Heb. 11:9-189By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. 13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 17By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: (Hebrews 11:9‑18)
FROM the 9th verse we see that the pilgrim and stranger character was kept up—dwelling in tents: houses are for Canaan, tents for the wilderness. God's dwelling in the wilderness was a Tabernacle or Tent, in Canaan a Temple. Abram kept true to the pilgrim character, Lot did not. He pitched his tent first toward Sodom; afterwards he had a house in it, and sat at the gate. What a place for a child of God to settle in and receive honor!
Abram had his eye on a far different city, "whose builder and maker was God." Meanwhile he was satisfied to live in a tent, with God for his portion.
When tested, Abram refused to take anything from the king of Sodom, from a thread even to a shoelatchet, lest he should say, I have made Abram rich. The very next thing we find is God saying to him, "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Whenever we are enabled to surrender what nature clings to for Christ's sake there is blessing, in a clearer revelation of himself to the soul; as it were, room is made for the Lord by the displacing of lower objects, and the promise of John 14:2323Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23) is made good in our experience—"If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
What a wall of fire the Lord is round the soul that is separated to Himself I He plants the blood of Christ right behind us. Has He spoken to us of His glory, and told us of the glories awaiting us as fellow-heirs with Christ, and shall we turn back and mind earthly things? Shall not His country be our country, His associates our associates, while we are waiting in strangership down here, confessing ourselves pilgrims by our walk and ways, shewing by our blessed independency of all the good things which nature esteems so highly, and our indifference to the attractions by which so many are dazzled and blinded, that we are passing through this scene in haste to a better country, choosing nothing for ourselves, but receiving all as God's gift.
Does anything bright offer itself? Our first question should be, Does my Father give me this? if not, I don't want it. If I am a true pilgrim, I won't be thinking of settling down in a world like this; I will say, that can't be God's gift for me, it is not good enough; He has prepared for me a city; I am going home: meanwhile I want to keep my mind and heart free for Him, who gave Himself for me.
We never read of God being the God of Lot, not but that He was Lot's God quite as much as Abraham's, but He could not associate His Holy Name with Sodom, of which Lot was a citizen. He is not ashamed to be called the God of pilgrims and strangers, and to associate His Name with theirs.
The trial to which God put Abraham in offering up Isaac was very remarkable. He wanted to see whether he was hanging all his weight on the promise or not. He tries us often in the same way. How blessed when the faith He has given, when tried, is not found wanting.