BIBLE READING: Hebrews 11.30
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.”

“And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.” (Joshua 6.2). That surely was encouraging, but the battle plan was unconventional. The men of Israel were armed for battle (Joshua 6.9), but instead of storming the walls, God had them march around them (Joshua 6.3). "Blow the trumpets and yell and the city will be yours" (Joshua 6.5). Sounds like a good intimidation tactic, but how was this going to work? I’m sure there were some who had concerns, but by faith they marched, raising no weapon. After 7 days of faithful obedience, the walls fell, and they took what God had given them (Joshua 6.20-21).

It wasn’t because they people weren’t willing or able to fight. It was because God was making a point. Although liberated and more capable, victory came from God. They were God’s people because of his choosing (Deuteronomy 7.7). He had promised them this land, and nothing would stop that. The people in Canaan were no chumps – remember the report from the spies? (Numbers 13.28-29, 31-33) – but unlike the previous generation, these people trusted God at his word. He would make good on his promises. He only wanted them to trust and obey.

We are naturally geared to focus on what we bring to the table; and certainly, faith calls us to action. But many times, faithful obedience calls us to minimize our role to maximize God. Think about Gideon with his 300 soliders (Judges 6-7), mighty Naaman and his leprosy (2 Kings 5), and John the Baptist with Jesus (John 3.30). They had abilities but also significant limitations. In each circumstance, their limitations put the focus on God.

The same is true in our lives. If we were able to accomplish everything on our own, we would never have a need for God. We would overemphasize our ability and minimize our trust. Pride and self-sufficiency would rule where God ought to be. We need to keep our priorities in line.

God fights for his people. He is a strong deliverer, a mighty tower, a strong arm against our enemies. He serves his people in ways they cannot. He is near the broken hearted and afflicted. He is mindful of the needy and helpless. He is merciful, compassionate, and gracious. But his power can only be realized when we humble ourselves in obedience.

All people of faith must put their strengths aside at times to glorify God. It is a discipline of priority. We must never emphasize our ability or think-sos over God. He is Supreme and Sovereign. There is nothing too hard for him. He doesn’t need our help; he only desires our trust and obedience.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3.5-6)

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12.9-10)

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 3.1-6

If the bible had an all-star team, Moses would probably be one of the team captains. You would be hard pressed to find a page in scripture that’s not influenced by his life. He wrote the first 5 books of the bible. He delivered the law from God that would define the very lives of God’s people. Moses led Israel through one of the most challenging seasons in any nation’s history.

As you page through scripture, Moses is esteemed for his teaching and efforts. Even in the New Testament, he is cited for matters of judgment (Matthew 19.7). Religious groups were formed around his teachings and example (Matthew 23.2). His presence is nearly inescapable in the story of scripture. As such he was (and still is by many) treated with the utmost authority and respect. This is primarily because, in the biblical record, Moses is remembered as a man who was a faithful servant of God (Hebrews 3.2, 5). The refrain in Exodus 39-40 is that “Moses did according to all the LORD commanded him” (Exodus 39.1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 31, 42-43; 40.16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 32) ultimately finishing the work God gave him to do (Exodus 40.34). Moses was faithful in God’s house, so much that God would openly state his approval (Exodus 33.17).

Moses is a spiritual giant. But he’s not the one we follow. Why? There are obvious answers. He didn’t call us to do so. He played a very specific role in history. He didn’t die for us. In fact, he’s still dead, like every other leader in Israel’s history. Although prominent in the scriptures, the story doesn’t stop with him. There was always going to be someone greater than Moses. His faith serves to help us, and many others in history, see Jesus.

We should learn to emulate Moses’ faithful life, as well as others of faith (1 Corinthians 11.1; Philippians 3.17); but we must remember these are mere shadows of the perfect Christ. Even Moses knew this (see Deuteronomy 18.15-19). Moses was but a servant whereas Jesus is the son. Moses’ fell short of the promised land, but Jesus perfectly leads to the eternal promised rest. Moses had imperfections but Jesus did not. His faith paved the way for others to see the one God ultimately wanted us to listen to (Hebrews 12.25).

Here's what this means for us: Our faithfulness should always serve to elevate Jesus. Not only does this take significant pressure off us but establishes a clear goal with everything we do: point others to Jesus. I should practice faith to point to the one whose name “God has highly exalted and given the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2.9-11). Our practice of faith must be about someone greater than just me. 

I can teach, help and serve others, but I am limited. I cannot change their hearts and I cannot save their souls. But I know the one who can. And by faith, I hope to show Jesus more clearly to the world.

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 11.28
“By faith, [Moses] kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.”

In the 1984 film “The Karate Kid”, a young man named Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi who promises to teach him karate. But training doesn’t go anything like Daniel expected. Mr. Miyagi instructs him to wax his car using very specific motions: “Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. [Each time Mr. Miyagi makes circular motions with each hand to demonstrate] Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don’t forget to breathe, very important.” The labor-intensive project goes on day after day, week after week.

Daniel doesn’t get it an eventually his frustration boils over. As he begins to storm off, Mr. Miyagi sternly calls Daniel. Suddenly, Mr. Miyagi throws a punch at Daniel, and Daniel instinctively blocks it with the movements he had been using to complete the chores. The muscle memory Daniel developed had prepared him to defend himself when Mr. Miyagi delivers a series of punches and kicks at Daniel. In that moment Daniel understood that every seemingly mundane chore Mr. Miyagi had assigned was teaching him the basics of karate.

In similar fashion, we don’t always understand the reasons for God’s instructions. His instructions can feel counterintuitive and pointless. But they are both revelatory and instructive. They are preparing us for what is to come. This is something we learn from passages like Exodus 12 and the Passover.

God through Moses told the people to take a lamb without blemish (12.5) and kill it at twilight (12.6). They were to sprinkle the blood and eat it (12.7-9), and not allow anything to remain until the next morning (12.10). In this case, God had rationale for them in the present (12.26-27), but these details reveal God’s ultimate events of redemption through Christ. He was the perfect “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1.29). He was murdered at twilight and his body was taken down before the next morning (Matthew 27.45-50; John 19.31-37). The sprinkling of his blood would serve to save many (Isaiah 52.15; Hebrews 12.24).  

On this side of the cross we see the significance of these commands. But it was by faith that Moses kept the Passover.  His obedience to is an admonition for our faith. God’s instructions may not always make sense to us. Sometimes they oppose our cultural norms. Sometimes they defy our logic. Sometimes they’re just not what we want to do. We may get frustrated and want to reject what God tells us to do. But, by faith, we must let God’s way prevail in our lives. He is setting us up for future understanding and success if we will trust and obey.

Furthermore, our obedience both clarifies and confirms God’s plan for redemption. Just as the Passover allowed for future generations to understand the Christ, so too our faithful obedience will provide the foundation for future generations to see God more clearly. Let us join the cloud of witnesses who, by faith, kept the patterns of God.

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 11.23
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

This verse summarizes Exodus 1.8–2.10. The Israelites, having once occupied a place of importance in Egyptian society because of Joseph, now find themselves in bondage. A new Pharaoh has come to power and, out of fear for his own power, has decreed that all male Hebrew infants are to be killed. Into this reality, baby Moses was born to Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6.20).

As I considered their choices, it occurred to me there were probably other factors motivating this decision: fear, determination, parental love. Without this recounting in Hebrews 11, one might chalk their choices up to any combinations of these factors. But the prevailing thought in Hebrews 11 is “by faith.” The recounted events are only told to us because they spring out of faith. Amram and Jochebed didn’t make this choice thoughtless of God and his sovereign power. Instead, they acted by faith.

It takes faith to disregard an edict of the king. It takes faith put your own life on the line for the sake of another. It takes faith to do what is right. But these parents feared God rather than men because true, persevering faith obeys God. They hid Moses even though their disobedience could have been discovered (and punished) at any time. As we’ve seen from others in this chapter, the prevailing motivator was trust in God to have the final say.

It is interesting the author of Hebrews doesn’t include their names. Their faithful choices not only affected the life of Moses, but of an entire nation. By faith they preserved the life of one of the greatest leaders in history. But maybe that’s the point. Faithfulness is more focused on God’s working through human choices. When we obey God, it has greater impact than just our lives in the present. More importantly it allows God’s glory to be shown in this world.

By faith Moses’ parents disregarded their lives to save their son who would grow up to deliver his people from slavery. The Nile was meant to be the tool to kill him, but God used that very thing to be the means for his deliverance. Even the meaning of his name (“to draw out”) reflects the deliverance that occurred because God was faithful to His promise of sending a deliverer to the Israelites.

By faith, we can have the same impact today. Most of us are not destined for large scale leadership or mass influence. But our faithful choices may be paving the way for those who will. My grandparents both grew up in godless homes. But years ago, they learned about God and chose to walk with him. Today they have 4 children many grandchildren who are also faithful to the Lord. In the coming years, their names may be lost to history, but their legacy of faith will remain because they prepared the next generation to know God. We may not be able to do a lot, but we can do something, by faith, that will serve others and honor God.

BIBLE READING: Hebrews 11.21
“By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff.”

The life of Jacob was a colorful one. His early years were marked by trickery and manipulation. He took advantage of his brother Esau and deceived his father Isaac, gaining him firstborn status and blessings. But his deception caught up with him and was forced to flee to Haran to find a wife and escape Esau’s anger. Over the course of 21 years, he married two of his cousins and experienced plenty of family drama. Jacob notably had 12 sons (who became what we know as the 12 tribes of Israel), but there was strife among them because of Jacob’s favoritism towards Joseph. His own reflection upon his life was, “Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life” (Genesis 47.9).

And yet here is another unlikely inductee into the Hall of Faith. Not only that, but God’s people would assume his name (Israel) and he would be remembered for all time alongside both Abraham and Isaac (e.g., Genesis 50.34; Exodus 3.15; Acts 7.32). Why? We are directed to the end of Jacob’s life as he spoke to the sons of Joseph (see Genesis 48).

Jacob, although knowing he would die in Egypt, had faith that God would keep His promise and take his descendants into the Promised Land. Knowing this, he gave a blessing to his grandsons and then he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. Jacob worshiped God, knowing in his heart that the promised blessings given to Abraham and Isaac, and passed on to him would be fulfilled. Jacob’s faith is also seen in his last words to all his sons in Genesis 49.29-30, “I am about to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,  in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah….in the land of Canaan [the Promised Land]”.
 
Jacob was a man of faith who struggled much of his life with the reality of faith. But when it came to die, Jacob looked back over his life and remembered God’s blessings, God’s promises, God’s leading, and God’s redemption (Genesis 48.3-4, 15-16). Despite (and often because of) struggles, his faith had grown and at the end his faith was strong and a living testimony that God’s promises are real and reliable.

With many in Hebrews 11 we are intended to see their unlikely inclusion as a statement from God. Faith doesn’t mean perfection. It doesn’t even mean getting it right the first time. Instead, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrew 11.1). Faith produces growth in our spirit to cling more firmly to the things promised and pass that along. Ultimately, faith is shown as an attitude of trust in God that develops over time and is deliberately communicated to others.

“Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers.” (Genesis 48.21)