Hebrews Chapter Eleven, Possibility & Impossibility

Hebrews 11:12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

 

From the humble beginnings of Isaac, Abraham’s progeny were as numerous as three million during the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings. We do know that the men 20 years old or older that were conscripted into military service numbered 603,550, Numbers 1:46, 2:32. This number did not include the Levites (Numbers 2:33), nor women and children. The number of Israelites in this time was anticipated to be around three million by conservative estimate.

Fifteen (Delayed) Years in Review

I realize that I am a little more than a month late with this post, but life has been busy of late. So without further ado, I would like to announce my blog’s fifteen-year anniversary! My first article was posted June 26^th 2009, two months before my twins were born. It’s been an amazing ride thus far, but I’ll focus on recapping this last year plus briefly.

Hebrews Chapter Eleven, Sarah

 

Hebrews 11:11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

 

Sarah, formerly named Sarai (lit. princess), was Abraham’s wife and ten years his junior. Genesis 17:17 confirms that, prior to Isaac’s birth Abraham was nearly 100, while Sarah was about 90. We are told of Sarah that she received strength from God to bear a child, the child of promise that God had told Abraham of 25 years prior when He brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees.

Hebrews Chapter Eleven, Pitching One's Tent

Hebrews 11:9 By faith he dwelt 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; [10] for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

 

Though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob dwelt in Canaan, it was not their homeland. God promised Canaan to Abraham, but the patriarch did not see the fulfillment of this promise. Neither did Isaac or Jacob, who left Canaan behind and dwelt in Egypt with Joseph for the final seventeen years of his life, Genesis 47:9, 28. For that matter, neither did Aaron or Moses, who represented the fourth generation that were led out of Egypt by God. But it was Joshua, Moses’ successor, who brought Israel into Canaan at last and conquered the Promised Land, though not fully.