Habakkuk 2:2 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Hebrews 11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
MEMORY VERSE: We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak. —2 Corinthians 4:13
CENTRAL THOUGHT: It took faith in God for the Old Testament saints to triumph in their lives for God.
WORD DEFINITIONS
Habakkuk 2:4 “Faith”: Trust; reliance; confidence; believing concerning things unseen and not received as yet.
LESSON BACKGROUND
Habakkuk was an Old Testament prophet who was greatly concerned about the work of God. He stood upon his watch tower of prayer to see what God’s answer would be to the great burden of his heart. “The just shall live by his faith.” That was the answer of God to him. All down through the ages of the law it was the faith of the people that was to carry them through. It was to be faith in God as their real righteousness. Despite the failings and misgivings of the law, it would take faith and real steadfast persuasion to carry the souls of men forward to victory.
From the eleventh chapter of Hebrews we draw a recounting of many of those heroes of faith. The writer starts in the first part of the chapter by saying that the elders (ancients, or saints of old) obtained a good report. The Greek text reads “by faith they were attested.” In other words, they were tried and proven. The pressure and trying circumstances, in the midst of which these saints believed God, was a refining fire to their faith. It caused their souls to tread the high places of victory and salvation. Faith was manifested in Abel, Enoch, and Noah. Then the covenant of faith was established in Abraham. Sarah, the wife of Abraham, manifested faith in God, also. It took faith to conceive and bring forth Isaac in her old age. Note the fact that the early-day saints of God were human beings, but they had the divine quality of faith in their lives.
Such are we today if we are saved in Christ. We are human beings. We have mortal and physical occupations to render, but there must be sure and definite fabric in our lives of faith and trueness to God. These Old Testament saints have proven a great blessing even down in our day. The faith that they manifested and put on exhibition is the same faith that we need today to lead victorious lives for Christ.
—Bro. Leslie Busbee
QUESTIONS:
- What was the quality in the lives of the saints that enabled them to triumph?
- Is faith needed yet today?
- Of what value is the record of their faith?
- What was “that better thing” provided for us today that they did not have?
- Will their faith be of any value to them in the judgment?
COMMENTS AND APPLICATION
The testimonies of faith and triumphs of the Old Testament saints are of great spiritual value to us today. We are joined to them in a mutual faith. Without us they could not be made perfect. And yet without them, we could not have had the faith that we now have. We have the fulfillment of their faith, and yet our faith is like theirs. We are reaching forth to the second coming of Christ as they looked forward to the first coming of the Savior. It was their faith in the future and the promises of God that had not yet been fulfilled that was accounted to them for righteousness.
Their faith prevailed beyond death. The deadness of Sarah’s womb, the extreme age of Abraham’s body, Jacob’s blessing to Joseph’s two sons as he was dying, Joseph’s command concerning his bones, Moses’ renunciation of Egypt despite the wrath of the king—all of these were faith triumphing over the presence and threat of death. Time ran out on the writer; many more could have been rehearsed, but it was the same story with each of them. They held fast their persuasion and faith in God in the face of extreme contradictory forces. Overcoming daily with faith and steadfast confidence in God and His unfailing promises, these people went forth in their lives for the will of God.
This is the same faith that we need today. As they needed it, so we need it. As they had it, so can we have it. The faith of Abraham is what brought the real work of God along through those many years of time. It is this faith that we need in Christian lives today. It is a mutual and shared faith. It is a tie that binds us together. It holds us fast to the will of God; we are clinging to the promise and we dare not go against the good Lord. May we be inspired as never before to cling to and stand for the truth of Jesus Christ and keep His faith unto the end.
—Bro. Leslie Busbee
REFLECTIONS
How wonderful to think that one day we will meet all the family of God! Not just those saved by grace, but those dear ones who were saved by their faith. You might say, “Well, they weren’t baptized like we are today; or, they weren’t saved by Christ’s blood nor did they know about what we have the privilege of knowing. But look in I Corinthians 10:1-3: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea…And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
We read of numerous saints of old who had great faith and had many close encounters with God. Noah had to have a close connection with God to get all the details on how to build the ark. Moses followed God’s leadings in bringing Israel out of Egypt. Many more saints of old were directed and led by God during the Old Testament times. Thank God for all of the faithful saints of old who have influenced our lives today!
—Bro. James Bell
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