“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 ESV).

Our review of Gideon’s life from the Biblical book of Judges continues with the record of his interaction with the angel of the Lord…

“But again Gideon said to him, ‘With all due respect, my Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest in my household.’ The Lord replied, ‘Because I’m with you, you’ll defeat the Midianites as if they were just one person.’

Then Gideon said to him, ‘If I’ve gained your approval, please show me a sign that it’s really you speaking with me. Don’t leave here until I return, bring out my offering, and set it in front of you.’ The Lord replied, ‘I’ll stay until you return.’ So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and used an ephah of flour for unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.

Then God’s messenger said to him, ‘Take the meat and the unleavened bread and set them on this rock, then pour out the broth.’ And he did so. The Lord’s messenger reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire came up from the rock and devoured the meat and the unleavened bread; and the Lord’s messenger vanished before his eyes.

Then Gideon realized that it had been the Lord’s messenger. Gideon exclaimed, ‘Oh no, Lord God! I have seen the Lord’s messenger face-to-face!’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace! Don’t be afraid! You won’t die.’ So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it ‘The Lord makes peace.’ It still stands today in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Judges 6:15-24 CEB).

Now that we’ve met Gideon, what kind of person did he seem to be? Was he a heroic man? Did he project an image of confidence? Was he a person of bravery, courage, and fearlessness? Not at all. Gideon was clearly someone who was frightened, confused, and unsure of himself. However, Gideon was not the only Biblical personality to exhibit these characteristics in response to God’s calling.

For instance, let’s reconsider Moses’ example from earlier in this chapter. When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Exodus 4:13 records his response: “My Lord, I beg you to send someone else, not me” (ERV). We also have the example of the great prophet Jeremiah. When God called Jeremiah to be His spokesperson, Jeremiah responded by saying, “‘O Sovereign Lord… I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!'” (Jeremiah 1:6 NLT).

We’ll consider twelve similar examples from the New Testament next.

“What else can I say? There isn’t enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 CEV).

The Old Testament book of Judges contains the following admonition from the Lord to the people of Israel: “I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.’ But you have not obeyed me” (Judges 6:10 CEV). This passage is worthy of our attention, for we may leave ourselves open to a similar admonition whenever we choose to neglect our relationship with God.

This recalls the cautionary message given to us earlier in Hebrews 2:1: “We ought, therefore, to pay the greatest attention to the truth that we have heard and not allow ourselves to drift away from it” (Phillips). If we drift from our relationship with Christ in such a manner, it may only be a matter of time before we begin to make bad decisions that lead to painful repercussions. The nation of Israel repeatedly engaged in that type of behavior throughout the Biblical book of Judges and suffered the consequences as a result.

One way to avoid that negative example involves a few simple practices that are given to us in the New Testament book of Acts. You see, Acts 2:42 identifies four important spiritual disciplines observed by the early church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (NIV).

We can understand this to mean that the early church focused on four specific areas: prayer, Bible study (the apostles’ teaching), communion (breaking of bread), and regular church attendance (the fellowship). These four spiritual disciplines can help us maintain the priority relationship with God that He deserves and avoid the circumstances that led to Gideon’s introduction in Judges chapter six…

“The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’

‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’

The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?'” (Judges 6:11-14 NIV).

We’ll continue with a look at Gideon’s response next.

“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32).

Although the author of Hebrews could have added to names given to us here in chapter eleven, the constraints of time limited him from continuing with a list of other heroes of the faith who were equally worthy of recognition. As one source wryly observes, “He has not run out of examples, but only out of time.” ₍₁₎

Thus, the final stops on our tour through the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame” takes us to visit with six well-known (and not so well-known) examples of genuine Biblical faith. The first four individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11:32 (Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah) all lived during the Old Testament period chronicled in the Biblical book of Judges. Samuel and David also lived near the end of that period and shortly thereafter.

While some of these names may be more recognizable than others, each of these individuals can tell us something important about what it means to live a life that honors God in faith. That becomes especially clear when we look at the first person mentioned in Hebrews 11:32, a man named Gideon.

We find Gideon’s account beginning in the sixth chapter of the book of Judges. But before we get to Gideon, we’ll begin with some important background information from the opening verses of Judges chapter six…

“Then once again the Israelites started disobeying the Lord, so he let the nation of Midian control Israel for seven years. The Midianites were so cruel that many Israelites ran to the mountains and hid in caves.

Every time the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites invaded Israel together with the Amalekites and other eastern nations. They rode in on their camels, set up their tents, and then let their livestock eat the crops as far as the town of Gaza. The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts, they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went.

The Midianites took almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the Lord for help. Then the Lord sent a prophet to them with this message:

I am the Lord God of Israel, so listen to what I say. You were slaves in Egypt, but I set you free and led you out of Egypt into this land. And when nations here made life miserable for you, I rescued you and helped you get rid of them and take their land. I am your God, and I told you not to worship Amorite gods, even though you are living in the land of the Amorites. But you refused to listen” (Judges 6:1-10 CEV).

This sets the stage for Gideon’s entry into our narrative next.

(1) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg. 2200].

“By faith Rahab the prostitute received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed” (Hebrews 11:31 HCSB).

As we close our look at Rahab’s place in the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame,” one question remains: “Why has Rahab received this honor in view of her character?”

The immediate answer to that question involves the agreement Rahab made with the members of the Israelite reconnaissance team. In return for hiding them from Jericho’s police force, Rahab secured their promise to protect her household when the people of Israel conquered the city. The spies agreed to those terms on two conditions…

1. Rahab had to place a scarlet cord in her window.
2. Everyone remained within her home during the invasion (see Joshua 2:12-24).

Rahab fulfilled those terms and thus entered this portion of Scripture on the basis of her faith, not on her former life as a prostitute.

Another question regarding Rahab is this: “How could God commend Rahab when she lied to protect the spies who entered Jericho?” To address that question, we should first consider the fact that Rahab was a not an Israelite. She had heard of Israel’s God and was aware of His power and ability, but she did not know Him.

Although we can say that Rahab’s conscience should have told her it was wrong to lie, it is also true that she did not have access to that prohibition in the Mosaic Law. Rahab also did not have access to the other standards of right and wrong that God established for the people of Israel.

We should also recognize that Rahab may have faced an insurmountable problem. You see, it may not have been possible to hide the spies and tell the truth to Jericho’s police force at the same time.

In addition, it’s important to note that Rahab risked her life in choosing to hide the Israelite spies. If Rahab was found to be harboring those men as criminal fugitives, she undoubtedly would have paid with her life. These things do not excuse Rahab for lying (which was wrong) but it did save the Israelite spies from death (which represented a greater wrong).

So, even though Rahab lied to protect the spies, the act of giving them up to Jericho’s authorities would have promoted something worse. We find other examples of lying to prevent a greater wrong in Exodus 1:15-21 and Jeremiah 38:24-27. Again, this does not excuse lying (which is wrong), but it is also clear that the Bible allows for the consideration of extenuating circumstances if they exist.

Finally, we should remember that the Bible does not say that Rahab was honored for lying. On the contrary, Rahab demonstrated her faith in the one true God. She believed God was going to give Jericho to the people of Israel and acted on that belief by hiding the spies. So Rahab wasn’t praised for lying, but she was honored for her faith.

“By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31 NET).

So how did Rahab the prostitute enter the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame”? Well, Rahab entered this portion of Scripture by virtue of her authentic, God-honoring faith. For instance, Rahab’s faith was clearly aligned with the definition of faith given to us earlier in Hebrews 11:1: “…faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see” (ESV).

Next, we can say that Rahab clearly believed in God’s existence. That belief led her to risk her life in hiding the members of the Israelite reconnaissance team who entered the city of Jericho. Thus, Rahab expressed the kind of faith we read about earlier in Hebrews 11:6…

“You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him” (TLB).

Rahab also demonstrated the fact that she took God and His word seriously. She believed God could save her from the coming destruction of the city. She also trusted Him to ensure that the people of Israel followed through on their commitment to spare her life when they conquered the city. Thus, Rahab’s example reveals a great deal about genuine Biblical faith and how that faith should influence our actions.

Because of this, God has chosen to honor Rahab with a place in the Biblical Faith Hall Of Fame. This has also led one commentator to the following conclusion…

“[This] is a tremendous revelation of the fact that God did not arbitrarily destroy the city of Jericho. You see, for forty years word had been filtering into Jericho about a people who crossed the Red Sea. In other words, Rahab said, ‘It was forty years ago when we heard about that. And I for one believed. Others believed the facts, but they did not believe in God. They never trusted the living God.’

Later on, they heard how God was leading Israel and that He had given them victory on the other side of the Jordan against the Amorites. Jericho should have profited from that information. Finally Israel miraculously crossed the Jordan River and parked right outside the door of Jericho. What had God been doing? He had been giving the city an opportunity to believe in Him, to trust Him, and to turn to Him.” ₍₁₎

(1) J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, “Hebrews 11:31 The Faith Of Rahab” Copyright 1981 by J. Vernon McGee

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies” (Hebrews 11:31 ESV).

We continue with Rahab’s account from Joshua chapter two as she explained her rationale for hiding the Israelite spies who had been conducting a reconnaissance mission within her city…

“Before the spies settled down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof and said to them, ‘I know that the Lord has given you this land. Everyone in the country is terrified of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea in front of you when you were leaving Egypt. We have also heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. We were afraid as soon as we heard about it; we have all lost our courage because of you.

The Lord your God is God in heaven above and here on earth. Now swear by him that you will treat my family as kindly as I have treated you, and give me some sign that I can trust you. Promise me that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families! Don’t let us be killed!’

The men said to her, ‘May God take our lives if we don’t do as we say! If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing, we promise you that when the Lord gives us this land, we will treat you well.’

Rahab lived in a house built into the city wall, so she let the men down from the window by a rope. ‘Go into the hill country,’ she said, ‘or the king’s men will find you. Hide there for three days until they come back. After that, you can go on your way.’

The men said to her, ‘We will keep the promise that you have made us give. This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie this red cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s family together in your house. If anyone goes out of the house, his death will be his own fault, and we will not be responsible; but if anyone in the house with you is harmed, then we will be responsible. However, if you tell anyone what we have been doing, then we will not have to keep our promise which you have made us give you.”

She agreed and sent them away. When they had gone, she tied the red cord to the window” (Joshua 2:1-21 GW).

Once again, it’s important to note that the residents of Jericho were aware of God’s presence and power, even going back decades earlier to His parting of the Red Sea. But only one of the city’s inhabitants -Rahab- proved willing to act on that knowledge by faith.

While Hebrews 11:30 describes the faith displayed by those who conquered the ancient city of Jericho, there was one group of residents who were spared from death when the walls of that great metropolis went down. The Old Testament book of Joshua provides us with that account…

“Joshua spoke to the two men who had scouted out the land. ‘Go to the prostitute’s house. Bring out the woman from there, along with everyone related to her, exactly as you pledged to her'” (Joshua 6:22 CEB).

Hebrews chapter eleven references that portion of Israel’s history, along with an emphasis on the faith displayed by this prostitute named Rahab…

“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

So how did Rahab the harlot find a place among these members of the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame”? To answer that question, we must return to the period when Joshua dispatched a two-man reconnaissance team to explore the city of Jericho along with its surrounding areas. We find that account in Joshua chapter two…

“Joshua chose two men as spies and sent them from their camp at Acacia with these instructions: ‘Go across the river and find out as much as you can about the whole region, especially about the town of Jericho.’ The two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia and went to Jericho, where they decided to spend the night at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.

But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, ‘Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies.’ So the king sent soldiers to Rahab’s house to arrest the spies. Meanwhile, Rahab had taken the men up to the flat roof of her house and had hidden them under some piles of flax plants that she had put there to dry.

The soldiers came to her door and demanded, ‘Let us have the men who are staying at your house. They are spies.’ She answered, ‘Some men did come to my house, but I didn’t know where they had come from. They left about sunset, just before it was time to close the town gate. I don’t know where they were going, but if you hurry, maybe you can catch them” (Joshua 2:1-7 CEV).

We’ll continue our look at this passage and examine Rahab’s justification for this taking this action next.

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30 ESV).

Although Jericho was the first city the people of Israel encountered upon their entrance into the Promised Land, it appears their reputation preceded their arrival in that area.

You see, Joshua 2:9-10 tells us that the residents of Jericho knew God had parted the Red Sea for the Israelites decades earlier. They were also aware of Israel’s successful military engagements with the nation-states they encountered prior to their arrival in that area. These reports made the people of Jericho very concerned about Israel- so much so that Joshua 6:1 tells us that the city was locked up tight in an effort to keep them out.

With that, let’s look at God’s plan to conquer this seemingly indestructible fortress…

“The Lord said to Joshua, I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you. All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days. Seven priests will carry rams’ horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns. When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city” (Joshua 6:2-5 GW).

We can derive several important lessons regarding faith from this passage. For instance, no credible military strategist would ever endorse an invasion plan that involved marching around a metropolitan area for a week. Yet, that was the tactical plan God issued to the people of Israel. Thus, faith recognizes that God may choose to fulfill His purposes in unusual ways.

We can also say that faith sometimes requires patience. Remember that the walls of Jericho didn’t fall immediately; and the people of Israel had to exercise patience in order to see the result God intended for them.

Joshua 6:20 identifies something else we can learn from this example: faith acts on what God has promised…

“So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams’ horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city” (GW).

So the people of Israel acted upon God’s directive first. Then they saw Him fulfill His promises on their behalf. This is a characteristic of faith that is often repeated throughout Hebrews chapter eleven.

So the walls of Jericho came down, but not everyone perished in the city’s destruction…

“Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, ‘Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her'” (Joshua 6:22 CSB).

That portion of Scripture will lead us into our look at the next hero of the faith from Hebrews chapter eleven.

The next stop on our tour through the Hebrews chapter eleven “Faith Hall Of Fame” takes us to another notable event- the fall of Jericho…

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30).

Many have undoubtedly heard the account of Jericho’s demise after the people of Israel followed God’s directive to march around the city for seven days. While the record of Jericho’s fall may be familiar, there are some important things we can learn about faith when we stop to examine what took place there.

For example, the account of Jericho’s downfall began long before the Israelites ever reached the city…

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them– to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses'” (Joshua 1:1 NIV).

The person God chose to replace Moses was a man named Joshua, Moses’ former assistant (Numbers 27:15-23). Following Moses’ death, the Lord spoke to Joshua saying, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses” (Joshua 1:3 NIV). Since Jericho was the first city Israel encountered after they entered the Promised Land, it thus represented Joshua’s first opportunity to act upon God’s promise by faith. That brings us to our first observation from this passage: the leaders changed, but their faith in God remained the same.

Although Jericho was a residential community, it seems as if it was built more like a high-security military installation than a city. From what we know of the city today, it appears that Jericho was more than a quarter-mile wide in diameter (about .50 km). It was also built on an elevated location -a definite advantage against those who might seek to conquer the city.

It also appears that there were three different walls that surrounded the city to protect it from intruders. The first wall circled the exterior border and was 15 feet (5 m) high, and six feet (2 m) thick. Behind this perimeter wall was a second wall that was 25 feet (8 m) high, and six feet (2 m) thick. Finally, a third 25-foot (8 m) tall, six-foot (2 m) thick wall was situated behind the outer walls. These features combined to make Jericho extremely difficult to invade.

It’s also clear that Joshua and his army were dealing with a city that was filled with people who were highly motivated to keep them out. We’ll see why next.

“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned” (Hebrews 11:29).

Genesis 15:13-14 records a scene from the life of the Biblical patriarch Abraham that relates to our text from Hebrews 11:29…

“The Lord said to [Abraham], ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land; they will be slaves there and will be treated cruelly for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and when they leave that foreign land, they will take great wealth with them…” (GNT).

That prophetic message was fulfilled upon Israel’s departure from Egypt…

“The Israelites had already done what Moses had told them to do. They had gone to their Egyptian neighbors and asked for gold and silver and for clothes. The Lord had made the Egyptians friendly toward the people of Israel, and they gave them whatever they asked for. In this way they carried away the wealth of the Egyptians when they left Egypt” (Exodus 12:35-36 CEV).

This led to one of the greatest miraculous events in Biblical history- the parting of the Red Sea…

“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, ‘What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.’ So he got his chariot ready and took his troops with him… The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army—chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea…

But Moses said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.’

…Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. The Egyptians set out in pursuit… and went into the sea after them…

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth… The water came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, plus the entire army of Pharaoh that had gone after them into the sea. Not even one of them survived” (Exodus 14:5-6, 9, 13, 21-23, 26-28 CSB).

Thus, as one author concludes, “The difference between the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and the Egyptians who followed them was not courage, but faith. The Egyptians had as much (or more) courage than the Israelites, but not the same faith – and they each had different fates.” ₍₁₎

(1) David Guzik Hebrews 11 – Examples Of Faith To Help The Discouraged © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-11/

“It was faith that made [Moses] establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites” (Hebrews 11:28 GNT).

The seventh to twelfth chapters of the Biblical book of Exodus detail a series of disastrous plagues that were imposed upon the nation of Egypt. Those afflictions culminated in the most devastating plague of all: the death of every firstborn son who was outside a dwelling under God’s protection.

One source offers a valuable synopsis of that final event and its relationship to our text from Hebrews 11:28…

“Moses was warned in detail about the fatal tenth plague, and he prepared the Hebrew people so they could protect themselves from it. At midnight, the Lord would sweep over Egypt, killing the firstborn of every living thing, man and beast, except for those who were protected. That protection was afforded by the sacrifice of a spotless lamb. Each family was to sacrifice such a lamb and to sprinkle its blood on the doorposts. The blood, symbol of God’s protective power, would cause the angel of death to pass over.

Thus was instituted what is still one of the most holy Jewish holidays, the Passover. When Jesus Christ came, his followers realized the further significance of the Passover rites: they foreshadow the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the true Passover Lamb. His blood shed on the cross is the true blood of atonement and protection, and God’s judgment on sin ‘passes over’ those who have been protected by that blood.

Pharaoh heard the cry of grief and mourning throughout his land. His household, too, had been affected: his firstborn son was dead, and now he was ready to give up the fight. The God of Israel was too powerful for him. Relenting from his stubbornness, he summoned Moses and Aaron and permitted them to lead the people, with all their possessions, out from the land of Goshen in Egypt and to their God in the wilderness. Not until after the last one did Pharaoh finally agree to let the people leave Egypt.” ₍₁₎

As another commentator observes, “It took faith to believe that the blood of a lamb on the doorpost would save a household from the terror of the angel of death; but Moses had that faith, and led the nation in observance of Passover.” ₍₂₎ These insights should lead us to a greater appreciation for this historical narrative and its appearance here within the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame.”

(1) McDowell, J. (1997). Josh McDowell’s Handbook On Apologetics (electronic ed.). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Page 29.

(2) David Guzik Hebrews 11 – Examples Of Faith To Help The Discouraged © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-11/

“It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons” (Hebrews 11:28 NLT).

When Moses approached Pharaoh to request a national three day leave-of-absence to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the Egyptian monarch responded just as God predicted: ”’Who is the Lord?’ the king demanded. ‘Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; and I will not let Israel go'” (Exodus 5:2 GNT). Although Pharaoh did not realize it, this represented the beginning of the end of Israel’s servitude in Egypt…

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will use my great power against him, and he will let my people go. He will be so ready for them to leave that he will force them to go'” (Exodus 6:1 ERV).

That led to a series of ten judgments that were designed to compel Pharaoh into obedience. Those judgments took the form of the following plagues…

• All the waters of Egypt, including the beloved Nile River, turned to blood.
• Frogs overran the land.
• Gnats (or lice) infested the land of Egypt to the point where they “…covered everyone, people and animals alike” Exodus 8:18 NLT). This brought Pharaoh’s occultic advisors to the following conclusion: “…’This is something only God could do!'”(Exodus 8:19 CEB).
• Swarms of flies descended upon the homes of the Egyptians, including Pharaoh’s residence. But no flies entered the region of Goshen where the people of Israel dwelled.
• A severe pestilence decimated the nation’s livestock, including their cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep.
• Boils and sores broke out on the people and the remaining animals.
• Hailstones destroyed Egypt’s agricultural production, along with whatever replacement livestock the Egyptians had been able to procure. Nevertheless, God graciously offered the following counsel in advance: “‘Tomorrow at this time I’ll cause the heaviest hail to fall on Egypt that has ever fallen from the day Egypt was founded until now. So bring under shelter your livestock and all that belongs to you that is out in the open. Every person or animal that is out in the open field and isn’t brought inside will die when the hail rains down on them.’ Some of Pharaoh’s officials who took the Lord’s word seriously rushed to bring their servants and livestock inside for shelter. Others who didn’t take the Lord’s word to heart left their servants and livestock out in the open field” (Exodus 9:18-21 CEB).
• Any plant that wasn’t completely annihilated by the hail was subsequently devoured by locusts.
• Thick darkness then covered the land for three days.

The final plague -the deaths of all firstborn- was directly associated with the Passover referenced here in Hebrews 11:28 and facilitated Israel’s subsequent departure from Egypt.

“By faith [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them” (Hebrews 11:27-28).

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, was viewed as a god among the people of his kingdom. As such, he was the single most powerful figure within Egyptian society during the period of Israel’s captivity. In theory, Pharaoh could have executed Moses without repercussion if he desired. Yet Moses was not alarmed by that possibility, for his faith in the One who is unseen enabled him to overcome any potential fear of the king’s wrath.

Moses expressed that same faith in keeping the Passover as well. The Feast of Passover was (and is) a commemorative event that memorializes Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (see Exodus chapter twelve). This annual observance commemorates the time when God “passed over” every home that carried an identifying mark of lamb’s blood on its exterior door frame. The firstborn in every other home was put to death…

“I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13 CSB).

Although the Passover is widely celebrated among the members of the Jewish community today, the events that led up to that first Passover may be less familiar. A look at the Biblical record reveals that the Passover referenced here in Hebrews 11:28 was the culmination of a series of events involving Pharaoh and others under his leadership. Those events are known today as the Ten Plagues of Egypt.

However, we can trace the Passover’s origin even further back to Moses’ first interaction with God. At the time of their initial meeting, the Lord issued the following directive to Moses: “…you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God'” (Exodus 3:18 NIV).

God then followed with a piece of divine foresight: “I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless he is forced to do so. But I will use my power and will punish Egypt by doing terrifying things there. After that he will let you go” (Exodus 3:19-20 GNT). Thus, it was Pharaoh who initiated the chain of events that ultimately led to the establishment of the Passover.

“esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:26).

A cursory look at Hebrews 11:26 should prompt an immediate question: “How could Moses regard ‘disgrace for the sake of Christ to be of greater value than all the riches in Egypt’ when Jesus had not yet been born?”

We can address this question when we consider the passage that precedes this verse: “[Moses] chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25 NIV). When we take these verses together, we find that Moses elected to exchange the temporary mistreatment he experienced during his earthly life for something better in the future.

That mistreatment represented “abuse suffered on behalf of the Messiah” (CJB) in the following sense: whenever someone is mistreated for a decision to follow God in faith, he or she follows the ultimate example set by Christ. For Moses, that meant looking forward to Jesus’ example. For us, it means looking back.

For example, consider the following excerpt from Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount…

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

While contemporary audiences can benefit from this principle, the heart of Jesus’ message is also reflected in the lives of Old Testament saints like Moses, as well as many of the other individuals we meet in Hebrews chapter eleven. They were often reviled, mistreated, and persecuted, along with other notable Old Testament personalities such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, among others.

One Biblical scholar expands on this idea with the following insight…

“This is a text that shows that Moses himself was conscious of the coming of the Messiah and of the Messiah’s own ‘reproach,’ with which Moses was willing to identify in an anticipatory manner. It may be that Moses to some degree saw his suffering and the suffering of his people… as a typological foreshadowing of the ultimate suffering of God’s Son who also would come out of Egypt (Matt. 2:15, quoting Hos. 11:1).” ₍₁₎

Finally, it is significant to note that Moses (along with Elijah) spoke with Jesus at the time of His transfiguration in Mark 9:2-10. Just as Moses suffered “…disgrace for the sake of Christ” (NIV), so also was he honored with the privilege of an audience with the Messiah during His glorious transfiguration.

(1) R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2217.

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25 HCSB).

Moses’ decision to leave the security and privilege of Egyptian royalty led to several consequences. For instance, the Biblical account of Moses’ life reveals that he was a man who suffered a great deal. In Moses, we also find someone who was clearly apprehensive about following God’s direction at one point in his life.

In addition, Moses repeatedly faced large groups of unappreciative people who turned against his leadership. Even after Moses stood against Pharaoh, the most powerful political authority of his day and worked to lead the people out of Egyptian servitude, many of them responded in the following manner…

“They also complained to Moses, ‘Wasn’t there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway? While we were there, didn’t we tell you to leave us alone? We’d rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!'” (Exodus 14:11-12 CEV, see also Exodus 16:1-3, Exodus 17:1-2, Numbers 14:1-4, Numbers 16:1-3, Numbers 16:41, Numbers 20:1-5, and Numbers 21:4-5).

Nevertheless, Hebrews 11:24-25 tells us that Moses faithfully accepted mistreatment along with the people of God and renounced the fleeting pleasure that sin might bring for a while. Moses could have taken an easier road, but he chose to follow God by faith instead. Because of this, God has honored Moses with a place among the other heroes of the faith mentioned here in Hebrews chapter eleven.

This has led one source to make the following observation…

“In his adult years [Moses] made his choice; he would not hide his true nationality to win a few short years of earthly fame. The result? Instead of occupying a line or two of hieroglyphics on some obscure tomb, he is memorialized in God’s eternal Book. Instead of being found in a museum as an Egyptian mummy, he is famous as a man of God.” ₍₁₎

We will complete our look at this passage by starting where we began this portion of our study. From a human perspective, none of these events from Moses’ life would have occurred if his birth mother had not made the faithful decision to trust God for his protection when she set him afloat in the Nile River as an infant. That decision led to a series of positive consequences that continue to this day.

Moses’ birth mother saw him as someone worth saving. Thus, her example should prompt us to prayerfully consider what God might do with the investments we make in others today.

(1) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg. 2199].

“By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23 NET).

In an effort to save her newborn son from Pharaoh’s murderous decree, Moses’ birth mother placed him in a waterproof basket and set it afloat on the Nile River. That basket was eventually found by Pharaoh’s daughter, who opened it to find Moses inside. The Egyptian princess felt sorry for the helpless infant and granted temporary custody of the child to a Hebrew woman (who was actually Moses’ birth mother) who nursed him for a period of time.

Exodus 2:10 continues our narrative from that point…

“When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, ‘I drew him out of the water'” (NIV).

So Exodus 2:1-10 presents us with an account that concludes with a positive ending (at least for the moment). However, it may be difficult to identify the act of faith that justifies the appearance of this narrative here in the “Faith Hall Of Fame.” We can address that difficulty if we stop to consider some important aspects of this passage.

First, Moses’ mother demonstrated faith in God through the act of placing him in a basket and setting it afloat on the Nile River. Instead of following Pharaoh’s unjust edict, she chose to follow a more righteous path. Her example thus reminds us that it takes faith to trust God and do what is right when others direct us to do what is wrong.

Next, we should remember that Moses’ birth mother could do nothing else for him once he drifted away into the Nile River. Instead, she had to place her trust in God for his protection. In a similar manner, it takes faith to trust in God to provide for others when we are no longer do so ourselves.

The following verse of Hebrews chapter eleven continues with another lesson in faith from Moses’ life…

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25).

Moses faithfully aligned himself with the people of God instead of taking the easy road of earthly status and luxury. As a member of the Egyptian royal family, Moses could have enjoyed a position of wealth and privilege if that’s what he desired. Instead, he chose to abandon those things to follow God’s path for his life.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23 ESV).

To eliminate the perceived threat posed by Israel’s growing population, the Biblical book of Exodus tells us that Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, authorized the murder of every male infant born to a Hebrew mother. However, there was an unanticipated obstacle in Pharaoh’s plan…

“But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. ‘Why have you done this?’ he demanded. ‘Why have you allowed the boys to live?’

‘The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,’ the midwives replied. ‘They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.’ So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful” (Exodus 1:17-20 NLT).

Nevertheless, Pharaoh was undeterred by this setback…

“Then Pharaoh gave an order to all his people: ‘Throw every baby boy born to the Hebrews into the Nile River, but you can let all the girls live'” (Exodus 1:22 CEB).

Since Pharaoh could not depend upon these midwives to execute his plan, he simply enlisted the aid of every Egyptian citizen. That was the political environment that surrounded Moses at the time of his birth…

“About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.

Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrew children,’ she said.

Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. ‘Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?’ she asked. ‘Yes, do!’ the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. ‘Take this baby and nurse him for me,’ the princess told the baby’s mother. ‘I will pay you for your help.’ So the woman took her baby home and nursed him” (Exodus 2:1-9 NLT).

We’ll continue with our look at this portion of Moses’ life next.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command” (Hebrews 11:23).

As we continue our tour through the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame,” we now stop to look at a person who is surely one of the most important and influential individuals within the Biblical record. That person is Moses. While the miraculous events of Moses’ life often draw the most attention, it’s important to note that Moses’ life and ministry grew out of events that transpired long before he was born.

In previous studies, we briefly examined the life of Joseph from the Biblical book of Genesis. We saw how Joseph rose to a prominent position of leadership within the ancient Egyptian government and how he resettled his family in Egypt to save them from the effects of a devastating famine. Unfortunately, things changed over time, and a new leader arose who did not hold the same respect for Joseph, or the people of Israel…

“And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.’

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses” (Exodus 1:6-11).

However, that plan failed to produce the desired result…

“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel” (Exodus 1:12).

Since Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, was not in the habit of giving up easily (as he would demonstrate later), he came up with a scheme that was even more ruthless…

“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, ‘When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live'” (Exodus 1:15-16).

So Pharaoh’s solution was to eliminate the source of this “problem” by simply murdering every male child born to a Hebrew mother. This may have seemed like the perfect solution to Pharaoh, but as we’ll see, there was one critical detail he overlooked.

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his burial” (Hebrews 11:22 NET).

Some four thousand years ago, a dying man made his final request. That request (and the reason behind it) serves as a kind of beacon from the distant past, quietly transmitting the coordinates that guide the way back for those who have journeyed far from home…

“‘Soon I will die,’ Joseph told his brothers, ‘but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, ‘When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you'” (Genesis 50:24-25 NLT).

Perhaps we may awake one day to find that our lives no longer have any meaning, relevance, purpose, or direction. We might find that we have gained everything we ever wanted and come to the realization that it isn’t enough. Maybe we have sacrificed our lives to support an organization, only to find that the organization never regarded us as anything more than just a number.

Perhaps we will see the wreckage that resulted from a friend or family member’s unprincipled decision. Or maybe our lives have been negatively impacted by the decisions and mistakes of others, or events that were out of our control. If we ever reach those points in our lives, we would do well to listen to the message that has been quietly broadcasting through the words of Genesis 50:24-25. That message is simple: return home.

You see, Joseph was a long way from where he started. He was far from the place where God had spoken to his ancestors. He had been immersed in a culture that had no use for the God of the Scriptures. But Joseph never forgot where he came from, and his last request expressed a desire to return home.

If the journey of life takes us far from Christ, it would serve us well to remember where we came from. Maybe we’ve traveled to a place where we shouldn’t have gone. Perhaps our life story has not unfolded as we thought it would. We may be far from the place where we first met God; but like Joseph, we can go home again. Joseph knew where he ultimately belonged- his place was among the people who believed in, and followed, the one true God. That is where we belong as well.

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22 ESV).

Even though God enabled Joseph to save his family from starvation by relocating them to the nation of Egypt, Joseph also knew that Egypt was not their permanent home. You see, Joseph was aware of the promises God made to his father Jacob, his grandfather Isaac, and his great-grandfather Abraham regarding a homeland for their descendants. Because of this, Joseph knew they would eventually return to the place where he was born- the land his father left to join him in Egypt.

When the time arrived for that future generation to return to their ancestral homeland, Joseph wanted to ensure that he was a part of that journey. This explains why “…Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan” (Genesis 50:25 TLB).

Thus, Joseph’s example provides us with some important considerations today. Even though Joseph lived for decades among the highest ranking members of Egyptian society, he never lost sight of where he began. And even though Joseph’s travels had taken him far away to a foreign land, he always knew where he really belonged.

What does this example mean for contemporary readers of Hebrews 11:22? Well, let’s consider that question in light of the problems and difficulties we often encounter. For instance, there are some who struggle to trust God and patiently endure through the challenges of life as Joseph did. Some may be reluctant to stand against the mockery of professors, co-workers, business associates, authority figures, or others who learn of their belief in the God of the Scriptures.

Then there are those who seek the comfort of conformity to a culture that finds Jesus irrelevant. Others may be negatively influenced through relationships with men and women who don’t have a spiritual foundation in Christ. Finally, there are those who may be pressured to leave their convictions and abandon the supposedly primitive idea of faith in God.

A person who succumbs to these various influences may eventually move so far away from genuine Christianity that there is little or nothing left to distinguish him or her from anyone else. Should that time arrive in our lives, the message behind Joseph’s final act of faith will point the way back home for those who have wandered away. We’ll consider that “message behind the message” next.

“By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22).

The Old Testament account of Joseph is fairly well-known, even to many who are unfamiliar with the Scriptures. For instance, some may know about the injustice that was inflicted upon Joseph when he was sold into slavery. Others may be acquainted with the account of Joseph’s ascendance to a prominent position within the Egyptian government. Perhaps some may be familiar with Joseph’s coat of many colors, or how he was determined to honor God despite the seductive advances of his employer’s wife, a decision that eventually sent him to prison on false charges.

Despite these well-known aspects of Joseph’s life, his final act of faith may be less familiar. That account is easy to find because it is the very last thing we read in the Biblical book of Genesis…

“‘Soon I will die,’ Joseph told his brothers, ‘but God will surely come and get you, and bring you out of this land of Egypt and take you back to the land he promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Then Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan. So Joseph died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50:24-26 TLB).

This portion of Scripture tells us that Joseph never received a final burial following his death in Egypt. Instead, his coffin remained there for approximately four hundred years until the nation of Israel carried it out with them when they departed from that area…

“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place'” (Exodus 13:19 NIV).

So how did Joseph know this exodus would occur? Well, the answer is given to us here in Hebrews 11:22: Joseph believed the words God had spoken to his great grandfather Abraham by faith…

“Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions… In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here…” (Genesis 15:13-14, 16 NIV).

“By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff” (Hebrews 11:21 ESV).

In blessing Joseph’s sons, Genesis 48:13-14 tells us that Jacob set aside the common practice of blessing the eldest son at his right hand in favor of Joseph’s younger son Ephraim. Of course, this was not the first time something like that had occurred, as Jacob himself was well aware.

Although God had given Joseph a gift that enabled him to discern the meaning of dreams and their interpretations, he failed to recognize the spiritual significance behind his father’s decision to bless his younger son Ephraim instead of his older son Manasseh….

“When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’

But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’

He blessed them that day and said, ‘In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh” (Genesis 48:17-20 NIV).

Despite his father’s apparent mistake (at least from Joseph’s perspective), Jacob’s words eventually came to pass. According to one source, “This was fulfilled in Israel’s history. Both tribes were blessed, but Ephraim was greater as a tribe, even to the point where the name ‘Ephraim’ was used to refer to the whole northern nation of Israel.” ₍₁₎

However, there is another perspective to consider regarding Ephraim and Manasseh. You see, it is important to remember that this meeting between Jacob and Joseph took place while they were living in Egypt, the greatest nation on earth during that period. Joseph was also the second most powerful government official in Egypt at that time.

In light of this, Ephraim and Manasseh could have chosen to remain in Egypt and taken advantage of the benefits and social amenities that were available to them as sons of a high-ranking government official. Instead, they willingly chose to accept their grandfather’s adoption and join with their uncles to form what would become the nation of Israel. Therefore, we can say that each of Joseph’s sons also acted in faith, for they willingly gave up the privileges of Egypt to follow God’s destiny for their lives.

(1) Guzik, David, Genesis 48 – Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/genesis-48/

“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (Hebrews 11:21).

A substantial amount of time has passed in Jacob’s life between the events referenced in Hebrews 11:20 and the one mentioned here in Hebrews 11:21. Jacob was now approaching the end of his life when his son Joseph (accompanied by his sons Ephraim and Manasseh) met with him for the last time. It was during that final meeting that Jacob declared by faith that Ephraim and Manasseh would numbered among the national tribes of Israel.

Genesis chapter forty-eight provides us with that account…

“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine” (Genesis 48:5).

Reuben and Simeon were the first sons born to Jacob. So in making this statement, Jacob essentially said to Joseph, “Your two sons will receive the same recognition that my first two sons receive.” In doing so, Jacob “adopted” Ephraim and Manasseh and assigned them a portion of his inheritance along with the rest of his biological sons. This included a share in the covenantal blessings that Jacob received from his father Isaac, who inherited them from Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, who received them from God.

Jacob’s twelve sons (along with Ephraim and Manasseh) eventually became the progenitors of the people groups known as “the twelve tribes of Israel.” However, Jacob’s adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh explains why those twelve tribes are often listed in different combinations. While the addition of Ephraim and Manasseh creates fourteen people groups, they are always collectively identified as “twelve tribes” within the Scriptures.

Before we leave Hebrews 11:21, we should also take note of something unusual that occurred as Jacob was preparing to bless Ephraim and Manasseh…

“And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn” (Genesis 48:13-14 NIV).

The Biblical Scriptures employ the imagery of the “right hand” as a symbolic representation of power, authority, or favor. The eldest son generally received the blessing associated with that position at his father’s right hand. However, Jacob reversed that process in this instance. While Jacob’s physical body may have been frail and weak with age, we’ll soon see that his spiritual insight was undiminished.

“By faith Isaac also blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future” (Hebrews 11:20 CEB).

As we conclude our look at Genesis chapter 27 in the context of Hebrews 11:20, we find that the “secondary blessing” Esau received from his father Isaac eventually came to pass. You see, Esau’s descendants were known as the Edomites, a name that was derived from Esau’s nickname Edom (see Genesis 25:30 and 36:9).

The Edomites eventually populated some of the wilderness portions of that area and thus fulfilled Isaac’s prediction: “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness…” (Genesis 27:39 NIV). The Scriptures also tell us that Esau’s descendants eventually came to oppose and revolt against the Israelites, the descendants of his brother Jacob.

For example, the Edomites once mobilized their armed forces with a threat to kill the people of Israel when Israel asked for permission to pass through a land area that was under their control (Numbers 20:14-21). Later, the people of Edom succeeded in breaking away from Jacob’s descendants and established their own government, just as Isaac predicted (see 2 Kings 8:20-22).

So, in the end, it’s clear that these family members mentioned in Genesis 27 made several mistakes. First, there was Isaac. His plan to circumvent God’s will failed miserably. Then there was Rebekah, Isaac’s wife. She was the mastermind behind this plot to deceive her husband. Even though her plan succeeded, Rebekah was shown to be a person of devious character, and she never saw her favorite son Jacob again following this incident.

Next was Esau. He lost his inheritance because he had little interest or concern about the things of God. When he realized his mistake, it was too late to regain what he had lost. Finally, there was Jacob. He got what he wanted- but at a price. You see, Jacob eventually left his home to stay with another family member named Laban. Unfortunately for Jacob, he would soon learn just how cunning, manipulative, and deceitful Laban really was.

With these things in mind, we might be tempted to look at our text from Hebrews 11:20 and struggle to identify the act of faith mentioned here. The answer is this: when Isaac discovered he had actually blessed the son God had chosen instead of his preferred son, he recognized by faith that God easily accomplished His will despite his attempts to the contrary.

So, the events of Genesis chapter twenty-seven remind us to ask God to grant us the desire to make choices that align with His will and to seek Him for His direction. As we’re told in the Biblical book of Proverbs, “In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success” (Proverbs 3:6 TLB). Those who follow that path can avoid the pitfalls which  befell this family.

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future” (Hebrews 11:20 NIV).

It didn’t take Isaac very long to identify the perpetrator in the plot to trick him into blessing someone he did not intend to bless…

“…[Isaac] said, ‘Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.’ And Esau said, ‘Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, ‘Have you not reserved a blessing for me?'” (Genesis 27:35-36).

So, Esau responded to Isaac’s disclosure by sharing his negative opinion of Jacob’s character: “When you named my brother ‘Jacob’ (meaning ‘deceiver’), you certainly picked the right name. This is the second time he has cheated me- first he took my birthright and now he has my blessing as well.” Of course, Esau conveniently overlooked one important detail from that version of events: he was the one who willingly sold his birthright for a bowl of stew. Nevertheless, that did not stop Esau from blaming Jacob for the fact that he made a poor bargain.

But even though Esau had now lost everything his father sought to give him, he decided to make one last attempt to obtain some sort of blessing- and Isaac did his best to bless Esau with what was left…

“Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, ‘Indeed I have made [Jacob] your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?’ And Esau said to his father, ‘Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me — me also, O my father!’ And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: ‘Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck'” (Genesis 27:37-40).

This was certainly not the kind of blessing Esau had originally sought from his father. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t very much left since Isaac had essentially given Jacob everything he could offer. However, we’ll see that the “secondary blessing” referenced in this passage from Genesis twenty-seven eventually came to pass in our final installment of this mini-series.

“It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 NLT).

While we might have expected Isaac to become angry over the sequence of events that took place in Genesis 27:1-29, that portion of Scripture tells us that his response was quite different from what we would normally expect…

“Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. ‘Who was it then,’ he said, ‘who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came in, and I blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed!'” (Genesis 27:33 CSB).

So, why did Isaac become so traumatized that he “began to tremble and shake all over” (GNT)? Well, Isaac specifically arranged this meeting with his favorite son, Esau in order to confer his blessing upon him. But in seeking to implement his preference, Isaac chose to ignore God’s preference- and he got caught. Even though Isaac tried to manipulate these circumstances to suit his agenda, his work served to fulfill God’s purpose anyway.

The recognition of what he had done (and the ease with which his attempt was negated), must have affected Isaac to the point where he lost the ability to physically control his emotions. But while Isaac may have been emotionally shaken by what transpired, Esau had some feelings of his own…

“When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, ‘Bless me — me also, O my father!'” (Genesis 27:34).

We have already noted that Esau’s disregard for his spiritual heritage (as well as his questionable marriage partnerships) revealed something important about him. These behaviors tell us that Esau did not prioritize his relationship with God in the way it deserved. However, when it came time to receive this blessing and its associated inheritance, things were very different.

Unfortunately, Esau lost his opportunity to receive that blessing in light of his negligence to the things of God. This is one reason why the following paraphrase of Hebrews 12:16-17 will later go on to tell us…

“Watch out that no one becomes involved in sexual sin or becomes careless about God as Esau did: he traded his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. And afterwards, when he wanted those rights back again, it was too late, even though he wept bitter tears of repentance. So remember, and be careful” (TLB).

So Esau lost the blessing that his father sought to give him. But as we’ll see, it didn’t take Isaac long to identify the culprit.

“It was by faith that Isaac knew God would give future blessings to his two sons, Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 TLB).

Since Isaac was convinced that he was speaking to his son Esau (who was actually Jacob in disguise), he unknowingly pronounced a great blessing upon Jacob in Genesis chapter twenty-seven…

“Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, And let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, And blessed be those who bless you!” (Genesis 27:28-29).

Isaac clearly wanted to ensure that Esau received “the best of the best” in this blessing. Not only did this blessing provide him with a family leadership position, it also bestowed a global leadership position as well: “May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed” (AMP).

So, everything worked out well from Isaac’s perspective. He enjoyed a good meal, he extended a blessing to his favorite son, and he fulfilled his responsibility to convey the inheritance he received from his father Abraham, who received it from God. However, Isaac was about to learn that things had not worked out the way he planned…

“Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also had made savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, ‘Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.’

And his father Isaac said to him, ‘Who are you?’ So he said, ‘I am your son, your firstborn, Esau’” (Genesis 27:30-32).

Isaac must have been feeling pretty good about the way things transpired- at least until Esau showed up to receive the blessing he had unknowingly given to Jacob. Now that he had been tricked into giving that blessing to someone else, Isaac began to grasp the reality of what he had done…

“Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, ‘Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him — and indeed he shall be blessed'” (Genesis 27:33).

Isaac had an interesting response to this revelation; instead of becoming angry, we’re told that he “trembled exceedingly.” So why did Isaac become so traumatized by this news? That question will be answered next.

“It was faith that made Isaac promise blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 GNB).

Although Jacob had managed to persuade his elderly, blind father Isaac into the belief that he was actually his brother Esau, Jacob still had some additional tests to complete…

“Isaac said, ‘Bring some of the wild game for me to eat, my son. Then I will bless you.’ So Jacob brought it to him, and he ate it. He also brought him wine, and Isaac drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, ‘Come here and kiss me, my son.’ So Jacob went over and kissed him. When Isaac caught the scent of his clothing, he blessed him, saying, ‘Yes, my son smells like the scent of an open field which the Lord has blessed'” (Genesis 27:25-27 NET).

Unfortunately, Isaac was about to base this decision to bless his son entirely upon what he could touch, smell, and taste. That leads us to an important application from this narrative. While it is true that there is a basic reliability to sense perception, it is also possible to be fooled by what our senses tell us, just as Isaac was fooled in this instance.

The problem was that Isaac never prayed or asked God to verify the truth of what his senses told him. Neither did he seek God’s guidance before making this decision to pronounce a blessing upon his son. Isaac might have avoided this deceptive trap by asking God to help him detect the truth about what was going on, but he neglected to do so.

So why did Isaac take this approach? Well, it appears that Isaac was aware of what God wanted to do, but he didn’t want to follow God’s direction in this instance. You see, Isaac was determined to give this inheritance to Esau, even though God had earlier told his wife that Jacob was the one who was to receive it. Since Esau was Isaac’s favorite son, passing that inheritance to Jacob was probably not something Isaac wanted to do. So, it’s possible that Isaac didn’t ask for God’s help because he knew (or at least suspected) that God might tell him something he didn’t want to hear.

Unfortunately, Isaac didn’t realize that it was his responsibility to bring himself into alignment with God’s plan, not the other way around. That would explain why he was vulnerable to this act of deception. And since Isaac was convinced that he was speaking to Esau (even though he wasn’t), this great Biblical patriarch was about to do something he really didn’t want to do.

“Faith led Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 GW).

To illustrate the cleverness of Rebekah’s plan to deceive her husband Isaac, let’s consider the five senses that human beings possess: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. In order to fool Isaac into blessing her son Jacob, Rebekah knew she would have to deliver some counterfeit information to those senses. Since Isaac was no longer able to visually identify his sons, that left four other senses to contend with.

First, Rebekah knew Isaac could pick up the outdoor scent of Esau’s clothes. She eliminated that problem by putting Esau’s clothes on Jacob. Then there was the meal she prepared- that would take care of the taste part. The goatskins on Jacob’s arms and neck would address Isaac’s sense of touch. The only potential weakness in her plan involved her inability to disguise the sound of Jacob’s voice- but perhaps that would be enough to trick Isaac into doing something he didn’t want to do…

“So Jacob took the food to his father. ‘My father?’ he said. ‘Yes, my son,’ Isaac answered. ‘Who are you—Esau or Jacob?’ Jacob replied, ‘It’s Esau, your firstborn son. I’ve done as you told me. Here is the wild game. Now sit up and eat it so you can give me your blessing.’ Isaac asked, ‘How did you find it so quickly, my son?’ ‘The Lord your God put it in my path!’ Jacob replied.

Then Isaac said to Jacob, ‘Come closer so I can touch you and make sure that you really are Esau.’ So Jacob went closer to his father, and Isaac touched him. ‘The voice is Jacob’s, but the hands are Esau’s,’ Isaac said. But he did not recognize Jacob, because Jacob’s hands felt hairy just like Esau’s. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob.

‘But are you really my son Esau?’ he asked. ‘Yes, I am,’ Jacob replied” (Genesis 27:18-24 NLT).

There are an astonishing number of lies contained within this brief exchange. First, Jacob began by falsely identifying himself as Esau- that’s lie #1. Then he said to his father, “I’ve done as you told me…” which, of course, was another lie because Isaac didn’t tell Jacob to do anything.

Isaac then asked, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” and Jacob responded with lie #3: “The LORD your God helped me find it” (GNB). So it wasn’t enough for Jacob to deceive his father- he had to bring God into his deception as well. But Isaac still wasn’t convinced, so he asked once more: “‘Are you really my son Esau?’ ‘Yes, I am,’ Jacob answered” (CEV). That false representation was lie #4.

As we’ll see,  Jacob will eventually secure the blessing he sought through this act of deception. However,  he will also learn the truth of the following Biblical admonition: “Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant” (Galatians 6:7 CEB).

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. (Hebrews 11:20 HCSB).

Hebrews 11:20 offers an opportunity to consider the relationship that developed between Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob as recorded in Genesis chapter twenty-seven. That portion of Scripture details a plot that was designed to divert Isaac’s inheritance from one son to another. However, there was a fifth Person who was present behind the scenes of that family drama, one who had been silently observing all that had taken place among these individuals. That fifth Person was God.

In seeking to engineer their preferred outcomes, each of these family members seem to have forgotten something important: if it wasn’t for God, there wouldn’t be any inheritance. Although everyone seemed to believe that “Isaac’s blessing” conferred some sort of irrevocable benefit, that did not obligate God to do anything. The reality is that Isaac could have granted his blessing to Esau (or anyone else), and it would have meant nothing if he or she was not God’s choice to receive it.

So, while each of these family members were busy pursuing their agendas, they were the ones who should have sought to get on board with God’s plan- and they were forfeiting their opportunity to honor God and fulfill His desire for their lives. We can illustrate this unfortunate reality with a look at Rebekah’s response to Jacob’s concern that his father might curse him for his role in this drama…

“But his mother replied, ‘Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you…'” (Genesis 27:13 NLT).

If we were to rephrase Rebekah’s answer in contemporary terms, we might understand her meaning to be this: “If your father figures out what’s going on and decides to put a curse on you, I’ll take that curse upon myself.” Unfortunately for Rebekah, that will turn out to be a very unwise vow.

That leads us to the next part of this scheme…

“So Jacob went out and got the young goats for his mother. Rebekah took them and prepared a delicious meal, just the way Isaac liked it. Then she took Esau’s favorite clothes, which were there in the house, and gave them to her younger son, Jacob. She covered his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skin of the young goats. Then she gave Jacob the delicious meal, including freshly baked bread” (Genesis 27:14-17 NLT).

If we stop to consider everything Rebekah did to execute this strategy, it seems clear that she came up with a very skillful plan. We’ll see just how ingenious her plan was next.

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

People who respect one another do not engage in plots and schemes like the one that unfolded between Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, and Jacob in Genesis chapter twenty-seven. You see, Rebekah immediately contacted her son Jacob after hearing of Isaac’s plan to bless Esau and said, “…listen to me as I command you” (Genesis 27:8 NASB).

Although Jacob will go on to become a willing participant in what follows, this tells us that Rebekah exercised her parental authority in an inappropriate manner by recruiting Jacob to carry out her plan to trick her elderly, blind husband. That plan to deceive Isaac involved taking some of the family’s livestock and turning it into a meal that was as good as anything her son Esau could hunt down on his own.

But even though Isaac was blind, he still maintained his other senses- and Jacob immediately brought that fact to Rebekah’s attention…

“‘But look,’ Jacob replied to Rebekah, ‘my brother, Esau, is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth. What if my father touches me? He’ll see that I’m trying to trick him, and then he’ll curse me instead of blessing me'” (Genesis 27:11-12 NLT).

It’s important to look carefully at Jacob’s response in these verses. When Rebekah told Jacob about her plan to deceive Isaac, Jacob did not respond by saying, “Is that approach just, right, or fair?” Thus, it appears that Jacob held little concern for the ethics of this plan; instead, his only concern seemed to be, “What if I get caught?”

Now, before we continue, let’s take a moment to assess the players in this family drama…

• First, we have Isaac, the family patriarch. Isaac sought to override God’s intent for his family’s spiritual heritage for one primary reason: “Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home…” (Genesis 25:28 NLT).
• Next was Isaac’s son Esau. His lifestyle indicated that he was indifferent to the things of God. He was also willing to accept the benefits and privileges that went along with his status as the eldest son, even though he had earlier sold those rights for a bowl of stew.
• Then there was Rebekah, Isaac’s wife. She was the mastermind behind this plot to cut Esau out of the traditional share of the family inheritance by deceiving her husband.
• Finally, there was Jacob, Isaac’s other son. Jacob didn’t seem concerned about the morality of his actions as long as he could escape the negative consequences that might be associated with them.

Unfortunately, it appears that no one within this family sought to honor God or trust one another, thus leading to these negative family dynamics. However, there is another Person in this narrative who was seemingly forgotten by everyone else. We’ll meet that Person next.

“Isaac had faith, and he promised blessings to Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 CEV).

In view of Esau’s spiritual indifference, we may question why his father Isaac attempted to grant his patriarchal blessing to him. We might find one answer in the fact that Isaac simply liked Esau more than he liked his younger son, Jacob. For instance, Genesis 25:27-28 tells us that Esau was an outdoorsman and Isaac enjoyed eating what Esau brought back from his hunting trips. That may explain why Isaac issued the following directive…

“…get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die” (Genesis 27:3-4 NIV).

Unfortunately, it seems that Isaac was willing to grant his family’s spiritual heritage to a son who didn’t really deserve it in exchange for a good meal. But what Isaac didn’t know was that a quick thinking counter-agent was monitoring that conversation. That person was now ready to make her own contribution to this family drama…

“But Rebekah overheard what Isaac had said to his son Esau. So when Esau left to hunt for the wild game, she said to her son Jacob, ‘Listen. I overheard your father say to Esau, ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare me a delicious meal. Then I will bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’

Now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly as I tell you. Go out to the flocks, and bring me two fine young goats. I’ll use them to prepare your father’s favorite dish. Then take the food to your father so he can eat it and bless you before he dies'” (Genesis 27:5-10 NLT).

Now, Isaac’s wife Rebekah could have reminded Esau and Isaac of what God told her while she was pregnant with Esau and his fraternal twin, Jacob. She could have told Esau that he no longer possessed his birthright as the oldest son because he earlier sold it to Jacob. But even if Rebekah didn’t want to confront them together, she could have stopped Esau before he left and spoken to Isaac privately.

Unfortunately, it appears that Rebekah was unwilling to communicate directly with Isaac and/or Esau in a truthful, loving manner. So, instead of speaking the truth in love and trusting God to handle the situation, Rebekah immediately launched a covert operation as soon as she heard what Isaac had in mind. However, we’ll soon see that Rebekah’s decision to undertake this stealth mission will actually make things worse.

“By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future” (Hebrews 11:20 NET).

Genesis chapter twenty-seven records Isaac’s effort to grant a patriarchal blessing to his eldest son, Esau. In his attempt to impart that blessing, Isaac sought to follow the customary practice of that era by granting leadership authority to his first-born son. However, there were several warning signs that should have alerted Isaac to the fact that Esau was not God’s choice to carry on the covenantal agreement that God initiated with his father Abraham.

One issue that bears repeating is the fact that God had earlier spoken to Isaac’s wife Rebekah regarding her sons Esau and Jacob…

“‘…The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son'” (Genesis 25:23 NLT).

This should have told Isaac that God had a different plan in mind for his family. However, there were some other problems with Isaac’s plan to extend this blessing to Esau.

For instance, Esau had earlier chosen to sell his birthright as detailed in Genesis 25:29-34. In this instance, that birthright included more than just money or property; it also included the spiritual inheritance mentioned earlier. Although Esau didn’t seem to care very much about his birthright. it appears that his brother Jacob saw things differently and arranged to purchase it from him in exchange for a bowl of stew.

Genesis chapter twenty-six then tells us how Esau decided to marry two women who were members of a local people group known as the Hittites. The Hittites were an ancient tribal society that worshiped several different pagan gods. Unfortunately, there is no indication that Esau expressed any concern regarding the moral character or spiritual beliefs held by these women before he married them. Therefore, it should not be surprising to learn that “…Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah” according to Genesis 26:35 (NLT).

So, in addition to his lack of interest in the leadership position that was available to him as the eldest son, it also seems that Esau was a spiritually unconcerned person in regard to his personal relationships. These things should have told Isaac that Esau was not the person who God had chosen to carry His spiritual covenant forward into the next generation.

Nevertheless, Isaac chose to disregard those spiritual warning signs. That decision led to a chain of negative events that were soon to follow.

“By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau” (Hebrews 11:20 ESV).

Hebrews 11:20 references an event that is recorded in Genesis chapter twenty-seven…

“One day when Isaac was old and turning blind, he called for Esau, his older son, and said, ‘My son.’ ‘Yes, Father?’ Esau replied. ‘I am an old man now,’ Isaac said, ‘and I don’t know when I may die.’ Take your bow and a quiver full of arrows, and go out into the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat. Then I will pronounce the blessing that belongs to you, my firstborn son, before I die” (Genesis 27:1-4 NLT and following).

Isaac was about 137 years old at the time of these events in Genesis chapter twenty-seven. And while Isaac would eventually go on to live for another 40 years, the act of putting his affairs in order certainly seemed like a reasonable thing for a man of his age to do. Isaac sought to accomplish that by pronouncing a blessing upon his oldest son, Esau.

While that blessing included the eldest son’s share of his father’s money and property, it also included the rights to the promises that Isaac had received from his father Abraham. Abraham received those promises directly from God, who told him, “‘…your own son shall be your heir… Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them… So shall your descendants be'” (Genesis 15:4, 5 RSV).

God later confirmed those promises to Isaac when He said, “…to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” (Genesis 26:3-4). These were the blessings that Isaac sought to pass down to Esau.

However, there was a problem with what Isaac wanted to do. In giving that blessing to Esau, Isaac wanted to follow the normal practice of ceding all authority to the first-born son in the family. The issue was that God had already spoken to his wife Rebekah and told her that her younger son (Jacob) would have authority over her older son, according to Genesis 25:21-23.

That should have told Isaac that God had a different plan in mind for his family. But there were some other warning signs that Isaac should have noticed as well. We’ll identify some of those warning signs next.

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come” (Hebrews 11:20).

While Hebrews 11:20 is one of the shortest verses in the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Biblical account behind this passage offers several fascinating character studies. Therefore, we will take an extended look at these Biblical personalities in order to learn from their examples. But before we begin this mini-series, it’s important to understand that the account of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau referenced above is one that is filled with a great deal of family drama.

As we read about the things that take place within the lives of these individuals, we will see examples where…

• One family member lies to another family member.
• Two family members form an alliance to plot against a third family member.
• One person successfully executes an elaborate plan conceived by a second family member to deceive a third family member.
• One member of the family makes plans to murder another family member.

The motivating force behind these behaviors is not difficult to explain. As we’ll see, each family member wanted to have his or her own way without any input, guidance, or direction from God. No one within this family drama sought to pray, talk about their concerns, or ask an important question: “Am I really acting the way God would have me to act in this situation?” Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to their examples so we can identify and avoid similar mistakes.

Nevertheless, this may lead us to question how this account found its way into the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame.” We can address that question with a passage from the Biblical book of 1 Corinthians: “…all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition…” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Thus, the account of Isaac, Jacob, and Esau here in Hebrews 11 offers a dual benefit: it teaches us to replicate the element of faith that is present within their example while also teaching us what not to do.

Our look at this passage begins in Genesis chapter twenty-five, where we are told that Isaac’s wife Rebekah had become pregnant with twin boys. During her pregnancy, God told Rebekah that her first-born child would eventually serve the child who was born later (Genesis 25:21-23). When the time of their birth arrived, Rebekah’s first child was born with so much hair on his body that his parents named him Esau (a word that literally meant “hairy”).

The second child quickly followed his brother by grasping on to Esau’s foot during his birth. That second child was named “Jacob” (or “heel-catcher”), a name that is associated with a fast-talking, deceptive type of person. These children would later go on to become the other two players in this family drama.