Let’s read through the book of Hebrews one verse at a time in 2023. Every day explore a single verse and its cross references. AI-generated text draws the passages together. RSS feed.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
These cross references all relate to the idea of faith in the unseen. Abraham, the father of faith, was commended for his faith despite never having received the promise of a son. The Psalmist declared himself to be a sojourner and a foreigner, trusting in God despite his circumstances. Jesus proclaimed that Abraham saw and was glad of the day of his coming. Paul proclaimed that hope is seen only through faith, not tangible promises. And finally, the Hebrews writer declared that all of the faithful, despite not having received the promises, were commended for their faith. In essence, these cross references all point to the idea that faith is trusting in the unseen, and that those who do so will be commended.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Genesis 23:4: “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.” | Both passages emphasize the idea of being a stranger and foreigner on the earth. Hebrews 11:13 speaks of the faith of those who have died, not having received the promises of God, but having seen them from afar. Genesis 23:4 speaks of Abraham's request to have a property to bury his dead out of sight, emphasizing his status as a sojourner and foreigner. Both passages point to the idea of being a stranger and exile on the earth, and the faith of those who have gone before us. |
| Psalm 39:12: “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. | Both passages emphasize the idea of being a stranger on earth. Hebrews 11:13 speaks of the faith of those who have gone before us, who have not received the things promised to them but have seen them from afar and acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Psalm 39:12 is a prayer to God, asking Him to hear and not be silent in response to the tears of the speaker, who acknowledges that he too is a sojourner with God, a guest like all his fathers. |
| John 8:56: Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” | Both passages refer to Abraham's faith in God. Hebrews 11:13 emphasizes Abraham's faith in that he died without receiving the promises God had made to him, but he still acknowledged that he was a stranger and exile on the earth. John 8:56 further emphasizes Abraham's faith by showing that he was looking forward to the coming of Jesus, and rejoiced when he saw the day of Jesus. |
| Romans 8:24: For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? | Both passages emphasize the importance of faith in the life of a Christian. Hebrews 11:13 highlights the faith of those who died without having received the things they hoped for, while Romans 8:24 explains that hope is not seen and must be held onto despite not having tangible evidence of its fruition. Both passages emphasize the importance of faith in the face of uncertainty, trusting in God's promises even when they seem impossible. |
| Hebrews 11:27: By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. | Both passages in Hebrews 11 discuss the importance of faith in the lives of believers. Hebrews 11:13 emphasizes that faith is trusting in God even when we don't receive the things we hope for, and Hebrews 11:27 focuses on how faith enables us to face difficult situations with courage and perseverance, trusting that God is always with us. |
| Hebrews 11:39: And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, | Both passages from Hebrews 11 refer to the faith of individuals who were promised something, but did not receive it in their lifetime. Hebrews 11:13 speaks of those who died in faith, having seen the promised things from afar and acknowledging they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Hebrews 11:39 refers to those who were commended for their faith, but also did not receive what was promised. In both cases, the author of Hebrews is emphasizing the importance of faith despite not receiving the promised thing in the present. |
Heavenly Father,
We thank You for the example of faith set forth by the heroes of old. We thank You for our father Abraham, who saw the promise of Your salvation and rejoiced. We thank You for the example of those who lived as strangers and exiles on the earth, who endured suffering and persecution without fear, and who looked forward to the promise of Your salvation.
We pray that You would give us the same faith and hope as those who have gone before us. Give us the courage to stand firm in our faith, even when the things promised to us seem far away. Help us to never lose hope, but to trust in Your promise of salvation.
We ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen.
This reading plan reads through a single verse each day, six days a week, paired with the most-popular cross references for the verse. AI-generated (and human-reviewed) text provides an opening thought and concluding prayer along with an explanation for how each cross reference relates to the verse. In 2023, this reading plan works through Hebrews one verse at a time. Every seventh day is a catchup day. Want more info? Try this blog post.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.