Letter to the Hebrews Volume 131

 The Heavenly Hope of Abraham & all the Patriarchs Part 3

Hebrews 11:15-16 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 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." KJV

The writer of Hebrews wants to clarify for the new Hebrew converts to Christ then that the country that Abraham and his wife Sara and all of the others that went with them on their pilgrimage did not regard the land whence they came out of (Ur of Chaldeans) as the country that God had established for them as the land that would become theirs and that of the seed of Abraham and his future son Isaac. Therefore, as Abraham obeyed the voice of the Lord, so did Sara (his wife) and all of the others who went with Abraham obey him as he obeyed the Lord God and they went out not knowing where they were going but trusting and believing God for the place that He would make their own. We now find the writer of Hebrews pointing out this very fact with these words, "And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned." (Hebrews 11:15) (KJV). In other words, if Abraham had misheard God or misunderstood God or misbelieved God then he would have questioned the long nomadic and wandering journey they had been on and given up and went back to the Ur of the Chaldeans thinking that this was the land God meant. Abraham had every opportunity to discontinue his sojourn and return back to the land from whence he came out of, for he had time enough to return, he had enough resources to return, he had the strength enough to return, but he did not do so because Abraham knew that God spoke to him telling him to leave that land and in so doing it would have never been the plan of God for Abraham to ever go back to it. Likewise, spiritually or in a spiritual manner, it is not in any true believer to question whether or not Jesus Christ is the One True God or not or if He is the only way to heaven for sinners, for they/we know that He is so because of the witness of the Holy Spirit within us, as it is written, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me." (John 15:26) (KJV) and also these words, "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John 16:13-14) (KJV).

Here is what Dr. John Gill had to say of Hebrews 11:15, "For the way from Canaan or Egypt, where they sojourned, was short and easy: and though Abraham sent his servant thither to take a wife for his son Isaac, yet he would not go thither himself, nor suffer his son; nay, made his servant swear that he would not bring him thither, if even the woman should refuse to come; so unmindful was he of that country; so little did he regard it; yea, so much did he despise it: so when men are called by grace, and converted, they come out of a country, this world, which is a land of sin and iniquity, of great folly and ignorance, of darkness, and of the shadow of death; a desert, a mere wilderness; a country where Satan reigns, full of wicked and ungodly men; and which is the land of their nativity, as to their first birth: and they may be said to come out of it, not in a natural and civil sense, but in a spiritual one; and it is the character of a converted man, or one that is come out of the world, and is separated from it, to be unmindful of it; not so as not to consider from whence he came out, as owing to rich grace; nor so as not to lament the iniquities of it; nor so as not to pray for the conversion of the inhabitants of it; but he is unmindful of it, so as to be desirous of the company of the men of it, or to have the affections set upon it, and the heart tickled with the pleasures of it, or so as to desire to return to it, for which there is a great deal of reason: for this country is not worth minding; and there is much in it to set a gracious mind against it; a good man has better things to mind; and it is below, and unworthy of a Christian, to mind the world; and besides, worldly mindedness is attended with bad consequences. Moreover, though the saints have opportunities of returning, yet they do not; they are near it, and the country they are seeking is afar off: many things in it are alluring and ensnaring; a corrupt and deceitful heart often lingers after them, and Satan is not wanting to tempt unto, and by them. And yet they do not return; some that bear the name of Christians, but are not truly such, may wholly return, and never come back more; and true believers may strangely go back again in some instances; but they shall not return finally and totally: for they are held and drawn with the cords of love; they are in the hands of Christ, and are secured in the covenant of grace; they are returned to Christ, in the effectual calling, who will keep them; they are of the household of God, and shall be no more foreigners; should they return in such sense, they would be condemned with the world, which cannot be."

The goal or the object of those believing pilgrims back then and we believing pilgrims today and of every era and generation is a new country that God/Jesus Himself has prepared for us and who will return to take us with Him to it, as it is written with these words of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:1-3) (KJV). Therefore, we find the writer of Hebrews likewise declaring to the then Hebrew converts this same idea or thought with these words written to the then Hebrew converts to Christ, "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." (Hebrews 11:16) (KJV). The English word 'desire' is translated by the Greek word oregomai meaning to stretch oneself, that is, reach out after (long for): - covet after, desire. In other words, just like those of us today who are converted to Christ given the hope of heaven in our inner man and inner woman, so did the Old Testament Patriarchs who believed the Lord God, they too were given the same hope of eternal glory in heaven with Him. So, Abraham and Sara and all those who came out of the Ur of the Chaldeans with them continued their nomadic life knowing that thus earth was not their true home, but they had an heavenly home awaiting each and everyone of them to look forward to. The city prepared for the Hebrew pilgrimes back then and for we pilgrims today and of every era and generation is the 'New Jerusalem' as descibed, declared, and detailed for us by the Apostle John first with the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ here, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." (Revelation 3:12) (KJV) and also with these words from the Book of Revelation, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Revelation 21:1-3) (KJV).

Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of Hebrews 11:16, "They all expected spiritual blessings, and a heavenly inheritance; they sought God as their portion, and in such a way and on such principles that He is not ashamed to be called their God; and He shows His affection for them by preparing for them a city, to wit, heaven, as themselves would seek no city on earth; which is certainly what the Apostle has here in view. And from this it is evident that the Patriarchs had a proper notion of the immortality of the soul, and expected a place of residence widely different from Canaan. Though to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the promises were made in which Canaan was so particularly included, yet God did not give them any inheritance in that country, no, not so much as to set a foot on; Acts 7:5. Therefore, if they had not understood the promises to belong to spiritual things, far from enduring, as seeing Him who is invisible, they must have considered themselves deceived and mocked. The Apostle therefore, with the highest propriety, attributes their whole conduct and expectation to faith." Here also is what Matthew Henry had to say of Hebrews 11:16, "God is the God of all true believers; faith gives them an interest in God, and in all His fullness. He is called their God. He calls Himself so: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; He gives them leave to call Him so; and He gives them the spirit of adoption, to enable them to cry, Abba, Father. Notwithstanding their meanness by nature, their vileness by sin, and the poverty of their outward condition, God is not ashamed to be called their God: such is His condescension, such is His love to them; therefore let them never be ashamed of being called His people, nor of any of those that are truly so, how much soever despised in the world. Above all, let them take care that they be not a shame and reproach to their God, and so provoke Him to be ashamed of them; but let them act so as to be to Him for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory. As the proof of this, God has prepared for them a city, a happiness suitable to the relation into which He has taken them. For there is nothing in this world commensurate to the love of God in being the God of His people; and, if God neither could nor would give His people anything better than this world affords, He would be ashamed to be called their God. If He takes them into such a relation to Himself, He will provide for them accordingly. If He takes to himself the title of their God, He will fully answer it, and act up to it; and He has prepared that for them in heaven which will fully answer this character and relation, so that it shall never be said, to the reproach and dishonour of God, that He has adopted a people to be His own children and then taken no care to make a suitable provision for them. The consideration of this should inflame the affections, enlarge the desires, and excite the diligent endeavours, of the people of God after this city that He has prepared for them."
 
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…