WEDNESDAY March 19th
Hebrews 11:16
‘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.’
Hebrews 11:39-40
‘And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.’
We all know this chapter so well, we often refer to it as the chapter that contains the catalogue of the heroes of faith, men and women who did extraordinary things because they had an extraordinary faith in God, and they are all what we would consider to be Old Testament characters, men and women who knew nothing of the grace of God as displayed at Calvary—yet they trusted in God.
And why? The Hebrew writer tells us that they had their desires set not on the temporal but on that which was spiritual, and which mattered for eternity. They trusted in God for they knew that despite whatever was thrown at them and if you look at verses 32-38 it was tough for many of them, that God had prepared something for them that was worth waiting for and worth working and walking towards, a better country, a heavenly one with an incredible city and yet they all died without yet receiving what was promised!
And again, we ask why? Well, the same chapter tells us that God has provided something better for us, that is those of us who fall under what we call the day of grace. The Old Testament heroes were under the law, but in Christ we are under grace, and grace is far better than the law, for under the law man had to strive to live it out and to fulfil it, but under grace, Christ has fulfilled the law on our behalf. But the good news for all the OT heroes of faith is that as they learned to live by faith, is that they too will have been justified by faith and when the day comes which we spoke of yesterday when the great resurrection takes place they along with us will be made perfect, and together we will dwell in the city of God, a city that we read of in Revelation 21:3-4 which has been prepared by God and will be called the new Jerusalem, and this is what John tells us what it will be like ‘Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’
Again. I remind us, God has it all worked out!