Good morning. So all of
these people of faith that the writer of Hebrews has been talking about made it
clear that they were seeking a country of their own. If they had been thinking
of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to
return. They kept their eyes on the prize. Remember the people of Israel in the
wilderness – when things got rough, they began to bemoan what they had left
behind in Egypt. These people of faith did not. They did not say "woe is
me – things are bad". They kept looking forward and not back. They did not
say "it is too hard – I'm going back". They desired a better country,
that is a heavenly one. And because of that God was not ashamed to be called their
God; for He has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when he was tested,
offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only
begotten son. It was a long and hard road to get Isaac. Now God was asking him
to give up his only hope for the promise. Could we do that? I doubt it. He
considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he
received him back as a type. Look at Adam with Eve. God told him that in the
day that you eat of the tree, you will die. Eve ate; but she didn't drop dead.
Adam should've said "if you die, you die – I believe God will give me
someone better than you". You might say that "Adam ate his
promise". He did not want to be separated from Eve. We have to have faith
that even though it looks like the promise has died; God will bring it back to
life again or give us something better! Father thank You that the reader trusts
in You to keep Your promises, even if they look dead.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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