¹³ All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

Abraham never saw the vast number of descendants promised him by God. His son Isaac was sixty years old when Jacob was born, so that means Abraham would have been about 160 years old, 15 years before his death at age 175. At most, then, he would have been eyewitness to only two of his promised offspring by Sarah through whom the promise was to be fulfilled: one child and one grandchild. Abraham must have had incredible faith to think that this was the beginning of something big!

So, Abraham “died in faith, without receiving the promises,” as did the others listed in this chapter of Hebrews. This was the first point of commonality. The second point of note in faithful people is that they “welcome them from a distance,” that is, the promises of God. Theirs was a robust faith not given to the momentary entitlements that characterize the “instant society” of today.

Lastly, they accepted, even identified themselves as “strangers and exiles on the earth.” They were other-worldly, as it were. Earth, to them, was a temporary stop in the eternal pathways, and they saw clearly that life was far greater than the temporal experiences and expectations. They, like Paul, wrote, “… look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor 4:18). Faith sets the coordinates of our spiritual GPS for a heavenly destination.

Today there is huge emphasis in Christian circles on experiencing the kingdom of God now. After all, didn’t Jesus teach, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”? Yes, He did, but Israel rejected that Kingdom. Abraham and all the other faithful people of Hebrews 11 are still waiting! It is not here yet. Many preachers say we should claim the promises of God, in terms of health, wealth and welfare, while their own coffers are increasing. But people of faith don’t demand “instant blessings” from superficial interpretations of God’s promises. Their purveyance of life is much larger. Their “world view” is broader than just this world. Some people buy homes with a front porch overlooking a lake or the ocean or a mountain scene. People of faith have their spiritual front porch overlooking heaven.

Lord, help me keep my eyes on You when I so desperately want Your promises now. Your promises are eternal, and I dare to trust You for them.