"He remembers His covenant forever,..The covenant which He made with Abraham,..saying, 'To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance'...." (Psalm 105:11)
I read our text this morning and was reminded of the message I preached this past Sunday. I preached from Hebrews 10:35-12:3. But as I was studying for the message last week, I noticed something which I had never "seen" before. Abraham and the "faithful" of Hebrews 11 were not looking for Canaan or what we call The Land of Israel. Now that is the "popular" version. It is the driving force of Zionism, and by far too much of the emphasis of modern Evangelical Christianity, perhaps of which I was one. Of course, I still love Jerusalem, love The Land and know it has always had a "place" in history and in the days ahead. But this is not what Abraham was "looking" for, and neither should you nor I.
Hebrews 11 tells us, "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise AS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; FOR HE WAITED FOR THE CITY WHICH HAS FOUNDATIONS, whose builder and maker (architect) is God." Abraham received The Land; Abraham was thankful for The Land. But Abraham was as the others mentioned in Hebrews 11. They, "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.... But now they desire a better, that is a heavenly country."
The people of Hebrews 11 and all the people of God from Abel to you and me are a people "just passing through." Most, of course, do not live in such an attitude. Everything is here and now, and most religionists speak and teach such. The Follower of Jesus is as Moses, however, "....for he looked to the reward," and the context reveals The Reward, "Therefore...let us run...the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus." Abraham did this (John 8:56); Moses and Elijah did this, "who appeared in glory (with Jesus on the Mount) and spoke of His decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." They had known about Jesus, His appearing, His "work" from their historic days. It was, "looking unto Jesus," which was the power, the goal, the reward of their faith. Can I say, "Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit is the, 'Better...Country'"?
May you and I look beyond what so many concentrate on in life. Look to the, "heavenly country," to, "the reward"------------------"unto Jesus," that is, if we want the empowerment to continue on in the battle. The best is "there" not "here."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess that too many times my focus is blurred. Thank You that Your Words clear blurred focus. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
