Text: Hebrews 11:20-22
Introduction
Imagine reflecting over your life. You are imagining everything that has come before. You think about the highs and the lows, the successes and failures. In those moments, most people cling to what they can see—their accomplishments, their families, their possessions. But what if you were looking beyond what you could see? What if, at that moment, you were focused on promises that stretched far beyond your own lifetime?
This is exactly what the patriarchs—Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—did. Even as their lives were winding down, they looked forward to God’s promises. They didn’t just cling to what they had in front of them; they believed in something greater, something yet unseen. They were focused on a faith that looks forward.
Hebrews 11:20-22 points us to these stories as examples of faith that transcends the present and reaches into God’s promises for the future. What do we learn for ourselves from their faith?
Hebrews 11:20–22 (NASB95)
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
Stories of Forward-Looking Faith
Faith in the Unseen
The story of Isaac’s blessing takes place in Genesis 27. Isaac, the son of Abraham, is nearing the end of his life. His sight is failing, and he’s preparing to pass on the blessing that was first given to his father, Abraham—a blessing that was all about God’s promise to make their descendants a great nation and give them the land of Canaan.
What’s fascinating is that Isaac’s blessing to his sons, Jacob and Esau, comes with a lot of family drama. Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, helps Jacob deceive Isaac so that he would receive the blessing intended for Esau, the older brother. It’s a story filled with deceit, family tension, and human weakness. And yet, despite all of this, the writer of Hebrews points to this moment as an act of faith:
Hebrews 11:20 (NASB95)
"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come."
Why is this seen as an act of faith? Because Isaac’s blessing isn’t just about material inheritance or wealth. It’s about the continuation of God’s promise—a promise Isaac himself hadn’t fully seen realized in his lifetime. When he blesses Jacob, he’s not focused on the messy circumstances. Instead, he’s looking ahead to the unfolding story of God, one that extends beyond his own life.
Blessing from Egypt
Next, we have Jacob, who blesses his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh in Genesis 48. By this time, Jacob is living in Egypt, far away from the land of Canaan that God had promised to his grandfather Abraham. He’s old and nearing death, yet his faith is focused on God’s promises, not on his immediate surroundings.
In Genesis 48:15-16, Jacob (Israel) lays his hands on both Joseph and Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh, his grandsons:
Genesis 48:15–16 (NASB95)
"He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; And may my name live on in them, And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
Jacob, like his father Isaac, is blessing his descendants with an eye toward the future.
What’s significant here is that Jacob’s faith is rooted in what God had promised, not in the fact that his family was in Egypt at the time. In Egypt, it might have seemed like God’s plan had gone off track. But Jacob believes that Egypt isn’t the end of the story—God’s promises will carry on, and his family will eventually return to the promised land. His blessing is a declaration of faith in that promise, a way of looking beyond the present circumstances to what God has in store.
Faith From the Bones
Lastly, we come to Joseph, one of the most pivotal figures in the Genesis story. Joseph’s life is a series of ups and downs—betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, imprisoned, and eventually rising to become second in command in Egypt. But Hebrews 11:22 points us to the very end of Joseph’s life:
Hebrews 11:22 (NASB95)
"By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones."
This is a pretty strange thing to include in a “Hall of Faith” chapter, isn’t it? Why would Joseph’s instructions about his bones be considered an act of faith? Here’s why: Joseph knew that Egypt was not their final destination. He believed that one day God would fulfill His promise and bring the Israelites out of Egypt and back to Canaan. Joseph’s last request was that his bones be carried back when that day came—a tangible sign of his trust in God’s future deliverance.
So, even in death, Joseph looked forward to what God was going to do. He believed that God’s promises were more real and lasting than even the kingdom he had helped build in Egypt. His faith saw beyond his own life, beyond his own success, and into God’s ultimate plan.
Forward-Looking Faith
Now, let’s connect these stories. What do Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all have in common? Their blessings were not just empty words or sentimental goodbyes. They were acts of faith that looked forward to God’s promises. They spoke of what God was going to do, not just what He had already done. Each blessing pointed toward a future they wouldn’t see, but they believed it was coming because they trusted the One who had promised it.
In the ancient Near Eastern context, blessings weren’t just well wishes; they were seen as carrying real power. When a patriarch blessed his children, it was like they were putting their faith into words, declaring that God’s promises would carry on through their descendants. Even though Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were all at the end of their lives, they weren’t fixated on what they were leaving behind. Instead, their eyes were fixed on God’s unfolding story—a story that stretched beyond them, even beyond their lifetimes.
Faith Looks Beyond
So, what does all this mean for us today? The story of the patriarchs invites us to consider how we think about faith and the future. Faith is not just about trusting God for the here and now; it’s about believing that God’s promises are unfolding, even beyond what we can see.
Crossing The Context
Live today with faith in God’s future
Here’s what that looks like: It means investing in the next generation, knowing that God’s story is bigger than our own lifetimes. It means praying for things that we may never see the answers to, but trusting that God is at work. It means blessing others with the expectation that God is going to carry His promises forward, even when we’re not around to see it.
Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph remind us that faith doesn’t stop. It looks ahead to the next chapter of God’s story. And just like them, we’re invited to be a part of that story, trusting that God will keep His promises, even when we can’t see the outcome.
Citations:
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
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