How does Hebrews 11:28 demonstrate faith in God's protective promises? Setting the Scene: Passover Night of Faith • Exodus 12 records Egypt’s final plague. Every firstborn would die, except where lamb’s blood marked the doorposts. • Moses delivers God’s instructions exactly as received. No prior precedent exists—only a promise. • Hebrews 11:28 summarizes that unforgettable night: “By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch Israel's own firstborn.” Faith Shown Through Obedience • God’s command was precise—choose an unblemished lamb, apply its blood, stay indoors (Exodus 12:7-13). • Moses believed that invisible protection depended on visible obedience. • Faith here is not mere mental assent; it is action that displays trust. – Compare James 2:17-18—faith is proven by works. • The Israelites had no fallback plan. Their security rested wholly on God’s word. Protective Promise Illustrated • “The destroyer of the firstborn” brings certain judgment (Exodus 12:23). • God promises, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13). • Hebrews 11:28 highlights two realities: 1. Judgment is real and unavoidable apart from God’s provision. 2. God’s provision is totally sufficient—no one marked by the blood perished. • Psalm 91:9-10 echoes this pattern: refuge in the Most High shields from calamity. Christ’s Blood and Our Security • The Passover lamb foreshadows “Christ, our Passover lamb, [who] has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). • 1 Peter 1:18-19: we are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.” • As the destroyer passed over blood-marked houses, so eternal judgment passes over those covered by Christ’s blood (John 5:24). • Revelation 12:11 celebrates believers who “overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” Living the Lesson Today • Trust God’s protective promises even when threats loom large. • Obey promptly and completely; delayed obedience is unbelief in disguise. • Anchor security in Christ’s finished work, not in personal merit or circumstances. • Encourage one another with reminders of God’s faithfulness—He still sees the blood and keeps His word. |
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