Abraham has been called the father of faith. By faith he obeyed God’s calling to leave his homeland, dwelling as a foreigner in the land of promise (vv. 8-9). Abraham obeyed God and went out of Chaldea “without knowing where he was going.” This afforded him constant opportunity to exercise his faith to trust in God for His instant leading, taking God’s presence as his map. Verse 10 says that by faith Abraham “waited for the city which has the foundations, whose Architect and Maker is God.” This is “the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem” (12:22), “the Jerusalem above” (Gal. 4:26, Gk.), “the holy city, the New Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:2; 3:12) which God has prepared for His people (v. 16), and “the tabernacle of God” in which God will dwell with men for eternity (Rev. 21:3). As the patriarchs waited for this city, so we also seek it (13:14).
Abraham also acted by faith in offering up Isaac, “counting that God was able to raise him even from among the dead, from whence he also received him back in a figure” (vv. 17-19). Verse 12, referring to Abraham, says, “Wherefore also there was born of one, and that of one become dead, even as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand by the seashore innumerable.” The stars of heaven signify Abraham’s heavenly descendants, the descendants of faith (Gal. 3:7, 19); whereas “the sand by the seashore” signifies his earthly descendants, the descendants in the flesh.
Verse 13, speaking of Abraham and the other patriarchs, says, “All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them from afar and greeted them, and confessed that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth.” The Greek word translated “sojourners” may also be rendered “pilgrims,” “exiles,” “expatriates.” Abraham was the first Hebrew (Gen. 14:13), a river crosser, leaving Chaldea, the idolatrous land of curse, crossing the flood, the river of Perath or Euphrates (Josh. 24:2-3), and coming to Canaan, the good land of blessings. Yet he did not settle here; rather, he sojourned in the land of promise as a pilgrim, even as an exile and an expatriate, longing after a better country, a heavenly one (v. 16), seeking a country of his own (v. 14). This might imply that he was ready to cross another river from the earthly side to the heavenly side. Isaac and Jacob followed him in the same steps, living on the earth as strangers and sojourners and waiting for the God-built city of foundations (v. 10). In the word of verses 9 through 16, it may imply that the writer of this book intended to impress the believing Hebrews with the fact that they, as the real Hebrews, should follow their forefathers, considering themselves also as strangers and sojourners on the earth and looking forward to the heavenly country, which is better than the earthly one.
Verse 11 says, “By faith also Sarah herself received power to conceive seed, even beyond the season of age, since she considered Him faithful Who promised.” Sarah had become an old woman whose function had ceased; yet in the midst of her situation, she believed in God’s word.
Verse 20 says, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.” If you read Isaac’s history, you will see that he was not a smart man; he was quite common, and there was nothing special about him. Nevertheless, he did something marvelous—he blessed his two sons, Jacob and Esau. Although Isaac blessed them blindly, he did it in faith.
Verse 21 says, “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph.” When Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, he not only did it by faith but with very clear sight. His inner sight was exceedingly clear. When Joseph attempted to change his hands, being displeased that Jacob’s right hand was upon Ephraim instead of upon Manasseh, the firstborn, Jacob refused and said, “I know it, my son, I know it” (Gen. 48:15-19). Jacob knew what he was doing and blessed Joseph’s sons by faith.
Verse 21 also says that Jacob “worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff.” This is very meaningful, signifying that Jacob confessed that he was a sojourner, a traveler on the earth (v. 13). When we are settled, we no longer need to keep a staff in our hand, for that is a sign of a sojourner, not of a dweller. Jacob’s staff also signified that God was his shepherd, having shepherded him all his life long (Gen. 48:15, Heb.). This is the reason that his worshipping, leaning on the top of his staff, is recorded here as a matter of faith.