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Hebrews 11 verse 8.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obey.
And he went out not knowing whether he went.
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise.
As in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac, and Jacob the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is gone through faith. Also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past Aids.
Because she judged him faithful who had promised.
Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky and multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.
And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country, and truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned, but now the desire a better country, that is, and heavenly, Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.
For he hath prepared for them a city by faith, Abraham.
When he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it 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.
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
Faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshipped leaning upon the top of his staff.
Faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandment concerning his bones.
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.
By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect under the recompense of the reward.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the first born shall touch them.
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians are saying to do, were drowned.
By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days.
By faith, the harlot Rahab Harry snot with them that believe not.
When she had received the spies with peace. And what shall I more say?
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For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barack.
Of Samson and of Jephthah, of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets.
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtain promises.
Stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong, wax violent. In fight, turn to flight the armies of the aliens women receive their dead, raised to life again, and others were tortured.
Not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial, cruel mockings and scourgings, yeah. Moreover, of bonds and imprisonment, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins.
Being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy.
They wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And these all having obtained a good report through faith, receive not the promise, God having provided some better things for us, that they without us, should not be made perfect.
You mentioned Brother Dawn that you had Abraham.
Particularly on your heart.
Will you tell us a bit of what you had?
Well, just a few.
Sketchy thoughts, but just the very fact of his faith, and that he would leave a place of advantage. Because no doubt, ER, the Chaldeans was a prominent city of that day in a place of advantage. And it's really the obedience of faith, because Abraham must have had some link or connection with idolatry, at least in his family.
Because I believe Joshua says, our fathers worshipped idols on the other side of the flood, or the other side of the Euphrates. And so we see such remarkable faith that Abraham would obey and take a step like this, going to a place that he knew nothing of. And he when he got to the place, of course, he was given the land. That is, God told him to look up and to look in all directions.
And it was all his possession. But we see that Abraham never really took possession of the land. The only possession that he actually had was a burial place. And that is remarkable in itself. It was all his. But he didn't take it by force. He could have no doubt. We see that he had trained servants that had real ability when they stood up against an army, but there's no thought at all that he takes any possession.
But I was thinking especially of this verse 10.
He looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. What a word that surely must have been to the Hebrew believers, because they were putting so much importance in a city, Jerusalem. And we see how that they didn't want to give up everything connected with the temple worship in the city and so.
We see how that Abraham's faith rose above any mirrored earthly advantage, and he looked for a city that had foundation, whose builder and maker was gone. But I would enjoy hearing some other thoughts on this.
I was thinking, and not only just Abraham, but others that are brought before us in this chapter where we have their faith.
Brought out a record given and when you compare what is recorded here with the actual history recorded of their lives in the Old Testament, there are many things that they did associated with.
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Of what is here spoken of his faith? It didn't appear to be faith.
That is, we know even with Abraham he seemed to be under the influence of his father-in-law. Wasn't that when he first left the land and it was only after his death that he actually came into the land? But here we see God records his leaving his homeland and coming into the land as a as an evidence of faith. He doesn't record the other things here. This is the record that God gives. And I I think we have a little example here of.
What we have in First Corinthians 4 when the apostle is speaking about judging.
Servants. And he says that to God will bring everything to light, even the hidden things of darkness. And he says, Then shall every man have praise of God?
You know sometimes when we think of the judgment seat, I suppose that too often we think, oh we don't want all those things brought out. But actually the I think there's should look at it from the positive side then shall every man have praise of God. God is going and the Lord is going to to bring out the the positive side of things as well the things that were really of faith that were for his glory and.
We know that with every believer.
There is that which is going to be for the glory of Christ, you're going to be brought out that he can commend.
And it seems that in this chapter that's what God does. He gives us the what he has, what he saw in the various actions of these persons, and how it appeared to him as that he can take delight and pleasure in it, even though there was failure connected with some of these things. I was thinking not only of Abraham, but but Isaac blessing his sons by faith.
We know there was a lot of failure connected with that.
A lot of failure connected with Jacob, but then his faith is recorded here.
That age first by faith Abraham, when he was called to vote into a place which he should have to receive for inheritance, obeyed.
Read The God of glory appeared unto her father Abraham, and engulfed in Mesopotamia.
There is no mention made of any further appearance either in Heron or on the way to Canaan. But when he arrived in Canaan, then we find it's recorded that God appeared to him again and gave him further truth, further promises. Well, I wondered if we couldn't apply it to ourselves. If the Lord reveals something to us, He expects us to act in, act on us, to walk in that truth.
And then he can give us more truth.
Do we not pay with Abraham, and has already been mentioned to Isaac and Jacob?
And also with Joseph, as we go on down into the chapter to find that their faith was characterized by patience.
These all died in faith.
Waiting for the promises to be fulfilled.
So Abraham and Isaac and Jacob looked for a city which had foundations.
The builder maker is gone.
They couldn't find it down here on the Earth.
So they looked for it in God's own time to make it good to them.
See a similar plot in Peter where it says that always.
Oh.
Conversation and God in us. And then it says we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth. For him dwelleth righteousness. And so we have Noah. He condemned the world. He saw the world as a judge place, and that is what makes us pilgrims and strangers. If we see the world as a judge place, then we see that the only hope is outside of it all together.
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And I believe that's why it follows on in this order. But as our brother remarked, with Abraham, influenced by his father, he settled down in heroin until his father had died. And then after his father had died, that was when he remembered that God's call had been not to just stop part way, but to come right into that land of Canaan. And I think there's always that tendency with us that when we first hear the call of God.
And start out why we perhaps are influenced by certain things. Might be relatives, might be temporal advantages. We don't read about them having a tent there at all. Inherent. But just that he settled down there and it wasn't until he got into the land of Canaan that he is displayed in his real character. It's sad when God has to bring circumstances into our lives to make us walk by faith.
It ought to have been sufficient that the call of God had called him to come into Canaan.
But like ourselves, we find it hard to go forward in that confidence in God.
But it's always the path of true blessing and happiness to do so.
Actually the initiative taken by his father wasn't in leaving the land originally and so it wasn't in the record given in Genesis wouldn't wouldn't show that it was the was the action of Abraham at all, but the action of his father taking him into Heron. But we see that the as you say the he had had the call and even though there was this temporary.
Hindrance.
When he goes on and acts in faith and coming on into the land, so he he does actually act on that call that he had originally, even though there was that that hindrance temporarily.
I like to.
Yes, I like to think of it in a simpler way to in comparison to the progress in a Christian's life.
In Ur of the colonies, there he was in a land of.
Great development and he could have felt well. I had better stay here. I can be more.
More of a witness for God, but God told him to come out, and they didn't tell him where he was going to go, but he told him to go out. It says there in that verse, not knowing whither he went. Well, sometimes we might act and it might be kind of the reasoning of our.
Minds of our old nature that would say, well, we better go. I like to think of that as in the case of Abraham.
It was his father. Well, we might compare him to the old nature, the old man that is still often guides us. So off he went and he traveled in that great big fertile Crescent 500 or 600 miles. Well, he stopped halfway and that often is the case in the Christian life. We go on for a while, but then the old nature is still influencing us.
And we we stopped. So he stopped there. Well, when he learned the lesson, or when the Christian learns the lesson.
That there is death to that old nature, and when they put it in that place of death then things start to open up.
Well, that's what happened when his father died. Then he begins to have that thought again of the Lord's promise. The Lord hasn't appeared to him, so off he goes. And he was on the way. And when he comes to the land, how did he know where to stop? Because if you come down that, that, and it's very, very beautiful. And he might have thought, well, this is the place. No, it's not.
On he goes. But then when he gets to the land, it's beautiful that it says. As was pointed out, the Lord appeared to him there. Well, it's nice, isn't it, that when we act in faith, putting the the old nature in that place of death and not being guided by it, then the Lord manifests his mind, and as a matter of fact it twice says and the Lord appeared to him there. That's how we know that we are in the place where the Lord would have us.
The it's it's hard for us to prove it or to show it to other Christians. They might say, well, you think you're right. And we we think we're right too. Well, how can we know? Well, it's the presence of the Lord that is manifested to us when we act in faith.
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Result of obedience, isn't it? I was thinking with each one of us when we were called, why we had to come out really from the world, but from our families, from our homes, from our land and to him? And really the blessings followed them. I was thinking, if you just look at Genesis 12.
At verse one and two it says.
Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country. From thy kindred, from thy Father's house, unto a land. I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation. I will bless thee. Well, the first thing would be obedience, and the next thing would be blessings. That's the way the Lord is, and Abraham had to go ahead in faith. Well, verse four does say.
Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken. And I just want to mention in verse seven he had an altar. But notice verse eight he removed from thence onto a mountain on the east of Bethel, pitched his tent. Bethel on the West is AI on the east. There he built an altar under the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. Well seven things happened there, and it's lovely to see what he had right away.
The first He had the promise and the Lord promised blessing. And so already we we see as that promised and he was acting on it. He had an altar. Well, we have an altar in Hebrews. It's lovely. But he had that altar, and that's everything to a believer, to have an altar. He had a House of God, that's Bethel and speaks of that. Anyway, it has that type, that God's presence. He had the name of the Lord.
It said he called upon the name of the Lord. He had a tent. He was a solejourner, a Pilgrim character. He said he had his tent, pitched his tent near Bethel, and he had fellowship. Lot was with him and and others as well. And the last thing the 7th he had the Lord himself. And so those seven things already were his. And when we look at our portion we see that in verse eight he obeyed. And verse 9.
He sojourned because now he was a stranger in the land, and in verse nine also it says he dwelt the Tabernacle attend was his and he looked at verse 10. He had the forward look. He looked ahead to God for the promises and he offered. That's verse 17. He sacrificed. You know, brethren, we have privilege.
Of sacrificing for the Lord in obedience, and he did as well. But he accounted. That's the 19th He accounted. He trusted in God. God is able, so we see what happens from obedience. And he had those seven things right away.
I.
There are many things that one might take up in regard to Abraham, but it appears that here the he's brought in.
As a way of an encouragement to those who are passing through the wilderness. And they have not yet received the they haven't come to the end of the path, and they haven't received the things to which they were called. And of course there was the danger of their.
Growing weary in the way and turning back. And so he emphasizes, does he not the fact that that Abraham, even though he was called into this place by God, he was there as a sojourner. He was there as a Pilgrim and a stranger. He was there not as one who had been brought to finality that was still future. So even though he was called of God, and there was, I'm sure that the Hebrews would have never questioned Abraham being called of God.
But he he didn't have. He hadn't reached finality when he was there, even though he was called to a place of blessing, it was a place where faith was to be an activity and as a sojourner. And so it is with us. We we have been called.
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And that call of God, of course, has in view the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus.
That we're not there yet. And so like Abraham, we were to be as sojourners as pilgrims and strangers and with faith and activity and as our brothers mentioned with that forward look, looking for that that city, looking for the, the.
The final place to which God has called us, the obtaining glory of the Lord Jesus. So it's really an encouragement to see how that these these men who were who were truly called of God, yet they didn't have that to which they were called in all of its fullness. They could only embrace it by faith.
Genesis 13 and 17 We have the Lord saying to Abraham, arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it. For I will give it unto thee I will give it. It was still future. So he was a sojourner in that land, and he didn't own the foot of it, except has been mentioned what he got for a burial place. But he the Lord would have him to range through that land.
And then enjoy all by faith what he was going to give him for an inheritance. Well, is it not the same with us? He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, and he would have us to enjoy them now by faith, what we will enjoy in the coming day and all its moments.
See the call of God as individual thing too, because as it was remarked, the call was to Abraham. In fact we read in Isaiah I called Abraham alone and blessed him, and so he allowed his father to take the lead and that hindered him. And so they remained quite a long time there in Heron before they moved on into Canaan. And then he also had lot with him. Now the call was not really to lot.
And lot seems to me to picture ones who just go along with others who are walking by faith.
And in some measures share in the blessings. But when he was finally put to the test himself, we see where his heart was and he sought the well watered plains. So we're all put to the test eventually the Lord calls us. Individually we have the same thought. In Second Timothy chapter 2 it says, if a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified and meet for the masters use.
And prepared unto every good work. And then once one has separated himself, then God gives him company. And so we find he dwelled in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob. But the call was an individual thing, and to try and induce others to come into a path that they're not really, shall I say, have seen it from God's word and are acting on it because they have the word of God. Sooner or later that will be discovered that they didn't really receive it from God.
I believe that's so important for us. We only have as much of the truth as we have received for ourselves from God.
Otherwise, it's just following along with others and we're going to be tested about that. It is beautiful, as our brother brought before us, that the thought here is heavenly blessing. Later on we know that they will possess the land and have earthly blessing. That is Israel's promise. But what is brought before us here is particularly to appeal to the hearts of the Hebrew believers to show that there was a time in their history when the very leader whom they look to.
Was not looking for earthly blessing, but a picture of those who are looking for something beyond and outside of this world. And so it tells us that he he looked for a city which had foundations whose builder and maker is God. Well, how blessed that this is our our true pathway here. But it's it's step by step as God opens up the way and it's constantly walking by faith. I believe too that we could say that.
In some miraculous way, God gave them that which sustained their faith.
And so how would he know about the city that had foundations, whose builder and maker is God? There is no mention of this whatever back in Genesis, but rather that good land. But I believe God has his own way of sustaining our faith when we're put in circumstances. And so we find when the Lord told his own that it was going to be a difficult path to follow him, then he took them up on the Mount of Transfiguration.
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And showed them a little preview of the Kingdom. And that's really what God does to us, He really.
Has a way of making these things real to our souls, and so that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It makes it real whom having not seen we love. And only as these things are made real in our souls, can we go on in the pathway of faith.
With a pathway of faith, patience is connected.
Isn't it remarkable? In Acts we find that.
It is said that when he has yet had not any son.
How long did it take before Abram had a son Who would all the many years that he was a soldier in her in that land? According to the Israelite way of life, being an earthly people, how could you speak of an inheritance when you don't have an heir? So it was all the time to Abraham that now I haven't got a child at all. What does it mean to me to be the inheritor of this land? And God waits till.
The normal.
Life is passed for a successor or a child. Abraham fails in some ways in trying to make up for this with the Egyptian life, and those are crutches that he tried to use, but God had to correct him from all this and bring him back from it all, but really only when he gives them a child in his old age.
But then the remarkable thing is Isaac was only a lad, a young lad, and then God tells him.
Go to offer him on Mount Moriah and a place that I will show thee. Well then.
Wouldn't that?
Topple it all over again.
But Abraham goes in faith, and here we have the record that we don't read in Genesis that Abraham accounted that God was able to raise him even from the dead. And when you spoke of the How did Abraham know anything about a city that had foundation? I believe in some way God taught him. Now through Isaac, here is resurrection life.
Go on that pathway looking for a resurrection.
That God has no blessing for a man for us? Not either, only in resurrection. If we lived without that, well, the end would be the end of all flesh. But here's resurrection brought in, and I wonder how much Abraham didn't understand of that because he was a friend of God.
I like the way Mr. Ballard spoke about it. He said that in the Old Testament the truth of heavenly blessing was not revealed. And it was like a dark night, and all of a sudden there is a flash of lightning and the whole countryside had lighted up, and then its darkness again. And so there were through the Old Testament those little flashes of light which God gave. We think of Job.
When he said, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and I shall see him myself, and know after my flesh worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God. Well, that was like a flash of lightning we find again in the Psalms. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. If you had said, well, what is the likeness you speak of? Because the incarnation had not yet taken place. But there was that which God gave to sustain their faith.
And if we can speak of it in a practical way, I believe that God knows there are times when our faith is truly put to the test.
And in a way that is almost beyond our understanding, He'll be very near and he'll give us that which will sustain us so that we'll be able to go on. It's something that we can hardly explain, but a nearness that he will give us. We find that in the Old Testament, previous to the time, that heavenly blessing was revealed, and that's why we have those little things to show. Well, it's the same in principle even today, and we need that to sustain us.
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And the Lord knows when the heart grows weary, it says here in the 15th verse. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have return. Well, they the time must have come. And Abraham's life, God had said, I'm going to give this land to you and to your posterity. And as our brother said, he lived all his life and never had one foot of it that he could call his own.
Only a burying ground for Sarah and the enemy must have said, well, why don't you go back? You had something you could call your own. God promised it to you here, and you haven't received it. So God gave him that view by faith of what was his, and he saw that city which had foundations in faith and that sustained him. And so he was able to go on and he didn't go back because he he had that. We have that principle in Hebrews chapter 10, where it says we are not of them which draw back under perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Would you say that?
While as you say they didn't have a a revelation of heavenly things as we have now in Christianity. But when you say that this knowledge or this feeling that they there is something outside of this scene is based on the fact that they they had a knowledge of God, that he was a living God. And I'm sure as they looked around they saw that.
Death was on everything here and decay and passing away and with a with a knowledge of the true God. That God is the God of the living, isn't he? He's not connected with that which is death and decay, but he's the God of the living. And as they get that expression that they desire a better country, they they're just their knowledge of God himself LED them to see. I believe that there was a better country something that was beyond.
What might even be blessing down here, because God is the God of the living, and in that way I believe it's that this is one of the great.
Assets. Advantages of having the word of God, and that is that we gain a knowledge of God. We we learned something of God in a way that we can judge of things according to that knowledge of God whether we have a black and white.
Scripture for it just there are things that that are not compatible, you might say with the fact of of God being the living God and God being holy when we know something of God of his character and his nature while we can judge things and and and have an estimate of things.
With the light of the knowledge of God himself, without, say, some particular.
Teaching on the matter just the knowledge of God. And it seems to me that these men of Abraham, by faith, he had that knowledge that God was the God of the living and not of the dead. And he looked for something better and heavenly, something continuing, something permanent that was outside this transitory scene.
Abraham seemed to be quite different, didn't he, from all the other Old Testament?
Ones because he seems to have had different visions. In our chapter here it says that he looked for a city. But when we turn over to John chapter 8 and verse 56, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day.
And he saw it and was glad.
Seemed to be a different vision, didn't.
What would be the difference between those two thoughts? The city and?
The day of the Lord.
Oh God made a promise. Thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And in some way God made that real to the heart of Abraham, I believe. And by faith he looked on to the coming Messiah, the promised Seed, the one in whom all the families of the earth would be blessed. And I believe that there was much that was made known to their souls personally in order to sustain them in that path. I have wondered myself, however, from this 16th verse.
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That the word now comes in. See it says in the 10th verse he looked for a city which had foundations whose builder and maker is God. Just how far he went in understanding there For there will be the city of the great king, the earthly. But it seems that here in the 16th verse the Word is now. And so we know that when Moses and Elias appeared on the mount of Transfiguration.
They knew more than they knew while they were living because they spoke of his deceased that he would accomplish at Jerusalem.
And I have wondered here if God hasn't shown them now they have died in faith. They've gone home. They're they're not there in body yet, but there is some intelligence of things that is beyond what they even possessed in their lifetime. And if it were possible for us to speak to Abraham now and say, Abraham, were you not disappointed that God didn't give you that land in present possession? I believe he would now say, well, I know God had something better for me than that.
He He knows that now. But he must die in faith. He must die in that confidence. Everything was, shall I say, not made clear. It tells us in the time when the temple was built that God dwelled in the thick darkness. But now he has come out, and we all, with open or unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image. There's no excuse for us not knowing that there's heavenly blessing.
And knowing to our portion in that coming day, but they had it very vaguely. But somehow I believe that now they do have a better understanding, although nothing will be perfect until they receive their glorified bodies. But we see that that David had a genuine desire to build the temple, and God appreciated that field, desire of His heart, and returned the whole.
Matter and said, I'll build you a house.
So forth. And David had to say, though it stopped with my house, that it's his family realized that God would raise up a true king. But this question about the house. Lord David had that desire, but he never saw building of the temple. His day he died before that came about. But he says with faith in Psalm 23, I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
That was revealed to his soul that he would have a heavenly portion in that respect. But I was just thinking in connection with this city. We can see how the apostle gently seeks to bring before them the fact that we ought to have our hearts set heavenward, and not on some earthly portion or an earthly hope. And so the apostle seeks to bring that before them. And finally he has to name it as he does name the trouble. For instance, there in Philippi Philip I was in a normally good state.
Philippians but there was a problem between two people that he hints at and seeks to bring before their conscience. But we see towards the end of the approval he finally has to name it the problem. I beseech Yodius and Sentichi that they be of the same mind in the Lord and I believe he does a similar thing here in the 13th verse or chapter when he says.
For here, verse 14, we have no continuing city, but we seek one.
To come. Now that's very plain. And so they should have gotten the message. But apparently they didn't. Their their minds, their hearts were so set on that earthly character of things, and finally the Lord just had to wrench it away from them. That must have been an awful shock to those Hebrew believers to see the temple, and so they should have gotten the message.
But apparently they didn't. Their minds, their hearts were so set on that earthly character of things, and finally the Lord just had to wrench it away from them. That must have been an awful shock to those Hebrew believers to see the Temple and all destroyed in 8070. And that's a very remarkable thing, because the Romans did not want to destroy the city, and especially they did not want to destroy the Temple. They were superstitious.
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And they were under strict orders to preserve it for its antiquity and for its sacred character. But we see that God would not permit it. He just so ordered things that they burnt up the city, they burnt up the temple, and everything was destroyed. It was just taken right away from them. And I believe that God sometimes has to really shake us up, that we might have more heavenly mindedness that we might set.
Our minds on things.
Above.
I could ask.
Well, my brother told about in the Old Testament the Lord given like the flash of lightning that which for the moment would light up the scene when Jacob blesses his sons and he blesses Judah.
As a most remarkable scripture, when he says in Genesis 49, the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. What does Jacob saying here?
You know.
It's a revelation, I think, that Jacob could not be in the good of it, at least not fully in the good of it either. And by the Spirit of God this was uttered. But who is it? Shiloh.
The police were the temple was built on Mount Moriah and which it was said that Abraham saw my day. It was the very son of God that walked in the temple and in his day he could say my father's house it was still owned there and he drove out the money exchangers and he speaks of.
Putting all this kind of thing in my father's house, it was a very important spot that.
God spoke to Abraham to go with Isaac his son, and offer him there. Where was it? Upon a mount that I shall show thee.
I do not know how to substantiate that from scripture that it was actually, but it is always said that that was the very spot that was Arana gave the trashing floor to David when the plague was stayed. And so it was a real, not to say historical spot at all, but a very important spot.
And in a coming day, that very place will be.
Re established again, will it not?
That he is a great king.
Joy of the whole earth.
Well, here's one question I have when it speaks of Abraham looking for a city that has foundations. Is there a difference between the hope of the church having a home in glory, with Christ being a special in a special relationship with with the Lord Jesus as his bride? Is this to what Abraham was in before Abraham's vision or is it actually?
The Israelite hope that will still come about in the coming day. Is there a difference?
Well, of course it will not be an Israelite, shall I say. Israel will still be an earthly people. But it's important, I think, that we all realize that all those Israelites who have passed through death will share in the heavenly scene. They will not be a part of the bride. That is, all who believe in the Old Testament would not be part of the bride of Christ. But they will have a heavenly portion. And so Abraham will actually have a heavenly portion, though not part of the bride.
And of course, what a Jew believes today, why he becomes part of the Church of God.
In that sense, he loses his national earthly hopes, but has something better.
And it seems that's brought out in some way with Abraham. There were those national hopes, and they were looking for the establishment of those hopes because God had said he was going to give them the land. But it seems that now they know that there's something beyond this that is their portion. And as we have in the end of this chapter, God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us, should not be made perfect. So on the 12Th chapter, the heavenly scene opens up and we see the ingathering of the angels.
The Church of the first born and the spirits of just man made perfect. It's all opened up to us. But I think their knowledge was very limited, but enough to sustain their faith, to walk as pilgrims and strangers and count upon God. And I think that's the great thing for us, that God has given us to know a great deal more than they know. But as Peter said, we are strangers and pilgrims here, and it's whom, having not seen we love.
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And that blessed portion that is ours. We haven't seen heaven. We haven't seen the face of the Savior.
But faith lays hold of it, so Abraham's position represents our position as strangers and pilgrims here.
Would there be a thought that the blessing of Abraham was both as the stars of heaven and as the sandwiched upon the seashore? When we come to Jacob, we just find the blessing of the sand which is upon the seashore.
With Abraham's blessing represent both heavenly and earthly, whereas Jacob was blessing in the earth.
Well, I believe that's though, because that tells us that Abraham is the father of us all.
It mentions that in Galatians when Speaking of Christianity, it's not just that he was the father of those who had faith before the cross.
But as the one who represents the leader and the path of faith, why he is brought before us in that way? And we're children of Abraham and blessed in in on that basis and ground.
But wouldn't that?
That he had of the stars of the sky.
Be more limited to the Old Testament Saints that will be.
Raptured, but not necessarily including the church.
It's Israel that will be raptured. All the believers up until the church period. They will be raptured when the Lord comes and they won't form the bride, but they will, They will have a special place in heaven, and I would take that the stars of the sky would represent them.
While it's applied in Galatians to believers now, that is, they that are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham, and that in principle applies to the Gentile as well. And he is showing that that promise that was made to Abraham was not only for those of Israel, but it's also for us who have been brought into blessing on the same principle that is the principle of faith.
That came out before the law. That's what Paul goes to bring out too. Doesn't That is a little different with Abraham once the law, when the law was given it was a different principle of things. But Abraham's experience with God and his exercise of faith and the promises given to him was altogether apart from the consideration of the the law and and the covenant that God entered into in connection with.
Israel and they're entering into the land. It was, it was on a principle that, as you say, that would include the way in which we're brought into blessing to David on the principle of the covenant in connection with the law that could not, that could would not embrace the Gentiles, that would not embrace those who exercise faith today. But I think in both Romans and the Galatians, especially in Galatians.
The Apostle shows that the calling and blessing and faith of Abraham was altogether apart from Law, and thus it's it's it's the same way in which we're brought into blessing today, just like Abraham was.
But I might ask they have one thing this little statement in verse 13.
These all died in faith.
Not having received the promises.
Do you think that would does this sort of anticipate all of these that are spoken of in this chapter or?
Well, of course, plural these all, I say. Enoch is here too. And so it's just a general thought that they lived and died without seeing what they were looking for. As pilgrims and strangers I had taken it and it hardly includes Abraham.
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Rather so that it's rather descriptive of those who are walking the path of faith as pilgrims and strangers. I had taken it.
By Speaking of the principle or the thought that is brought out in verse 15, and truly if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have or it really should read, they would have had opportunity to have returned. That is, they could have returned. There was an opportunity to do so.
And if they had been mindful, that is, if their hearts had been engaged from in that from which they had been called out. And it's I've often thought that if we're looking for some reason or some excuse to give up the path of separation and seeking to walk in the truth.
We'll always find an opportunity for it if we really once and and I seem afraid that very often that's what's behind some who who give it up is it's not so much that something arises that pushes them out but they're mindful of the country from which they've been called and they the heart is occupied with other things and interest and exercise wanes and then something comes up.
Something comes up and that that causes them to return. But I believe the thought here is that the the state of soul precedes it, doesn't it? It isn't the thing itself. It isn't the circumstance itself that causes one to go back. It's the state of soul. And then that circumstance arises to to to bring to life that state of so.
The way it was with Demas, we see him mentioned three times, but first time Paul commends him as being a help, second time he didn't say anything, and the third.
Dimas for Saint Paul, having loved the present world, his name means popular. And there's the problem. And he thought something of this world. He was wandered in the world popular to them.
And if we're wanted by the world, by our walk should be examined by ourselves. But doctrine is what's the type there, and a lot of believers today leave the full truth in the ground. And Paul's doctrine, having loved the present world, didn't say present evil world that the present world from whence he came.
I was just thinking of the.
But if the mind is taken up with that from whence we have come out, the mind full of those things, that is the seed that is planted, and the fruit of it is that there is going to be something that will happen, that will satisfy the mind, that will cause that person to take a step away.
But it's it's sequential, isn't it? It's the mind taken up with that from whence we have come out. Then the next step is some of the there will be an excuse that will be not an excuse, but a good reason to act and to depart from the truth and the path that has been walked in. But I believe that there, that the first part is that which we have to be very guarded against the mind.
The mindful of those things.
No matter what they might be.
James James says, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life. Why the crown of life? That's the martyrs crown that we read up there in Revelation 2. The crown that is promised to those that endure and even to the point of death. Why the martyrs crown? Well, I believe that to go on in faithfulness daily and to endure the difficulties and temptations.
We have in a certain sense lost our lives. We've lost advantages. Whereas Demas, as you mentioned, he turned back. He he wanted those advantages. And so there is a sacrifice and the Lord acknowledges it. And so to continue on day by day in faithfulness, the Lord is going to acknowledge it with that same martyrs crown. I think that should be a great encouragement in that respect.
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We don't have to pass through the article of death in order to receive a crown like that, but to go on in faithfulness.
Losing our lives. In that sense, he that loveth his life shall lose it, but he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. That's a very real and practical thing, brother, and for my own soul I need to get a hold of that more in a practical way.
You have an example of that, don't we? And what's brought before us here about Moses? Moses had been providentially put in Pharaoh's court and brought up there, but now he had a choice to make. Was he going to go forward and use all those advantages that he might have had to perhaps become a pharaoh of Egypt? Or what did he really value? It's similar with Paul in Philippians 3.
He had every advantage as a Jew. He was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews.
Concerning the law of Pharisee, there was everything that he might have gloried in and called an advantage. But he measured the everything in comparison to Christ. And he said what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. So with Moses here it's very beautiful what it says here in this 26 verse, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, He too had a proper sense of values.
And, brethren, we have to get a right sense of values, or we will never be able to continue in the path of the truth.
If we have people before us, or something that we expect to get among those who are walking in the pathway of faith, sooner or later there's going to be a disappointment in that line. But the Lord will not be a disappointment, and we need to value things in the light of His presence. So all those advantages that Paul had, he said they were only lost in comparison to Christ. He said they were even done.
And so with Pharaoh, to have all that earthly advantage was nothing in comparison. And it wasn't to have an easy path with the people of God. It wasn't to be identified with them when they were going on as they should, because we find from other scriptures that they had to a large measure fall into idolatry. But they were God's people and God.
Wanted him to be identified with them even in their failure, and to seek to be a help and blessing, which he was, and LED them out.
But I've been struck sometimes mentioned that why it says money in one place is called filthy lucre, but another place it speaks about the shekel of the sanctuary. And you might wonder at the two expressions, filthy lucre and the shackle of the sanctuary.
But I've often said the only real place that we can find the real value of monies in the Lord's presence. If we measure it according to how things appear in this world, we say, I can get this, I can get that. If I have the money, I can. That's the way we look at it. And we say the American dollars worth so much the Canadian dollar. But what is it really worth? The only place that we learn but it's worth is in the sanctuary. And the only place we'll get a proper sense of values at all is there.
And these men got the proper sense of values. And so, as our brother Barry was saying, that's the only way that we are ever going to be able to say no. But if we think a lot of what the world has to offer, and it's more important to us than what the Lord has to offer, we're surely going to turn aside because it's not going to be an easy path.
Going to be have to be looking to the Lord for the strength to go on to. This chapter is not a chapter of failure, it's just the opposite. Failure is not mentioned, but sometimes there's a good example. And Abraham when he had all those things including the Lord's name in the altar, A famine came and he didn't go to the altar, he didn't look to the Lord.
It said it was grievous, and so he went to Egypt. Well, he was not not taking the strength that he had. He didn't really look to the Lord, and he would have been kept. Of course, we know that well, the problems that came from that are terrible. But the Lord is faithful, He called him. So he brought him out miraculously rich. Brought him out rich. And then we have that part. It just might. I'll just mention it. We have that part that was referred to.
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Where the Lord appeared to him again and made all the promises and it said, Then Abraham removed his tent and came and dwelt in the plane of mammary. That means strength. Mammary, which is in Hebrew, that means communion. Now he was where he should be. He had and he said he built an altar to the Lord. So he's at the place where he has communion now apart from Egypt and the world separated from lot at this time.
And communion is in the Lord, and mammary is the strength He had and he had the altar now, So you see, that's the secret for us. We just have to look to the Lord. We've got the altar and we have the name of the Lord. And we have everything Abraham had. And we should have the tent. We shouldn't get our tent stakes in too deep. We should have that Pilgrim character. We should be ready to go tonight.
Nothing should have to be done back where we live that would hinder it.
You see a beautiful little picture of that in the contrast with the mind in in Philippians in connection with Paul, Speaking of Timothy.
In the Philippines 2.
In verse 19.
Philippians 219.
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. For this is the verse, for I have no man like minded.
Who will naturally care for your state?
For all seek their own.
Not the things which are.
Jesus Christ.
That's that's the proper mind, isn't it?
Like minded with the apostle, and like minded with the spirit of God. And therefore he was a vessel that could be used by Paul, and he was had a mind that was not taken up with the things of this life, but that could be used to bring comfort to the apostle. This is what we desire, isn't it for ourselves.
It's good to.
Think a little on that point as to this being the faith chapter and of course we see no failures are recorded here. However, with all of these Old Testament believers, we know that there was failure, real failure in their lives. But I believe that we would be encouraged to follow the faith and that's of course what we have in chapter 13. Again in verse seven it says remember them which have the rule or take the lead over you who have spoken unto you, the word of God.
Whose faith follow? Considering the end of their conversation, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Well, it's lovely to see that consistency, that steadiness, and what an encouragement and help it is to each one of us and we all set examples for others, and that we need to keep in mind and realize that others are observing us and they're either helped or hindered by our consistency.
And that, I believe, is the thought before us. Jesus Christ, the same. That's.
A title is it not? He was the unchangeable one. We are changeable, but the Lord Jesus was the unchangeable one the same. And what a lovely example that is. And as we have Christ before us in that way, then we'll go on consistently and steady, and it'll be a help to others and immense help if we continue on in a steady course.
With all this we have 6 very active verbs here from verse 24 to 28. Refusing is first and then choosing, then a steaming, Forsaking, enduring and Keeping. And it's nice to see. All of these are very important. You have to 1St refuse the things of this world and the loremits of it, the attractions.
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Perhaps.
It's almost as sharp, really, for each one of us as it was to pilot. If thou be this man's friend, thou art no friend of seasons. He chose Caesar well. Moses chose the Lord. He first refused the world. He refused Caesar, but then he chose the Lord, chose to suffer with the people of God.
To suffer I was thinking of the great woman in the second Kings 4th chapter who Who? Who was hospitable to the man of God? The man of God said what shall I do for her? Shall I introduce her into the company of great king? And she says I dwell with my own people. It's like the disciples when they were let loose after being beaten.
Not to speak in the name of Jesus again they went to their own company where they found comfort and then could speak again in the name of Jesus. Well he chose. But don't forget it's to suffer. It's to suffer affliction with the people of God. I'd rather be identified with the people of God in the sufferings and to go on with this world who hate my faith. That's the thought. But all these action verbs are precious to see.
And finally, at the end, it's keeping You see, he kept the faith, He kept the Passover. And we have the same exhortation just to keep the Word and to remember the Lord, to to keep what we did this morning. It's a thing that the Lord has most on his heart. And so all those action verbs really tell us a lot here about Moses, but about ourselves too.
Interesting going back about Joseph here. It says in the 22nd verse when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones. Because Joseph was one whom God did allow to become very prosperous and prosperous in the path of faith too, because he was faithful to God. And there are times when even lower pilgrims and strangers, God may allow us to get something of this world's goods.
But here we find Joseph. When he did have all this, he didn't put his heart there at all. His heart was back in God's land, and so he cared for the people of God. He told his brethren that he would nourish them and feed them. He had a concern and a care for them. But when the end came.
His hopes were not in that land at all, even though God had allowed him to prosper. So there are the other side that sometimes we may depravity deprived and have to suffer and go through a great deal. And there are times when God does allow his people to attain a measure of prosperity and have things of this world. And that's when we have to be on guard in another way that we don't set our hearts upon them, but use them as as.
Joseph used them and what a blessing he was to his people in the time that he had that plenty to share with them. He said if you stay close to me, I'll take care of you. And he did well. There's just all the different sets of circumstances that we can meet in the pathway of faith and we can honor God. As Paul said, I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things.
I have instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Then he adds that beautiful verse I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
My time is getting old, but I'd like to ask on verse 20.
The By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
The account given in Genesis.
Wouldn't lead one to.
To such a statement, would it?
Is this reference to when Jacob deceived his father and his father blessed him?
Well, I guess I believe so, but I believe is desire To bless his Son was really of faith, but we see how that unbelief and other things came in at the same time. And isn't it often true, Brother Johnson, that there's iniquity even in our holy things? And that we can do something that is pleasing to the Lord, but we can also mix in with it something that is not. And so His desire, I believe, to bless them concerning things to come.
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Was a recognition of the fact that he knew they were God's people and that God had purpose blessing, but he was swayed and had more affection perhaps for Esau, and would have blessed Esau instead if God hadn't intervened. But the faith was that God saw to it that he blessed He blessed Jacob. And Jacob's name is mentioned 1St And hasn't the Lord often come in and.
Intervene, perhaps in some circumstance in our lives where we did want to please him, but if he hadn't intervened, we would have done the wrong thing, and he perhaps in his goodness, prevented those things and takes notice of the right desire. I've always enjoyed that in connection with the passage that was mentioned in First Corinthians 4 where it says.
That he'll make manifest the councils of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God.
And the chapter before when it speaks about works, it speaks about any man's work. Be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved. But when it's talking about motives, then it says every man shall have praise of God. For there's no Christian that doesn't have right desires, but we surely mess them up sometimes.
Esau's case was that he was blind. Now. He loved venison.
At his eye and his mind on that earthly thing that pleased him so. And if we have in the in the in the main, God's purposes or God's mind on our heart follow. But we can get a little blind by maybe just the trifling thing. Our eyes don't see clear no more if we allow something to come in like that venison, you know, the love of earthly things. And as you say it, it didn't.
Alter the course here that in the main, Isaac did do just what God wanted him to do, put the blessing in the right on the right person, but it is still for Isaac's.
Blame that he was blind. And why was he blind? Why did God allow this to be? He didn't see clearly. He still was a child of God. I suppose that even in the account to remember.
Isaac.
When when the deceit was made known, Isaac recognized that Jacob was the one to be blessed. Didn't he really? I suppose that down in his heart he knew the elder should serve the younger. That was God's purpose. But as you say, he allowed, He allowed.
His personal feelings to get. His personal preferences to get involved. But.
In the end, he acknowledged that Jacob was the one that should have the blessing, even though he did have a blessing for Esau. It wasn't the the birthright, was it? Yeah. And he shall be blessed. That's right. So I suppose that would be an evidence, wouldn't it, that he did. Blessed by faith that there was faith in his. There was faith in God's pronouncement that the elder should serve the younger.
The following chapter of Genesis we have.
Isaac saying to Jacob, And give thee the blessing of Abraham to thee, and to thy seed with thee, that thou mayst inherit the land, Where in thou art a stranger which God gave unto Abraham?