¹⁰ for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Property, land, cities—all things that give us a sense of security, no less today than it was back in the day of Abraham. There is something about owning a portion of land and building our lives therein that gives us a sense of solidness in life. Abraham left the city of Ur of the Chaldeans for a land unknown to him. Our verse says he was looking for a city built by God. What was this all about? Did he have a clear understanding of what this would be?

The concept of “the city of God” was not unknown in the Old Testament: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High” (Psalm 46:4). “The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, and all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; and they will call you the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Is 60:14). This city of God represented the final destination of God’s people, in earthly terms. Have you noticed God always describes the infinite and perfect with the finite and imperfect so that we can understand?

Admittedly, these revelations came long after the time of Abraham, but they represent the growing seed of the heart’s desire that began with him. The promise of God to him (Gen 12:1-3) would undoubtedly have invoked in him the imagination of a city as well as a nation, for how could you have the latter without the former? The vivid picture in his mind must have been comparatively greater than Ur in which he had formerly lived, the major city of that area between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

This city he was looking for (how much of this he understood at the time we cannot discern) was one that would be permanent, with foundations, not a nomadic tribal camp. The design would be of godly proportions and configuration, for the architect would be none other than God Himself. It would not be like the city and tower of Babel, of human design: “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth” (Gen 11:4). No, God would build this city and He Himself would come to dwell with His people. “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven … He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them…” (Rev 21:2–3).

Father, like Abraham of old, I too, am looking forward to the City of God, where You will dwell with us forever. Even so, Lord Jesus, come!