FOCUS FOR THE UNFORESEEABLE

Heb. 11:1-4

“Mother’s Day”

Heb. 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. ...

31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

Review

Our theme this year is…

VISION 20/20

HIS VISION. OUR FOCUS.

During these challenging days of the present pandemic, many people, including believers, are facing issues that a few months ago were simply unforeseeable. Life is, unfortunately, a series of unforeseeable events. For the next few weeks we will observe what the Bible says about how to handle such trying events, “how to focus on the unforeseeable.” We began two weeks ago with the principles found in 1 Jn. 5:1-5:

THE FOUNDATION FOR THE FOCUS

Last week we considered Abel’s offering by faith in Heb. 11:4:

I. FAITH PRODUCES ACTIONS PLEASING TO GOD – “By faith Abel offered unto God…”

A. The Quality of the Actions

1. The Comparison from God’s Perspective – “…a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…”

2. The Conclusion from God’s Perspective – “…by which he obtained witness that he was righteous…”

B. The Qualification of the Actions – “…God testifying of his gifts…”

II. FAITH PROVIDES ACTIONS PERPETUAL FOR GENERATIONS – “…and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

A. The First Death – “…he being dead…” (1 Jn. 3:12)

B. The Faithful Death – “…and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”

❖ Cain and Abel confronted an unforeseeable challenge in two different ways: Cain worshipped God in his own way, and Abel worshipped God according to God’s way.

❖ The humanistic way of Cain was a tragic failure.

❖ Abel’s offering by faith was pleasing to God.

❖ Like Abel, we must face the unforeseeable – by FAITH!

Introduction

Mother’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate motherhood. To have a godly mother is to give a child an influence that will be cherished throughout a lifetime. However, giving birth to a child and being a godly mother are two, totally, separate things. The “June Cleaver” idealism is unrealistic. Being a mother is a daily challenge, is hard, valuable, work while in the midst of spiritual warfare. Being a mother means that there are manyunseen sacrifices and struggles, but, are seen and valued by the Lord. Mothers, too often are undervalued, misunderstood and looked over by a culture that applauds outward and visible contributions to society. So a mother’s work is hidden away in the unseen moments of grace with her children. Too often, mothers perceive they are unappreciated and question their effectiveness in their family. Mother’s Day is a time for us to set aside a day and say…

“We love you, respect you, and honor you for who you are and all that you do!”

In honor of Mother’s Day, we will focus upon the mothers mentioned, or implied, in Heb. 11:

In this chapter, we see the following regarding mothers:

The Stated

Sara, the Mother of Isaac

Rahab, the Mother of Boaz

The Implied

The Mother of Gedeon

The Mother of Barak

The Mother of Samson

The Mother of Jephthae;

The Mother of David

The Mother of Samuel

The Mother of the prophets:

This morning, we will just focus upon the two mothers recorded in Hebrews 11 – Sara and Rahab. Realistically, their lives were very challenged, but in different ways. By faith, each faced the unforeseeable, from different circumstances, yet had similar, interconnected results.

I. SARA – THE IMPROBABLE PROGENITOR

Heb. 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

A. Faith To Enable the Unbelievable

Heb. 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

❖ In the midst of the most discouraging circumstances, Sara’s faith prevailed.

❖ As an elderly, barren woman, Sara’s faith was honored with strength to conceive.

Rom. 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

❖ Abraham gets the most attention, but Sara had her role as well and is included in Heb. 11.

❖ Zacharias and Elizabeth were a “team of righteousness:”

Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name wasElisabeth.

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in allthe commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

❖ Consider five challenges for Sara regarding the unforeseeable:

1. The impediments to her faith: barrenness, old age, and unbelief.

2. The impact of her faith: “she received strength”

3. The intensity of her faith: “was delivered of a child when she was past age”

4. The issue of her faith: “she judged him faithful who had promised”

5. The implication of the faith: “so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.”

❖ Sara’s faith had ramifications for generations to come = impacting the unforeseeable!

B. Faith to Enhance the Unforeseeable

Heb. 11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

❖ “Therefore” = in spite of all the discouragements and hindrances to her faith, Sara focused upon God and His promises.

❖ Sara’s faith made the unforeseeable a fruitful lineage of a powerful testimony.

Summary for Sara

❖ Sara’s weak faith resulted in the influence that created the Arab nations.

❖ Sara was temperamental, jealous of Hagar, and laughed at God’s promises.

❖ Sara’s faith in the One who had promised affected her physically, enabling her to have Isaac, and a multitude of generations, including the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.

❖ Sara was a mother worthy of imitation: “…because she judged him faithful who had promised.”

1 Pet. 3:3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Now, let’s take a look at another mother who was an implausible protector:

II. RAHAB – THE IMPLAUSIBLE PROTECTOR

Heb. 11: 31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

A. The Heritage of the Harlot – “By faith the harlot Rahab…”

❖ Rahab was a Canaanite, not an Israelite = “an alien from the commonwealth of Israel”

❖ Rahab’s pedigree was not prestigious among the Israelites, nor of society.

❖ Rabah’s reputation was not hidden.

B. The Honoring of the Harlot

Josh. 2:1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

Josh. 2:12 Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token:

13 And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death. ...

18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee.

Josh. 6:25 And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

❖ Rahab was the implausible protector of her family – by FAITH!

Heb. 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Jas. 2:25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

❖ Perhaps the greatest honor for Rahab’s faith was in the unforeseeable future:

1 Chron. 2:11 And Nahshon begat Salma, and Salma begat Boaz,

12 And Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse,

Mt. 1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

Summary for Rahab

❖ Rahab was a national and spiritual alien to Israel.

❖ Rahab was an outcast to society and hopeless in her future.

❖ Rahab had a gracious opportunity from God to change hopelessness to hopefulness.

❖ Rahab’s faith protected her and her family from destruction.

❖ Rahab’s faith intersected Sara’s lineage in ancestry to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Mothers, according to Scripture, have endured challenging situations, unforeseeable events that were overcome as they walked by faith. Regardless of their backgrounds, faith in the God and His promises affected their lives for His glory, and, ultimately, impacted history. As William Ross Wallace said, “The hand that rocks the cradle, is the hand that rules the world.”

https://brightdrops-com.blogspot.com/2020/02/100-hand-that-rocks-cradle-quote.html

Isa. 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.