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Faith that Endures

8/1/2019

4 Comments

 
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It seemed like such an odd detail. In a list praising Abraham for being willing to sacrifice his son, Moses for giving up a life of luxurious living, and Noah for building a boat and saving all of humanity, the statement about Jacob really stood out to me. “By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff” (Hebrews 11:21). I was preaching through Hebrews 11 when I first paid attention to that verse and was confused by the statement. What in the world did leaning on a staff have to do with faith?
I have found that when I come across something in Scripture that I don’t understand, there is often treasure there if I’m willing to look hard enough and long enough. And so, preaching through Hebrews 11, I refused to skip over what seemed like a pointless detail and asked myself, “Why did it matter that Jacob worshipped while leaning on his staff?”

It wasn’t too complex a puzzle; there are far more difficult passages in the Bible. What does it mean to lean on your staff? It means you’re old, and weak. It means you are having a hard time standing. It means you’ve reached the end of your life. This is the point Jacob had reached. And yet he still worshipped. Jacob had kind of a lousy start in life, to be honest, but he finished his course. He made it to the end, still believing and trusting in God.

I was thinking about this verse a few weeks ago when our church had a funeral for one of our former pastors, Phil Thomas. He had served faithfully his whole life. While his passing brought many sorrow, it was not sorrow without hope. I was moved as family and friends got up to share the impact that Pastor Thomas had on their lives. I was inspired to see someone who had lived for Christ, and had lived for him all the way to the end. In a world full of those who start strong and fizzle out, Pastor Thomas had endured, joyfully loving and serving Christ right up until the point of his passing.

A few summers ago, while interning at the church I now work at, I was privileged to have dinner with Dr. John Whitcomb. For those who don’t know, Dr. Whitcomb is a well-known commentator and was very influential in the young-earth creationist movement. His guestbook he asked us to sign contained names like Warren Wiersbe, Ken Ham, John MacArthur, and Peter Masters. But what struck me most about the visit was Dr. Whitcomb’s love for Christ. In a body that is slowly shutting down, his enthusiasm about his Savior and joy in the Spirit are impossible to miss. He can’t get out much now; in fact, the last time I remember seeing him was at Pastor Thomas’s funeral. But I love seeing him walk ever so slowly down the church aisle when he is able to come, shuffling along as he leans on the head of his walker, worshipping.
 
Recently Joshua Harris, a well-known author and teacher, announced to the world he was divorcing his wife. A few days later, he announced he was no longer a Christian. It made me think of Jacob again. It’s easy to focus on the failures, on those who don’t make it, and we should look at their lives and take warning. But we should also remember those who have made it to the end. Those whose faith was genuine. Those with saving faith. Those who, even as their bodies and mind fail, persist in their love for Christ.

They are at your church as well as mine, these faithful men and women. The flesh and the world and the devil have made an all-out assault on their faith year after year, and yet that faith in God has endured. If Christ doesn’t return, and I live to be a ripe old age, I hope to join their ranks. I hope to one day be shuffling along, barely able to stand, mind slowly failing, and yet to say as John Newton once said “Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”

Joshua Harris and others like him may fall away, but there are many who haven’t. There are the Pastor Thomases, Dr. Whitcombs, and the Jacobs of the world. The author of Hebrews wrote his letter because he wanted his listeners to have a faith that endured, and I can just see him smiling as he studies his Old Testament and reads the life of Jacob. I can see him picturing in his mind’s eye an old man, bent over, barely clinging to life, still worshipping his God and thinking to himself, “That is exactly the example my readers need.” And so he slips in a detail that most of us would have passed over: Jacob was worshipping even after his strength was gone. In doing so, his leaves his readers with a question that should be asked of all of us: will you endure to the end?


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Ben Hicks went to Bob Jones University for college and stayed on for grad work, recently graduating with his Master of Divinity. Ben is the Young Adults Pastor and oversees the Single Focus ministry at Colonial Hills Baptist Church. Follow him on Twitter @HicksBen ​​​

4 Comments
Patricia Bowdish
8/3/2019 07:06:48 am

I'm determined to finish the course! 76 and counting!
Thank you, I look forward to your blog every week.
And, you answered my question too!! Because he was old 😊
I hope my brothers and sisters are glad to see my hubby (78) shuffle and me hobbling with my cane.
Thanks again,
Patricia

Reply
Ben Hicks
8/5/2019 10:23:26 am

Patricia,

Thank you for the kind comments and the example you have set for those around you! Seeing faithful servants like you encourages me and points me back to our Lord who is worthy of every moment of our live's devotion.

Ben Hicks

Reply
josh
8/7/2019 11:05:36 am

this is rubbish, there is so much more to this than a cheesy, christless application, "be like jacob in his old age." what a shame you can't get beyond moralism, but not surprising.

Reply
Ben Hicks
8/7/2019 04:30:29 pm

Hey Josh,

Thanks for sharing your concern. I agree that too often we fail in our preaching/teaching when we simply say "be like x" and that empty moralism can be a true danger. Let me explain why I took the approach I did and why I don't think this article is guilty of that charge.

1. Scripture uses godly examples, and encourages Christians to look to godly examples. There can be a fine line between empty "be like x" messages and gospel-saturated messages that point us to Christ through the example of someone else, but we should not neglect telling people that in some ways they should imitate those who have gone before, or else we would have to cut Hebrews 11 out of our Bibles!

2. I think the key to finding this balance is in the second charge, moralism. I'm not sure how you understand the term, but I would define moralism as giving a list of things someone must do in order to be right with God. You will note I do not give one explicit "thing" that we are supposed to do other than have faith in God. There are no lists in this article. This article calls for readers to show faith in God, as Jacob and others have shown faith in God. I will not shy away from saying that believers must show faith in God to please him. Hebrews 11:6 says that. Imitating the faith of others is, in fact, the command of Scripture itself: "Remember your leaders... consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." God tells us to look at the faith of others, even very flawed men, and imitate the faith in God they have. Our faith points not to ourselves, but the bigness of our God.

3. As for the charge that this is Christless, I will admit I am puzzled where you got this. In the article I say

"I was inspired to see someone who had lived for Christ, and had lived for him all the way to the end. In a world full of those who start strong and fizzle out, Pastor Thomas had endured, joyfully loving and serving Christ right up until the point of his passing."

"But what struck me most about the visit was Dr. Whitcomb’s love for Christ. In a body that is slowly shutting down, his enthusiasm about his Savior and joy in the Spirit are impossible to miss."

"Those who, even as their bodies and mind fail, persist in their love for Christ. "

"“Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”"


As I stated in the intro, my study of this passage began by believing that God was intentional about the fact that Jacob worshiped leaning on his staff. If you disagree with my understanding, I'm wondering why you think the author of Hebrews included such a seemingly random detail.

Thank you for taking time to interact with our blog. I hope this response explains my thinking on this issue.

Reply



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