Hebrews 11:20-22 (HCSB)
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.
The next inductees into the Hall of Faith are Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. All three of these patriarchs are held up as examples of faith for not only believing God’s promises for the future, but for passing them on to their descendants as something they could absolutely count on.
Even though Isaac was deceived by the machinations of Rebecca into blessing Jacob instead of Esau (Genesis 27:5-13), Isaac was shown the valid future of each of his sons and delivered that message faithfully (Genesis 27:27-29, 39-40). He did not speak tentatively about these things but was sure of the One who showed him the future, and so spoke confidently, even boldly about things he would never see himself.
Jacob was much the same. When his time came to die, he gathered his twelve sons around him and told them what their future held. Some of these prophecies are so exact and were fulfilled so completely that some commentators believe that they had to have been written after the events which they foretell actually happened. But God sees the future as surely as He knows the past, and He has no trouble seeing clearly what will happen and passing that knowledge on to those who have ears to hear. Again, Jacob did not speak timidly or hedge his prophetic utterances with qualifications. He simply trusted God and spoke exactly what God showed him.
Joseph, while on his deathbed, was also given assurances about the future of his people. He saw that, at some point in the future, God would rescue Israel from their bondage in Egypt and take them back to the Promised Land. So, he made his brothers swear an oath that, when that day came, their descendants would carry his bones from Egypt to be buried in the Promised Land (Genesis 50:24-25).
All these men were shown a sure future which did come to pass at the appropriate time. And, because all of them trusted God, they were bold in their proclamation of that future.
Father, it all comes down to knowing You, knowing Your voice, and trusting in Your character, understanding that You, as God, cannot lie and are never mistaken. Help me, Lord, to be just as confident in you, just as trusting, and just as faithful in acting on the truth that you show me. Amen.