Sabbath: Heirs of Promises, Prisoners of Hope
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 22nd of November 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 3:17-24; Deuteronomy 6:3; Joshua 13:1-7; Hebrews 12:28; Leviticus 25:1-5,8-13; Ezekiel 37:14,25.
Memory Text: “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double” (Zechariah 9:12, ESV).
Joshua 13:1-33; Joshua 14:1-15; Joshua 15:1-63; Joshua 16:1-10; Joshua 17:1-18; Joshua 18:1-28; Joshua 19:1-51; Joshua 20:1-9; Joshua 21:1-45 contains long lists of geographical boundary markers that delineate portions of land allocated to the tribes of Israel. For the modern reader, these lists might seem irrelevant, but they are based on a theological understanding of the Promised Land that is significant for us today. Through these concrete lists, God wanted to teach the Israelites that the land was not a dream. It was promised to them in a very tangible, measurable way. But they had to make that promise a reality by acting on it.
That is, yes, God was going to give land to them as an inheritance; it was going to be a gift, made in fulfillment of what He promised their fathers. “ ‘ “See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them” ’ ” (Deuteronomy 1:8, NKJV). But yes, they too had their part to play.
This week we will look at some theological concepts related to the Promised Land and their spiritual implications for those who claim all the promises found in Jesus.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 29.
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The Israelites were at the very beginning of their occupation of the Promised Land. They had arrived! But is wasn’t a case of “and they lived happily thereafter!” There were houses to be built, enemies to overcome, lessons to be learned, individual differences to be sorted, and all the other things of ordinary life to be attended to. It wasn’t a fairy tale.
I could have said I had arrived when I graduated with my first degree. But, it was only the beginning. Over sixty years and 5 graduations later, I still have a sense of “arriving! “
The story of the Israelites is not about arriving and living happily ever after. It has twists and plots, mutiny and rebellion, moments of success and failure. And through it all runs the thread of God’s persistence in hammering the truth home, that he loves them and is always there for them. That is no fairy tale!
Jesus shared the Divine agony:
The journey with God is
real life—mess,painful, beautiful,hard and full of growth.
We arrive many times in life,
but each arrival opens the door to another chapter.
Quite right. Moses said to the Israelites, remember that you were servants in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out with his mighty hand and a stretch out of his arms, therefore the Lord your God commands you to keep the sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5: 15.
Chapter 5 of the book of Deuteronomy continue to remember the people of Israel, once again about the commandment the Lord God of host gave to them and the great signs he showed to them, in the light that, they may continue to keep His commandment.
Reflecting on your message, sometimes people do forget about their solemn duty to God. I wish I could always bear in mind what should always be a commitment to God, in times of trouble and happiness; thou, I may render according to His commandment, but not my desires. Perhaps, the need to commit to the Lord God of host first, might help to deal with the rebellion part of your message, especially in times of success.
What are the spiritual and practical connections between faith and hope?
Faith is the foundation upon which hope is grounded. Faith is the assurance that God is who He says He is. Whereas hope is the assured (confident) expectation that God will do what He says He will do. The two concepts are closely connected spiritually. Faith has to do with both the past and the present, but hope is purely future-oriented. By faith, we believe that God created the heavens and the earth; at present, we believe God has the power to meet our needs. There is a practical connection between faith and hope. Faith inspires hope. When faith weakens, hope starts to be dim. Faith feeds hope. When hope grows, it strengthens faith. On the other hand, hope gives us the practical reasons to trust (faith) in God. For instance, hope gives us the strength to endure suffering because we look into the future in which God will make things right.
Hope brings meaning to our faith. If one believes (faith) that God is love, God is real, God is merciful and compassionate, but the future is dark and fixed, our faith in God will be meaningless.
“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19, NIV)
It wasn't easy for the children of Israel in the desert or even when they entered as the Promised Land. Majorty had wandered in the desert because of their parents sins of doubting and murmuring against God. In the promised land they were required to fight in order to receive God’s promises, they were also expected to deal with the sins of people in their midst.Under Joshua leadership they kept moving forward and no promise of God failed as a result of trusting God's word-Joshua 21:45.
Apparently amidist this God still had something in store for them! They were to receive that which was promised only if they continued to trust in God, they were to continue hoping in a God who called them to to receive their promises in a foreign land where they still were more of sorjouners. These people were bound by present circumstances but God wanted them to have confidence in Him, God was actually calling them to be prisoners of hope-Zacharia 9:12. Most are the times, we want God' s blessings without trusting the process, blessings without fighting the actual battles, blessings without embracing and trusting the process.God wants to bless us if we obey isaih 1:19. He may not just drop His blessings in our laps while we don’t like or follow His instructions that gurantee His blessings.
The title may have a bittersweet feel, which can be confusing to grasp.
On one hand, "heirs" implies an , and "promises" suggests , connoting good tidings of inheritance to be distributed to assorted heirs. This inheritance is a gift from the Forebearer, freely given by His choice. This week, we'll see God's promise to Abraham fulfilled in his descendants, who have become many nations and will be settled in the Promised Land (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:18-21).
We'll learn that God's promises - salvation, healing, restoration, redemption, and more - are available for us to receive. However, we have a part to play: surrender, exchange, trust, and obedience. Paul puts it aptly: "Bondservant of Christ" (Romans 1:1). We exchange being slaves to despair for being prisoners of hope (Ephesians 2:11-13).
As we journey with Israel into the Promised Land, let's learn that in hardship and tribulation, we overcome, gaining a deeper appreciation for life with God. Let's cultivate our faith, claiming His promises as "Prisoners of Hope" (Zechariah 9:12).
Indeed, Jesus Christ shares the Divine agony, when he decides to fulfill the prophesies of the prophets. The hidden agender of Christ mission was a puzzle for the Scribes and the Pharisees to solve; however, the Scribes and the Pharisees did help to fulfill the words of the prophets by arranging series of unfounded allegations to contradict his mission. Although the manner of torture was inhuman for one to endure, he pays the price to take away the sins of the world.
When the mind is in demand and the desire of want becomes the only subject to pursue an evil act, the need to reconsider the motive behind one’s intention to think in a positive manner, would not be easy to consider.
Do people in our modern world continue to pay a similar price, and would there be a reward for those who experience a similar Divine agony at the end?
As Adventist Christians we too stand on the brink of the "Promised Land." A land truly flowing with milk and honey, not milk and money. There gold is used for pavement. Here we hoard it as treasure, a hedge against inflation, or a future "nest egg."
The question that remains for us to answer is will we have the faith to possess the land or will we be denied entrance due to unbelief. Then all of our possessions, our silver and gold, irregardless of how much or how little, will be worthless in comparison to knowing the matchless love and forgiveness of our Lord and Savior.
Today as we stand, as it were, on the banks of that Jordan River, will we declare that we would rather have Jesus than anything that this world affords today? I want to hear "well done good and faithful servant," not "I never knew you." (Matthew 25:21, 23)(Matthew 7:21-23)
Until Christ returns we stand as heirs of promises, and prisoners of hope.
"Only one life will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." C.T. Studd
In the New Covenant we also have a “promised land” to take. As Christians we have received the greatest promises of all to be finished with sin and to share in godly nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). The fruits of this land are the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, patience, goodness and peace. Who doesn’t want to have these things?
But the Israelites’ joy didn’t last long. The spies had also seen the people who lived in the land strong people that lived in cities with strong walls. Their report was negative “The land we checked out destroys those who live in it. All of the people we saw there are very big and tall. … We felt like grasshoppers, and we looked like grasshoppers to them.” Numbers13:32.
As a result, the people of Israel lost hope and cried the whole night through. Had all their dreams come to this? Had they really suffered so much hardship, only to be stopped right at the entrance to the promised land?
As Adventist do we believe, like Joshua and Caleb?
It can often look like that in our Christian lives as well. We give up our old life to follow Jesus, with high hopes of a better life. But then our “enemy”, the sin in our nature, shows up like a large giant, and it looks impossible to overcome. We begin to feel that being a Christian costs too much; that it’s too much effort. Why doesn’t God help us?
God can’t help those who don’t want to believe. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. On the other hand, He richly rewards those who sincerely seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6.)
Joshua and Caleb, two of the spies, then spoke up. “If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us… Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” Numbers 14:8-9 (ESV).
You would have thought that the people took courage, remembering the promises God had made and the miracles they had seen Him do in the desert. But no. Because of unbelief, when things became difficult and went against them, they wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb, these men of faith, instead of taking up a battle and fighting for the promised land.
Bravo. Nevertheless, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of acquiring knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Let us prune ourselves as a refined version of what God truly want to archive through the people of Israel, since that appear to be His primary goal to establish on earth. Let God’s will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.
The faith showed by Joshua and Caleb, has a similar pattern of the faith Jesus Christ showed, while helping to fulfill the prophesies of the prophets. However, as a Christian, our primary duty is to adopt the concepts of Jesus Christ to overcome tribulations. The answers to your questions are in the gospel of the New Testament, and you could also curb undesirable habits with the ten-commandment given to Moses. Joshua and Caleb adopt the concepts of the ten-commandment to prove their unwavering devotion to the commandment God gave to the Israelites, and we as Christians must follow a similar pattern to accomplish God’s mission through Jesus Christ.
Gal. 3:16:
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
God said that in thy seed, which is Christ, I will bless all the nations of the world. That is verses thirteen and fourteen of Hebrews chapter six. Now let’s go to verse fifteen where he is still using Abraham as an example:
And so, after he had patiently endured...
What did he patiently endure? How long did Abraham wait for God to fulfil the promise? It was twenty-five years. Abraham was seventy-five years old when the promise first came. He wasn’t a young fellow. I suppose in those days he was middle-aged. How long did God wait to keep his promise? Twenty-five years. Did Abraham give up his hope in the promise? He did not give up but he tried to help God to hasten the matter. He felt that maybe God needed help. God corrected him for that. God came to him when he was ninety-nine years old which was twenty-five years later. Even though he knew now that his wife had passed the child bearing age God said to him, “Now do you still believe that I can keep my promise?” Did he believe God’s promise at the age of ninety-nine? Yes.
Turn to Romans chapter four. Lets read a passage of which we need to remind ourselves because Paul is saying that Abraham is a type of what we should be. Rom. 4:17 has to do with the same promise that we read:
[As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,] before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Ezekiel 37:14 - ”I will put My SPIRIT in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken ‘it’ and performed ‘it’,” says the LORD.’”
John 15:5 - ”I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
‘Heirs of Promises, Prisoners of Hope’ – remaining steadfast in our faith and hope that our Lord and Savior intercedes for us by addressing our need for forgiveness.
We have been adopted into God’s family through the Holy Spirit, calling Him ‘Abba Father’; having become co-heirs with Jesus Christ in the hope of the resurrection as glorified children of God – Rom.8:16-30.
"See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore..." Sometimes we fail to see that what God has promised is right in front of us, and we don't act to take possession of it.
I do believe that this week's lesson is much about faith, love, and hope , if you are a good student of the Bible, you will recognize the 4th element. I'll give you a hint, it comes as result from practicing the 1st three. Well, I do believe that when one soul repents and gives their heart to Christ, God, Christ, and His angels ________ in heaven after the Holy Spirit has testified of their spirit. Romans 8:16.
No more hints.
Being limited as we are, we can’t think like God; thus, we may hinder our blessings simply by our adverse reaction due to our lack of faith.