Lesson 11B
THE FAITH OF THE ANCESTORS
Hebrews 11:8-22
Key Verse: 11:13
“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;
they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and
strangers on earth.”
 Previous passage: faith that pleases God: God exists and he rewards those who earnestly seek
him. This is living faith and practical faith.
 This passage: the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Abraham is called the ancestor
of faith. More than one fourth of this chapter talks about Abraham’s faith. His faith pleased
God and was recognized by God. Let’s learn about the faith of the ancestors and we too may
make history of faith.
1. Look at verses 8-10. What were God’s command and promise to Abraham when he was called?
(Gen 12:1-3) How does his response to God’s calling show his faith? (8) How does his life in the
promised land show his faith? (9) What was his ultimate hope? (10)
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even
though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a
foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was
looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
<Gen 12:1-3> 1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and
go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name
great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all
peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
 Since Noah, the bible does not tell us that God had personal relationship with human beings.
All men were corrupt. There was no one righteous. In that situation, God called Abraham. It
was by his grace because Abraham was an idol worshiper. God’s command: "Leave your
country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.” He had
to leave his relatives, his people and his nation. They refer to godless world, idol worshiping
world, adulterous world, faithless world and humanistic world. Life of faith starts with
leaving those things. God’s promise: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless
you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." It
was a great promise; “all people on earth will be blessed through you.” God had a great
world salvation plan through Abraham. This was fulfilled through Jesus Christ. God did not
call Abraham to make him miserable, but to bless him greatly. Like Abraham, God is calling
each of us with the same promise today. Whoever obeys God’s command, will receive the
same blessing.
 Abraham had obedient faith. Problem: God commanded him to leave but did not tell him
where to go. He had to go without direction. This requires faith. He made each step by faith.
By faith he obeyed and went. When we live by faith, we often don’t know where we are going.
We just live by faith each day. Then we will be there where God wants us to go. When I look
back my life, I realize that God has led my each step.
 Contrary to his expectation, the land was occupied. No piece of the land belonged to him. He
did not go somewhere. He made his home in the promised land. He believed that God would
Lesson 11B
give him the land. It was his faith. He was not welcome there. He lived like a stranger in the
country. He lived in tents. His life was not settled down there. He had to move here and there.
It was not comfortable. He had to face many problems such as security problem, financial
problems and education problems, etc. But he was spiritually awake. He was ready to move
and follow God’s direction. He lived a mission-centered life.
 Not only Abraham lived in the tent, but also Isaac and Jacob lived in tents too. They inherited
Abraham’s spiritual legacy. They received the same blessings too. Parents must live by faith
and let their children inherit their faith. God’s blessing should not stop, but overflow.
 His tent life shows that he did not put his hope on earth. He put his ultimate hope in the city of
God which is built by God. We call it God’s kingdom. When we have hope in the kingdom of
God, we can live as strangers in the world. The kingdom of God is our true hometown.
2. Look at verses 11-12. What kind of faith did Abraham have? (11) How was God’s great promise
to him fulfilled? (12, Gen 12:3) Think about the importance of one person’s life of faith?
11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father
because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,
came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
 Child bearing faith. It was impossible for Abraham to have a child. He was 100 years old and
Sarah was 90 years old. Sarah was barren. He was like a dead man. He was hopeless to have a
child. His family line would stop after him. But by faith, he had a child and became a father.
He believed that God is faithful and his promise is true. He held on God’s promise.
 Abraham bore a son in impossible situation. When we have faith in God, we can bear many
spiritual children. People say that feeding one American is as difficult as catching a flying
bird. We think that we are too old to feed young sheep. It is impossible for us to feed
American sheep. But none of bad situations are matters. If we have sheep bearing faith, we
can raise many disciples of Jesus.
 Through him came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the
sand on the seashore. How many sands are on the seashore? Through one man’s faith, God
blessed countless descendants. His descendants are children of faith. From biblical point of
view, one person is not one person. One person is one nation. When one person lives by faith,
countless descendants will come out.
3. Look at verses 13-16. How did the ancestors live even though they had not received the promise?
(13-16a) How is God’s response to their life of faith? (16b, Ex 3:15)
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw
them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People
who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country
they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
<Exodus 3:15> God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I
am to be remembered from generation to generation.
 We see that God’s promise to Abraham has been fulfilled enough. But at that time, Abraham
just had one son and Isaac had two sons and Jacob had twelve sons. The reality was quite
different from God’s promise. They did not receive the things promised. From a distance, they
saw and welcomed them. But they started by faith and finished by faith. When we look at our
Lesson 11B
current situations, we are discouraged. We must be able to see many years later and live by
faith. We should not return to our past life, but move forward.
 God was not ashamed to be called their God. God admitted their life of faith. God introduced
himself to the Israelites, “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”
4. Look at verses 17-19. How did God test Abraham? (Gen 22:1-2) How could he offer Isaac as a
sacrifice? (17-19) What kind of faith did he have?
17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about
to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be
reckoned." 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back
from death.
<Gen 22:1-2> 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then
God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there
as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
 After many years of training, God tested Abraham. God asked him to sacrifice his son. His
son was one and only son. He loved his son. He was given by God. Human sacrifice was not
allowed. There were numerous reasons for him not to obey God’s command. But he simply
obeyed God right away.
 He simply obeyed God because he believed that God could raise the dead. He had
resurrection faith. He loved God more than his son. To Abraham, God was in the center of his
heart and life. He valued God, gift-giver than his son, the gift. So he could offer his best to
God. He passed the test and received all the blessings promised to him. By faith, we must
offer our best thing to God.
5. Look at verses 20-22. By faith, what did Isaac do? (20) Jacob? (21) Joseph? (22) What kind of
faith did they have?
20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each
of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke
about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
 Before his death, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. Isaac’s faith is blessing faith. By faith, Jacob
also blessed Joseph’s two sons. He had blessing faith. At old age, he worshiped God as he
leaned on the top of his staff. He had God worshipping faith at old age. He worshiped God as
God. By faith, Joseph planted hope of liberation from Egypt. He spoke about the exodus. He
commanded the Israelites to take his bone to the promised land on the day of exodus.