Saints of Faith - 7 Hebrews 11:22-25

Hebrews 11 keeps pressing the point that faith grows as God’s people hear the Word of God and see the faithfulness of God in His promises. The patriarchs did not see the full fulfillment in their lifetime, yet they believed that God would do exactly what He said. Joseph stands as the final patriarchal example because he spent his whole adult life in Egypt, never returned to Canaan alive, and still gave orders concerning his bones. Joseph believed the Abrahamic covenant so strongly that he told the sons of Israel, “God will surely take care of you,” and made them swear to carry his bones to the promised land.

God’s promise to Abraham was not merely a promise. God also swore an oath by Himself, because there is no one greater by whom He could swear. Hebrews calls that promise and oath “two unchangeable things” in which it is impossible for God to lie. Christ, seen in the Angel of the Lord who spoke to Abraham after Isaac was spared, gave that oath and pointed ahead to the Seed through whom all nations would be blessed. Joseph’s coffin in Egypt became a continuing witness that Egypt was not Israel’s home and that Canaan would one day be theirs.

Moses carried Joseph’s bones out in the exodus, and Joshua finally buried them at Shechem. Joseph’s faith therefore encouraged generations who came after him. Faith in God’s Word does not stay private. Strong faith strengthens others to hold on when fulfillment is still far off.

Hebrews then turns to Moses’ parents. Moses’ parents hid him for three months because they saw that he was a beautiful child, a child favored by God, and because they were not afraid of Pharaoh’s edict. Their faith did not deny the danger. Pharaoh had commanded the death of Hebrew boys. Their faith obeyed God rather than man, protected the life God had given, and trusted God with what they could no longer control when Jochebed placed Moses in the Nile.

Moses later refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses chose to identify as a Hebrew and to suffer together with the people of God rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin and the treasures of Egypt. Faith determined his identity and allegiance according to God’s Word, not according to the world’s approval. From the worldly standpoint, Moses sacrificed everything for nothing. From the spiritual standpoint, Moses sacrificed nothing for everything.

##

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s promise reaches beyond one lifetime. Joseph never walked into the promised land while alive, but he died convinced that God would bring Israel there. His bones testified that God’s covenant was bigger than one man’s visible experience. Faith does not require immediate fulfillment before it calls God faithful. [16:37]
• 2. God’s oath anchors trembling hearts. God did not need to add an oath to His promise, because His Word cannot fail. Yet God swore by Himself to show the unchangeableness of His purpose and to give strong encouragement to those who take refuge in Him. Hope becomes an anchor when it rests on Christ rather than on changing circumstances. [21:37]
• 3. Faith encourages generations after it. Joseph’s command concerning his bones reached Moses in the exodus and Joshua in the land. His confidence in God became encouragement for Israel through centuries of affliction and waiting. Faithful trust leaves more behind than personal comfort; it gives others reason to believe God will do what He said. [30:29]
• 4. Faith obeys God under real pressure. Moses’ parents faced a wicked king’s command, yet they refused to treat their son’s life as disposable. Their obedience involved risk, but Pharaoh’s authority did not overrule God’s moral authority. Faith does not wait until obedience feels safe before doing what is right. [46:13]
• 5. Faith chooses God’s people over Egypt. Moses could have held onto royalty, education, wealth, and the passing pleasures of sin. Instead, he chose solidarity with the afflicted people of God because he knew where his true allegiance belonged. Christian identity is not self-esteem centered around the self; it is being identified with Christ.
  
  ## [53:03]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:48] - Growing Stronger in Faith
• [02:54] - Joseph and the Unseen Promise
• [07:04] - Faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
• [12:46] - God Meant It for Good
• [14:11] - Joseph’s Command Concerning His Bones
• [18:16] - God’s Promise and Oath to Abraham
• [23:18] - The Angel of the Lord and Christ
• [27:16] - Joseph Makes Israel Swear
• [30:07] - Joseph’s Bones Carried to Canaan
• [32:10] - Faith That Encourages Others
• [35:24] - Moses’ Parents Hide Their Son
• [41:10] - A Beautiful Child Favored by God
• [46:13] - Obeying God Rather Than Pharaoh
• [49:14] - Moses Identifies With God’s People
• [53:03] - Choosing Suffering Over Egypt’s Pleasures
• [57:18] - Faith for the Future

1. What does Hebrews 11:22 say Joseph did as he was dying, and what future event did he mention? [14:11]
2. According to Hebrews 11:23, what two reasons are given for Moses’ parents hiding him for three months?
3. What did Moses refuse to be called when he was grown, and what did he choose instead in Hebrews 11:24–25? [53:03]
4. What contrast does the passage make between suffering with God’s people and the pleasures and treasures available in Egypt? [55:41]

1. Joseph never returned to Canaan during his lifetime, yet he gave instructions about his bones. What does this reveal about the kind of faith Hebrews is commending? [29:11]
2. Why would Joseph’s command about his bones have reminded later generations that Egypt was not their true home? How could that have encouraged Israel during long years of slavery? [30:29]
3. Moses’ parents were not free from danger, yet they were not afraid of Pharaoh’s command. What does their example show about obeying God when human authority requires what God forbids? [46:13]
4. Moses had wealth, status, education, and security in Egypt. Why does Hebrews describe his choice to suffer with God’s people as faith rather than simply a difficult personal decision? [54:53]

1. Is there a promise of God that you are still waiting to see fulfilled—perhaps in your family, your spiritual growth, or a difficult circumstance? What would it look like to trust God’s Word before you see the outcome? [57:12]
2. Joseph’s faith encouraged people long after he died. What habits, words, or decisions could help your faith strengthen someone else in your family, church, or small group this week? [32:12]
3. Moses’ parents protected their son when doing so carried real risk. Are there pressures from culture, work, family, or government that tempt you to stay quiet or compromise what God calls right? How can you respond with both wisdom and courage? [58:22]
4. Moses refused an identity built on Egypt’s approval and chose identification with God’s people. Where are you most tempted to let success, comfort, reputation, politics, or other people’s approval define you more than your identity in Christ? [59:30]
5. What “passing pleasures” can make obedience to Christ seem costly in your present circumstances? What lasting reward does faith help you see beyond those temporary attractions? [53:13]
6. When your faith feels weak or uncertain, how can regular hearing and studying of God’s Word help steady and strengthen you? What is one specific step you could take this week? [01:42]