Hebrews Chapter Eleven, Pitching One's Tent

Hebrews 11:9 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; [10] for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

 

Though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob dwelt in Canaan, it was not their homeland. God promised Canaan to Abraham, but the patriarch did not see the fulfillment of this promise. Neither did Isaac or Jacob, who left Canaan behind and dwelt in Egypt with Joseph for the final seventeen years of his life, Genesis 47:9, 28. For that matter, neither did Aaron or Moses, who represented the fourth generation that were led out of Egypt by God. But it was Joshua, Moses’ successor, who brought Israel into Canaan at last and conquered the Promised Land, though not fully.

It is written that Isaac and Jacob were co-heirs of the promise God made to Abraham. They were, after all, the beginning of uncountable progeny God promised to him, though the number entering Canaan with Jacob was only 66 blood descendants, Genesis 46:26. The idea of dwelling in tents rather than more durable structures not only fit their lifestyle as shepherds, but the transience of their stay in Canaan. God had given them not so much as a foot of earth in the Promised Land as of yet, though all was promised, Act 7:5, Genesis 13:15.

 

Abraham died without seeing the fulfillment of the promise. He lived, and died, in faith. Such faith does not disappoint, because we trust the veracity of the One promising. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry,” Habakkuk 2:3. God will perform His sovereign will in His own time. He is not slack concerning His promise as humanity generally considers slackness, 2 Peter 3:9. Israel has not yet entered into the fullness of their earthly promise as far as reigning in Israel, and being the head of nations, with boundaries defined and held as God related them to Abraham. The kingdom was glimpsed briefly in Solomon’s time, but then King Solomon erred when his wisdom blinded him to prudence and obedience. Under Rehoboam the united monarchy ended, and that schism was never mended. But in time the Lord will return from Heaven, be seated on the throne of Israel as King and Priest, “and the counsel of peace shall be between them both,” Zechariah 6:13, Psalm 110:4-6.

 

There have been attempts by perhaps well-meaning Christians to establish the city of God on earth, by enforcing Christian ethics (or worse) upon the populace, such as the failed case in Geneva under Calvin. Dale Carnegie wrote, “Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still.” It is suggested that Mr. Carnegie may have been inspired by a 17^th century poem named Hudibras, by Samuel Butler, which lends a little age to this adage. It is certainly a truism. Roman Catholics attempted to convert “heretics” for centuries by force with an incredible degree of failure, as chronicled in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. Islam, when it holds power, brings similar threats of force to compel infidels to accept Allah. Yes, the Koran does say, “Let there be no compulsion in religion,” Sura 2:256. But Mohamed is also cited for having said, “Whoever changes his religion, kill him,” from the Hadith. Freedom to convert to Islam is readily available; apostasy is met with death. Even in America there are sects within Christendom that ardently believe the country must be converted to Christianity before Christ’s kingdom will come. Christians must pave the way for the Lord and take America for Christ. Kingdom Now or Dominion theology provides the engine for this line of thought.

 

The Bible is conspicuously silent about establishing a City of God on earth, apart from Christ’s direct interposition. Moreover, Jesus’ warnings abound that apostasy and spiritual lethargy, not revival and victory for the church, will be the hallmark of the latter days, Luke 18:8, Matthew 7:22, 23, 24:4, 24, 48-51, 25:5, 30. His apostles warned of the same, Acts 20:29, 30, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 4:3, 4, 2 Peter 3:3, 4.

 

The city whose builder and maker is God is the Heavenly Jerusalem, descended from Heaven when eternity at last overtakes time and peace is universally harmonious; not because the church established it, but because God brought it to pass. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are indeed citizens of that great kingdom now, and alive to God, Matthew 8:11, Luke 20:37, 38. The city that the writer says Abraham was waiting for was the invisible, the enduring one, with an incorruptible heritage, God Himself being the saint’s inheritance, see Ezekiel 44:28. God declares that He has made us, His saints, kings and priests unto God the Father, Revelation 1:6. Like the Levites during the Millennial reign, God is the believer’s inheritance. Those who serve God, as Abraham did, will not suffer to receive anything less than what is best; and what is best is God Himself; the Giver and not the gift. To apprehend the One who sits in the seat of blessing is greater than to gain the blessing itself. John wrote that it is our faith in Christ that overcomes the world, 1 John 5:5. In Revelation we read, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son,” Revelation 21:7. This current chapter, which highlights the heroes of the faith, could certainly be named “the overcomer’s chapter.”

 

Like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we too should wait patiently in our tents, these temporary bodies we must one day shed by death or Rapture, until we enter fully into the glory of the kingdom of our God. We are its citizens, born again through faith in Christ, and we shall, as Jesus, promised, eat at the table with the patriarchs, rejoicing that we share in the greatest gift one could receive: God’s love, dispensed by the hand of God Himself. The city of God is coming, but it is not by man’s contrivances; it is spiritual in nature, and we are adopted into it as citizens by faith, “naturalized” if you will. Abraham’s life was a testimony to his undying faith in the One who walked between the parts of the animals and swore to him. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.