#DailyDevotion I Have A Piece of Real Estate For You

Lent day 9, Friday

Read Gen 13:1–18

Gen 13:14-18  The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,  (15)  for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.  (16)  I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.  (17)  Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”  (18)  So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

Heb 11:8-16  By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  (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.  (10)  For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.  (11)  By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.  (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.  (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.  (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.

We believe scripture interprets scripture.  Hebrews interprets Genesis.  What did Abram see?  Was it a piece of real estate on the east of the Mediterranean or a heavenly city?  Perhaps both.   One was the earnest for the other.  The Lord did give to Abram’s physical descendents that land, the real estate on in the Middle East.  They are still in possession of it.  They began to take possession of it when the Israelites crossed the Jordan.  They had taken full possession of by the time of Solomon.  Because of their sinfulness, the Israelites lost control of much of it and all of it at times, Abram’s other children still possessed that land.  He had thirteen kids you know.

And while the Israelites were like dust of the earth, they are even greater now in Christ. For in Christ, all who have faith in Christ are children of Abraham.  We’re in every country of the world practically representing every nation, tribe and tongue.  And like Abraham we are looking to a city not made with human hands, the New Jerusalem.  God has promised this to all who have faith in His Son, the seed of the Woman, the seed of Abram.

Lord Jesus Christ, give us such faith in you that like Abraham we may wait in patience to receive all that you have promised us.  Amen.