20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
Hebrews 11:20-22 (NASB)
Remember the definition of faith? “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen…” Hebrews 11:1 (AMP). The author is providing examples from the OT that demonstrate this faith in order to encourage his readers to have the same.
Isaac
Yesterday we saw Isaac first demonstrate faith when his dad prepared to sacrifice him. Now, as he’s again on the verge of death, he demonstrates faith again. “Isaac received the promises God had given to Abraham (Genesis 21:12), and passed them along to his children. Despite not seeing how or when they would come true, and dealing with considerable family strife (Genesis 27:1–40 ESV), Isaac exhibited faith and obeyed God, though he was extremely old and had not seen a total fulfillment of the divine plan.” https://www.bibleref.com/Hebrews/11/Hebrews-11-20.html
Jacob
This one verse probably refers to two different events. The first was Gen 47:29-31 where he implored Joseph to bury him in Cannan. He had solid faith that God would fulfil His promise and bring the Jews back to the promised land. The second is in Gen 48 when Jacob blessed Joseph’s younger son, Ephraim over Manasseh, which was contrary to culture, but was done by faith.
Joseph
When it came time for Joseph’s death, the promises having been passed down to him through his fathers, he also chose faith. He believed God would bring the nation of Israel back to the promised land so he asked, as Jabob asked him, for his bones to be buried there.
Conclusion
You might say faith is a solid, unwavering, expectant trust in the future blessings God has promised. These three guys never received the promise themselves, but they got the “title deed” and believed.
