The Faith Of Isaac, Jacob, And Joseph - Hebrews 11:20-22

Hebrews chapter 11. We're going to read verses

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

20 through 22. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob

and Esau, even regarding things to come. By faith,

Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons

of Joseph and worshipped, leaning on the top

of a staff. By faith, Joseph... When he was dying,

made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel

and gave orders concerning his bones. Let's go

to the Lord in prayer. Father, we come to you

this Lord's Day. Father, we ask at this time

that you would be in our midst. Lord, we ask

that you would bless the ministry of your word

abundantly. In our weakness, come to our aid

by the power of your Spirit. Work in the hearts

and minds of your people to sanctify and grow

and to transform more and more into the image

and likeness of Christ. And Father, use your

word to pierce the hearts of the unbelieving

men, women, and young people that are present

that they would see the great faithfulness of...

Such a great God, Lord, that repentance and faith

would be worked into their hearts and that they

would freely and willingly come to the Lord Jesus

Christ. Father, we ask these things in the name

of the Lord Jesus. Amen. You may be seated. In

Hebrews chapter 11, verses 20 through 22, we

Hebrews 11:20–22

find... Abraham's immediate lineage. And we find

three of the patriarchs on their deathbed, Isaac

nearing his death. And we find that these three

patriarchs have a steadfast faith in the promises

of God that would be accomplished beyond... their

own lifetime. That God himself would bring about

and accomplish his promises and his purposes

even after they were long gone. We find in these

texts ultimately what is most important to the

patriarchs. But we'll also see what is ultimately

the most important thing for any believer on

their deathbed. Now, I want to ask you a question

that we'll answer eventually, and that is, what

is the most important thing in your life? What

is that thing or those things that are the most

important? the most significant realities in

your life. Now, let me ask you another question.

On your deathbed, what will be that which is

most important? What will be the most significant

realities in your life? Now, those are all with

reference to you and your consideration. And

what you see to personally be important and significant

in your life now. And on your deathbed. But there's

also something we have to ask and we have to

consider as well. And that is what is in reality

actually the most important thing when we come

to the end of our life? Is it our own faith or

faithfulness? Or is it something else? Is there

something even more significant than our own

personal faith that we have in Christ? Something

that transcends even that? Because ultimately,

brothers and sisters, a day will come when every

single one of us is passive, totally and completely,

and that we will die and it will be out of our

hands. So there must be some transcendent reality

which is even more important. That is more significant

than even our capacity to exercise faith as a

human being. There must be something more ultimate

than that. The first thing we're going to consider

in this text is the faith of Isaac. We'll then

consider the faith of Jacob and Joseph. come

in at the end with several applications for us

as New Covenant believers. So first, the faith

of Isaac. We see this in verse 20. By faith,

Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding

things to come. Now, this is a reference or an

allusion to... Genesis chapter 27, and we'll

Genesis 27 · chapter mention

go ahead and turn there. Genesis chapter 27 and

Genesis 27 · chapter mention

28. If you've been raised in church, likely you

know this story of Isaac and Jacob and Esau and

Rebekah. You know of the deception which took

place. between Jacob and his mother and how they

were going to pull the wool over their aging

father's eyes. He was blind. He couldn't see.

They deceived Esau. But we also find in this

story that providence overrules all of those

things. We find that God's purposes are, in fact,

brought about. Isaac is one of the patriarchs

that we know the least about. We don't know that

much about Isaac in comparison to, say, Abraham

or even Jacob. We have a much more extensive

account of Jacob's life, and we have a very extensive

account of Joseph's life that is referenced in

verse 22, but we don't know that much about Isaac.

John MacArthur actually calls Isaac, he says,

if Jonah was the reluctant prophet, then Isaac

is the reluctant patriarch. Because it seems

as though he's a fairly materialistic man in

the account of his life, especially towards the

end. What did he want at the end of his days,

even? He wanted his belly to be full. He wanted

good food. He was... Playing favorites with his

children, brothers and sisters. He clearly liked

Esau more than he liked Jacob. He was going to

give the blessing. He intended to give the blessing

to Esau. But providence overruled it. Now, in

Hebrews chapter 11, we see two things that show

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

us. the faith of this patriarch, that evidence

or prove or demonstrate or show the faith of

Isaac. We see that he blesses his two sons, and

then it goes on and says, even with regards to

things concerning the future. In Genesis chapter

Genesis 27 · chapter mention

27, we read of the deception and the manipulation

by Jacob and his mother regarding... The stealing

or the procuring of the blessing. But we also

read that Jacob is the one that is blessed. Listen

to this in Genesis chapter 27. Then his father

Genesis 27 · chapter mention

said to him, please come close and kiss me, my

son. So he came close and kissed him. And when

he smelled the smell of his garments. He blessed

him and said, See, the smell of my son is like

the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed.

Now may God give you the dew of heaven and of

the fatness of the earth and an abundance of

grain and new wine. May people serve you and

nations bow down to you. Be master of your brothers

and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed

be those who curse you and blessed be those.

who blessed you. Notice in this, it's forward

looking. He's discussing, he's blessing with

regards to the future and what is to come in

the life of his offspring, in the life of his

children. Then what happens? Esau discovers this

and he's upset. And Jacob concludes that, and

Isaac concludes that Jacob is in fact the one

that will be blessed. And Isaac accepts this.

He accepts the fact that it is the younger and

not the older that is going to be blessed of

God. And the way we know that is by the beginning

part of Genesis chapter 28. So Isaac called Jacob

Genesis 28 · chapter mention

and blessed him and charged him and said to him,

You shall not take a wife from the daughters

of Canaan. Arise, go to Paddan the ram. to the

house of Bethuel, your mother's father, and from

there take yourself a wife from the daughters

of Laban, your mother's brother. May God Almighty

bless you and make you fruitful and multiply

you that you may become a company of peoples.

May He also give you the blessing of Abraham

to you and to your descendants with you that

you may possess the land of your sojournings.

which God gave to Abraham. You see, he believes

the blessing that God had given to Abraham, and

now he's blessing his son with it. And he's dying.

That means that there's nothing he personally

can do to bring about its fulfillment. The fulfillment

and the accomplishment of the blessing that he

just proclaimed and declared over Jacob. has

nothing to do with his own ability to bring it

about. So if he's blessing Jacob and he believes

that these things will come about and these things

will take place in the future in Jacob's life,

who's he looking to to accomplish these realities?

To bless these realities? God, brothers and sisters.

He is believing that God himself The transcendent

God who is faithful will in fact bring about

these future realities which depend on God and

his faithfulness. So we see that the death or

the near death, the deathbed experience of these

patriarchs is meant to heighten the reality.

That they are believing and they are looking

to realities beyond their own lives. Things which

are unseen. Things which can only be observed

and seen by faith. Faith is confidence and assurance

of those unseen future realities which are wholly

and completely dependent upon God for truth.

their fulfillment. Brothers and sisters, they

are those future realities which hinge completely

and totally on the power of God to perform and

accomplish them. So this is the faith of Isaac.

But this brings us secondly to the faith of Jacob

in verse 21. We read this in verse 21. By faith,

Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons

of Joseph and worshipped, leaning on the top

of his staff. Now, once again, we all know the

story of Jacob or Israel fairly well. We know

the events of his life. We know the ins and outs

of his personality. We know his character. But

we also see this transformation progressively

take place over Jacob's life. This is a clear

reference to Genesis chapter 48, the account

Genesis 48 · chapter mention

of Jacob's passing. Genesis 48. may be titled

Israel's Last Days. Now, what evidence do we

have in Hebrews chapter 11? What proof do we

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

have that this patriarch was living by faith?

How do we see this in the text in the event that

it is putting forth? Well, we see it in two ways.

The blessing of Joseph's two sons, first of all.

Now, in Genesis 48, we'll read the account, starting

in verse 1. Now, it came about after these things

that Joseph was told, behold, your father is

sick. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim,

with him. When he was told, Jacob, behold, your

son Joseph has come to you. Israel collected

his strength and sat up in the bed. So clearly,

this is the event the author of Hebrews is referring

to. Then Jacob said to Joseph, God Almighty appeared

to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed

me. And he said to me, Behold, I will make you

fruitful and numerous and I will make you a company

of peoples. and will give you this land to your

descendants after you for an everlasting possession.

There's the promise, brothers and sisters. The

promise that we see so intertwined throughout

the book of Genesis and throughout the Old Testament

narrative. In verse 5, Now your two sons who

were born to you in the land of Egypt before

I came to you in Egypt are mine. Ephraim and

Manasseh shall be mine as Reuben and Simeon are.

Meaning they will be identified with me. They

will be identified with Israel and not with Egypt.

They will be identified with deliverance and

salvation and redemption as part of the people

of God and not with bondage and slavery and Egypt.

But your offspring that you have been born after

them shall be yours. They shall be called by

the names of their brothers in their inheritance.

Now, as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel

died to my sorrow in the land of Canaan on the

journey, when there was still some distance to

go, to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the

way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. When Israel

saw Joseph's sons, he said, Who are these? But

you have to recall, Jacob is blind as well. He

cannot see well. Just like Isaac, he cannot see

in his old age. Joseph said to his father, They

are my sons whom God has given to me here. So

he said, Bring them to me, please, that I may

bless them. And here's the blessing again, brothers

and sisters. Now the eyes of Israel were so dim

from age that he could not see. Then Joseph brought

them close and he kissed them and embraced them.

Israel said to Joseph, I never expected to see

your face. And behold, God has let me see your

children as well. He's recounting the faithfulness

of God in his life. Then Joseph took them from

his knees. and bowed with his face to the ground.

Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right

hand toward Israel's left, and Manasseh with

his left hand toward Israel's right, and brought

them close to him. But Israel stretched out his

right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim,

who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's

head, crossing his hands, although Manasseh was

the firstborn. So, he's going against convention.

He's going against that which is traditionally

done throughout the life of Israel and in that

culture, which was what? The firstborn has inheritance

rights. The oldest of the boys will be blessed.

But here we find Jacob in his old age in an explicit

act of faith, trusting in God's choice, trusting

in God's sovereign purposes to choose as he will.

So what does he do? He takes his hands and he

crosses his arms. And he blesses the one that

God chooses. He explicitly acts in faith. Then

we read, He blessed Joseph and said, The God

before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

the God who has been my shepherd all my life

to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from

all evil, bless the lads. And may my name live

on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham

and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude.

In the midst of the earth. So it's the blessing.

He's bestowing the blessing on the future generation.

As he's dying. Yet again we find a dying patriarch.

Brothers and sisters. Looking to the future.

For God to fulfill something. He's going out.

And the boys are coming in. He's going out. So

who's going to take care of the promise? Who's

going to fulfill it? Who's going to bring it

about? Who is he looking to to accomplish the

blessing that he just bestowed? God Almighty.

Now, his faith is also evidence, not just in

his explicit act of faith, but it's evidence

in the fact that he worships as he is dying.

I love this scene. And the reason I love this

scene is because this is how I want to die, brothers

and sisters. I want to die joyful, content, and

grateful, and peaceful, and worshiping God, ready

to go and be with Him. I love this scene because

here we find an old man. We have an old man who's

not angry, who's not bitter, who's not... harsh,

who's not mean, but we find an old man who's

blind. He can't see in front of him. He can't

see the boys that are in front of him. And now

we have an old man who's blind and old and aging

and he's dying. He knows he's about to die. But

brothers and sisters, he is happy in the Lord.

He is at peace with God. And how is that possible?

Because He's believing in these future glorious

promises that God has given to him and he believes

that God will bring about. I want to die like

Jacob, worshiping the one true living God that

has given me glorious promises in Christ. Do

you want to die like Jacob? The only way to do

that, brothers and sisters, is to have the faith

that Jacob has. The faith that looks to the promises

of God, that rests in the promises of God, that

is passive in receiving Christ, and the faith

that works and obeys and worships. That's the

only way you're going to die like this man. As

if you have the faith of this man. I want you

to die like Jacob. I want every single member

of Grace Fellowship Church to die worshiping

the God that made them and the God that saved

them. I don't want you to die angry and bitter

and mean and resentful or unhappy and regretful

about how you lived your life. Press on and look

to the promises, brothers and sisters. We are

all nearing that day. Every single one of us

is inching a little bit at a time, day by day.

We're getting closer and closer, nearer and nearer

to the day where it's the last act. That day

is approaching. And I want to die. I want to

go out worshiping God like Jacob went out worshiping

God, believing what he had said. So faith, we

see, as in Jacob, faith is resting on the transcendent

faithfulness of the living God and the promises

that he has made. And this faith enables the

believer, by stirring up the graces of God that

we have been given, To be joyful, peaceful, content,

and happy in the Lord in the face of the most

difficult trials in our life. Even death. That's

what the author wants to convey. Now, we also

see the faith of Joseph in this text. And of

all the three, I think that Joseph has the strongest.

the most vibrant faith of all of them, not speaking

of Abraham necessarily. I believe that Joseph's

faith, it's not simply a confidence, it's not

simply a conviction, which we need that, that's

how Hebrews defines it, but we find that Joseph's

faith actually starts becoming anticipation and

expectation in his life for these realities to

actually come about. Meaning, he is living now,

expecting and anticipating those realities in

his life as if they were right in front of him.

That they are just as real, more real than that

which we can see and that which we can touch

physically or naturally. In this life. We all

know the story of Joseph. The famous one. Joseph

and the coat of many colors. We know his. Difficult.

Providences that God. Brought him through. But

we also know. The exaltation of Joseph. Likely

he is still in. At his death. He died. Likely

a. Powerful, wealthy, influential man. Possibly

the second in command to all of Egypt still.

There's no reason not to think that. Yet, here's

this man with all this power, with all this wealth,

who rules over an entire nation. Yet, what do

we find in Joseph? He doesn't identify with that

nation in his death. He doesn't identify with

Egypt. Listen to what it says in verse 22. By

faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention

of the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave

orders concerning his bones. So here's Moses.

Here's Joseph. And he is thinking about that

which is to come. He's thinking about those things

which are yet to be fulfilled and yet to be realized.

And once again, there's a clear reference to

his deathbed. This is a reference to Genesis

Genesis 50 · chapter mention

chapter 50, where we find the account of Joseph's

death. We read this in verses 22 -26 of Genesis

Genesis 50 · chapter mention

chapter 50. Now Joseph stayed in Egypt, he and

his father's household, and Joseph lived 110

years. Joseph saw the third generation of Ephraim's

sons, also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh,

were born on Joseph's knees. Joseph said to his

brothers, I am about to die. But God will surely

take care of you and bring you up from this land

to the land which he has promised on oath to

Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Then Joseph

made the sons of Israel swear. He made them take

an oath, saying, God will surely take care of

you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.

So Joseph died at the age of 110 years and he

was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Brothers and sisters, do you see Joseph's confident

assertion with regards to the exodus of the sons

of Israel? He is confidently asserting, you will

not be here forever. What's he saying to his

brothers? Listen, you're not going to remain

in Egypt indefinitely. A redemption is coming.

A deliverance is on its way. God will be faithful

to his covenant that he has made to Abraham.

God will give you what? The promised land. And

then he demonstrates this. By pledging his bones

as a testimony to the covenant faithfulness of

God. Now, the interesting thing about this is

that Moses did, in fact, in Exodus chapter 13,

Exodus 13 · chapter mention

take Joseph's bones out of Egypt. Also, Joshua

does in fact bury his bones in the promised land

in Shechem in Genesis, in Joshua 24, 32. So how

in the world do we have dying old man Joseph

getting ready to pass on who can confidently

and expectantly anticipate what is going to happen

in the future? Because God has made promises

to his people. Because God has said, I will accomplish

this in the future. I will bring this about.

I will do this thing. And he believed it. He

was trusting it. It was faith. He knew that they

would take the promised land. Faith anticipates

and expects divine fulfillment of all God's promises,

brothers and sisters. It doesn't just accept

the fact that things may or may not happen. Faith

is not wishy -washy. It is not wishful thinking.

Faith, brothers and sisters, when vibrant and

strong and assured and full of conviction, actually

anticipates and expects God to bring about everything

He has ever promised to His people. How do we

apply this to you and I as New Covenant believers,

brothers and sisters? Well, New Covenant believers

ought to live and die for realities that outlive

themselves. Don't we see this in each of the

patriarchs? They lived and they died for realities

that outlived their own lives. Are there those

realities that remain for New Covenant Christians?

Are there still things yet to come for New Covenant

believers? Are there still those things which

depend wholly and completely on the transcendent

faithfulness of God to accomplish them and bring

them about and bring them to take place? Absolutely.

There's a whole bunch of promises that are not

fully and finally realized in the life of the

believer, in the life of the church, and in the

world. We could think about that which is yet

to come. That which is beyond my own life. Will

Christ build his church long after I'm dead?

Yes, he will, brothers and sisters. Will Christ

build his church long after you are dead? Yes,

he will, brothers and sisters. Will Christ...

Usher me into the presence of God upon my death?

Yes, he will, brothers and sisters. Will Christ

usher you into the presence of God upon your

death? Yes, he will, brothers and sisters. Will

Jesus Christ return in glory and power one day?

Yes, he will. That is not realized yet. Those

are things yet to come. Will Christ bring about

the resurrection and give believers glorified

bodies? Will the beatific vision take place?

Yes, it will, brothers and sisters. Will the

great tribunal of Christ where men and angels

stand before the throne of God take place? Yes,

it will, brothers and sisters. Will the wicked

be judged and punished in the future and time

to come and in the future history of the world?

Yes. Will all things be renewed? Will the new

heavens and the new earth come about by the sovereign

transcendent faithfulness and power of God? Those

are things yet to come, brothers and sisters.

Those are promises that are not fully and completely

and finally realized yet. There are eternal realities

that we ought to live for, and we ought to die

for, things which do in fact outlive us. The

possession of faith in these realities is the

only means of dying well. For anyone. If you

want to die well. Then that means possessing

a faith. Which is assured and confident. And

expectant and anticipatory. Of those glorious

promises. That God has given to us. It means

facing death head on. Looking at the promises

that God has given us. With a vibrant. Faith.

Turn to Philippians chapter 3. In Philippians

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

3, we read this great text by the Apostle Paul.

And here's what we read. I'll start reading in

verse 7. But whatever things were gained to me,

those things I have counted as loss for the sake

of Christ. More than that, I count all things

to be loss in view of the surpassing value of

knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have

suffered the loss of all things, and count them

but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may

be found in him, not having a righteousness of

my own derived from the law, but that which is

through faith in Christ. The righteousness which

comes from God. On the basis of faith. That I

may know him. And the power of his resurrection.

And the fellowship of his sufferings. Being conformed

to his death. In order. That I may attain to

the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have

already obtained it. Or have already become perfect.

But I press on so that I may lay hold. of that

for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid

hold of it yet, but one thing I do, forgetting

what lies behind and reaching forward to what

lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the

prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, if we want... to die well,

then this needs to be our attitude in life. That

of Paul. Pressing on in faith with the resurrection

and future things in front of us. Ahead of us,

brothers and sisters. If we want to have a Philippians

1 perspective on Christ, where Paul says, for

to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. then

we need to have a Philippians 3 perspective on

knowing Jesus Christ in this life. To be a people

that even if they have nothing at all, they have

everything because they have Jesus Christ. And

to know that if they have Christ, they have everything.

To be a people who considers everything to be

nothing in light. Of having Christ. And pursuing

him. Because he has pursued us. Laying hold of

him. Because brothers and sisters. He has laid

hold of us. Seeking to apprehend. The person

of. The work of Jesus Christ. And to be conformed

to his image and likeness. Why? Because he has

already apprehended us. By saving us from our

sins. Live by faith now. Live fully for Christ

in this life. So that when you come to the grave,

you can worship like Jacob. Because you have

a vibrant faith in the God that you're going

to meet. You already know in your life. You've

walked with him how many years? He's been the

shepherd of your life how many years? He will

not forsake you, brothers and sisters. And this

is the only way that a believer can leave a legacy

of faith. What is the greatest legacy that a

person can leave for future generations? A godly

life. What does God recall? What does God remember?

What does God commend in the life of the old

covenant saints? Does he commend their wealth?

Does he commend their businesses? Does he commend

the accomplishments they brought about in society

or culture? No, brothers and sisters, he commends

faith. Hebrews 11. shows us and teaches us what

God himself commends, what God himself remembers.

If we want to leave a legacy like Jacob, Joseph,

like Isaac, and brothers and sisters, it means

leaving a legacy of faith. Now, is that what

is most important in your life? The legacy that

you leave or the faith that you possess at the

end of your life? Is that the most important

thing for a person on their deathbed? What is

the ultimate thing when you come and you face

the grave? The ultimate thing. When you come

and you face the grave, it is the transcendent

faithfulness of God to bring about and accomplish

His promises in the life of His people. God's

faithfulness is the ultimate thing, brothers

and sisters. Not even your faith. When we die,

the promises of the gospel remain. When you die,

the gospel does not expire. When we pass on from

this life, brothers and sisters, Christ is risen.

He raised that he would never die again. He conquered

the grave. Brothers and sisters, the gospel of

Jesus Christ has secured and guaranteed the accomplishment

of every single promise that God has ever made

to his people. So when we come to the grave,

when you come to the grave, You can do so boldly

and worshipful how? By looking by faith to the

work, to the person of Jesus Christ. By looking

at the cross and recognizing my sins are forgiven.

There is no condemnation for me. By looking to

Christ and his righteous life and knowing and

finding out. That I am justified. I am made righteous

in the sight of God. He will receive me. He has

received me. He will always receive me because

of Christ. He will glorify me because it is the

promised fruit of sanctification in this life.

And He will complete all of His promises to His

people. He will renew all things because Christ

died. He will accomplish every single promise.

that He has ever made to His people. Even though

we die, the promises and the faithfulness of

God do not die. 2 Corinthians 1, 19 -20 says

this, For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was

preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus

and Timothy, Was not yes and no but yes in him.

For as many as are the promises of God. In him

they are yes. Therefore also through him is our

amen. To the glory of God through us. All the

promises of God. Are yes and amen. In the person

and work of Jesus Christ. So what is the ultimate

thing? Are you in Christ because of the grace

of God? Do you possess God -given faith as a

result of the gracious and merciful work of the

gospel?