Wednesday, March 28, 2007

"By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command" (Hebrews 11:22-23).

IDEA: Those who live by faith must live by faith in God's time.

PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that they find "the long-range view" all through the Bible.

Do you think we would enjoy doing Discover the Word more if we didn't have to be so persnickety about time?

I. We don't always measure time in the same way.

My wife, Bonnie, sometimes calls me to dinner while I'm watching a football game on TV.

I may respond, "I'll be there in a minute."  What might that mean?

She has learned to ask, "Well, how much longer will that game last?" and I respond, "There are just two more minutes left on the clock."

What might she assume from my response?

How long can two minutes take in a football game?

Do you think that God's way of looking at time is the same as ours? Do you think that might present a problem for our faith? How?

II. God seems indifferent to our time. 

Look at Hebrews 11:22-23. What is the connection between these two verses?

How much time elapsed between Joseph and Moses?

Look at the people previously discussed in this chapter—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. How much time elapsed between them? 

III. Joseph made a request about his descendants taking his bones back to Israel.

Why is his request a matter of faith? 

How long did it take for his request to be fulfilled?