Continuing to follow the Pentateuch storyline, the writer next turned his attention to Moses. Reflecting Moses' huge significance in the salvation history, he devoted seven verses to him and his work, which is exceeded only be his treatment of Abraham and his faith. The writer's consideration of Moses touches on the main highlights of his life, and he began where the scriptural narrative does, namely with Moses' parents and their faith.

The writer turned his attention to Joseph as his final example of faith within the patriarchal line. Even as Joseph enjoyed a kind of preeminence in his father Jacob's blessing, so he was a significant figure in the legacy of faith within the covenant house of Israel. His faith is also important in that it bound together Yahweh's promise to the patriarchs of a land inheritance, and the fulfillment of that promise in their descendants.

From Abraham and Isaac, the writer turned to Jacob, the next covenant patriarch, in his catalog of Israel's faithful. Given that faith is always directed toward God's promises, it's appropriate that the writer should mention the three patriarchs to whom God first directed His covenant promises. And as he did with Isaac, he chose to affirm Jacob's faith by pointing to the blessing he bestowed on the heirs of the covenant.

From Abraham, the Hebrews writer turned his attention to Isaac and Jacob. This was a natural transition, since he associated Abraham's faith with the covenant, and that covenant and its promises were passed on to the covenant heirs Isaac and Jacob. With respect to Isaac, the writer chose to demonstrate his faith from the blessings he bestowed on his sons Jacob and Esau.

The writer's final example of Abraham's faith is his sacrifice of Isaac. This is fitting, for this episode was the greatest challenge to Abraham's faith, and so its greatest proof. This is because Abraham's faith was directed toward the God who'd entered into covenant with him, and the veracity of the covenant - and so the covenanting God - was bound up in Isaac, the covenant heir.

This excursus takes a closer look at 11-13-16 in terms of the writer's meaning and the practical implications he intended for his readers to derive from his instruction. Discerning the writer's meaning in these verses has to be the starting point, because that's the foundation for drawing out the right implications and their correct application - not just by the original readers, but all readers in every generation.

The Hebrews writer notably inserted a parenthetic commentary in the middle of his consideration of Abraham's faith. This commentary underscores the forward-looking orientation of faith-faithfulness -11-1-, but with particular emphasis on faith's discernment of and preoccupation with the inheritance God has promised to His people. This message examines the writer's argument, but from the vantage point of his perspective and understanding of Israel's scriptures and their fulfillment in Jesus the Messiah.

Abraham's importance in the salvation history and God's purposes insured that the Hebrews writer would include him in his catalog of Israel's faithful. Here again he followed the scriptural record, treating Abraham's faith in terms of the primary aspects of his covenant relationship with God- God's promise of a habitation- His promise of an heir, and His command to sacrifice the heir. This message examines the second matter, and how Abraham responded to God's promise in faith.

Abraham follows Noah in the writer's catalog of faithful forefathers. Consistent with the Genesis narrative and Abraham's massive importance in the salvation history, the writer devoted more space to him than any of the other named individuals in his list. So also he followed the Scriptures in making God's covenant with him the focus of Abraham's faith. Thus the writer considered his faith in terms of the promised land, the promised heir, and the obligation to sacrifice Isaac. This message examines the first of those dimensions of Abraham's faith.

Noah is the next person the writer mentioned as part of Israel's faithful heritage, and once again he used Israel's scriptures to make his case. Compared with Abel and Enoch, the Genesis account devotes much narrative space to Noah, but it all focuses on the flood event. So the Hebrews writer pointed to that episode as demonstrating Noah's faith and its significance in God's purposes for the world.