Hebrews 11

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Over the next several... (days, weeks, months??), I want to explore the Hall of Faith, and examine the lives of some of these men and women, and what separates (and likens) them from us.

I think we at times become so fixated on the "Hero" that we lose sight of the person...

It will be a fun and enlightening journey, I hope...

I am going to sticky this thread for easy access, as I do not think that we will get this all in one sitting, LOL...

Enjoy and see you after the storm...

God Bless and looking forward to exploring this with you...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Now that the storm has passed (the physical storm that swept across the Oregon Coast... don't look for a deeper meaning to that phrase in this particular context, ), I want to start by laying a groundwork for what we mean by "faith".

We will take a look at some definitions before we progress, so that we are all on the same page...

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, we are told:
It is important to notice that Heb_11:1 is no exception to the rule that “faith” normally means “reliance,” “trust.” There “Faith is the substance (or possibly, in the light of recent inquiries into the type of Greek used by New Testament writers, “the guaranty”) of things hoped for, the evidence (or “convincing proof”) of things not seen.” This is sometimes interpreted as if faith, in the writer's view, were, so to speak, a faculty of second sight, a mysterious intuition into the spiritual world. But the chapter amply shows that the faith illustrated, e.g. by Abraham, Moses, Rahab, was simply reliance upon a God known to be trustworthy. Such reliance enabled the believer to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen. In short, the phrase here, “faith is the evidence,” etc., is parallel in form to our familiar saying, “Knowledge is power.”

Strong's defines it as:
G4102
πίστις
pistis
pis'-tis
From G3982; persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

Over the next stretch we will be gin to see how mutually exclusive Faith remains from the day-to-day walk of the believer at times. We need to become aware that Faith is a rudder which steers our ship through life, it is not a guarantee (or even an implication) of smooth sailing. We WILL have pitfalls, failures and setbacks. It's not a possibility or even a likelihood, it is a guarantee!!!

Faith is not what keeps us from faltering or stumbling. It is what enables to get up and move on when such shipwrecks capsize our lives. Without Faith it is impossible to please God, because it is only through Faith that we are able to walk forward in the path that he has laid out for our feet...

Blessings to you all, and soon, we will begin to walk through the heroes of the Faith...

God Bless

[breakingrote]

I understand faith to be confidence or trust in something; or, believing in something without proof.

As we know, the bible has very real proof supporting it, that's why I don't think that God was asking us to have faith in his existence (Gods existence is irrefutable), but rather, faith in him in the I-will-do-as-I-say sense.

It would be hard to trust God when your staring down the barrel of a gun and being told, "If you confess Christianity as your belief I will pull the trigger." Although, it probably won't be that dramatic, but you understand my point.

What the hey, another example:

It would be hard to give your rent money to someone God asked you to give it to. Especially when you haven't any money to replace it; but God always teaches us that if we have faith he will provide someway.

[Jerod W. Rickert]

As we prepare to journey on a walk through the hall of faith, there's a few more (what I consider to be) Key verses on faith I would like to lay as a groundwork for where we are going...

Rom 10:17 So then faith is of hearing, and hearing through the Word of God.

1Co 2:5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

2Co 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Gal 3:7 Therefore know that those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

1Jn 5:4 For whatever is born from God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith.

Jas 2:17 Thus also faith, if it does not have works, being alone, is dead.

These verses (and many others to be sure, this is by no means an intensive or exhaustive dissertation on faith) are, I believe fudamental to beginning to understand what is required in becoming a "Hero of the Faith"...

Although "The greatest of these is Love", we must remember that it is only through a Faith in the Living God and Savior of the universe. And this Faith is a gift from Him who Loves us, and wants us to succeed. But it is still our responsibility to stir it up and show it to the world. It is the saving Faith in Christ that allows us to reach out to a lost and dying world in Love and bring them to the arms of a waiting Savior...

God Bless and next we actually delve into Hebrews 11,

[breakingrote]

Mat 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
Mat 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
Mat 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?


With the power of faith we can walk on water to Jesus, but be careful of doubt due to the boisterous wind

[Jerod W. Rickert]

GREAT picture, br, thanx for that...

I apologize for the delay in gettng this rolling a little more, the Holiday Season has been busy with stuff (including, but not limited to... ER visits for the kids, freak weather, general illness for me and about 402752098347509827 different meetings between school and church)...

I will try tomorrow night to move forward with this, thank you for your patience...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

OK, I know I've sais this a week ago , but tonight when I return home from work, we will begin with verses 1 and 2 of Hebrews 11, thank you to all who have been reading/supporting my venture here, it means alot...

God Bless and have a great day!!!!

[Jerod W. Rickert]

OK, let's look at the first 3 verses of Hebrews 11...

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the essence of things being hoped, the evidence of things not having been seen.
Heb 11:2 For by this the elders obtained witness.
Heb 11:3 By faith we understand the ages to have been framed by the Word of God, so that the things seen should not come into being out of things that appear.

Such a great introduction into exactly what Faith is!! Faith is not just this nebulous "belief" or "hope", it is evidence, the very substance of of those things we have not seen. Our Faith is not meant to be blind or uneducated, it is based off of the very evidence of what faith has accomplished. It is the things that come into being "out of nowhere". It is based off of the strong, indisputable track record of God's Word. God has used the things unseen to bring into being things which weren't to boslter our Faith and to grow our belief. That we would know his rich grace and love.

As we prepare to continue our journey, look through the next several verses and begin to think what we know of these "Heroes of the Faith". You may be surprised what we will find...

God Bless...

[breakingrote]

So basically Gods saying this on these few verses:

God says then we have faith. Afterwards, our faith confirmed by the fruition of Gods promise and thus we have evidence of Gods word which furthers our faith?

Just trying to understand.

[Jerod W. Rickert]

breakingrote said:

So basically Gods saying this on these few verses:

God says then we have faith. Afterwards, our faith confirmed by the fruition of Gods promise and thus we have evidence of Gods word which furthers our faith?

Just trying to understand.

well, sure if you want to make it simple, LOL, but yes that is actually a very succinct statement...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered a greater sacrifice to God than Cain, by which he obtained witness to be righteous, God testifying over his gifts; and through it, having died, he yet speaks.
Heb 11:5 By faith "Enoch" was translated so as not to see death, and "was not found, because God translated him." For before his translation, he had obtained witness to have been pleasing to God.

OK, as we begin our walk through the Heroes of the faith, we are first introduced to 2 men with seemingly very little in common and that we know very little about. Some will state that the order of the heroes listed is merely Chronological, I do not discount that out of hand, but I believe that it is more than that.

Abel we know as one of Adam and Eve's children, and a Shepherd (hmmm... anyone see a foreshadowing there?? ). Cain, his brother, was a tender of fields. They both offered a sacrifice to God, but Abel's was looked on more favorably. Why?? Was it the sacrifice itself? Was it the Quality of the sacrifice? Or was it the fact that his heart was pure and he offered gifts to God from the best of what he had??? We may never know the full truth, only that his was pleasing to God, and his brothers was not. Abel, because of his faith before God became the first in a LONG line of Martyrs and Shepherds. And he further showed us a glimpse of God's Love in that God Himself told Cain that Sbel's blood still audibly cried out from the ground. No Sacrifice to God is EVER made in vain, and no repercussion from a Sacrifice of Faith is ever left unchecked by our Holy Savior.

Enoch, we know so very little about, only that his faith was so great and pleasing to God that he was simply taken away, never to experience physical death. How great a faith must that man have possessed to earn such a gift?? We may never know what it took for that, but it is important for us to look deeper and undrstand that God's ability to bless us, and the depth of His blessings would appear to be directly related to our level of faith!! Now, there is something to chew on!!!

In closing, I find it to be very telling that the first 2 Heroes we meet, are the 2 that we know the least about, and the 2 that we actually do not know ANY of their weaknesses or fallings...

Hmmmm... think on that, as we prepare to move forward, and hopefully we will all begin to realize it is NOT how perfect we are that grows our faith, it is how we deal with adverstiy and shortcomings!!!

God Bless you richly in the Love of our Savior, Jesus Christ...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please God. For it is right that the one drawing near to God should believe that He is, and that He becomes a rewarder to the ones seeking Him out.

This Verse becomes such a foundational truth in our daily walk with Christ, that I think it needs to be looked at individually. We are incapable of pleasing God without faith. It CANNOT happen...

"I was having this rough time and I prayed that God would help me out and nothing happened, so IF there is a God, He doesn't care about me..." Sound familiar?? Has anyone else had this, or a very similar, excuse thrown at them by an unbeliever?? Your "ready answer" is found right here. For it is RIGHT that the one drawing near to God should believe that He is, and that He becomes a rewarder to the ones seeking Him out. God is not some sugar-daddy in the sky, he is our rewarder, provider and friend. He is not under some cosmic obligation or religious compunction, it is His great joy and privelege to reward those that seek Him.

But to seek is not defined as a genreal half-hearted crying out in one moment of Crisis. And this truth is not a blanket statement to the world at large. This whole chapter is written to the believer. God's great Glory in taking care of and providing for his kids is continually balanced out throughout the scriptures, with the punishment reserved for the non-believer and the unfaithful. God WANTS to reward and supply our needs, but to do that, He requires our faith. We must truly believe Him, not only able, but willing.

I believe for many of us, it is not trusting that He CAN do these things for us, it is believing that He WANTS to do these things for us. God's delight is in His children and in supplying for them, but our part is to rely on Him and to trust that He will come through when we ask.

Isn't it amazing, also, what this verse does NOT say?? Look, there is no mention of being perfect, of having conquered all the sin in your life, of being a pastor or missionary or deacon. There is but one requirement... Faith. Belief that God is able and willing to supply our needs and to meet us where we are, in spite of everything we have done, in spite of all of our shortcomings, God is bigger than sin and failure. And THAT is one of the most beautiful realizations of all.


God Bless, and truly remember to... Keep The Faith!!

[Jerod W. Rickert]

This evening, after work, we will take the next step in our journey and look at some more of the Heroes of the faith. We will begin to try to unravel exactly what separates them from us... and what makes them exactly the same.

Prepare to get to know some of the Heroic Men and Women of the Scriptures in a way you may have never known them before...

I pray the Blessing of our Savior upon your life and walk today, Let the Love of Christ shine in all you do...

God Bless

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Hebrews 11:7 "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with Godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became the heir of righteousness which is according to faith."

We will explore this verse more fully this afternoon...

OK, here's several interesting points... Due to Noah's obedience, we ALL were given common ancestry and bloodline. Noah Loved God and was obedient to what the Lord called, even to the point of ridicule and mocking. Noah never took time to "evaluate his options" and determine if obedience was worth his time and effort. He simply did what he knew God's will was and was obedient. Simply, faithful obedience condemned the world he knew and bought hope for the world yet to come...

Now, after the flood, we find an interesting occurance with Noah, showing his humaness and weakness, and yet God did not condemn him or take the rewards of his faithfulness from him. In fact it was one of his own sons, who treated Noah disrespectfully, who bore the consequence and punishment for not showing proper respect... Interesting, isn't it??

Gen 9:20 And Noah, a man of the ground, began and planted a vineyard.
Gen 9:21 And he drank from the wine, and was drunk. And he uncovered himself inside his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father. And he told his two brothers outside.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment and put it on both their shoulders. And they went backward and covered the nakedness of their father, their faces backward. And they did not see the nakedness of their father.
Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine. And he came to know what his younger son had done to him.
Gen 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan. He shall be a slave of slaves to his brothers.
Gen 9:26 And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; and may Canaan be his slave.
Gen 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall live in the tents of Shem, and Canaan shall be their slave.

I do not have an answer, nor am I trying to read into this, but isn't it fascinating that Noah gets Drunk and Naked, and his son who discovers him is the one who gets cursed... Hmmmm... Faith apparently, and a deep desire to Love and Serve God, truly does cover a multitude of sins...

God Bless... Be Faithful...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not understanding where he was going.
Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
Heb 11:10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Abraham, Father of the Jewish Nation, Patriarch of the Line of Christ, Hero of the Faith...

Gen 12:11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, Behold, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at.
Gen 12:12 And it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, This is his wife; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.
Gen 12:13 Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and my soul shall live because of you.

Gen 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

And most importantly, liar!! on (at least) 2 occasions, Abraham. fearing men more than God, lied (and had his wife lie) about his relationship to his wife. Allowing other men to take her for their own, so as to not endanger himself, he was willing to abandon the sanctity of his marriage bed for the promise of safety.

On both occasions, God interceeded on behalf of the deceived Kings, and both times, Abraham and Sarah were exposed as liars and deceivers. The second of these occasions was after Abraham's name had been changed by God himself. He had been given the promise of a nation and a child of miraculous occurance. And yet, when faced by an obstacle on his way to the place of God's promise, rather than standing strong in the Will and the Promise of Jehovah Himself, Abraham returned to a place of human fear and attempted to take control of the outcome of the situation himself.

I don't point this out to lessen his faithfulness before God, or to try to make some foolish claim that lying, or sin in general, is OK. I simply want us to begin to understand that it is NOT our great strengths that God works mightily because of. It is our great weaknesses that God works in spite of, that makes His love and mercy so precious.

Abraham, as so many others in the hall of faith, was a human man, full of weakness, fear and sin, who loved God more than his own life. It was his heart and passion for God that made him a hero of the faith. It was not some illusion of holiness, righteousness or perfection. He was a man of the flesh, struggling within himself, as we all do to find the strength and faith to stand strong before God. And he learned, as we all do that when we step out of God's will and plan, we fail. Miserably.

Don't look at your weaknesses and imperfections, keep your eyes on the One who is bigger than that. Rely on His strength and guidance, it is the only way we can truly walk in the path that God has called us into...

God Bless, and keep your eyes on the prize!!!

[breakingrote]

It truly is amazing that God rewards us because of hearts more then, or instead of, our works. So completely opposite to the world. Just another example of God's holiness (separate from the world).

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:11 Also by faith Sarah herself received power for conceiving seed even beyond the time of age, and gave birth; since she deemed the One having promised to be faithful.

Ahhhh, dear Sarai, who would become Sarah. A woman of faith and service. Service to God, service to her husband, and the womb that would bless the nations. "since she deemed the One having promised to be faithful. ...


Gen 18:12 And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After my being old, shall there be pleasure to me; my lord also being old?
Gen 18:13 And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why has Sarah laughed at this, saying, Indeed, truly shall I bear, even I who am old?
Gen 18:14 Is anything too difficult for Jehovah? At the appointed time I will return to you, at the time of life, and there will be a son to Sarah.
Gen 18:15 And Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh.

hmmmmm... could it be that, apparently, faith is not always born of ready belief?? Here is a woman, who in doubt of her husbands report, encourages him to bed her handmaiden to get the child of promise. She hears the Lord Himself promise that the Child will be from her womb, then LAUGHS AT GOD!!!!!! And when confronted by her unbelief and laughter, she goes so far as to LIE TO GOD'S FACE!!!

And yet, in the midst of all her unbelief of God's promises, she looks forward to a child yet to come, and in so doing, is named as a Hero of the Faith... My precious friends, doubt will creep into this life, and will make our walk very difficult, but it does NOT have to stop, or even slow, our faith... The conditions of life that assail us everyday, will cause us doubt, but FAITH will move us past our doubt into the realm of the miraculous power of Mustard Seed Faith...

It is only when we realize that our faith is the very thing that gives us the ability to move past our doubt, that we can begin to move into the realm of the supernatural. The Miraculous things we see in the scripture are not due to lack of doubt. They are found when Faith meets doubt head on and Faith prevails!!!

Remember the interaction of Christ and Thomas:
Joh 20:24 But Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one called Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
Joh 20:25 Then the other disciples said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and thrust my finger into the mark of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe, never!
Joh 20:26 And after eight days, His disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. The door having been locked, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said, Peace to you.
Joh 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, Bring your finger here and see My hands, and bring your hand and thrust into My side, and be not unbelieving, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, My Lord and my God!
Joh 20:29 Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, you have believed. Blessed are the ones not seeing, and believing.

Doubt is only an obstacle for Faith to overcome!!!

here's one last thing to think on about how much the Love of Christ overcomes doubt...

Mat 28:16 But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mount where Jesus appointed them.
Mat 28:17 And seeing Him, they worshiped Him. But they doubted.
Mat 28:18 And coming up Jesus talked with them, saying, All authority in Heaven and on earth was given to Me.
Mat 28:19 Then having gone, disciple all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the completion of the age. Amen.

The promises of Christ, teh last words spoken to teh disciples were spoken and promised IN THE MIDST OF THEIR DOUBT!!!!

And as we move into Acts, we see these same 11 doubting men turn the world upside down!!!!

May God Bless you richly in the Glorious abundance of his Majesty...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:12 Because of this came into being from one man, they who were generated, and these of one having died, seed even "as the stars of the heaven" in multitude and countless "as sand by the seaside."

I won't spend a lot of time restating the obvious of this verse, but I believe that it is so important simply to take a few moments and reflect on the goodness of God. Does He know how to follow through on a promise, or what?!?!?! You talk about "abundance", "pressed down, shaken together and overflowing"!!! Wow!!! What a beautiful and mighty God we serve. Such a promise, such a fulfillment!!! In spite of the short-comings and falterings of weak and sinful man, God looked to the heart's cry of obedience and love. Abraham and Sarah were desparate to serve and love God (sometimes, perhaps a bit TOO desparate, but we won't rehash that ). And that was accreditted to them more than anything else ever could have been.

Do not let your heart grow weary in doing good, there is a Great and Mighty Judge who sees all and knows the cry of your heart. He will let no good work go unrewarded, nor any sin go unpunished. Hold fast to the faith that He is in control, and He sees far beyond the short blip we are looking at...

God Bless you all in the abundance of his Love and Mercy...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Is that not the truest test of Faith?? With the end in sight, knowing that so far, these promises are "unfulfilled" (at least to our eyes). And yet they continued to hold onto the Words of God as true and faithful. Bigger than their eyes and ears to see and hear, the Faith was shaped of their belief in an Unshakeable and Loving and True God. His Words are not null and void, They are True and Holy and Perfect...

These People claimed and spoke in Faith, the promises of God. They accepted tehir part and portion in What God called them to. They moved forward in faith even when the way seemed insurmountable and impossible. They got up and moved on even when they fell. They knew and understood that God is faithful to His Word, always and forever.

That is the beauty of Faith. It has it's function to include and accept, but also separate from success and/or doubt. It is a belief and acceptance of GOD's faithfulness and Grace to us. It is knowing He is bigger than our circumstances, falterings, surroundings and understanding...

Remember, to truly accept that we are strangers here will help our understanding. If we honestly believe and live as Strangers in a foreign land, we will not have our roots here, we will not set up camp and take residency here. Look past this temporal place to the eternity that awaits. We are here for but a vapor, make it count, but know that we are simply passing through...

God Bless, pack your bags, tune your ear... We aren't here for long, let's get moving towards our home...
]

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.


Oh, that we are never faced with this sort of a Faith crisis in our lives. Here we see a man who had been given a promise, waited forever to see the promise, hindered the promise by trying to do things his own way and FINALLY come to the point of seeing the promise fulfilled... Only to have the promise threaten to be taken away. But despite the insurmountable odds, Abraham would not waver in faith of God's provision and love!!!

How glorious, how remarkable!! "Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead" Can we claim this sort of faith today?? the faith that will say "God, I see no way to achieve this thing You have called me to outside the miraculous. Therefore I accept the miraculous as Your answer. Let Your will be done, and just let me do my part. It is for me to be obedient, it is for You to supply the answers..."

Wow, even in the midst of fear and doubt, Abraham never wavered in his belief that God would be found true and faithful. That is teh faith I pray in my own life and teh lives of each of you that read this thread. That we would each come to move beyond the realm of doubt and human limitation into teh realm of supernatural obedience, where the supernatural results are found...


Be faithful and Love Christ, Pursue the face of God and lay your burdens at his feet, seek His Glory and He will reward you, magnificently...

Blessings...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:20 By faith concerning things to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

It'a amazing to see that Isaac followed closely in his fathers footsteps, both the positive (unshakeable faith) and the negative (a propensity for lying)...

Gen 26:7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, She is my sister, for he was afraid to say, My wife, lest the men of the place kill me on account of Rebekah, for she was beautiful of form.
Gen 26:8 And it happened when his days were many to him there, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through the window and saw; and, behold, Isaac was sporting with his wife Rebekah.
Gen 26:9 And Abimelech called Isaac and said, See, surely she is your wife, and how have you said, She is my sister? And Isaac said to him, Because I said, lest I die on account of her.

This shows us one of 2 things, that either Abraham had shared his failures, and (as we are still prone to, today) Isaac failed to learn. OR, without any knowledge of his fathers failures followed in his exact steps (could sin be truly more genetic than we are willing to believe or accept??? just a thought...)

But in spite of this, Isaac accomplished God's desires and commands. Not in human strength and wisdom, but by the hand and direction of the Lord. Through Isaac, Jacob was given, and blessed. And Isaac's blessing was a blessing of faith, looking forward to a promise unfulfilled. Isaac knew that God's word was unshakeable and unbreakable, whether or not we see it's completion ourselves...

Faith is not based of vision. It is based off of knowing that God is sovereign and trustworthy. His word is perfect, holy and never failing...

If you put your trust in Him, He will lead you in His paths, just remember, His timing is perfect and absolute, whether we see its fruition or not....

God Bless you richly in the abundant goodness of his Grace...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

I will be kicking this study back up tomorrow or monday, I have been dealing with some stuff (see My Repentance thread) and will now be getting this rolling again...

thanx for your patience...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

OK, sorry for the delay, personal illness (which God is so much bigger than, I just need a shot of FAITH!!! ), but I am clearing out of my stuffy headed fog, look for the newest post tonight or tomorrow....

hmmmm haven't I posted that before??? ;D

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:21 By faith when dying, Jacob blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and "worshiped on the top of his staff."

OK, I really have so many things running through my mind on this, that it is difficult to put it all out there. So bear with me...

It is worth noting that Jacob had a selfish streak a mile long, and was willing to use any means neccessary to get what he wanted...


He stole (although Esau willingly gave it) his brothers birthright and blessing, he deceived his father, he dealt deceitfully with his father in law... And yet was called a hero of the faith...

Not for his shortcomings, but in spite of them... Oh how golrious the precious love of God!! That such fallen, degenerate folk such as us are even able to have the opportunity to serve a Holy and righteous God...

I am sorry for the brevity of this post, I will hopefully flesh it out more soon, been under the weather, but don't want to go to long without moving this along, as I feel this is so vital to us learning our place and position in the family and place of faith.

My precious friends, I pray for you all the blessing of Christ and the fire of faith to be kindled and stoked in your lives...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

My precious Brothers and Sisters, I am sorry it has been so long since I have worked on this study...

This is for 2 reasons...

1- I strive to research and be accurate in what I post and teach here. and someimtes that takes more time than I find available, LOL

2-I have been going through much personal turmoil in my life, and have spent time seeking the healing and comforting touch of our Savior. I have needed to receive His love and comfort in my own life,and as His healing becomes complete I will continue this thread, perhaps with a deeper insight and appreciatioin for Faith...


May God keep you strong in the way of righteousness!!!

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:22 When dying, Joseph by faith made mention of the Exodus of the sons of Israel, and he gave orders concerning his bones.

Hmmmm... Joseph, when dying, made prophetic declaration of what would come to pass, though not for MANY years to come. When Joseph passed, the Jews were still the honored and faithful guests of the Phaoroh...

But first, some back story... Joseph was the 2nd youngest and most beloved son of his father, Jacob. Joseph was given dreams and visions by God. Showed glimpses of a future that he would play a major role in. What could be greater than the promise of God using him in a way that would change the world and establish him as a Ruler and exalted man of GOD!!!!

Joseph was beloved and blessed of God, destined for greatness by way of sorrow...

Joseph was blessed of God, but his immaturity did him disservice (not as great as the disservice his brothers would do him, but let's wait...). He spoke rashly of his dreams and could even be argued to have been a bit arrogant in the love of his father and of God. His brothers came to be envious and hateful towards him due to his favored status with his father and his obvious annointing of God.

Joseph, the chosen of God and preferred of his father, wound up in a pit, sold as a common slave and taken far from home. Betrayed by those that should have been protecting and caring for him. NOT an auspicious beginning for a man who would set one of God's greatest plans into motion...

So, poor Joseph is sold to Potipher (see Genesis 39), where God again blesses and prospers him. At this point, I think we can imagine that Joseph may have been feeling less depressed and forsaken. He is now in charge over everything that Potipher has, and runs his masters affairs with full freedom. He is the most highly revered and respected servant in his masters house, living well, cared for beyond what he ever thought possible!!

Potiphers wife... false accusations... punished for doing right... imprisoned for a crime he did not commit... Running from sin only to be thrown into jail... And again the dream dies!!!

So here we sit in jail. The Coat of Many Colors all but forgotten, the Dreams of youth grayed by time and shrivelled by circumstance. The hope reborn in Potiphers home, only ashes in the wake of punishment for doing right. And in replacement of all those things, Joseph is now in charge of the part of the Prison he resides in!!! Wow, talk about keeping the dream alive!!!

On to Chapter 40, and while we are simply sitting and rotting, in charge of the Prison yard, 2 of the kings officials are jailed with Joseph. Through time, these men both have dreams. And again, God's hand upon Joseph, he is able to interpret these dreams to these men. One for good, one for death. And the Butler, knowing Joseph's plight promises to tell Pharaoh of his situation and his talent. Imagine, FINALLY, the truth will be known, Joseph will be restored and his name cleared!! The Butler is released as Joseph had prophesied and predicted. Can't you just see Joseph almost tingling with excitement as the Butler departs with promises of freedom. Joseph is finally going to see the dream take shape!!!

So, two years later... TWO YEARS!!!!! How dead is the dream now?? Forgotten, AGAIN!!! Lied to, decieved, forsaken... Where is God now?? Where are His promise of blessing and help and restoration?? How could you leave me here, Lord?? My life, a tragedy from Pit to Pit!! My faithfulness to not betray Your statutes, ignored and rebuked!! I have spoken truth and lived uprightly!! And here I am left, stripped of my family, my home, my dignity... Did you call me only to abandon me?? Why have you left me here?? Where are You now God?? Where are Your promises and faithfulness now, God???

Two years, and Pharaoh has a dream... And FINALLY, the Butler remembers his promise... When no one could speak to Pharaoh and explain his dream... Finally the Butler comes forard, remembering the promise to Joseph... now, at age 30!!! How many "lost" or "wasted" years had been walked... Do I even now dare to dream this may be the start of what God had promised all along?? Could it be, that in all of this God was working and directing and preparing me for just such a time as this?? Through all the pain and loss and disappointment, could it be that God was truly with me every step?? That I was not forgotten, but merely being refined??

God, dare I even believe now that we are beginning to see your will accomplished?? Please, I have tried to be faithful, but I do not know if Ican take one more disappointment!!! I think I understand now, that my Faith had to be refined and fired in the furnace of affliction. That my doubt had to be tempered in the fires of tibulation. Where You lead, now I will follow,every step, seeking only to stay in the center of Your will and Love. Lead me on...

So God prospers and entire Nation through one man's faithfulness to God... He marries, fathers children, is second only to Pharaoh himself... There is nothing more he could desire, except... HIS BROTHERS!!!

Oh God, will you now torture me with the past?? I have teh power fo life and death over these, and rightly could I take them and see them imprisoned and slain!!! But my father, my precious father and brother, what then would they come to?? Lord, let me but test them, grant me wisdom to discern the men they have become!!! Are they evil still, have they sorrow and repentance for what has happened?? God, I am only here, able to save my entire family by Your hand and direction... Humble my heart, turn my anger and bitterness to thanksgiving and gladness...

And so did he test them, setting in motion the sojurn of his entire family to live in teh Land of Egypt, as blessed guests and friends of the Pharaoh... Chapter's 45-49 of Genesis, tell teh heart-rending restoration and healing of Joseph and his family...

But as we close, let us look to his final words and the promise he invoked from his brothers...

Gen 50:24 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Here are the final words of a man who knew suffering and trials and persecution and affliction. He was betrayed by his own, only to be betrayed by those he came to secondly (There is Whole nother lesson here, but for now, just think about what that represents)... Yet he had become perfected and strengthened of his faith to understand that no matter what would come against, the Promises of God would not be stopped, slowed or thwarted. And he reminded tehm all to look forward, past all obstacles to the fulfillment of God's promise...


My precious Brothers and Sisters, I weep today as I write these things, knowing full well, how we all release our sight and vision to the obstacles and afflictions that assail us. This is where we need to simply keep going and press on. My precious and beloved Friends, I pray for each of you, that we would each stand and know that He is God. Let us learn to stand, side by side, bearing each others burdens in love...

I have come to understand how weak and broken I truly am, but it is only there that God can rekindle the vision of the dream. When my doubt is so real, it is there that God will lead me to greater faith. I pray for each of you to find the vision that God has spoken into your life and to hold fast, knowing that there are seasons of preparation and winnowing that must come. And it is only when the dream has died, and died again, that the true Vision is birthed...

I love you all so deeply, and pray only for your continued walk in good faith...

[Jerod W. Rickert]

OK, I am sorry it has been so long, but the Lord has been doing works in my heart and soul...

Look for this thread to begin moving again tonight or tomorrow, I have been having a very blessed and painful journey, but as we move on and learn the power of faith over doubt, we learn God's Power and His faithfulness to us...

I pray that the God Of ALL Glory and Might will bless you all richly and that we may sojurn on together in this journey of learning the abundant richness and power of faith...

Thank You all for you support and patience

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.


And we find the Life of one of the most influential and used men of the old testament, here, beginning in absolute obscurity. His parents not even named, we only know of their great faith to keep him hidden and to fear God more than a Pharoh.

Moses was born into a family of faith and was raised there through his nursing by the Grace and Hand of God. Moses was not neccessarily even aware of his exact history, but rest assured that kind of faithful obedience does not return void or null. His parents laid a groundwork of generational faith that would come to characterize the Life of this mighty man of faith.

Next we will begin to look at the life of a grwon Moses and his rather inauspicious debut...

Precious Brothers and Sisters, let us never underscore the importance of living in an environment of Faith and the effect it will have on our children's children's children... Physical and Spiritual...

May you all walk mightily in the Power and Grace of Christ

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
Heb 11:25 choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Heb 11:26 He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward.

There has been so much that HE has shown me through the Life of Moses... I do not even know where to begin...

I am sorry for the delay to get this next post up here, but i have sooooo been desiring and seeking God in what is to be learned here for the thread and the topic of faith... and success through failure...

Let us begin with a man of Impulse and Fear...

Exo 2:11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people.
Exo 2:12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
Exo 2:13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together; and he said to the man that did the wrong, "Why do you strike your fellow?"
Exo 2:14 He answered, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, and thought, "Surely the thing is known."
Exo 2:15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh, and stayed in the land of Mid'ian; and he sat down by a well.

wow, so young, and already a murderer (no matter how good the intent, it was still thought out and premeditated)... hides the body and then, when discovered, runs from the punishment that is rightfully his.... glad we AREN'T like that... oh, wait... hmmmm... moving along....

Now, Moses meets the Burning Bush and comes face to face with the Incarnate God (Gen 3:1 - 4:12) and GOD HIMSELF outlines HIS plan to Moses... and Moses makes at least 4 (recorded) excuses, each of which GOD answers in abundance... and then, our amin of history changing faith responds with some of the most beautiful words EVER heard...

Exo 4:13 But he said, "Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person."

WOW, now THAT I can relate to... and God finally has had enough !!!

Exo 4:14 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well; and behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart.
Exo 4:15 And you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
Exo 4:16 He shall speak for you to the people; and he shall be a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.
Exo 4:17 And you shall take in your hand this rod, with which you shall do the signs."

WOW, Mo, singlehandedly, ticked God off!!!! One of the few occurances that i have found where God's anger burned against an individual that HE had called specifically... Can you imagine the voice change when HE got mad?!?!?!?! Dang!!! God CHANGED HIS perfect plan to accomodate Moses!!!!!! (and note that Mo, VERY wisely left after God got mad, LOL)

Stay tuned as we begin to explore just HOW incredible this impetuous, Blessed man of God's journey REALLY was...

God Bless

[Jerod W. Rickert]

Heb 11:27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the anger of the king; for he kept on as seeing the Invisible One.
Heb 11:28 By faith he made the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, that the one destroying the first-born might not touch them.
Heb 11:29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as through dry land; by which, the Egyptians taking the attempt, were swallowed up.


Moses... such a man of paradox... a man full so simultaneously with such great faith and strength... and plagued by such fear, doubt and weakness... What a perfect example and reminder to us today, it is NOT us in HIM that makes the difference, but it is HIM in us... We see so clearly, that Moses' heart was in love with God, but his human nature fought and struggled constantly... This whole study could quickly become a study into the life of Moses and Moses only, but so as to move ahead, i simply want to show a few highlights (or low lights) and to show the magnificent, all-surpassing grace of God in light of one man's faith... even in weakness...


Exo 5:22 And Moses returned to Jehovah and said, Lord, why have You done evil to this people? Why then have You sent me?
Exo 5:23 And since I came in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people. And You did not certainly deliver your people.

how quickly did Moses return to God, in anger, indignation and doubt... We are as guilty today... "God, you promised!!! and I haven't seen it yet, why did YOU lie to me!?!?! I did what YOU asked and have only seen grief and defeat!!! My friends are angry and thinking be a liar and crazy... YOU promised... Why did YOU leave me here alone??" Does it sound at all familiar?? Or am I the only one that has experienced this in my life?? I have recently begun to see the fulfillment of a Promise in my own life, 35 years of hurt and wandering in the making... and I look back now in shame at my response to God at times, my anger and questioning... when it was all just part of HIS perfect plan to bring these things to fruition... But take heart, HE who has begun this thing will see it through, only hold tightly to the promise and to HIM who made it...

Exo 6:12 And Moses spoke before Jehovah, saying, Behold the sons of Israel have not listened to me. And how should Pharaoh hear me, I being of uncircumcised lips?
Exo 6:30 And Moses said before Jehovah, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How could Pharaoh listen to me?

Such a short time before, Moses' excuses had set The very Anger of God burning against him, but now at the first opposition to the perceived promise... Moses is right back at it... "If it didn't work the first tiem, there is no sense in it, I must not be the right guy for the job, God only called me until someone better could be found, I knew this was beyond me, just another failure"... Or I am still the only to have ever felt that way?? ... The good news here is that Moses CHOSE to stand and follow through, and with each progressive success, so did his faith blossom more and more, but he still had to get past his initial fears and weaknesses...

next we will Fast forward to the Exodus of the People from Egypt to the land of promise...

Until next time, keep the FAITH that HE has planted in us all...