ACC ~ Hebrews 11 v8 - 10

TENTS NOT HOUSES. THEODORET OF CYR: Not even when Abraham arrived in the promised land did he control it. Instead, he himself, his son and grandson lived the life of aliens, in what was their own by promise sojourning as though in a foreign land. Hence, instead of owning houses they spent the time living in tents. Yet they believed the promise to be true, even if not seeing the testimony of fact conforming to their faith. INTERPRETATION OF HEBREWS 11.

ABRAHAM OBEYED. EPHREM THE SYRIAN: “By faith Abraham” obeyed and left his father and family “to go” not to his private estate but to “an inheritance” prepared for him. Constantly supporting himself “by faith” through his wanderings, he “sojourned” and lived in the land of promise as in a foreign land, that is, as in a foreign inheritance, “living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.” Through the promised inheritance, which they did not receive, it became evident that “they looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

TO BE CONFIDENT IS TO RECEIVE. CHRYSOSTOM: The metaphor is of persons on shipboard, seeing from afar the longed-for cities. Before they enter, they by their words of greeting already are beginning to occupy. … Do you see that they received the promises in this sense, in their already accepting them and being confident respecting them? If then to be confident is to receive the promise, it is in your power also to receive. These faithful did not yet fully enjoy the future blessing but yet by their longing still saw it. Why now do these things happen? That we might be put to shame, in that they indeed, when things on earth were promised them, regarded them not, but sought the future “city.” God again and again speaks to us of the city that is above, and yet we seek that which is here. ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 23.4.

Heb