By Tom Wacaster
Abraham is often referred to as the “father” of the faithful. The adage is not just a worthy approbation for that great man of faith, for even the apostle Paul affirmed, “And if ye are Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:29). Every student of the Bible, whether a novice or a seasoned scholar, is well aware of the great faith of this man who became the progenitor of two physical nations, and a fitting example for all those who seek to walk in the steps of Abraham toward that heavenly home that awaits all the faithful. Perhaps the faith of this man was best summed up by the Hebrews writer in the eleventh chapter of that great epistle. If you want to know the marks of a great man, pay attention to what the inspired writer said about Abraham in this chapter: “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed” (11:8). “By faith he became a sojourner….” (11:9). In another passage the apostle Paul made a most significant observation regarding Abraham and his connection with those of us who live in the Christian dispensation. Abraham is “the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision” (Romans 4:12). The force of Paul’s word serve as a wonderful encouragement to those of us who are not of Jewish stock, which, by the way, happens to be the larger percentage of faithful Christians throughout the generations. My favorite character trait of Abraham is in Hebrews 11:10, from which we derive the title of this week’s article, and upon which I want to elaborate: “For he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
In view of the “present distress” that is upon us, I think it would be good to revisit this trait of Abraham. You may ask, “What present distress”? Unless you are like the proverbial ostrich that has stuck its head in the sand, you are fully aware of what I speak. It is astonishing the depth of degradation to which our nation has sunk in the last 50 years. Behavior that was labeled “vice” half a century ago has now become the norm. Homosexuality, for all practical purposes, has been accepted as normal behavior. Alcohol has been a blight on our citizenry since the repeal of Prohibition, but is now considered a part of the social norm. Now marijuana has been legalized in two states, and at least another dozen are considering following Washington and Colorado down the pathway of self destruction by legalizing not only “pot,” but other illegal drugs as well. Gambling has become an accepted form of “entertainment,” and “poker champions” are glorified and placed in the same category as sports heroes (though I would not give you a plug nickel for most of the sports figures today). America has reached the point where she is not only unashamed to blush, but our government leaders simply refuse to enforce the laws they think are unjust or contrary to their “toleration” level. If Lot was “sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked” (2 Pet. 2:7), it is only normal for every faithful child of God to be “distressed” by what surrounds him today (if he is not then he needs to do some serious soul searching). But the “present distress” goes far beyond the immorality of those who surround us. Dark clouds continue to gather as Satan marshals his forces for the destruction of those “that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17). Atheism is becoming more militant, federal judges who hate God, ignore the Constitution, and have absolutely no respect for the Bible, are being appointed to life-time positions of power, and our “leaders” in Washington continue to demonstrate an earthy wisdom that exacerbates the problems that surround us. With increasing frequency we are reading of court decisions that are unfavorable to someone seeking to live a Christian life. Slowly, but certainly with increasing intensity, laws are being put into place that deny religious freedom, and ere too long all of us shall feel the sting of Satan’s onslaught. Oh yes, the “present distress” is upon us!
Abraham lived in a world much like what I have described above. And this is where our passage in Hebrews 11:10 comes in. Abraham did not have his eyes fixed on the here and now. He “looked for the city which hath the foundations whose builder and maker is God.” Consider the following:
First, Abraham believed there was a “city which hath foundations” that lay beyond the veil of death. He fully expected to enter that city some day. Time was not important to him, nor was he wearied by the distance he had to travel to get there. Take careful note, dear reader, that the sacred writer did not say Abraham looked for just any city. The definite article suggests that it was a definite city to which Abraham had cast his heart and his eyes, and in that precise order. The only way he could have known about that city was by divine revelation, although the precise details of that revelation are not contained in Scripture. Unlike Lot who had cast his eyes toward Sodom, Abraham had cast his eyes toward a place far beyond the bounds of earthly ties, fenced cities, or walled fortresses. Unseen with human eye, that city was real to Abraham.
Second, Abraham looked for that city with great intensity with the full expectation of it becoming a reality some day. Robertson (Word Pictures) tells us that the original word is “picturesque progressive imperfect, his steady and patient waiting in spite of disappointment.” The same word is used in Hebrews 10:3 to describe the full expectation that our Lord had regarding victory: “henceforth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of his feet” (Heb. 10:3). Is our search for that city and our journey to it as intense as that of Abraham?
Third, Abraham realized that, so far as his earthly life was concerned, he was a “stranger and pilgrim on the earth” (Heb. 11:13). I have made extensive trips to various parts of the world to do what I can to promote the cause of Christ. With the exception of two years in South Africa, I have never opened a bank account in any of those countries, never purchased property, and on only one occasion did I purchase an automobile. The reason for such was that I knew I would only be there for a short time. That land was not my home, and I was only a sojourner in the midst of a people not my own. We have been warned that “they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Tim. 6:9). It is important to note that one only need to be “minded to be rich.” Once this world becomes my home and my life’s ambition is to improve the well being of the physical man while neglecting the well being of the spiritual man, I have started down that road to destruction. In short, I have taken my eyes off that city whose builder and maker is God, and I have focused my attention on things that are temporal, decaying, and someday to be destroyed. I have, for all practical purposes, stopped walking in the steps of Abraham. The pressing question for each of us to consider is this: “Are you looking for the city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God”?
A song often sang at funerals has words most fitting here, and perhaps its message needs to be ingrained in our hearts on a daily basis and not just on occasions of the death of a loved one. “I am going to a city, where the streets with gold are laid. Where the tree of life is blooming, and the roses never fade. Here they bloom but for a season, soon their beauty is decayed. I am going to a city, where the roses never fade.”
~~~~~
If a child attends every class provided by the local congregation, and depends upon those learning opportunities for the totality of his religious training, he or she is starving spiritually. Two classes a week (Sunday AM and Wednesday PM), if each were a full 45 minutes long, would amount to only 1.5 hours a week in religious training. Taking out time for summer vacation and travels, holidays when the family “hits the road,” and other interruptions such as sickness, it is likely that a child only receives about 62 hours of religious training per year. In comparison, the average child attends public school classes about 6 hours a day. That is 30 hours per week. In two weeks the average child receives more instruction in worldly matters that religious instruction in a whole year. But the influence of the world does not stop when that child gets home. Some years ago it was revealed that a child between the ages of 5 and late teen averages 4 hours a day watching TV. That is 28 hours a week. No wonder we are losing so many young people to the world. Parents, you owe it to your children to conduct home Bible study on a daily basis.