Hebrews 11:8-10
by Don Costello

Hebrews 11:8

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

a. Before Abraham had ever left Ur, God had already spoken to him.

1). Acts 7:2 "And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran."

2). Genesis 12:1 "Now the LORD HAD SAID unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee."

b. This puts the call of Abraham back in Genesis 11:31.

1). Genesis 11:31 "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran, and dwelt there."

Hebrews 11:9

By 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:

1. "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country"

a. sojourned [3939 * paroikeo; para-beside; oikeo-to dwell] [Zodhiates: to be a stranger, dwell or sojourn as a stranger[foreigner, alien] ]

b. Amplified Bible: "Prompted by faith he dwelt as a temporary resident in the land which was designated in the promise of God, though he was as a stranger in a strange country"

c. After Abraham left Haran and went into Canaan, he lived in at least 5 different locations.

1). Sichem, plain of Moreh: Genesis 12:6.

2). In between Bethel on the west and Hai on the east: Genesis 12:8

3). Plain of Mamre, outside Hebron: Genesis 14:13.

4). Gerar: Genesis 20:1

5). Beersheba: Genesis 21:33, 34.

d. Part of the word that inspired Abraham's faith is after he separated from Lot.

1). Genesis 13:14-18 "And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD."

2. "dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:"

a. Genesis 26:1-5 "And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.
And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

b. Genesis 28:10-14 "And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and theGod of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Hebrews 11:10

For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

a. looked [1551 * ekdechomai] [Zodhiates: to watch for, expect, to receive from any quarter.]

b. Amplified Bible: "For he was waiting expectantly and confidently, looking forward to the city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God."

c. Faith come by hearing God's word. At some time in Abraham's life after he left Ur, he received a word, or perhaps a vision of New Jerusalem.

d. The promise of the land was not totally fulfilled when Israel possessed the land. Even after Israel had been in the promised land for some time, David wrote in Psalm 39:12 "for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were."

e. When will the promise be totally fulfilled? There are a couple New Testament passages that shed light on it.

1). Romans 4:13-18 "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were:
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might be the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be."

2). Galatians 3:16-19 "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator."

f. With the above two passages in mind, look at the wording of Hebrews 11:8, the verse that began this study. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he SHOULD AFTER RECEIVE for an inheritance"

1).After what? After the lawafter the Messiahafter the dispensation of the Gospelafter the 2nd Comingafter the Millennial Reignafter the Great White Throne Judgment, tototo what? To Revelation 21.

a). Revelation 21:1-3 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

g. When God told Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet, we can appreciate it. Not only did God give Abraham a look at Messiah's day (John 8:56), he also let him see beyond to the fulfillment of the promise given to him, New Jerusalem on the earth.


My name is Don Costello. Ever since I received Christ in November of 1976 I have had a passion to study and know God's word.My wife Melissa and I have 5 children.

My e-mail address is [email protected]

I have a blog located at:
www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com







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