Hebrews 11:13 Commentary and Bible Study

Abraham and Sara and their immediate children and grandchildren did not live to see their descendants expand into a great nation. That did not take place until Jacob’s family began to multiply in Egypt, but even then they still had not received the land of Canaan promised to Abraham. For the duration of Abraham’s life therefore, and for some time afterwards the promise of an earthly nation was an unfulfilled promise and they had to continue to hold onto it by faith. In this sense they did not receive the promises – they did not see the promised blessings actually realised. This put them in a position which is very similar to that of every Christian. They believed in what was not seen, and they were convinced that at some future time God would fulfil his word. The Christian also lives in hope of the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the creation of a new heaven and earth which is no longer under the curse. He or she longs to be delivered from this body of death, to put off mortality forever, and to be with his Lord and Saviour. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not even possess the land. It had been promised to Abraham as Moses tell us: ‘And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever’ (Genesis 13:14-15). But in fact the only part of it that he actually owned was the plot of land purchased from Ephron the hittite where he buried Sara (Genesis 23). So in this respect also, he is a pattern for all believers on earth in that he waited for a future inheritance. The land which was promised to him was a picture of heaven. The Christian’s good things are ahead of him, and his mind is often on those future things.Abraham saw the promises of God afar off. If we want great faith, we need to think much about what it will be for us to possess those promised blessing and to have arrived at the time when we are not longer waiting for them and they are no longer future since we have received them. Then we will have proved the faithfulness of God. Faith has the remarkable ability to take hold of those future realities and to enjoy them even now. Faith is wisely placed confidence. Nothing can break the word of God. Abraham and Sara and all the patriarchs confessed that they were strangers. They were not ashamed to make an open statement about this as the following verse shows, but also their whole manner of life spoke volumes. ‘Look at these men,’ people would say, ‘who live outside the city and say they don’t belong in the cities; they live like sojourners in our land.’ If there is no faith there is no witness, for no faith says, there is no point in witness. If we had true faith in God’s promises we would know that out of it would come good. We would know it is wrong to hold back. A sign of faith is a readiness to witness.