When we come to Hebrews 11:20-21, we find two verses that at first seem small compared to the rest of Hebrews 11. The chapter is filled with powerful stories of faith, men and women who obeyed God in dramatic ways. Then we arrive at Isaac blessing Jacob and Esau, and Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph, and it almost feels easy to pass over. Yet God does not waste words. If He placed these two verses in this great chapter of faith, there is something here that we must not miss.
Faith is not only seen in the big moments of action. It is often revealed in the quiet moments of surrender. These two accounts take us back to the book of Genesis, where God’s plan did not always make sense to those involved. Fathers were blessing sons in ways that seemed backward. Expectations were overturned. Traditions were crossed. And yet, in each case, God was at work, accomplishing His sovereign will. The lesson is clear. True faith is trusting God even when we do not understand what He is doing.
The Bible says, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come” and “By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph” (Hebrews 11:20-21). These blessings were not based on what seemed right to man. They were rooted in what God had already determined. Faith, then, is not about figuring everything out. Faith is about trusting the God who already has.
1. The Reality of Personal Faith
One of the first truths we see in these verses is that faith must be personal. Abraham had faith. Isaac had faith. Jacob had faith. Joseph had faith. Each generation had to trust God for themselves.
You cannot live off the faith of someone else. A parent’s faith may guide you, but it cannot save you. A pastor’s faith may instruct you, but it cannot carry you. God calls each of us to trust Him personally. These generations remind us that faith must be passed down, but it must also be received individually.
This is practical for us today. You may have grown up around truth. You may have been taught the Word of God. But there comes a point where you must decide for yourself to trust Him. Faith that pleases God is not inherited. It is exercised.
2. The Imperfection of God’s People
When we look back at Isaac and Jacob in Genesis, we do not find perfect men. Isaac struggled with spiritual passivity. He showed favoritism. He allowed his appetites to influence his decisions. Jacob was known as a deceiver. He manipulated situations and took advantage of others.
Yet God still used them.
This is a great encouragement. God is not looking for perfect people. He is looking for people who will walk by faith. The presence of flaws does not disqualify you from being used by God. What matters is whether you are willing to trust Him.
Too often, we excuse ourselves by saying we are not good enough. The truth is, none of us are. But faith is not about our perfection. It is about our dependence on Him.
3. The Confusion of God’s Plan
In both Genesis 27 and Genesis 48, we see something that does not make sense at first glance. The younger son receives the blessing instead of the older. Isaac blesses Jacob. Jacob blesses Ephraim over Manasseh. In both cases, expectations are reversed.
From a human standpoint, it looks wrong. It feels out of order. It even creates tension and confusion in the moment.
Yet God had already declared His plan. In Genesis 25:23, He said, “the elder shall serve the younger.” What looked like disorder was actually divine order. What seemed like a mistake was the fulfillment of God’s promise.
There will be times in your life when God’s plan does not make sense. You will look at your circumstances and wonder why things are happening the way they are. You may even feel like something has gone wrong.
But God is never confused. He is never surprised. He is never out of control. What we cannot see, He has already planned.
4. The Response of Faith
The key truth in these verses is not just what happened, but how these men responded. Isaac gave the blessing. Jacob gave the blessing. They accepted what God was doing, even when it did not follow human reasoning.
Faith is accepting God’s sovereign plan rather than resisting it.
The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” That is the heart of this message. Faith means trusting God beyond what you can see or explain.
There are moments in life when everything in you wants to resist. Your thoughts, your emotions, and your fears all push you in another direction. But faith says, “God, I will trust You anyway.”
This is where faith becomes real. It is easy to trust God when everything makes sense. It is much harder when your plans are crossed, when your expectations are overturned, when your understanding falls short. Yet that is exactly where God calls us to trust Him.
If we are honest, many of us struggle here. We want clarity. We want answers. We want God to explain every step before we take it. But God does not work that way. He calls us to follow Him, not to fully understand Him.
When we resist His plan, we live in frustration. When we trust His plan, we find peace. Faith does not remove the unknown. It anchors us in the One who knows.
Reflection Question
Are you trusting God’s plan in your life, even when you do not understand it, or are you resisting what He is trying to do?
