Articles
Seeking a Homeland
Some people are at home in this world. They love what it offers in spite of what it fails to deliver. The excitement of travel, the emotional rush of romance, the exhilaration of new experiences, the drive to conquer new goals outweigh, at least temporarily, the senselessness of violence, the devastation of divorce, the heartbreak of poverty and even the uncertainty of life itself.
But there are others who not only see the flaws but realize that earthly experiences, while perhaps legitimate, are incapable of soothing the ache of the soul. We are encouraged to enjoy the world’s pure pleasures and thank God for them. But we must partake without magnifying them disproportionally or expecting from them what they cannot deliver.
The pragmatic value of this is that we remain on an even keel. Our expectations are moderate and our disappointments less traumatic because we accept that a hungry soul is not fully satisfied by temporal fare. We may as well expect the wonders of marriage from the purchase of a parakeet.
After referencing the nomadic wanderings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the author of Hebrews says, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland” (Heb 11:13-14).
He earlier noted that “by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents … for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (11:8-10).
We rightly speak of the rigors of Abraham leaving his home country, traveling into the unknown with his family and flocks and herds, facing potential enemies, scarcity of water, inadequate grazing land, etc. Abraham did not Google the route or check the schools where he was moving. But there’s another element to this: “In ancient times there was a stigma associated with living outside one’s homeland. The assumption was that something dishonorable had forced them to leave. Furthermore, people who lived in a place as resident aliens did not have the rights (such as exemptions from certain kinds of service or taxes, voting in public assemblies, or inheritance rights) which the citizens of that place enjoyed” (David McClister, A Commentary on Hebrews 394).
So, Abraham faced stigma, hardship and uncertainty in his journey to Canaan, and then he did not receive the full ownership of the land. So what is missing in the account of his life? Bitter disappointment … not a word of displeasure or regret for God deferring full possession of the land until about the tenth generation later. And why not? “Abraham did not consider any place on this earth to be his true home, and so his lifestyle reflected his view of this world. Instead, he believed that his true home was with God, in a city that he had not yet seen, in the heavens” (ibid 396).
HOME. What a powerful word and influence on our lives. Our roots may be rural: nature, neighbors, acreage, the simple pleasures. Or, the pulsating rhythm of the city may course through our veins: fashion, concerts, museums, corporate life. Does the world hold us in its hand? Or do we see it for what it truly is – a temporary residence where, through the lens of its shortcomings, we yearn for a better place?
“Those who speak of this world as a strange place to them make it clear that they are not worldly people” (ibid 403).
