Jesus Tells a Better Story, Part 2

We continue to journey through the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith with the stories of the Patriarchs. Every Jewish reader would have been familiar with these stories and, furthermore, would be able to trace both their ancestral roots and the foundation of their faith back to Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Their story begins in a world without any real hope, yet into the darkness, God calls a man, and from that man, forms a family that will become a people and eventually a Kingdom. The Patriarch's story begins with God's call of Abraham to leave the city of his ancestry, Ur of the Chaldees, which at the time was the most prestigious city on earth. God does not give him a road map, He just calls Abraham to trust Him. Abraham believes and it begins the story of God's covenant with His people which includes a myriad of promises, and bunches of miracles. Hebrews reminds us that everything these ancients received was given by the promise-making God and received by faith alone. We need their example to remind us that God is only pleased in our faith---that our faith puts us in the place to be recipients of God's grace, which is the fountain from which He gives us all of His promises.