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 is God. (Hebrews 11:09-10, NKJV).
One of the many beautiful aspects of Hebrews 11 is its glorious refrain of "By faith…". Eighteen of the forty verses begin with this declaration of the open secret of a victorious Christian life, building in melodic crescendo with each hallmark repetition until the writer proclaims, "And what more shall I say?"
When you could have it all in the material sense, as the Patriarch Abraham could, given his great wealth, and yet choose, by faith, to forego the rewards of this life as an act of worship to the One who provides you eternal life, you are letting the world know where your priorities lie.
It is by faith that this man went out from the land of worldly comfort and security into the land of promise; a place of desert and danger, and dwelt not as a permanent resident, but as a pilgrim and sojourner. He invested all that he had, and all that he was, into what his contemporaries undoubtedly considered sheer foolishness. His relatives, friends, and business partners - everyone besides his immediate household - must have deemed him crazy.
And he dwelt in tents with his son and grandson, heirs with him of the same promise, waiting.
This is a perfect illustration of the life of faith in this fallen world. Holding lightly onto perishable things, like houses and fame and goods and even earthly life itself, all the better to grasp more tightly that which cannot be shaken, is of eternal value, and cannot rust, be stolen, or fade away.
Abraham's priorities were exactly right.
First he obeyed, then he waited.
He waited for the fulfillment of God's inestimable promise, of a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Not a city made with human hands, perched precariously atop the earth's surface, subject to the ravages of time and geology, but a city whose foundations are sunk deep into the fabric of existence itself. A city built by the Maker of all things, the Master Builder, who, with unspeakable Intelligence, Grace, Love and Power, has fashioned an entire Universe for His beloved children.
Abraham knew that even the Promised Land was not his true home. It was a foreign country, in which he would dwell as witness and ambassador; a royal representative of the Kingdom of God.
He went where God commanded him to go, and lived how God commanded him to live, not out of fear of reprisal, but out of faith, worship and love for God.
Dented, bruised, scraped and imperfect as this man was - a sinner like all descendants of Adam - Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
His life's journey was one act of horrific faith after another, and at each fateful intersection, he built an altar and worshiped the Giver of All Things.
Blessed with material possessions, a beautiful wife, and even a private army, he kept his eyes focused upward and did not allow the distractions of his flesh, the world, or the Enemy to sway him from his course of faithful obedience.
By doing so he shamed kings, won wars, and climbed unthinkable mountains for unimaginable ends.
And at the center of all his momentous activities, he waited.
He is our example. We are to occupy until He comes.
For one day the Lord Jesus will return as Triumphant King to establish His eternal realm, and to reward his faithful and obedient servants - those who have lived this life eagerly awaiting His coming, holding lightly onto perishable things.
It is not the greatness of our deeds, but the purpose of our hearts that distinguishes a Child of God from a Child of the World.
The world is passing away, but pour God remains forever.
