The Hope Of Abraham
Hebrews 11:8-19

Abraham had NO hope
Abraham was born c. 2100 BC in the city of Ur (near modern Baghdad in Iraq). After marrying his wife Sarai, his brother Haran died. He then left with his father Terah and their clan to live in Canaan (Israel). Half-way there, they stopped and settled in the city of Haran, where Terah died (Gen. 11:31). At age 75, God called him to leave Haran to go to Canaan, so he left his extended family there. Following God often means letting go of the past to find blessing in the future. Sometimes the end of our plans is the start of God’s plan! With his wife past child-bearing age and no ability to produce an heir to his house, Abraham knew about death, disappointment, and the downfall of his dreams. The promises of God never fail, even if our life feels like a failure! From the darkness of despair, God made a promise that Abraham would have innumerable descendants and would bless the whole earth (Gen. 12:1-3; 22:15-18). Abraham had no way of processing why death or disappointment happened in his life, but he always had faith in the promise of God (Heb. 10:35, 36). God uses a believer’s inability to put His ability on display!

Abraham was FILLED with hope
From God’s initial promise, Abraham waited patiently for 25 years from 75 to 100 years old for God to deliver Isaac to him (Gen. 12:4; 21:1-5; Heb. 6:13-15). God often increases the wait to increase the faith! A portion of Abraham’s hope was realized in his lifetime—Isaac was eventually born to him. The rest of God’s promise was realized thousands of years after his death—down to our day, where Abraham’s descendants (Israelites/Jews) have been innumerable. The payoff for a believer’s hope might not happen in their lifetime! Additionally, God’s ultimate payoff on His promise to bless all the people of the world through Abraham was salvation through the arrival of Jesus (Matt. 1:1, 2). Abraham was blessed because his faith in God was not stuck in momentary circumstances but looked beyond himself to the time of Jesus (John 8:52-59)! Biblical hope does not just have the possibility of coming true, but the certainty of coming true. The coming of Jesus into the world is the ultimate example of a hope promised, waited for, and realized. Believers have an anchor of hope in Jesus that what they patiently wait for will have an eternal payoff someday (Rom. 5:1-5; 1 Peter 1:3-9)!