The Letter to the Hebrews
Faith Looks Forward To The Heavenly City
Hebrews 11:9-16
Let’s turn to Hebrews 11. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you. Hebrews 11 is on page 1007 in the Bibles we are passing out.
In today’s passage the author raises a crucial question. Here’s some background. We are living here in this world, and we know God is good. So we can think that what God must be all about is giving us good things here in this world.
So we can think all of God’s people will have perfect health, and perfect families, and financial prosperity. And so we put our hope in health, a perfect family, and financial prosperity.
But then what happens when we are diagnosed with cancer? Or when our child is born with a disability? Or we are laid off?
What happens is that we will think God doesn’t love us. We will think God is punishing us. We will think God has failed us.
So the question is – what does God promise us? What does God want us to hope in?
The author of Hebrews answers those question in Hebrews 11:9-16 – and he starts by talking about where Abraham set his hope. So let’s raise that as our first question --
Where did Abraham set his hope? Let’s start with v.9 --
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.
Last week we saw that Abraham had been living in Ur of the Chaldeans – where he had a home and friends and security. But God called Abraham to leave there and go to a land God would show him – which in v.9 is called the land of promise.
So here he is in the land God had promised to give him, the land God had promised would be his. But the way Abraham lives there is puzzling. The author describes it with two phrases. First -- Abraham lived there “as in a foreign land.” That means he never treated it as his home; he never settled down.
The second phrase is that Abraham, along with Isaac and Jacob, were “living in tents.” Which means Abraham never built a house. He lived his entire life as a nomad moving from place to place and living in a tent. But why?
The author tells us in v.10. Notice that v.10 begins with the word “for” – which shows that the author is going to explain why Abraham lived as a nomad in a tent. V.10 –
10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
The city that has foundations is heaven. Heaven is described a couple of times in the book of Hebrews as a city which has been designed and built by God. And the most stunning truth about this city is not that mansions or streets of gold will be there. The most stunning truth about heaven is that God will be there. In fact in ch.12 the author says this city is “the city of the living God.”
And because you are trusting Jesus Christ who died for all of your sin – at the end of your life you will be there. You will be in the city of the living God. Which means you will be with God – the infinitely most important reality in existence. You will be with God – a being of infinite joy, universe-creating power, perfect love, flawless justice, cross-suffering mercy.
You will be with Him. You will know Him. You will behold Him. You will worship Him. And this will fill you with joy – ever-increasing joy – forever and ever and ever and ever.
That’s heaven. That’s the city Abraham looked forward to. And Abraham knew this city was where he should put his hope -- because it alone has foundations. He knew that nothing on this earth has foundations – nothing here would last.
So Abraham did not set his hope on anything here on earth. All of Abraham’s hope was in heaven – the city of the living God.
But at this point the author knows we might have a question. If all our hope is in heaven, in the life to come – does that mean God doesn’t do anything for us here in this life? You could think so. You could think that since Abraham looked forward to heaven – that must mean God doesn’t do anything for us here in this life.
But that’s not what we see in vv.11 --
11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
Here’s the situation. Sarah had never had a baby. And she was well past the age of getting pregnant. So it looked like she would never get pregnant. But God had promised to give her a baby. Now this is not a promise God gives to everyone – this was just a promise God gave specifically to Sarah and Abraham.
But it looked impossible. There was no physical way this could happen. So what did Sarah do? She had faith. Which the end of v.11 explains means that she considered God faithful who had promised.
God – you promised I would get pregnant. But that’s not humanly possible. And yet I know that you are faithful. You are faithful – so no matter how impossible – You will fulfill Your promise – I will get pregnant.
And what happened? By faith, Sarah received power to conceive. As she trusted God’s promise – God supernaturally brought His power upon her and changed her body so she could get pregnant. And she and Abraham conceived, and Sarah gave birth to Isaac.
And look at the result – v.12 --
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.
Now the focus is on Abraham. Abraham was as good as dead – too old to father a child. But God worked a miracle, and from this one man Abraham there was born the entire nation of Israel – millions and millions of people.
So does God do anything for us here in this life? The answer is Yes. Absolutely. The story of Sarah becoming pregnant shows that God can do amazing works for us here in this life.
And all through the Bible we see God doing amazing works for His people –
· He healed Blind Bartimaeus
· He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish
· He raised up a man who was completely paralyzed
· He freed people from demons
· He parted the Red Sea so Israel could escape
· He opened prison doors so Peter could be freed from prison
And the list goes on and on.
But if that’s true – if God does things for us here in this life -- then shouldn’t we put our hope in these things? Shouldn’t we put our hope in God giving us health and a perfect family and financial prosperity? Shouldn’t we expect God to give us health and picture perfect family life and financial comfort?
Some people say we should. That kind of thinking is sometimes called Prosperity Theology. It encourages us to put our hope in healing – to put our hope in financial prosperity -- to put our hope in miracles.
But that would be a mistake, because of what the author says at the beginning of v.13. In Hebrews 11 the author is not just telling us about those who lived in the Old Testament. He’s telling us about them because our lives will be like their lives. So what does he tell us about their lives? Look at v.13 --
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised…
These all. Who is that? He’s talking about Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob. So Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob all died in faith. They all died. But they died trusting God.
And yet, even though they trusted God, the author says they had not received the things promised. Why not? It’s because while God does things for us in this life – none of these are the main thing He promises.
All through the Old and New Testament there is one main promise – one huge promise that is the focus of all the promises. The promise is -- life forever in the city of God. It’s no more death. No more crying. No more pain. No more trials. No more temptations. No more sin. And best of all – it’s knowing God face to face – worshiping Him with all the redeemed forever. That is THE promise promised us by God. And it’s not something we receive here – because it’s not received until heaven.
But that does not mean God does nothing here and now. The story of Sarah shows that He does. And yet we don’t put our hopes in these things. Why not?
Because while God can supernaturally heal, the Bible is clear that sometimes in great love for you God chooses not to heal. God can supernaturally deliver you from trials, sometimes in great love God chooses to allow the trials to stay. God can supernaturally work miracles, sometimes in great love He chooses not to.
And God has told us that life this side of heaven will be full of trials. Jesus said that in the world we will have tribulation (John 16:33). David said many are the afflictions of the righteous (Psalms 34:19). Paul said that we enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations (Acts 14:22).
Now we still pray for miracles. We pray and fast and plead. But we don’t put our hope in miracles in this life – because in any given situation that might not be God’s plan for us. We don’t put our hope in health, or a picture-perfect family, or financial prosperity – because that might not be God’s plan for us.
Remember what Jesus said to the disciples when they came back after successfully casting out many demons? He said – do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Don’t put your hope in casting out demons. You won’t always be in situations where you have the joy of seeing God’s power displayed in that way – and even when you are -- it won’t satisfy you. Put your hope – your joy – in heaven. That will certainly be there – and beholding God in heaven will fully satisfy you.
So we should not put our hope in things in this world. We should not put our hope in health. We should not put our hope in money. We should not put our hope in business success. We should not put our hope in our children. We should not put our hope in anything but being with God forever in heaven – because that’s the only sure thing – it’s the only lasting thing – it’s the only satisfying thing.
But that leaves us with one last question – how do we put our hope in the heavenly city? Let me give you three steps from vv.13-16 --
First, by faith see the things promised and greet them from afar. That’s in v.13 --
13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar,
The promise of heaven is future. So it’s unseen. But remember from v.1 of this chapter that faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.
So when we turn our hearts to God’s promises of being with Him forever – when we pray over passages about heaven and trust God’s promise of heaven – we will have times when, by the work of the Spirit, we will see heaven from afar. Not physically. But spiritually. Feelingly. We will feel and taste of the joy of beholding God in heaven.
So see the things promised and greet them from afar.
Second, understand that we are strangers and exiles on the earth. That’s at the end of v.13 –
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.
This world is not our home. Nothing here will satisfy your heart. Nothing here will last past death. So don’t put your hope in anything here. Don’t pour your foundations here. Don’t build your future here. You are just passing through. So travel light.
The only things you will take with you from your life here is the faith you’ve nurtured in Jesus Christ, and the people you’ve brought to salvation. So focus on what lasts.
Third, seek and desire your homeland. That’s the point of vv.14-16 --
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.
You have a perfect home. But it’s not here. God has prepared it for you in heaven. So don’t let trials here discourage you. This is not your home. Seek and desire your true homeland – where God is – and where you will be with Him forever.