The Faith of Sarah (Hebrews 11:11-12)

(Class Notes)

• Sarah: The conclusion of faith (Hebrews 11:11-12)
  • Sarah's testimony of faith's conclusion: "she judged" (Hebrews 11:11), follows upon Abraham's testimony of faith's obedience
    • "he went out" (Hebrews 11:8)
    • "he sojourned" (Hebrews 11:9)
  • Sarah's faith focused on the miraculous means of the fulfillment of the promised seed: Resurrection
    • "she was past age" (Hebrews 11:11)
    • "him as good as dead" (Hebrews 11:12)
    • Natural hope denies Resurrection hope in "God, Who quickeneth the dead" (Romans 4:17-18)
  • Sarah at first mocked the Lord's word, "she laughed within herself" (Genesis 18:12)
  • The Lord rebuked Sarah, "is anything too hard (wonderful) for the Lord" (Genesis 18:14)
    • "hard" (Hebrew, pala) = "wonderful"
    • Same word as in "wonders" (plagues) in Egypt (Psalms 78:11-12)
    • Same word as the angel of the Lord did "wonderously" (Judges 13:18-19)
  • Sarah received the Lord's rebuke and received "strength" (power) to conceive seed (Hebrews 11:11)
    • The word "miracle" is sometimes the translation of the word "power" (Greek, dunamis)
      • (Mark 9:39 cf. Mark 12:24)
    • Sarah's faith rested and waited for the time when God would fulfill His promise (Genesis 17:21 cf. Genesis 21:2)
      • Jehovah "visited" as He "said" and "did" as He had "spoken" (Genesis 21:1)
      • Abraham named his son Isaac "laughter" (Genesis 21:3), because God had made Sarah to laugh, i.e., "rejoice" (Genesis 21:6-7)
      • Living faith (Habakkuk 2:4) waits for the "appointed time" (Habakkuk 2:3)
  • Sarah valued the Lord's provision by casting out her own bondwoman (Genesis 21:10) as we should value the liberty of grace in His Son by casting off the yoke of bondage - the Law (Galatians 4:30; Galatians 5:1,4)

Study Outline

Audio Message (Summary)