abuse, they were not afraid and they never gave up their son to the evil tyranny of the king of Egypt, as it is written here by the writer of Hebrews, "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." (Hebrews 11:23) (KJV). The Greek word 'proper' used here to describe the appearance of baby Moses when he was born is translated by the Greek word asteios meaning (by implication) handsome: - fair. In other words, according to the JFB Commentary, "The 'faith' of his parents in saving the child must have had some divine revelation to rest on (probably at the time of his birth), which marked their 'exceeding fair' babe as one whom God designed to do a great work by. His beauty was probably 'the sign' appointed by God to assure their faith." I agree, because it would be foolish to place a helpless 3 month old baby in a basket and place him in the river exactly where Pharaoh was drowning every male baby he found alive, unless God had spoken to them and assured them that their son was to be rescued from that river and kept alive to grow up right within the king of Egypt's house. So, they believed the Word of the Lord that came to them and so did it happen, just as God designed it, decreed it, and declared that it would. Moses then grew into manhood and became a mighty human instrument in the Hand of God to fight against the devil and his invisible devils and human two legged devils, Amen!!!

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say concerning Hebrews 11:23 and the faith of Moses' Parents, "The faith of the parents of Moses, which is cited from Exodus 2:3, etc. Here observe, 1. The acting of their faith: they hid this their son three months. Though only the mother of Moses is mentioned in the history, yet, by what is here said, it seems his father not only consented to it, but consulted about it. It is a happy thing where yoke-fellows draw together in the yoke of faith, as heirs of the grace of God; and when they do this in a religious concern for the good of their children, to preserve them not only from those who would destroy their lives, but from those who would corrupt their minds. Observe, Moses was persecuted betimes (early), and forced to be concealed; in this he was a type of Christ, who was persecuted almost as soon as he was born, and his parents were obliged to flee with him into Egypt for his preservation. It is a great mercy to be free from wicked laws and edicts; but, when we are not, we must use all lawful means for our security. In this faith of Moses's parents there was a mixture of unbelief, but God was pleased to overlook it. 2. The reasons of their thus acting. No doubt, natural affection could not but move them; but there was something further. They saw he was a proper child, a goodly child (Exodus 2:2), exceedingly fair, as in Acts 7:20, asteios tō Theō - venustus Deo - fair to God. There appeared in him something uncommon; the beauty of the Lord sat upon him, as a presage that he was born to great things, and that by conversing with God his face should shine (Exodus 34:29), what bright and illustrious actions he should do for the deliverance of Israel, and how his name should shine in the sacred records. Sometimes, not always, the countenance is the index of the mind. 3. The prevalency of their faith over their fear. They were not afraid of the king's commandment, Exodus 1:22. That was a wicked and a cruel edict, that all the males of the Israelites should be destroyed in their infancy, and so the name of Israel must be destroyed out of the earth. But they did not so fear as presently to give up their child; they considered that, if none of the males were preserved, there would be an end and utter ruin of the church of God and the true religion, and that though in their present state of servitude and oppression one would praise the dead rather than the living, yet they believed that God would preserve his people, and that the time was coming when it would be worth while for an Israelite to live. Some must hazard their own lives to preserve their children, and they were resolved to do it; they knew the king's commandment was evil in itself, contrary to the laws of God and nature, and therefore of no authority nor obligation. Faith is a great preservative against the sinful slavish fear of men, as it sets God before the soul, and shows the vanity of the creature and its subordination to the will and power of God."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 136

 The Faith of Joseph

Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. KJV

If any of the Hebrews had witnessed the Mighty protective power of the Lord God at work it surely was Joseph (the son of Jacob). Therefore, we have here the Holy Spirit prompting the writer of Hebrews to surely place Joseph as one of the Hebrew heroes of faith, as it is written with these words, "By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." (Hebrews 11:22) (KJV). Joseph (being the next to last son born to Jacob) bore the brunt of his other 10 brother's bitterness and resentment of him because he and his brother Benjamin were the son's from his wife Rachel (whom Jacob loved more than his other wives) and in so doing he loved Joseph more than he did his other sons, as it is written, "The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin." (Genesis 35:24) (KJV), and also written here, "And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more." (Genesis 37:1-5) (KJV). The hatred that the other 10 brothers had for Joseph led them to sell him into slavery and then pretend to their Father Jacob that he had been killed by wild animals. Finally, Joseph ended up in Egypt and many other terrible things happened to him, however, the Lord God/Jesus was with him, as it is written, "And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem." (Acts 7:9-16) (KJV). Joseph not only remembered the promise of God to give the land of Canaan to Abraham's descendants, but he also remembered God's warning to Abraham that his descendants would dwell in a strange land (Joseph aware that this land of Egypt he was brought into must be that strange land) and be enslaved by those people for 400 years, but would be brought out by the Mighty powerful hand of their/our God, as it is written here, "And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." (Genesis 15:13-14) (KJV). Note: "Remember that when Jacob, his other sons, and all the other people with them were brought into the land of Egypt, there were only 75 of them and they began to grow rapidly in number during Joseph time in Egypt, however, after Joseph's death and the Pharaoh's death that he served under, the later Pharoah's became fearful of the population of the Hebrew people so much that they then remembered not Joseph and enslaved the Hebrew people fearing they would rise up and overthrow them." Joseph forseeing all of this, then gave command to the Hebrew people to take his bones out of the land of Egypt (for he knew that this land was not his true homeland), as it is written here, "And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt." (Genesis 50:22-26) (KJV).

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 11:22, "Joseph was eminent for his faith, though he had not enjoyed the helps for it which the rest of his brethren had. He was sold into Egypt. He was tried by temptations, by sin, by persecution, for retaining his integrity. He was tried by preferment and power in the court of Pharaoh, and yet his faith held out and carried him through to the last. (1.) He made mention by faith of the departing of the children of Israel, that the time should come when they should be delivered out of Egypt; and he did this both that he might caution them against the thoughts of settling in Egypt, which was now a place of plenty and ease to them; and also that he might keep them from sinking under the calamities and distresses which he foresaw were coming upon them there; and he does it to comfort himself, that though he should not live to see their deliverance, yet he could die in the faith of it. (2.) He gave commandment concerning his bones, that they should preserve them unburied in Egypt, till God should deliver them out of that house of bondage, and that then they should carry his bones along with them into Canaan and deposit them there. Though believers are chiefly concerned for their souls, yet they cannot wholly neglect their bodies, as being members of Christ and parts of themselves, which shall at length be raised up, and be the happy companions of their glorified souls to all eternity. Now Joseph gave this order, not that he thought his being buried in Egypt would either prejudice his soul or prevent the resurrection of his body (as some of the rabbis fancied that all the Jews who were buried out of Canaan must be conveyed underground to Canaan before they could rise again), but to testify, [1.] That though he had lived and died in Egypt, yet he did not live and die an Egyptian, but an Israelite. [2.] That he preferred a significant burial in Canaan before a magnificent one in Egypt. [3.] That he would go as far with his people as he could, though he could not go as far as he would. [4.] That he believed the resurrection of the body, and the communion that his soul should presently have with departed saints, as his body had with their dead bodies. [5.] To assure them that God would be with them in Egypt, and deliver them out of it in his own time and way." Here also is what the JFB Commentary had to say of Hebrews 11:22, "Joseph's eminent position in Egypt did not make him regard it as his home: in faith he looked to God's promise of Canaan being fulfilled and desired that his bones should rest there: testifying thus: (1) That he had no doubt of his posterity obtaining the promised land: and (2) That he believed in the resurrection of the body, and the enjoyment in it of the heavenly Canaan. His wish was fulfilled (Joshua 24:32; Acts 4:16)."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 135

 The Faith of Jacob

Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. KJV

It truly was a customary practice during the days of the Old Testamement Patriarchs to give or declare a blessing to the firstborn son of their sons, that is, to their grandsons just as they had done for their own firstborn sons. It is certain that this trend, trademark, and tradition continues to this very day of 2021 in the Orthodox Hebrew/Jewish community. The writer of Hebrews documents for us the faith of Jacob (the grandson of Abraham) as he continued this tradition and carried it out upon the sons of his son Joseph who were Ephraim and Manasseh, as declared by the writer of Hebrews with these words, "By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff." (Hebrews 11:21) (KJV). The English word 'blessed' is translated by the Greek word eulogeō which means to speak well of, that is, (religiously) to bless (thank or invoke a benediction upon, prosper): - bless, praise; to confer prosperity or happiness on or good fortune upon and divine protection over them. The Hebrew people all came from the seed of Abraham and he blessed his only son Isaac and Isaac blessed Jacob and Jacob blessed all of his 12 sons, but he gave the primary blessing to his son Joseph as it is documented for us with these words, "And Israel/Jacob said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow." (Genesis 48:21-22) (KJV).

As documented above in Hebrews 11:21, before Jacob's death he declared a blessing upon the two sons of his son Joseph as it is also declared for us in Genesis 48, "And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem. And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed. And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh." (Genesis 48:1-20) (KJV).

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 11:21, "There were a great many instances of the faith of Jacob; his life was a life of faith, and his faith met with great exercise. But it has pleased God to single two instances out of many of the faith of this patriarch, besides what has been already mentioned in the account of Abraham. Here observe, The actings of his faith here mentioned, and they are two: - (1.) He blessed both the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh; he adopted them into the number of his own sons, and so into the congregation of Israel, though they were born in Egypt. It is doubtless a great blessing to be joined to the visible Church of God in profession and privilege, but more to be so in spirit and truth. He made them both heads of different tribes, as if they had been his own immediate sons. He prayed for them, that they might both be blessed of God. He prophesied that they should be blessed; but, as Isaac did before, so now Jacob prefers the younger, Ephraim; and though Joseph had placed them so, that the right hand of his father should be laid on Manasseh, the elder, Jacob wittingly laid it on Ephraim, and this by divine direction, for he could not see, to show that the Gentile Church, the younger, should have a more abundant blessing than the Jewish Church, the elder. (2.) He worshipped, leaning on his staff; that is, he praised God for what he had done for him, and for the prospect he had of approaching blessedness; and he prayed for those he was leaving behind him, that religion might live in his family when he was gone. He did this leaning on the top of his staff; not as the papists dream, that he worshipped some image of God engraven on the head of his staff, but intimating to us his great natural weakness, that he was not able to support himself so far as to sit up in his bed without a staff, and yet that he would not make this an excuse for neglecting the worshipping of God; he would do it as well as he could with his body, as well as with his spirit, though he could not do it as well as he would. He showed thereby his dependence upon God, and testified his condition here as a pilgrim with his staff, and his weariness of the world, and willingness to be at rest. The time and season when Jacob thus acted his faith: when he was dying. He lived by faith, and he died by faith and in faith. Observe, Though the grace of faith is of universal use throughout our whole lifes, yet it is especially so when we come to die. Faith has its greatest work to do at last, to help believers to finish well, to die to the Lord, so as to honour Him, by patience, hope, and joy - so as to leave a witness behind them of the truth of God's Word and the excellency of His ways, for the conviction and establishment of all who attend them in their dying moments. The best way in which parents can finish their course is blessing their families and worshipping their God."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 134

 The Faith of Isaac

Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. KJV

In his old age Isaac brought forth his two sons to himself and pronounced a blessing upon each one of them, however, Isaac had planned to pronounce the first and supreme blessing to his first born son Esau, but God had already determined (even while they were still in the womb) that the second born son of the twins would be the ruler over the first born twin son Esau, as it is written, "And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them." (Genesis 25:20-26) (KJV). Although Isaac had been faithful to the Lord God from his early childhood and manhood, as we saw in the last study/commentary of him being willing for his Father Abraham to sacrifice him at the command of God when he could have easily stopped his Father Abraham from killing him seeing that he (Isaac) was perhaps a 33 year old man in his prime and his Father Abraham was about 133 years old. Despite that, Isaac had planned to give the primary blessing to his first born son Esau, even though God had pronounced to Rebekah (his wife) that the second born son Jacob would receive the primary blessing.

God made a promise to Isaac that he surely recounted, recalled, and remembered all the way up to his old age when he was about to bless his sons, as it is written with these words, "And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." (Genesis 26:1-5) (KJV). This promise pertained to the seed of Isaac, so he took it to mean both his sons Esau and Jacob, therefore, we find the writer of Hebrews now documenting the faith of Isaac in this list of the Old Testament Patriarchs with these words, "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come." (Hebrews 11:20) (KJV). Isaac's wife Rebekah favored her son Jacob more than Esau, therefore, she devised a plan of deceit with Jacob so that he could receive the first blessing (the primary blessing), as it is written in Genesis 27:5-29. When Isaac realized that his second born son had deceived him because now Esau had arrived back from his hunt for deer and made the savory meal for his Father, Isaac trembled, as it is written here, "And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau. And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed." (Genesis 27:32-33) (KJV). Despite this successful deception by Jacob and his Mother, Isaac still pronounced a blessing upon Esau to, as it is written, "And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck." (Genesis 27:38-40) (KJV).

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 11:20, "He blessed them; that is, he resigned them up to God in covenant; he recommended God and religion to them; he prayed for them, and prophesied concerning them, what would be the condition, and the condition of their descendants: we have the account of this in Genesis 27. Observe, (1.) Both Jacob and Esau were blessed as Isaac's children, at least as to temporal good things. It is a great privilege to be the offspring of good parents, and often the wicked children of good parents fare the better in this world for their parents' sake, for things present are in the covenant; but they are not the best things, and no man knoweth love or hatred by having or wanting such things. (2.) Jacob had the precedency and the principal blessing, which shows that it is grace and the new birth that exalt persons above their fellows and qualify them for the best blessings, and that it is owing to the sovereign free grace of God that in the same family one is taken and another left, one loved and the other hated, since all the race of Adam are by nature hateful to God - that if one has his portion in this world, and the other in the better world, it is God who makes the difference; for even the comforts of this life are more and better than any of the children of men deserve. The difficulties Isaac's faith struggled with. (1.) He seemed to have forgotten how God had determined the matter at the birth of these his sons, Genesis 25:23. This should have been a rule to him all along, but he was rather swayed by natural affection, and by general custom, which gives the double portion of honour, affection, and advantage, to the first-born. (2.) He acted in this matter with some reluctance. When he came to pronounce the blessing, he trembled very exceedingly (Genesis 27:33); and he charged Jacob that he had subtly taken away Esau's blessing. But, notwithstanding all this, Isaac's faith recovered itself, and he ratified the blessing: I have blessed him yea, and he shall be blessed. Rebecca and Jacob are not to be justified in the indirect means they used to obtain this blessing, but God will be justified in overruling even the sins of men to serve the purposes of His glory. Now, the faith of Isaac thus prevailing over his unbelief, it has pleased the God of Isaac to pass by the weakness of his faith, to commend the sincerity of it, and record him among the elders, who through faith have obtained a good report."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…







 

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 133

 God Test Abraham's Faith Part 2

Hebrews 11:18-19 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. KJV

We learned in the last study/commentary, that in Abraham's mind (as he obeyed the Voice of the Lord God) he had already offered up his only son Isaac to God even while he was just beginning his long three (3) day journey to the land of Moriah. It was surely in the plan of God to deliver this command to Abraham at the specific time and place where he was physically located in order that his journey would take the three (3) days and nights that it did, for it was a Word Picture of the future time that our Lord Jesus Christ's (the true Lamb of God) body would lay lifeless in a tomb where He was laid by Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus, as it is written by the Apostle John, "Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." (John 19:40-42) (KJV). During Abraham's long three (3) day journey, he had plenty of time to cower in faith and devise an alternative plan than the one God had commanded of him, for he had been disobedient to God before and if there ever was a time once again to do so this would be that time. However, Abraham had learned from his past disobedience to God that the consequences in so doing were always bad, for example when he journeyed into Egypt and lied to Pharaoh about Sarai not being his wife but only his sister and this got Sarai his wife taken by Pharaoh and God had to send a plague upon Pharaoh and his house to make him release Sarai back to Abraham.

"And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had." (Genesis 12:10-20) (KJV). Abraham did not trust God for protection, instead he devised his own plan and it almost cost him the life of his wife Sarai, but God could not allow Sarai to be stripped from Abraham at this time because she and he had to come together in sexual relationship much later on to produce their miracle son Isaac. Now Abraham is faced with the toughest test of his 'faith in God' and his obedience to God in his entire life, but as it is written here in these next two verses by the writer of Hebrews Abraham had learned well from his past sins and acts of disobedience to the Lord God and he trusted that just as He preserved Sarai from kidnapping, so would he preserve Isaac his miracle son, that in him Abraham's descendants would be as numerable as the stars in the heavens and as the sand upon the seashores (Genesis 15:5), so here is what the writer of Hebrews declares of the innerman of Abraham, "Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." (Hebrews 11:18-19) (KJV).

Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of Hebrews 11:18-19, "A numerous posterity had been promised to him. It was there said expressly that this promise was not to be fulfilled through the son of Abraham, by the bondwoman Hagar, but through Isaac. Of course, it was implied that Isaac was to reach manhood, and yet notwithstanding this, and notwithstanding Abraham fully believed it, be prepared deliberately, in obedience to the divine command, to put him to death. The phrase 'thy seed be called' means, that his posterity was to be named after Isaac, or was to descend only from him. The word 'called' in the Scriptures is often equivalent to the verb 'to be;' see Isaiah 56:7. To 'name' or 'call' a thing was the same as to say that it was, or that it existed. It does not mean here that his 'spiritual' children were to be called or selected from among the posterity of Isaac, but that the posterity promised to Abraham would descend neither from Ishmael nor the sons of Keturah, but in the line of Isaac. This is a strong circumstance insisted on by the Apostle to show the strength of Abraham's faith. It was shown not only by his willingness to offer up the child of his old age - his only son by his beloved wife, but by his readiness, at the command of God, to sacrifice even him on whom the fulfillment of the promises depended. And that He would do it; for so Abraham evidently believed, and this idea is plainly implied in the whole narrative. There was no other way in which the promise could be fulfilled; and Abraham reasoned justly in the case. He had received the promise of a numerous posterity. He had been told expressly that it was to be through this favorite child. He was now commanded to put him to death as a sacrifice, and he prepared to do it. To fulfil these promises, therefore, there was no other way possible but for him to be raised up from the dead, and Abraham fully believed that it would be done. The child had been given to him at first in a supernatural manner, and he was prepared, therefore, to believe that he would be restored to him again by miracle. He did not doubt that He who had given him to him in a manner at first so contrary to all human probability, could restore him again in a method as extraordinary. He, therefore, anticipated that He would raise him up immediately from the dead. That this was the expectation of Abraham is apparent from the narrative in Genesis 22:5, 'And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you;' in the plural - 'and we will return;' that is, I and Isaac will return, for no other persons went with them, Hebrews 11:6. As Abraham went with the full expectation of sacrificing Isaac, and as he expected Isaac to return with him, it follows that he believed that God would raise him up immediately from the dead."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 132

 God Test Abraham's Faith Part 1

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, KJV

It is not in the Nature of God to lead His sons and daughters into that which is evil, however, God will test His sons and daughters with various things that don't make sense, so that we can access the trial, tempt, or test with what we know and understand of His Character and His Word and then respond accordingly by faith. The Patriarch Abraham had been walking and talking with the Lord God for over 30 + years when he was tested by Him with something that God had never required of Abraham and that being instead of a goat, a ram, or a lamb to offer up to Him as a sacrifice, the Lord God told/commanded Abraham to take his son Isaac (the only one he had with his wife Sara at both of their very old ages, his miracle son) and offer him up as a sacrifice to the Lord. Abraham, of course, being human just like anyone else may have been carked (disturbed), confounded, and confused by this command from God to him, yet, it was the voice of the Lord God so as it is written here by the writer of Hebrews he complied, "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son," (Hebrews 11:17) (KJV). The English word 'faith' is translated by the Greek word pistis which means (as used here) assurance. The English phrase 'when he was tried' is translated by the Greek word peirazō meaning (as used here) to test; examine; prove. God the Father knows everything, He is Omniscient, yet He tried Abraham with this act of being willing to kill his own son in obedience to Him. God knew that Abraham would be willing, but He wanted Abraham to know truly where his faith and love for Him stood. The account of this encounter between God and Abraham is recorded in Genesis Chapter 22. Here are the first three (3) verses that shows that there appeared (outwardly) to be no balking by Abraham, "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him." (Genesis 22:1-3) (KJV). In the mind of Abraham, he had already 'offered up' his son to God even as they were still making their way to the land of Moriah, this English phrase 'offered up' is translated by the Greek word prospherō meaning to bear towards, that is, lead to, tender or present to (especially to God). It was never God's will that Abraham commit the sin of murdering his own son, however, it was God's plan to prove the faith of Abraham, for it is always the devil who tempts us to sin sensing, stoking, stirring our own lust which leads to spiritual death, as it is written by the Apostle James with these words, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:13-15) (KJV).

Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of Hebrews 11:17, "Or tempted; that is, by God, Genesis 22:1. This temptation or trial respects the command given by God to Abraham, to offer up his son Isaac; which lays no foundation for a charge against God, either of sin or cruelty; for God's will is the rule of justice and goodness, and whatever He requires is just and good; and though His creatures are bound by the laws He prescribes them, He Himself is not: besides, He is the Lord of life, the giver and preserver of it; and He has a right to dispose of it, and to take it away, when, and by what means, and instruments, He thinks fit; to which may be added, that the secret will of God was not that Isaac should die, but a command was given to Abraham to offer him up, for the trial of his faith and love; this was a temptation of probation, not of seduction, or to sin, as are the temptations of Satan; for God tempts no man with sin. The Jews speak of ten temptations, with which Abraham was tried, and in all which he stood; and say, that this of the binding of Isaac was the tenth and last. Offered up Isaac; he showed great readiness to do it; as soon as he had the command given him, he travelled three days' journey in order to it; took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on his son; took fire, and a knife in his hand, with the one to burn the wood, with the other to slay his son; he built an altar, laid the wood in order on it; and bound his son, and laid him on that; and took the knife, and stretched forth his hand to slay him, and fully intended to do it, had he not been prevented: and all this he did by faith; he believed the equity, justice, and wisdom of the Divine Command; he was fully assured of the truth and faithfulness of God in his promises, however contrary this might seem thereunto; and he was strongly persuaded of the power of accomplishing them in some way or another. This was great faith, and it was greatly tried, as follows. He had a promise made him that he should have a son, and that a numerous people should spring from him, which should inherit the land of Canaan; yea, that the Messiah Himself should be of his seed: and he had received these promises; given credit to them, and firmly believed them, and fully expected the performance of them; as he had reason to do, since the first was fulfilled, the son was born; and yet now he is called to offer him up, on whom his expectation was placed; everything was trying; it was an human creature he was called to offer, whose blood is not to be shed by man; a child of his own, a part of himself; a son, an own son; an only begotten son; a son whom he loved; and Isaac, a son of joy; a son of promise; and his heir, the son of his old age, and who was now a grown up person. The Jews are divided about the age of Isaac at his binding: Josephus says he was twenty five years of age; others say twenty six; some say thirty six: but the more prevailing opinion is, that he was thirty seven years of age; only Aben and Ezra makes him to be about thirteen; rejecting the more commonly received account, as well as that he was but five years old, that being an age unfit to carry wood. Some Christian writers have thought he might be about three and thirty years of age, the age of Christ when he suffered, of whom he was a type."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 131

 The Heavenly Hope of Abraham & all the Patriarchs Part 3

Hebrews 11:15-16 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." KJV

The writer of Hebrews wants to clarify for the new Hebrew converts to Christ then that the country that Abraham and his wife Sara and all of the others that went with them on their pilgrimage did not regard the land whence they came out of (Ur of Chaldeans) as the country that God had established for them as the land that would become theirs and that of the seed of Abraham and his future son Isaac. Therefore, as Abraham obeyed the voice of the Lord, so did Sara (his wife) and all of the others who went with Abraham obey him as he obeyed the Lord God and they went out not knowing where they were going but trusting and believing God for the place that He would make their own. We now find the writer of Hebrews pointing out this very fact with these words, "And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned." (Hebrews 11:15) (KJV). In other words, if Abraham had misheard God or misunderstood God or misbelieved God then he would have questioned the long nomadic and wandering journey they had been on and given up and went back to the Ur of the Chaldeans thinking that this was the land God meant. Abraham had every opportunity to discontinue his sojourn and return back to the land from whence he came out of, for he had time enough to return, he had enough resources to return, he had the strength enough to return, but he did not do so because Abraham knew that God spoke to him telling him to leave that land and in so doing it would have never been the plan of God for Abraham to ever go back to it. Likewise, spiritually or in a spiritual manner, it is not in any true believer to question whether or not Jesus Christ is the One True God or not or if He is the only way to heaven for sinners, for they/we know that He is so because of the witness of the Holy Spirit within us, as it is written, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me." (John 15:26) (KJV) and also these words, "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 16:13-14) (KJV).

Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of Hebrews 11:15, "For the way from Canaan or Egypt, where they sojourned, was short and easy: and though Abraham sent his servant thither to take a wife for his son Isaac, yet he would not go thither himself, nor suffer his son; nay, made his servant swear that he would not bring him thither, if even the woman should refuse to come; so unmindful was he of that country; so little did he regard it; yea, so much did he despise it: so when men are called by grace, and converted, they come out of a country, this world, which is a land of sin and iniquity, of great folly and ignorance, of darkness, and of the shadow of death; a desert, a mere wilderness; a country where Satan reigns, full of wicked and ungodly men; and which is the land of their nativity, as to their first birth: and they may be said to come out of it, not in a natural and civil sense, but in a spiritual one; and it is the character of a converted man, or one that is come out of the world, and is separated from it, to be unmindful of it; not so as not to consider from whence he came out, as owing to rich grace; nor so as not to lament the iniquities of it; nor so as not to pray for the conversion of the inhabitants of it; but he is unmindful of it, so as to be desirous of the company of the men of it, or to have the affections set upon it, and the heart tickled with the pleasures of it, or so as to desire to return to it, for which there is a great deal of reason: for this country is not worth minding; and there is much in it to set a gracious mind against it; a good man has better things to mind; and it is below, and unworthy of a Christian, to mind the world; and besides, worldly mindedness is attended with bad consequences. Moreover, though the saints have opportunities of returning, yet they do not; they are near it, and the country they are seeking is afar off: many things in it are alluring and ensnaring; a corrupt and deceitful heart often lingers after them, and Satan is not wanting to tempt unto, and by them. And yet they do not return; some that bear the name of Christians, but are not truly such, may wholly return, and never come back more; and true believers may strangely go back again in some instances; but they shall not return finally and totally: for they are held and drawn with the cords of love; they are in the hands of Christ, and are secured in the covenant of grace; they are returned to Christ, in the effectual calling, who will keep them; they are of the household of God, and shall be no more foreigners; should they return in such sense, they would be condemned with the world, which cannot be."

The goal or the object of those believing pilgrims back then and we believing pilgrims today and of every era and generation is a new country that God/Jesus Himself has prepared for us and who will return to take us with Him to it, as it is written with these words of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1-3) (KJV). Therefore, we find the writer of Hebrews likewise declaring to the then Hebrew converts this same idea or thought with these words written to the then Hebrew converts to Christ, "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:16) (KJV). The English word 'desire' is translated by the Greek word oregomai meaning to stretch oneself, that is, reach out after (long for): - covet after, desire. In other words, just like those of us today who are converted to Christ given the hope of heaven in our inner man and inner woman, so did the Old Testament Patriarchs who believed the Lord God, they too were given the same hope of eternal glory in heaven with Him. So, Abraham and Sara and all those who came out of the Ur of the Chaldeans with them continued their nomadic life knowing that thus earth was not their true home, but they had an heavenly home awaiting each and everyone of them to look forward to. The city prepared for the Hebrew pilgrimes back then and for we pilgrims today and of every era and generation is the 'New Jerusalem' as descibed, declared, and detailed for us by the Apostle John first with the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ here, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." (Revelation 3:12) (KJV) and also with these words from the Book of Revelation, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Revelation 21:1-3) (KJV).

Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 11:16, "They all expected spiritual blessings, and a heavenly inheritance; they sought God as their portion, and in such a way and on such principles that He is not ashamed to be called their God; and He shows His affection for them by preparing for them a city, to wit, heaven, as themselves would seek no city on earth; which is certainly what the Apostle has here in view. And from this it is evident that the Patriarchs had a proper notion of the immortality of the soul, and expected a place of residence widely different from Canaan. Though to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the promises were made in which Canaan was so particularly included, yet God did not give them any inheritance in that country, no, not so much as to set a foot on; Acts 7:5. Therefore, if they had not understood the promises to belong to spiritual things, far from enduring, as seeing Him who is invisible, they must have considered themselves deceived and mocked. The Apostle therefore, with the highest propriety, attributes their whole conduct and expectation to faith." Here also is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 11:16, "God is the God of all true believers; faith gives them an interest in God, and in all His fullness. He is called their God. He calls Himself so: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; He gives them leave to call Him so; and He gives them the spirit of adoption, to enable them to cry, Abba, Father. Notwithstanding their meanness by nature, their vileness by sin, and the poverty of their outward condition, God is not ashamed to be called their God: such is His condescension, such is His love to them; therefore let them never be ashamed of being called His people, nor of any of those that are truly so, how much soever despised in the world. Above all, let them take care that they be not a shame and reproach to their God, and so provoke Him to be ashamed of them; but let them act so as to be to Him for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory. As the proof of this, God has prepared for them a city, a happiness suitable to the relation into which He has taken them. For there is nothing in this world commensurate to the love of God in being the God of His people; and, if God neither could nor would give His people anything better than this world affords, He would be ashamed to be called their God. If He takes them into such a relation to Himself, He will provide for them accordingly. If He takes to himself the title of their God, He will fully answer it, and act up to it; and He has prepared that for them in heaven which will fully answer this character and relation, so that it shall never be said, to the reproach and dishonour of God, that He has adopted a people to be His own children and then taken no care to make a suitable provision for them. The consideration of this should inflame the affections, enlarge the desires, and excite the diligent endeavours, of the people of God after this city that He has prepared for them."
 
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

Letter to the Hebrews Volume 130

 The Heavenly Hope of Abraham & all the Patriarchs Part 2

Hebrews 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.  KJV

Those Old Testament Patriarchs who declared themselves to be strangers and sojourners on this earth knew within themselves that they were making their way through this life to another country, as it is written here next by the writer of Hebrews with these words, "For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country." (Hebrews 11:14) (KJV). A country or land within the earth that God had already prepared for them to inhabit or dwell in, but more importantly He had prepared a place for each one of them that believed a place outside of the earth that was made by God for them, even though none of them fully understood what that meant to and for them, however, by faith they continued to believe God and keep in view their heavenly home even while they made their way through this earthly life with all of its stresses, strains, and struggles. The little English phrase 'they seek' is translated by the Greek word epizēteō which means to search (inquire) for; intensively to demand, to crave: - desire, enquire, seek after. The little English phrase 'a country' is translated by the Greek word patris meaning a father land, that is, native town; (figuratively) heavenly home. Not only were they sojourning to their heavenly home, but we must remember the promise God made to Abram from the very beginning that his seed would be given a land on the earth that would be their own land, as it is written and documented for us by Moses here, "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou swarest by Thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever." (Exodus 32:13) (KJV). This is why their is no real dispute between the Hebrews/Jews and the Palestinians over the land there because Almighty God gave all that land to the descedents of Abraham and his son Isaac.

As keeping with the definition of the Greek word epizēteō the Hebrew/Jewish people are simply laying hold of or seeking after and intensively demanding what is truly their inheritance from God that has been stolen from them by the Palestinian people who have no true claim to the land that God declared to the seed of Isaac, as it is written by the Prophet Isaiah, "For Zion's sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the Hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give Him no rest, till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. The LORD hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of My holiness. Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken." (Isaiah 62:1-12) (KJV).  

Here is what the Expositor's Bible Commentary had to say of Hebrews 11:14, "Such men 'declare plainly that they seek a country of their own.' Let not the full force of the words escape us. The Apostle does not mean that they seek to emigrate to a new country. He has just said that they confess themselves to be 'strangers and pilgrims on the earth.' They are 'pilgrims,' because they are journeying through on their way to another country; they are 'strangers,' because they have come hither from another land. His meaning is that they long to return home. That he means this is evident from his thinking it necessary to guard himself against the possibility of being understood to refer to Ur of the Chaldees. They were not mindful of the earthly home, the cradle of their race, which they had left for ever. Not once did they cast a wistful look back, like Lot’s wife and the Israelites in the wilderness. Yet they yearned for their fatherland. Plato imagined that all our knowledge is a reminiscence of what we learned in a previous state of existence; and Wordsworth’s exquisite lines, which cannot lose their sweet fragrance however often they are repeated, are a reflection of the same visionary gleam,--'Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: The soul that rises with us, our life’s star. Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometh from afar; Not in entire forgetfulness, And not in utter nakedness, But trailing clouds of glory, do we come From God, Who is our home.' Our author too suggests it; and it is true. We need not maintain it as an external fact in the history of the soul, according to the old doctrine, resuscitated in our own times, of Traducianism (The doctrine that the soul or spirit is inherited from one or both parents). The Apostle represents it rather as a feeling. There is a Christian consciousness of heaven, as if the soul had been there and longed to return. And if it is a glorious attainment of faith to regard heaven as a city, more consoling still is the hope of returning there, storm-tossed and weather-beaten, as to a home, to look up to God as to a Father, and to love all angels and saints as brethren in the household of God, over which Christ is set as a Son. Such a hope renders feeble, sinful men not altogether unworthy of God’s Fatherhood. For He is not ashamed to be called their God, and Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren. The proof is, that God has prepared for them a settled abode in the eternal city."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…