Case Studies in Faith:

By Faith Abraham Saw a City

Hebrews 11:8-16 (ESV)

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  [9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.  [10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.  [11] By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.  [12] Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

[13] These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  [14] For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.  [15] If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.  [16] But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

As we begin this morning we should reread the opening verse showing us the characteristics of faith from Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  [2] For by it the people of old received their commendation.

One big piece of this text today when we take into account the apostle’s description of faith is that assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, is that all the ones mentioned never received the promises while on this earth.  None of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 actually received what they had been convinced of while alive.  By this fact, and by other verses in Scripture, we shouldn’t think that God’s promises will be fulfilled while we’re alive either. Continue Reading