STARS AND SAND
(Transcribed Message)

Sunday Morning:  February 10, 2002

Text: Hebrews 11:12-16

STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS

Hebrews 11:12-16  "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

THE PROMISES

13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

SEEKING A COUNTRY

14. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

HEAVENLY COUNTRY AND CITY

16. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."

THE PROMISES

Romans 9:4  "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;"

PROMISES CONFIRMED

Romans 15:8  "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:"

TO ABRAHAM'S SEED

Galatians 3:16  "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds (Ishmael and Isaac), as of many; but as of one (in Isaac), And to thy seed, which is Christ."

FEW CHOSEN

Matthew 20:16  "So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."

 

TWO PROMISES

Galatians 4:23-26  "But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 25. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia (outside of Canaan), and answereth to Jerusalem (earthly) which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26. But Jerusalem which is above (heavenly) is free, which is the mother of us all."

THE PROMISE OF LAND

Genesis 12:7  "And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him."

THE LAND

Genesis 13:15  "For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever."

Genesis 13:17  "Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee."

SEED AS THE DUST

Genesis 13:16  "And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered."

ALL THE LAND

Genesis 15:18  "In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:"

THE PROMISE OF HEAVEN

Genesis 15:5-6  "And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness."

SIGN OF CIRCUMCISION

Romans 4:11  "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them (Jew and Gentile) that believe (present active), though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:"

TOKEN

Genesis 17:11  "And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you (Abraham)."

THE PROMISE

Acts 13:32-33  "And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33. God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

STARS AND SAND

Hebrews 11:12  "Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude (bundle, Acts 28.3), and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable."

STARS ARE NUMBERED

Psalms 147:4  "He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names."

 

 

STARS NAMED

Job 38:31-32  "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades (seven stars), or loose the bands of Orion (constellation)? 32. Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth (twelve signs of the constellations) in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus (the Bear) with his sons?"

STARS AND SAND

Genesis 22:17  "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;"

THEIR CHILDREN WERE STARS

Nehemiah 9:23  "Their (parents, sand) children (twenty and under) also multipliedst thou as the stars (their children) of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), that they should go in to possess it."

THIS DAY, STARS

Deuteronomy 1:10  "The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude."

NOW STARS

Deuteronomy 10:22  "Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude."

STARS RULE AND REIGN

Isaiah 14:12  "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [morning star], son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"

STARS OF HEAVEN

Isaiah 14:13  "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars (Angels) of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:"

STARS ARE SONS OF GOD

Job 1:6  "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them."

EARTHLY KING

Daniel 10:1  "In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia.."

HEAVENLY KING

Daniel 10:13  "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." V. 20

STARS

Job 38:7  "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS

Hebrews 11:16  "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."

STARS

Revelation 21:7  "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."