Hebrews 11:8-22 The Upward Forward Gaze of Faith

Bible Study Series: Jesus in Hebrews - Better by Far!

Bible Study Lesson: Hebrews 11:8-22 - The Upward Forward Gaze of Faith

by I Gordon

Welcome! We looked last time at the progression of faith seen in the first 7 verses of Hebrews 11 and noted also the enemy's response in trying to prevent the believer from progressing in each step of the way. Just as it is impossible for God to change in His faithfulness to His own, so it is impossible for the enemy to change in his intentions against God's own. Sorry about that! We are moving on to the next section in the Hebrews 11 'Hall of Faith' today, studying verses 8-22 and looking at the upward forward gaze of faith. We are exploring the fathers of the faith today, the Patriarchs... namely Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. So specifically we'll study:  

• Abraham's call into the unknown - How he was able 'trust an unknown future to a known God'?
• Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's focus - What motivated them in their walk of faith? Where was their gaze and why did this please the heart of God? 
• Abraham's testing with Isaac - Why was he tested by God? And how does it relate to our walk of faith?
• Isaac, Jacob and Joseph's future focus - With such extraordinary lives as they led, what does the author of Hebrews focus on as examples of faith? And what does it mean for us?  

Ok... that sounds like a fair amount to get through! Let's go...

Abraham's Call into the Unknown

Heb 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 

Abraham is called the father of the Jewish faith and to state it briefly, he is a big deal! But while he is known for his faith, it wasn't always that way. He grew up in Ur of Chaldea (modern day south Iraq) in a family of idol worshippers (Gen 11:31, Josh 24:2). Here he lived for the first 75 years of his life before the call of God came to him. And what a call it was! 'Abraham' God said, 'Get up, leave your family, and go to the place I will show you.' That is some call of God. How would I respond if God said 'Iain, get up and leave your home and family and I'll show you which direction to walk as you go.' The closest I can relate to that is when I was at Bible College and we had a weekend where they sent us out with no plan in mind. So a friend and I walked out the gate of the college and asked God which way to go. Left or right? We just started walking. And it was amazing to see some of the people and experiences that we had that weekend. We certainly had some puzzled looks on people's faces as they picked us up and asked 'where are you going?' and we'd reply 'um, don't know... where are you going? We are going where you are going!' And this led to some great conversations about what we were doing and how we were trusting God for the weekend! Now here is the Biblical account of Abraham's call:

Gen 12:1-4  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."  (4)  So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.

As I wrote in a previous study, Abraham had a specific call from God to go and so he went, simply trusting God to direct. No Google maps, no GPS in his car, and no car either! There were no forward reservations in place for where he was going because he didn't know where that was! He just went out, following the call of God, while realizing he would never return. Does that take faith in God? You bet it does! 

The Upward Focus on Heaven

Heb 11:9-16  By 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.  (10)  For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.  (11)  By 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.  (12)  And 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.  (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.  (14)  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  (15)  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  (16)  Instead, 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.

It is really important to see what it was that motivated these saints of old to do what they did. When you read the Old Testament stories you get to see what they did, but not so much why they did it. The writer of Hebrews, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, goes beyond the outward actions to give us the underlying 'why'. And what was it that motivated them? He says that they were willing to live as strangers and aliens on earth because they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one! I love that. Theirs was an upward and forward gaze. They longed for the Heavenly Jerusalem and being with the Lord.¹ They kept their eye on the prize so to speak and were still living by faith and in this sure hope through life and even when they died. They longed for their real home. Which raises the question - Is that where your heart is? Or have the things of earth clouded your vision? If we are honest, we all get overtaken by the here and now. We live down here with all the daily grind, troubles and worries. Your feet are planted on the ground, but where is your heart? Life goes very quickly. It doesn't seem so when we are young but suddenly we find ourselves middle aged or in our latter years and wonder where it all went! 

And I love how this passage begins: 'By 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. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.' The contrast is given here between living in this world and the one to come. The first is described as living in tents as the Patriarchs did. That is, nothing is permanent, nothing is safe, nothing is secure. All is transient, temporary, and given to the many winds that blow in this world. In contrast to that, listen to how the life to come, which Abraham and his sons looked and longed for, is described: 'he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.' Note the following:

• It is a city: While a tent, describing our life in this world, is temporary and insecure, there is a permanent secure city that has been made for the life to come. 
• With foundations: Ever been camping in a tent when there are high winds and howling rain? I have... most enjoyable! Ok, it normally doesn't take long before you start thinking of something a little more secure! Well even Abraham desired a place with a sure, solid, permanent foundation as nothing is sure in this life. Wild winds blow in this life, but the city to come has sure foundations and there is nothing that can budge, move or harm this heavenly city! We often think that we are secure down here. We take comfort or hope in our family, our health, our job, maybe some money in the bank for a rainy day... yet all these things are temporary and subject to the changing winds that blow. But always remember that the city to come has sure foundations and nothing can affect it!
• Whose architect and builder is God: The heavenly city has been designed and built by God Himself. A few years back we had to help design a new home for my Mum. And we did ok. But there are always things afterwards that you think 'hmmm, we should have done that differently...' But not so with God. Everything was thought of when he built this heavenly city and no mistakes were made! On a related sidenote, the Timeout website recently published its top cities of the world for 2026. Melbourne took the top spot, followed by Shanghai, Edinburgh, London and New York. But believe me, if the Heavenly city was allowed in the competition there would only be one winner each and every year! And they wouldn't even publish who came second because there would be no comparison!   

C.S Lewis wrote these words of insight that are more true then ever:

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The apostles themselves... the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in.'
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

That is so true. Have you heard the saying 'they are so heavenly-minded, they are no earthly good!'? Well, that is NOT the problem in this age of Laodicea and to be honest I'm not sure who that applies to. But there are many Christians that as so earthly minded they are no heavenly good. So we are to learn from these words in Hebrews and what God commended, being heavenly focused and setting our mind on the things above (as scripture tells us to do! Col 3:1-4).

Abraham's faith with offering Isaac

Heb 11:17-19  By 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,  (18)  even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."  (19)  Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Here is another example where Abraham had to look forward in faith in one very difficult test that God had for him. In fact he had to see past the death of his promised son Isaac and onto his resurrection.. and that is faith! Genesis 22:1 says 'Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.' This is the first mention in the Bible of God testing someone. So why? What is God trying to see if He knows all things already? I was once asked the following question:

'We know the LORD knows everything, past, present and future. Right? Referring to Abraham, the LORD asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. My point is that the LORD knew Abraham was going to be obedient to HIM, then why did HE ask Abraham to offer his little one?'

Now that's a fair question. In my answer (which I'll summarize here but here is a link to the original Q&A), I included the following points:

• The test is not for God but for Abraham to know his own heart - And this goes for our lives today as well. While we talk about faith, surrender and obedience, all of this is actually proved in the difficult trials... not while the sun is out and the birds are chirping so to speak! This was a huge test for God to ask Abraham to go through, but he did so in faith. Abraham would have learnt about trusting God in the really difficult times and so do we in our tests.
• The test is because Heaven is watching! - While God knows all things, the angelic beings, both good and bad, don't. They are all involved in what plays out on this earth behind the scenes and watch to see what will happen in various situations. They are still learning about the wonders of this limitless God and marvel at His ways (Eph 3:10-11). So they would have been watching this dramatic event with Abraham wondering how it would all play out!
• The test is so Abraham can be rewarded justly and be seen to be rewarded justly. - There is perfect justice in all that God does. And He often demonstrates that justice. He could have just rewarded and blessed Abraham greatly without any tests (just based on what He knew Abraham would do if tested) but that wouldn't be seen to be just. In allowing this test to play out, all the heavenly realm, and all those that would come afterwards (including you and me), can look on and see God is justified in His actions of rewarding Abraham and blessing him richly! (Gen 22:15-18)
• The test is so Abraham can enter into a part of what God Himself would experience - Abraham would be the father of many nations but the father of God's chosen nation, the Jewish nation, especially. As the father, God allowed Abraham to experience a little of what He Himself, as the Heavenly Father, would experience in offering up His only Son - Jesus. There will be a depth here we know little about. Abraham said to Isaac 'God will provide for Himself the lamb!' - and so He would in the fullness of time!
• The test is so all of us could see the plan of God in 2000 years in advance - God likes to show what He is going to do in advance and especially when it comes to the greatest event in human history - the death and resurrection of His Son! Sometimes this is through prophecies, sometimes through outward pictures that are played out in people's lives. But God was playing out with Abraham and his son Isaac, a picture of what the Father would do with Jesus 2000 years later!
• The test is so we also could learn and follow Abraham's example - All the tests Abraham went through teach us as well. Speaking of Abraham's testing time in waiting for the promised Son (even when all hope seemed lost from a natural point of view) we read:
  Rom 4:20-24 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, (21) being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (22) This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." (23) The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, (24) but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
  And may we not waver but be strengthened by our faith as we give glory to God. The upward forward gaze of faith allows us to do this!

So Abraham obeyed God believing that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Again... that's faith! Has anyone been raised from the dead at this point in time? Nope. Everyone that had died, was, well, very much still dead! Try as they might, no one had come back from the dead yet! Yet Abraham believed that God could and would raise his son from the dead. Abraham had to look past the current time of testing and difficulty, seeing well into the future to gain hope and strength for today. And we have to do the same! So again, how is your long sightedness? Are you currently in an unknown or dark time? Is your faith allowing you to see the good things that are coming and thereby gain strength for today? I hope so. This is something we all need to talk to the Lord about!  

Isaac, Jacob & Joseph's future gaze

Heb 11:20-22  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.  (21)  By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.  (22)  By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

Now, with everything that Isaac, Jacob and Joseph went through in their lives, it is interesting to see what the writer of Hebrews chose as the important acts of faith to focus on. Isaac gets a mention for blessing his two sons². Jacob also gets a mention for blessing Joseph's sons and for worshipping God. Joseph gets a mention because he spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and wanted his bones taken out of Egypt and back to the Promised Land. So why are these things important? One thing they have in common is that they were all forward looking as we have been talking about. Isaac spoke prophetically about Jacob and Esau's future. Jacob did the same with Joseph's sons. Joseph looked forward to the day when his fellow Israelites would be delivered from Egypt. And all of this was by faith even though their current situation may have looked very different. William MacDonald writes:

It is hard for our western minds to understand what was so unusual in the faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, as recorded in the next three verses. Isaac, for instance, achieved a place in faith's hall of fame because he invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. What was remarkable about that? Before the children were born, the Lord announced to Rebekah that the boys would become the source of two nations and that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob). Esau was Isaac's favorite and, as the elder son, would normally have received the best portion from his father. But Rebekah and Jacob deceived Isaac, whose sight was now poor, into giving the best blessing to Jacob. When the plot was exposed, Isaac trembled violently. But he remembered God's word that the older would serve the younger, and in spite of his predilection for Esau, he realized that God's overruling of his natural weakness must stand.
Believers Bible Commentary

So Isaac is noted for the blessing he gave. If you remember the story, Isaac was deceived by Rebekah and Jacob in giving the blessing to Jacob (Gen 27:27-40). His 'blessing' for Esau wasn't exactly one that would have put a smile on Esau's dial! But he was now in alignment, even through unusual means, with God's plan and promise right from the birth of these two boys where the Lord had said to Rebekah:

Gen 25:23  ..."Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

Speaking of the blessing Isaac gave, Charles Spurgeon writes well:

He was old and blind, so that he did not know which of his sons came for the first blessing, yet he could see into the future sufficiently to bless both his sons “concerning things to come.” What wondrous power there is in faith even when it is exercised by very imperfect individuals!... Blind as he was, he could see more than many that have good eyes, for he had the eyes of faith. There is no end to the blessing that faith can bestow upon others. A believing man can bless his children. I believe in the blessings of good men. Why should I not? If they are believers, they have power with God. Their wishes are prayers. Their prayers are heard. Their blessings then are realities.
Charles Spurgeon

Jacob's blessing of Joseph's two boys was likewise in alignment with God's will and future for them despite their current rank and position. Jacob was led by God as he crossed his hands and gave the greater blessing to the younger boy Ephraim. At the time Joseph protested thinking his dad was just old and doddering, getting all mixed up about who was who! But oh no! Old he was, but this blessing of Jacob was by faith, through the enabling of God, looking well into the future of these two boys and taking into what they would become. 

And Joseph himself, in his old age and nearing death, also spoke by faith about a future, and better, day. He spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and also foresaw the future resurrection for he wanted his bones to be taken in the exodus into the Promised Land. And this is our hope too. By faith we see the future better day coming when we will leave this world and be taken to our true home. Again, this is what the Patriarchs were commended for. This is what the hall of faith focuses on. This is what pleased the heart of God and why scripture tells us that God was not ashamed to be called their God. May this be our focus. 

Conclusion 

So as we conclude I just want to touch on one more point. We have seen what Hebrews 11 focuses on concerning the fathers of the faith. But have you thought about what isn't there? What is not in the testimony concerning these saints in Hebrews 11... or in Heaven for that matter? Their failures and mistakes. Because, as the New Covenant tells us, 'their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more'. And that is almost enough to bring a tear to the eye. Let me just close with a list of what Hebrews 11 doesn't talk about:

Abraham

• He lied about Sarah being his sister, deceiving Pharoah, to protect himself (Genesis 12:10–20)
• He repeated the same lie to Abimelech putting Sarah in harm's way (Genesis 20:1–18)
• He had a child with Hagar instead of trusting God’s promise (Genesis 16:1–4) 
• He laughed at God’s promise of a son because of his old age (Genesis 17:17)

Sarah

• She encouraged Abraham to sleep with Hagar (Genesis 16:1–2)
• She then mistreated Hagar out of jealousy when a son was born (Genesis 16:5–6)
• She also laughed at God’s promise of a son (and then denied it when confronted by God!) (Genesis 18:12–15)

Isaac

• He followed Abraham's example of fear and lied about Rebekah being his sister (Genesis 26:7–9)
• He showed favoritism toward Esau  Genesis 25:28 
• He attempted to bless Esau despite God’s prophecy favoring Jacob (Genesis 27:1–4)

Jacob

• He deceived Isaac (with Rebekah’s help) to steal Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27:18–29)
• He took advantage of Esau’s hunger to gain the birthright (Genesis 25:29–34)
• He deceived Laban, increasing his own flocks, through selective breeding (Genesis 30:37–43)
• He showed favoritism toward Joseph, causing jealousy and division amongst his other sons (Genesis 37:3–4)

I think you get the message. These were not perfect people. They were like you... ok, and me! And yet, guess what? As mentioned, none of these things are in Hebrews 11 and none are remembered in Heaven. 'Your sins and your lawless deeds I will remember no more' is the promise of God for those that are His! And that is amazing for all of us that trust in Him! All that will remain in eternity is our walk and acts of faith. So may you keep looking forward. Keep looking up. Keep an eternal focus. Keep gaining hope today from the good things that God has prepared for those that love Him. 

And may God help you in all of this as you walk through this uncertain world! God bless.

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FOOTNOTES