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Hebrews 11:17-22 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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This morning's text is Hebrews chapter 11 verses 17 through 22, where we will observe once again the faith of Abraham and his descendants.
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!
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Do you ever feel that way?
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Do you ever think, why are we spending so much time in one book and therefore on one theme?
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This feeling was punctuated by my nine-year-old Cade, who asked me last night,
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Dad, are you preaching from Hebrews tomorrow?
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And when I responded, yeah, he said, oh, in a slightly disappointed voice.
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So I wanted to understand that, and I probed further, and I pressed a bit,
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and he told me that it feels like he can only remember us ever studying the book of Hebrews.
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I asked him what he thought the book of Hebrews is supposed to teach us,
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and his stumbling with an answer, although he didn't totally miss the point,
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but he stumbled around to answer me, reminded me why long expositions can be of some value to the church.
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Now, most of us are not nine, but then I thought about my week, and I thought about likely your week,
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and considered how many opportunities were presented to us to not persevere by faith,
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to grow cold and listless, to forget the glorious truth of the supremacy of Jesus Christ,
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to forget that we who are in Christ were once desperately lost, but now have been found,
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to forget and to think, right, all the pleasures the world has to offer us are temporal and fleeting,
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but we have an eternal reward in Jesus.
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We should not grow tired of learning the lesson of Hebrews, because we are always in need of it.
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The ESV Study Bible Introduction to Hebrews defines the book's theme this way,
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Christ is greater than any angel, priest, or old covenant institution.
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Thus, each reader, rather than leaving such a great salvation,
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is summoned to hold on by faith to the true rest found in Christ,
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and to encourage others in the church to persevere.
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And I will give you a bit shorter version, and then we will get to work.
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Followers of Jesus Christ need to persevere by faith in the absolute supremacy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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So Hebrews chapter 11, beginning in verse 17,
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Beloved, this is God's word to us, written for his glory and our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it, in order to believe its promises, and to obey its commands.
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By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac.
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And he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,
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of whom it was said, through Isaac shall your offspring be named.
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He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead,
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from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
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By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
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By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph,
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bowing in worship over the head of his staff.
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By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites,
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and gave directions concerning his bones.
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So this morning, a very simple outline for our text.
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Number one, Abraham's legendary faith.
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And number two, Abraham's legacy of faith.
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And then finally, I'll ask us some questions concerning our faith.
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So Abraham's legendary faith, Abraham's legacy of faith.
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And then I'll ask some questions concerning our faith.
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So number one, Abraham's legendary faith.
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We're going to break this down into some pieces as we kind of walk through a bit of this story.
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And I want to read much of it to you from Genesis chapter 22.
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The author of Hebrews is not trying to make a very complex point.
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It's a simple point that he's making.
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It's just a point that must be worked out in our lives.
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And he's using the life of Abraham, particularly this episode,
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to show us this very thing.
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So we can see first, at the beginning of verse 17, the calling of faith to Abraham.
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God asked something of him.
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Asked him to do a very difficult something.
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Beginning of verse 17 says,
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By faith Abraham, when he was tested.
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So if you will, keep your finger marking Hebrews chapter 11,
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but turn with me to Genesis chapter 22.
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And we'll pick up and read a bit of it and jump back into Hebrews and back and forth just a tad this morning.
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So we see first the testing of Abraham's faith.
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God is saying,
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Do you really believe?
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I've made a promise.
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Do you really believe that I will bring the promise to pass?
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Genesis chapter 22, beginning in verse 1.
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God tested Abraham and said to him,
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Abraham, and he said,
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Here I am.
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He said,
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Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love,
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and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.
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So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey,
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and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac.
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And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
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Now, I think that we too quickly read these stories.
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I don't know that we often really take the time to have some imagination for what it must have been like.
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The overarching point of what the author of Hebrews is talking about here is the promise being fulfilled in Isaac.
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It was said of him,
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Through Isaac, your offspring will be named.
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This is the large idea that he's speaking about here.
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But just imagine for a moment,
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God asking you to take your son, your only son,
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the son that you love,
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and offer him as a sacrifice.
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I have sons.
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And it is difficult to imagine what it must have been like for Abraham.
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He's very eager, we see.
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Genesis chapter 22 and verse 1, right?
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God says to him,
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Abraham, and he says,
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Here I am.
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And we don't get any clue as to the emotions that he's feeling following that,
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but I have to imagine he's not nearly as eager as he's told what he is to do.
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Travel to a place and offer your son as a sacrifice.
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But we see that he goes, right?
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He rises in the morning, saddles his donkey,
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takes young men and his son.
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He even does the proper preparation to go and to be obedient for this great sacrifice.
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As we read on, we can see the journeying faith of Abraham.
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This isn't a short trip that he takes.
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We read on in verse 4,
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On the third day,
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Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.
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Then Abraham said to his young men,
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Stay here with the donkey.
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I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.
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And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son.
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And he took in his hand the fire and the knife.
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And so they went both of them together.
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And Isaac said to his father, Abraham,
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My father.
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And he said,
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Here I am, my son.
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He said,
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Behold the fire and the wood,
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but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
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Abraham said,
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God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.
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So they went both of them together.
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So again, imagine for a moment what the Lord was asking of Abraham.
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They traveled.
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They went on a journey.
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And they did this with time.
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And he has not yet informed his son of what's going to happen at this.
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Can you just imagine?
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What are they going to do to make a sacrifice?
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He's aware of this, Isaac is,
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because he asked the question.
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I see the supplies except for the lamb.
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And the type of faith it must have taken.
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The type of perseverance in the promise of God
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to travel this distance,
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knowing what was coming at the end of that journey.
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And then we see the sacrificing faith of Abraham.
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We begin in verse 9.
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When they came to the place of which God had told him,
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Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order
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and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.
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Now we don't know exactly the age of Isaac.
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There's much guess to this.
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I'm going to tend toward him being younger
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because of kind of the naivety of his questions in the previous verses.
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But surely he was faster than his dad.
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His dad was getting extremely old at this point.
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So Isaac seems to be a willing participant,
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trusting in his father,
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even as he's laying him on an altar to be burned.
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Verse 10.
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Then Abraham reached out his hand
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and took the knife to slaughter his son.
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And I have a hard time reading that
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and not shuddering at the thought,
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the measure of faith,
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to say, right,
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this is the Lord's will,
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that I would sacrifice my son
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and I'm believing in the promise.
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So when you look in Hebrews 11, 17 and 18,
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it says,
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There was a specific promise
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that it was through this son,
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this son that he is now raising the dagger
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in order to slaughter,
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that all these promises of God
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would come to pass.
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It defies logic,
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natural reasoning.
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It makes no sense whatsoever.
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And yet,
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he is willing to act.
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Not willy-nilly,
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but because of what the Lord had said.
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So we see him here at the end of verse 10,
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ready.
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He's taking the knife.
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He's ready to slaughter his son.
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And in verse 11,
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But the angel of the Lord
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called to him from heaven and said,
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Abraham, Abraham.
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And he said,
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I imagine eagerly,
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Here I am.
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He said, the angel,
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Do not lay your hand on the boy
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or do anything to him.
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For now I know that you fear God.
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Seeing you have not withheld your son,
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your only son,
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from me.
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Proving of his faith.
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And Abraham lifted up his eyes
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and looked,
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and behold,
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behind him was a ram
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caught in a thicket by his thorns.
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And Abraham went and took the ram
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and offered it up
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as a burnt offering
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instead of his son.
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So Abraham called the name of that place.
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The Lord will provide.
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As it is said to this day,
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on the mount of the Lord,
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it shall be provided.
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This is an astounding picture.
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And the author of Hebrews
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places this in Hebrews chapter 11
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as an encouragement to us
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to persevere in faith.
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Don't miss that.
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Don't lose that.
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We are meant to also believe
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in the promises of God.
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God likely won't.
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I highly doubt.
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He's going to ask you
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to offer your son.
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We should have a good conversation
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if you think or are convinced
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that he's doing so.
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I'd have words for you.
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But he's going to ask us
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to do things
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that are weighty
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and are sacrificial,
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believing in his promises.
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So how is it
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that Abraham was able
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to have such faith?
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It's given to him
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as a gift from the Lord.
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But it's not an unreasoning faith.
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It's a reasoning faith.
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And we see this back
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in Hebrews chapter 11
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and verse 19.
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We see that Abraham
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considered
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his reasoning.
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He's thinking this through.
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He's given a command.
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He's traveling a distance.
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He's got to be in turmoil over it.
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But wait a second.
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God made a promise.
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He made a promise
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to bless all the nations.
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He made a promise
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that my descendants
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would be as many as the stars.
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He made a promise
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that it would happen
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through Isaac.
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How does this make sense?
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He considered
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that God was able
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even to raise him
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from the dead.
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He knew
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that God would be sure
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to his promise.
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He knew somehow
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God is going to work this through.
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And certainly,
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God did.
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Instead of having him
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sacrifice Isaac,
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which he certainly could have
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raised from the dead,
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he provides
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an alternate sacrifice
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in the form
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of a ram.
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And the author says,
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from which,
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figuratively speaking,
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he did receive him back.
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Isaac was as good
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as dead
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to Abraham.
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He had come to the place
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where he was willing
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to sacrifice
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his own son
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in obedience
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to God.
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And he did,
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in fact,
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receive him back,
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figuratively,
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from the dead.
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Abraham's reasoning
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was audacious.
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It was audacious.
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But it went something
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like this.
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God promised to make
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of me
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a great nation.
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Therefore,
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he gave me
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a son
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when I was
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as good as dead.
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Far too old
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to father a son,
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and my wife Sarah
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far too old
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to mother.
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Therefore,
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God has now
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asked me
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to sacrifice
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my son
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the only
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reasonable way
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that God
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can fulfill
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his promise.
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Therefore,
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God is not a liar,
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and God
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will make
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a way
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to keep
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his promise.
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What faith.
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What astounding
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faith
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in God's
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spoken
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word.
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God has said it.
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It will come
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to pass.
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God promised it.
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Therefore,
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I believe it.
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This is the type
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of faith
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that we are
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asked to have
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in our God.
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This is the type
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of faith
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that the author
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of Hebrews
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is encouraging
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and encouraging
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and encouraging
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and encouraging.
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Did you have
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that kind of faith
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in this past
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week?
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Did God
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ask you
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to do anything
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that was
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difficult
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but consistent
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with his promises
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that you failed
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to do?
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You just said,
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I just don't
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believe the promise.
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Functionally,
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I'm not so sure.
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Cognitively,
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I ascend
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to these promises,
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but functionally,
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eh.
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And as a result
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of Abraham's
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faithfulness,
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God restates
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the promises
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of his covenant
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with Abraham
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and with his
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descendants.
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He says again,
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lest anyone
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forget in the
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reading of this
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story,
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the promise
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that came
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and is coming.
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Verse 15
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down through 18
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of Genesis 22.
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And the angel
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of the Lord
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called to Abraham
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a second time
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from heaven
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and said,
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By myself
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I have sworn,
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declares the Lord.
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Because you have
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done this
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and have not
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withheld your son,
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your only son,
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I will surely
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bless you
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and I will surely
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multiply your offspring
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as the stars
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of heaven
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and as the sand
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that is on the seashore.
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And your offspring
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shall possess
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the gate
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of his enemies.
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And in your offspring
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shall all the nations
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of the earth
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be blessed
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because you
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have obeyed
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my voice.
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Abraham's
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faithfulness,
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his willingness
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to sacrifice
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his only son,
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because of God's
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promise to him
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made possible
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another son,
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the Lord Jesus Christ.
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His willingness
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to sacrifice
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his son
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prefigures
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God the Father
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sacrificing
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his only son,
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actually sacrificing
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his only son,
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the Lord Jesus Christ,
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that all the promises
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of the Abrahamic covenant
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would be fulfilled.
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And they are
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being fulfilled
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to this day.
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It's an astounding
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faith.
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So Abraham
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has this
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legendary
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faith,
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but he also has
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a legacy
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of faith.
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And the author
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of Hebrews
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gives that to us
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kind of in rapid
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succession
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in the next
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three verses
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20,
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21,
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and 22.
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We won't spend
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much time on these
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at all,
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although we could
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spend a whole week
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on each and every
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one of them.
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But we want to get
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to the beginning
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of chapter 12
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at some point,
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don't we?
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So first,
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Isaac's faith.
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Verse 20,
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By faith,
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Isaac invoked
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future blessings
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on Jacob
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and Esau.
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The story of Isaac's
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blessing of his sons
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is quite the debacle.
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I'll encourage you
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to read it from
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Genesis chapter 27,
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the whole chapter,
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and through the
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beginning of chapter
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20,
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but the point is,
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the point that the
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author of Hebrews
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is making is that
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he believed
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that the blessings
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given to his sons,
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particularly the
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blessing of Jacob,
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would come to be
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realized.
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The continuing
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blessing of the
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promise to Abraham.
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All that was said
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would come to pass
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through this lineage
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of Jacob.
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So we see this
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example of Isaac's
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faith.
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We also see the
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example of Jacob's
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faith.
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Verse 21,
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By faith,
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Jacob,
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when dying,
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blessed each
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of the sons of
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Joseph,
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bowing in worship
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over the head
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of his staff.
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So when Jacob
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was very old,
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the sons of
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Joseph were
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brought to him.
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And when Jacob's
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sons came to be
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blessed,
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excuse me,
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Joseph's sons
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came to be
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blessed,
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the older brother
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Manasseh was
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placed on his
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right hand to
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receive the
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greater blessing,
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the younger
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brother,
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Ephraim,
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on his left,
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or Ephraim.
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But Jacob,
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responding to
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the direction of
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God,
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crossed his
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hands and
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gave the
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greater blessing
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to Ephraim.
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Right?
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He believed
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what God
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said.
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Against the
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tradition of
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giving the
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greatest blessing
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to the
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eldest son,
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he instead
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gave it to
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the next
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in order.
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We also
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see the
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example of
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Joseph's
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faith.
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Verse 22,
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By faith,
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Joseph,
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at the end
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of his
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life,
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made mention
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of the
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exodus of
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the Israelites
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and gave
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directions
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concerning his
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bones.
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Joseph was
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confident that
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nothing could
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thwart God's
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promise that
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his people
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would possess
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the land
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of Canaan.
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He believed
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in the
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Abrahamic
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covenant.
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He had once
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dwelt in
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that land
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and had
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left that
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land out
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ahead of his
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brothers because
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of famine.
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He was quite
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forced to do
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so at the
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age of 17
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to go to
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Egypt.
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He became
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the precursor
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to his
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family and
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the Israelites
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all ending
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up in
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Egypt prior
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to the
20:15
exodus.
20:15
and yet
20:15
he was
20:16
still
20:16
holding
20:17
this
20:17
promise.
20:18
Israel
20:19
will
20:19
leave
20:20
Egypt.
20:21
They
20:21
will
20:22
be
20:22
settled
20:22
in
20:22
the
20:23
land
20:23
that
20:23
God
20:23
has
20:24
promised
20:25
them.
20:25
And again,
20:26
just imagine
20:26
the faith.
20:27
He went to
20:28
Egypt at
20:28
the age
20:28
of 17.
20:29
He left
20:29
this land
20:30
that was
20:30
promised
20:30
to his
20:31
people and
20:32
he lived
20:32
there until
20:33
he died
20:33
at 110.
20:37
Do you
20:37
sometimes feel
20:37
like the
20:38
promises of
20:38
God are
20:39
tearing?
20:40
Look at
20:41
the examples
20:42
of these
20:42
people,
20:43
this great
20:43
hall of
20:44
faith,
20:45
these witnesses
20:46
that have
20:46
gone before
20:48
us.
20:48
God's
20:48
word is
20:49
sure.
20:50
And he
20:50
was so
20:51
confident of
20:52
this that
20:53
before he
20:53
died he
20:53
spoke of
20:54
the exodus
20:55
and he
20:55
gave them
20:55
instructions
20:56
to take
20:57
his body
20:58
with and
20:58
bury it
20:59
in that
20:59
place.
21:00
He said
21:00
it's going
21:01
to happen
21:01
so when
21:02
it happens
21:02
be sure
21:03
to take
21:03
me there.
21:04
I want
21:04
my body
21:05
to be
21:05
laid to
21:05
rest
21:06
in there.
21:06
And then
21:06
in fulfillment
21:07
of his
21:08
directive
21:08
Moses carried
21:09
his body
21:09
out of
21:10
Egypt,
21:10
Exodus
21:10
13,
21:12
and was
21:12
buried in
21:13
Shechem by
21:14
Joshua when
21:14
Canaan was
21:15
conquered in
21:15
Joshua chapter
21:17
24.
21:19
So you see
21:19
what the author
21:20
of Hebrews is
21:20
doing.
21:21
Last week we
21:22
looked at the
21:23
text prior and
21:23
this week the
21:24
great confidence
21:26
in the promise
21:27
God made in
21:28
the Abrahamic
21:28
covenant.
21:29
These things
21:29
will come to
21:31
pass.
21:31
And the way
21:32
that these
21:32
men's lives
21:33
lined up with
21:34
a great
21:35
belief in
21:36
those promises.
21:38
So these are
21:38
examples for
21:39
us of
21:40
persevering
21:41
faith.
21:42
Faith in
21:43
promises that
21:43
they had
21:44
yet to
21:45
see
21:45
fulfilled
21:45
but believed
21:46
all the
21:46
same.
21:47
The author
21:48
of Hebrews
21:48
is spurring
21:49
us this
21:50
morning on
21:51
to the
21:51
same kind
21:52
of faith.
21:54
And frankly
21:55
beloved as
21:55
we consider
21:56
the faith of
21:57
these men we
21:58
ought to have
21:58
more confidence
22:00
because we
22:01
have seen
22:02
and we are
22:03
seeing the
22:04
promises
22:04
fulfilled.
22:06
We have a
22:06
greater
22:07
understanding of
22:08
how it is that
22:08
God is bringing
22:09
all these
22:10
promises to
22:11
pass.
22:12
We have a
22:13
greater picture
22:14
of the
22:15
revelation of
22:16
how things are
22:17
coming to
22:17
pass because
22:18
we are
22:18
chapters ahead
22:20
in the story
22:21
of redemption.
22:22
It ought to
22:23
be that much
22:24
easier for
22:25
us to see
22:27
it and to
22:28
have this
22:28
kind of
22:29
faith.
22:31
So allow
22:32
me in a few
22:33
moments to
22:34
ask some
22:35
questions
22:35
concerning our
22:37
faith.
22:38
Just two.
22:40
Well,
22:40
there's some
22:40
questions.
22:43
Number one,
22:46
has God
22:47
promised it?
22:49
Has God
22:50
promised it?
22:52
We believe in
22:53
a closed canon.
22:54
This means that
22:55
God has spoken.
22:56
We are not
22:56
adding books
22:58
to this text.
22:59
God has spoken.
23:00
It is a
23:00
completed work
23:02
and it is
23:02
God's complete
23:04
work to mankind.
23:05
It is inerrant
23:06
because God has
23:06
said it and God
23:07
cannot lie.
23:08
Is it
23:09
authoritative
23:09
book?
23:10
Because he is
23:11
the God of
23:11
the universe,
23:12
therefore what
23:12
he says
23:13
must go.
23:15
It reigns
23:16
then over
23:17
us and
23:19
it is
23:19
sufficient.
23:22
So it
23:22
contains within
23:23
it all the
23:23
promises that
23:24
we need to
23:25
know and
23:26
to believe.
23:27
So do you
23:28
do you know
23:30
the promises
23:31
of God?
23:33
He has made
23:33
some astounding
23:35
promises,
23:36
life-fulfilling
23:38
promises,
23:39
some beyond-this-world
23:41
promises.
23:43
Has God
23:44
promised it?
23:46
Secondly,
23:47
do we believe it?
23:50
Do we believe it?
23:51
Do we believe
23:54
what the Bible
23:54
says about
23:56
salvation?
23:57
John 14,
23:58
6,
23:58
as Jesus
23:59
said,
24:00
I am the
24:00
way and
24:02
the truth
24:02
and the
24:03
life.
24:04
No one
24:04
comes to the
24:05
Father except
24:06
through me.
24:07
Do we
24:08
understand,
24:10
do we live
24:11
in the light
24:12
of that
24:13
truth that
24:14
we can only
24:15
be saved
24:16
by the
24:16
life,
24:17
death,
24:18
and
24:18
resurrection
24:18
of Jesus
24:19
Christ?
24:20
Have we
24:21
thrown
24:22
ourselves
24:22
on the
24:23
mercy of
24:24
God
24:24
found in
24:25
Christ's
24:26
life and
24:27
death for
24:27
us,
24:28
his active
24:28
and passive
24:29
obedience
24:30
on our
24:30
behalf?
24:32
Do we
24:33
believe what
24:33
it says about
24:34
sanctification?
24:36
Paul wrote
24:37
to the
24:37
Philippians,
24:37
chapter 1
24:38
and verse 6,
24:39
I am sure
24:39
of this,
24:40
that he who
24:40
began a good
24:41
work in you
24:42
will bring it
24:43
to completion
24:43
at the day
24:45
of Jesus
24:46
Christ.
24:47
Do we
24:47
believe that
24:48
having been
24:48
set apart
24:49
by the
24:50
gospel,
24:50
having our
24:51
souls saved,
24:52
that we are
24:52
meant to
24:52
now be
24:53
continuing
24:54
in holiness
24:55
and that we
24:56
have the
24:57
spirit of
24:58
Christ who
24:59
uses careful
25:01
exacting
25:02
application of
25:02
the word of
25:03
Christ to
25:04
bring us to
25:05
that day.
25:07
That we can
25:08
in fact grow
25:09
in holiness
25:09
because we
25:10
have in
25:11
fact been
25:12
set free
25:12
from the
25:13
power of
25:14
sin.
25:15
Too often
25:16
we act like
25:17
we're powerless
25:18
when the
25:19
truth of
25:20
the scripture
25:20
is that we
25:21
have been
25:22
given power
25:23
to put away
25:24
sin and to
25:25
put on
25:26
righteousness.
25:28
Do we
25:29
believe what
25:30
it says about
25:31
glorification?
25:34
2 Corinthians
25:34
chapter 4
25:36
verse 16
25:37
and following
25:37
Paul writes
25:38
so we do
25:38
not lose
25:40
heart.
25:41
Whatever is
25:41
going on in
25:42
the world
25:42
around us
25:42
we do not
25:43
lose heart
25:43
though our
25:44
outer self
25:45
is wasting
25:46
away our
25:47
inner self
25:48
is being
25:48
renewed day
25:49
by day.
25:51
Paul's talking
25:52
about outer
25:52
man like
25:53
the part of
25:53
us that we
25:54
won't take
25:54
with us
25:55
and inner
25:57
man.
25:58
It's being
25:58
renewed day
25:59
by day
26:00
for this
26:02
light
26:02
momentary
26:03
affliction
26:04
is preparing
26:05
for us
26:06
an eternal
26:07
weight of
26:08
glory beyond
26:09
all
26:09
comparison.
26:10
as we
26:11
look not
26:12
to the
26:12
things that
26:13
are seen
26:13
but to
26:14
the things
26:14
that are
26:15
unseen
26:15
for the
26:17
things that
26:17
are seen
26:18
are transient
26:19
or passing
26:20
away but
26:21
the things
26:21
that are
26:22
unseen
26:22
are eternal.
26:25
Do we
26:26
live in
26:27
that way
26:28
as Abraham
26:30
and his
26:31
descendants
26:31
lived in
26:32
tents
26:32
awaiting
26:33
the promise?
26:35
Do we
26:35
live in a
26:36
transient
26:37
mindset?
26:38
Sojourners
26:40
aliens
26:40
and exiles
26:41
in a
26:42
place
26:42
that's
26:42
ultimately
26:43
not our
26:44
home?
26:46
To
26:46
recognize
26:46
that the
26:47
reason
26:47
that you
26:47
are so
26:47
unsettled
26:48
with the
26:48
way the
26:48
world
26:49
is
26:49
because
26:49
you
26:49
were
26:49
not
26:50
made
26:50
for
26:50
this
26:50
world.
26:51
You
26:51
were
26:51
made
26:52
for
26:52
a
26:52
new
26:52
world
26:53
that
26:53
is
26:53
beyond.
26:55
We
26:55
get
26:55
so
26:56
focused
26:56
on
26:57
the
26:57
mess
26:58
going
26:58
on
26:58
around
26:58
us
26:59
and
26:59
we
26:59
forget
27:00
the
27:00
glorious
27:00
truth
27:01
that
27:01
God
27:01
is
27:02
making
27:02
all
27:02
things
27:03
new.
27:04
It's
27:04
a
27:04
winding
27:05
down
27:05
of the
27:06
world.
27:06
It's
27:06
the
27:06
thing
27:07
that's
27:07
been
27:07
promised
27:07
to
27:08
us.
27:08
And
27:08
beloved,
27:09
it will
27:09
get worse.
27:10
It will
27:10
get worse
27:11
and worse
27:11
and worse
27:12
until the
27:12
end comes.
27:13
But the
27:14
kingdom of
27:14
God is
27:15
coming to
27:15
bear in
27:16
the hearts
27:16
of men
27:17
and women.
27:18
In that
27:19
sense,
27:19
the world
27:19
is winding
27:20
up.
27:21
The
27:22
gospel
27:22
is going
27:22
forth.
27:23
The
27:23
church
27:23
is being
27:24
gathered.
27:25
The
27:25
day
27:25
will
27:25
come
27:26
when
27:26
Christ
27:26
will
27:27
say
27:27
enough.
27:28
He
27:29
will
27:29
come
27:29
back.
27:30
He
27:30
will
27:30
eternally
27:30
judge
27:31
the
27:31
living
27:32
and
27:32
the
27:32
dead.
27:33
We
27:34
will
27:34
be
27:34
raised
27:35
with
27:35
him
27:35
and
27:35
we
27:36
will
27:36
reign
27:36
with
27:36
him
27:36
forever.
27:38
Do we
27:39
have
27:40
that
27:40
kind
27:41
of
27:41
faith?
27:41
Do we
27:42
live
27:43
in that
27:44
way?
27:46
On your
27:46
bulletin,
27:46
there's a
27:47
William Bates
27:48
quotations,
27:49
Puritan,
27:50
as they
27:50
typically
27:51
are.
27:52
He said,
27:52
God will
27:52
try our
27:53
faith before
27:54
he satisfies
27:56
our
27:57
sight.
27:59
Now,
27:59
I've been
27:59
reading to
28:00
our boys,
28:01
the
28:01
Chronicles of
28:01
Narnia,
28:02
I hope
28:03
you're
28:03
familiar
28:03
with
28:04
this
28:04
work
28:04
of
28:05
C.S.
28:05
Lewis.
28:06
And right
28:06
now we
28:07
are reading
28:07
my favorite
28:08
of all
28:09
the books,
28:09
which is
28:10
The Horse
28:10
and His
28:10
Boy.
28:11
And it
28:12
is my
28:12
favorite
28:12
of all
28:13
of his
28:13
books
28:13
because
28:13
it's
28:14
all about
28:14
providence.
28:15
It's
28:16
all about
28:16
the way
28:17
in which
28:18
Christ
28:19
works
28:19
in the
28:20
world.
28:21
And so
28:21
I want
28:21
to read
28:21
a little
28:22
bit of
28:22
it
28:22
to
28:22
you
28:23
because
28:23
I
28:23
think
28:23
we
28:24
often
28:24
find
28:25
ourselves
28:26
identifying
28:26
with
28:27
one of
28:28
the
28:28
primary
28:28
characters,
28:29
a young
28:30
man,
28:31
young boy
28:32
named
28:32
Shasta.
28:34
Kind of
28:35
his,
28:36
he has
28:36
this very
28:37
I'm the
28:38
most
28:38
unlucky
28:39
person
28:39
in the
28:39
world
28:40
kind
28:40
of
28:40
attitude
28:41
throughout
28:42
the
28:42
book.
28:44
And I
28:45
don't want
28:45
to totally
28:45
spoil the
28:46
entire
28:46
story for
28:46
you,
28:46
but I
28:47
got to
28:47
give you
28:47
a little
28:47
bit of
28:47
a background
28:48
for it.
28:50
Shasta
28:50
is being
28:51
raised
28:51
by a
28:52
man who
28:52
is not
28:52
his
28:53
father
28:54
in a
28:55
land that
28:55
is not
28:55
his
28:56
land,
28:56
the land
28:56
of
28:57
Calorman.
28:58
And he
28:59
discovers
28:59
a talking
29:00
horse of
29:01
Narnia,
29:01
all the
29:02
horses of
29:03
the land
29:03
of Calorman
29:03
are what
29:04
they call
29:04
dumb,
29:04
they don't
29:05
speak,
29:06
but he
29:07
discovers a
29:07
talking horse
29:08
of Narnia,
29:08
a war horse
29:09
named Bree,
29:10
and he
29:11
decides to
29:11
escape on
29:12
Bree,
29:12
and they
29:13
take off
29:13
for Narnia.
29:14
And along
29:15
the way,
29:15
they meet
29:16
a young
29:17
adult woman
29:18
named
29:18
Erebus,
29:19
and a
29:19
talking horse
29:20
named
29:20
Quinn.
29:22
And they're
29:22
brought together
29:23
through some
29:24
providence,
29:26
they travel
29:26
through a
29:27
major city
29:28
of the land
29:28
of Calorman,
29:29
where they
29:29
find out
29:30
a plot
29:30
that the
29:32
prince of
29:32
Calorman
29:32
is going
29:33
to attack
29:33
Narnia,
29:34
first by
29:34
taking a
29:35
city of
29:36
a land
29:36
called
29:36
Archenland,
29:37
called
29:38
Anvert.
29:38
And it
29:38
lies between
29:40
Calorman
29:41
and the
29:42
country of
29:43
Narnia.
29:44
So this is
29:44
kind of the
29:45
backdrop of
29:45
what's
29:46
happening.
29:46
And so
29:46
finding this
29:47
out,
29:48
they decide
29:48
to quickly
29:49
escape to
29:49
Narnia,
29:50
and to
29:50
first warn
29:51
King Loon
29:52
of this
29:52
coming
29:53
attack.
29:53
These guys
29:54
are coming,
29:55
200 horsemen,
29:56
they're coming
29:56
to attack,
29:57
we must
29:58
get across
29:58
in order
29:59
to be of
30:00
help.
30:00
And one
30:01
of the
30:01
dangers
30:01
that they
30:02
encounter
30:02
along the
30:03
way is
30:04
that they're
30:04
chased by
30:04
lions.
30:05
There's a
30:05
number of
30:06
circumstances
30:07
by which
30:08
they are
30:08
chased by
30:09
lions.
30:10
So as
30:10
the story
30:11
goes on,
30:11
they have
30:12
gotten to
30:12
this land
30:14
of Archenland,
30:15
and Shasta
30:15
has gone on
30:16
by himself
30:17
on a dumb
30:18
horse.
30:18
He's not
30:19
Umbri anymore,
30:19
he's on a
30:20
horse that
30:20
can't speak.
30:22
And he
30:22
finds King
30:23
Loon,
30:24
and he warns
30:24
King Loon,
30:25
and King
30:26
Loon and
30:27
his hunting
30:27
party that's
30:28
with him,
30:28
they take
30:28
off back
30:29
to Anver
30:30
to raise
30:30
the alarm
30:31
and bolt
30:32
the gates,
30:33
and a
30:33
deep,
30:34
deep mist,
30:34
a mist
30:34
rolls in,
30:35
it becomes
30:36
night,
30:36
so picture
30:36
this,
30:37
it's
30:37
night time,
30:38
it's dark,
30:38
it's gloomy,
30:39
and his
30:40
dumb horse
30:41
won't keep
30:41
up,
30:42
so he
30:42
loses them,
30:43
he loses
30:43
the pack.
30:44
So here
30:44
he is again,
30:45
the most
30:45
unlucky
30:45
that can
30:47
be.
30:48
And he
30:48
hears horsemen
30:48
riding up
30:49
behind him,
30:50
and this
30:51
is the
30:51
enemy coming
30:52
along,
30:53
and so he
30:53
takes an
30:54
alternate route,
30:55
so he's
30:55
going by
30:55
himself
30:56
through the
30:56
mountains
30:56
in the
30:57
dark,
30:58
and as
30:58
he's doing
30:59
so,
30:59
he begins
31:00
to sense
31:00
a creature
31:01
walking
31:02
along him,
31:03
beside him,
31:03
okay,
31:04
and this is
31:04
what I'll
31:04
start reading,
31:05
okay.
31:08
Who are
31:09
you?
31:09
he said,
31:10
scarcely
31:11
above a
31:11
whisper.
31:13
One who
31:13
has waited
31:13
long for
31:14
you to
31:15
speak,
31:15
said the
31:16
thing.
31:16
Its voice
31:17
was not
31:17
loud,
31:18
but very
31:18
large and
31:19
deep.
31:20
Are you,
31:21
are you a
31:22
giant?
31:22
asked Shasta.
31:23
Shasta?
31:24
You might
31:25
call me a
31:25
giant,
31:25
said the
31:26
voice,
31:26
but I am
31:27
not like
31:27
the creatures
31:28
you call
31:28
giants.
31:30
I can't
31:30
see you
31:31
at all,
31:31
said Shasta,
31:32
after staring
31:32
very hard.
31:34
Then,
31:34
for an even
31:34
more terrible
31:35
idea had
31:35
come out
31:36
into his
31:36
head,
31:36
he said,
31:37
almost in a
31:37
scream,
31:38
you're not
31:38
something dead,
31:39
are you?
31:39
Oh,
31:39
please do
31:40
go away.
31:40
What harm
31:40
have I ever
31:41
done you?
31:41
Oh,
31:42
I am the
31:42
unluckiest
31:42
person in
31:43
the whole
31:43
world.
31:45
Once more,
31:46
he felt the
31:46
warm breath
31:47
of the thing
31:47
on his
31:47
hand and
31:48
face.
31:49
There,
31:50
it said,
31:50
that is not
31:51
the breath
31:51
of a ghost.
31:52
Tell me
31:53
your sorrows.
31:55
Shasta was a
31:55
little reassured
31:56
by the breath,
31:57
so he told
31:58
how he had
31:58
never known
31:59
his real
31:59
father or
31:59
mother and
32:00
had been
32:00
brought up
32:00
sternly by
32:01
the fishermen.
32:02
And then he
32:02
told the story
32:03
of his escape
32:03
and how they
32:04
were chased
32:04
by lions and
32:04
forced to
32:05
swim for
32:05
their lives,
32:06
and of all
32:06
their dangers
32:07
in Tashban
32:08
and about his
32:08
night among
32:08
the tombs and
32:09
how the beast
32:09
howled at him
32:10
out of the
32:10
desert.
32:11
They told
32:12
about the
32:12
heat of the
32:12
thirst of
32:13
their desert
32:13
journey and
32:13
how they were
32:14
almost at
32:14
their goal
32:15
when another
32:16
lion chased
32:16
them and
32:17
wounded Erebus
32:17
and also how
32:18
very long it
32:19
was since he
32:19
had had
32:20
anything to
32:20
eat.
32:22
I do not
32:22
call you
32:23
unfortunate,
32:24
said the
32:24
large voice.
32:25
Don't you
32:26
think it was
32:26
bad luck to
32:27
meet so many
32:27
lions,
32:28
said Shasta?
32:29
There was
32:29
only one
32:30
lion,
32:30
said the
32:31
voice.
32:32
What on
32:32
earth do
32:32
you mean?
32:33
I just
32:33
told you
32:33
there were
32:33
at least
32:34
two the
32:34
first night
32:34
and there
32:35
was only
32:36
one,
32:36
but he
32:37
was swift
32:37
of foot.
32:38
How do
32:39
you know?
32:40
I was
32:41
the lion.
32:43
And as
32:43
Shasta
32:43
gaped with
32:44
open mouth
32:44
and said
32:45
nothing,
32:45
the voice
32:45
continued.
32:46
I was
32:47
the lion
32:47
who forced
32:47
you to
32:48
join with
32:48
Erebus.
32:49
I was
32:49
the cat
32:49
who comforted
32:50
you among
32:50
the houses
32:51
of the dead.
32:52
I was
32:52
the lion
32:53
who drove
32:53
the jackals
32:54
from you
32:54
while you
32:54
slept.
32:55
I was
32:55
the lion
32:56
who gave
32:56
the horse
32:57
the new
32:57
strength of
32:58
fear for
32:58
the last
32:58
mile so
32:59
that you
32:59
could reach
33:00
King
33:00
Loon in
33:00
time.
33:01
And I
33:02
was the
33:02
lion,
33:02
you do
33:03
not
33:03
remember,
33:03
who pushed
33:04
the boat
33:04
in which
33:05
you lay,
33:05
a child
33:06
near death,
33:07
so that it
33:07
came to shore
33:08
where a man
33:08
sat,
33:14
it was
33:14
I.
33:15
But what
33:16
for?
33:16
Child,
33:17
said the
33:18
voice,
33:18
I am
33:19
telling you
33:19
your story,
33:20
not hers.
33:21
I tell
33:22
no one
33:22
any story
33:23
but his
33:24
own.
33:25
Who
33:25
are you?
33:27
said Shasta.
33:29
Myself,
33:30
said the
33:30
voice,
33:31
very deep
33:31
and low,
33:32
and so
33:32
that the
33:33
earth
33:33
shook.
33:34
And again
33:35
myself,
33:36
loud and
33:37
clear and
33:37
happy,
33:38
and the
33:38
third time,
33:39
myself.
33:40
Whispered
33:41
so softly
33:41
you could
33:42
hardly hear
33:42
it,
33:42
and yet
33:43
it seemed
33:43
to come
33:43
from all
33:44
around you
33:44
as if
33:45
the leaves
33:46
rustled
33:46
with it.
33:48
Shasta
33:48
was no
33:48
longer
33:49
afraid
33:49
that the
33:49
voice
33:49
belonged
33:50
to
33:50
something
33:50
that
33:50
would
33:50
eat
33:51
him,
33:51
nor
33:51
that
33:51
it
34:14
!
34:15
He
34:14
knew
34:15
the
34:15
night
34:15
was
34:15
over
34:16
at
34:16
last.
34:17
He
34:17
could
34:17
see
34:17
the
34:17
mane
34:18
and
34:18
ears
34:18
and
34:18
head
34:19
of his
34:19
horse
34:19
quite easily
34:20
now.
34:21
A golden
34:21
light fell
34:22
on them
34:22
from the
34:23
left.
34:23
He thought
34:24
it was
34:24
the sun.
34:25
He
34:26
turned
34:26
and saw,
34:27
pacing
34:28
beside
34:28
him,
34:29
taller
34:29
than the
34:30
horse,
34:30
a lion.
34:32
The
34:32
horse
34:32
did not
34:32
seem
34:33
to be
34:33
afraid
34:33
of it
34:33
or else
34:34
he
34:34
could
34:34
not
34:34
see
34:34
it.
34:35
It
34:35
was
34:35
from
34:35
the
34:35
lion
34:36
that
34:36
the
34:36
!
34:36
came.
34:37
No
34:38
one
34:38
ever
34:38
saw
34:38
anything
34:39
more
34:39
terrible
34:40
or
34:40
beautiful.
34:42
Luckily,
34:43
Shasta
34:43
had lived
34:43
all his
34:44
life
34:44
far too
34:44
south
34:45
in
34:45
Calamon
34:45
to have
34:45
heard
34:46
the
34:46
tales
34:46
that
34:46
were
34:46
whispered
34:47
in
34:47
Tashpen
34:47
about
34:47
a
34:47
dreadful
34:48
Narnian
34:48
demon
34:48
that
34:49
appeared
34:49
in
34:49
the
34:49
form
34:49
of
34:49
a
34:50
lion.
34:50
And
34:51
of
34:51
course
34:51
he
34:51
knew
34:51
none
34:51
of
34:52
the
34:52
stories
34:52
of
34:52
Aslan,
34:52
the
34:53
great
34:53
lion,
34:53
the
34:53
son
34:54
of
34:54
the
34:54
emperor
34:54
over
34:54
the
34:55
sea,
34:55
the
34:55
king
34:55
above
34:56
all
34:56
high
34:56
kings
34:57
in
34:57
Narnia.
34:58
But
34:58
after
34:58
one
34:58
glance
34:59
at
34:59
the
34:59
lion's
34:59
face,
35:00
he
35:00
slipped
35:00
out
35:00
of
35:01
the
35:01
saddle
35:01
and
35:02
fell
35:02
at
35:02
its
35:02
feet.
35:03
He
35:04
couldn't
35:04
say
35:04
anything,
35:05
but
35:05
then he
35:05
didn't
35:06
want
35:06
to
35:06
say
35:06
anything,
35:07
and
35:07
he
35:07
knew
35:08
he
35:08
needn't
35:08
say
35:09
anything.
35:10
The
35:11
high
35:11
king
35:11
above
35:11
all
35:12
kings
35:12
stooped
35:12
toward
35:13
him,
35:13
its
35:13
mane
35:13
and
35:14
some
35:14
strange
35:14
and
35:15
solemn
35:15
perfume
35:15
that
35:16
hung
35:16
about
35:16
the
35:16
mane
35:17
was
35:17
all
35:17
around
35:18
him.
35:19
It
35:19
touched
35:26
and
35:26
the
35:27
fiery
35:27
brightness
35:27
of
35:27
the
35:27
lion
35:28
rolled
35:28
themselves
35:28
together
35:29
into
35:29
a
35:29
swirling
35:30
glory
35:30
and
35:30
gathered
35:31
themselves
35:31
up
35:31
and
35:32
disappeared.
35:33
He
35:33
was
35:34
alone
35:34
with
35:34
the
35:34
horse
35:34
on
35:35
a
35:35
grassy
35:35
hillside
35:36
under
35:37
a
35:37
blue
35:37
sky
35:37
and
35:38
there
35:38
were
35:39
birds
35:39
singing.
35:41
Hebrews
35:42
chapter 12
35:42
verse 1
35:43
and 2
35:43
says
35:45
therefore since
35:46
we are
35:47
surrounded by
35:47
so great
35:47
a cloud
35:48
of
35:48
witnesses
35:49
Let us
35:49
also
35:49
lay
35:49
aside
35:50
every
35:50
weight
35:50
and
35:50
sin
35:51
which
35:51
clings
35:51
so
35:51
closely
35:52
and
35:53
let us
35:53
run
35:53
with
35:53
endurance
35:54
the
35:54
race
35:54
that
35:55
is
35:55
set
35:55
before
35:55
us
35:55
looking
35:56
to
35:57
Jesus
35:57
the
35:58
founder
35:58
and
35:58
perfecter
35:59
of
35:59
our
35:59
faith
35:59
for
36:00
the
36:00
joy
36:00
that
36:00
was
36:00
set
36:01
before
36:01
him
36:01
endured
36:01
the
36:02
cross
36:02
despising
36:03
shame
36:04
and
36:04
is
36:05
seated
36:05
at
36:05
the
36:06
right
36:06
hand
36:06
of
36:07
the
36:07
throne
36:07
of
36:07
God
36:08
Let's
36:09
pray
36:09
together