11 By faith aSarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and bshe bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him cfaithful who had promised.
12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as adead, were born asmany as the bstars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
The Heavenly Hope
13 These all died in faith, anot having received the bpromises, but chaving seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and dconfessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For those who say such things adeclare plainly that they seek a homeland.
15 And truly if they had called to mind athat country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed ato be called their God, for He has bprepared a city for them.
The Faith of the Patriarchs
17 By faith Abraham, awhen he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
181of whom it was said, a“In Isaac your seed shall be called,”
19 concluding that God awas able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
20 By faith aIsaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, ablessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
A pilgrim is a person on the move with no settled habitation who knows where he is going. The heroes of faith were motivated by their vision of what lies at the end of the journey. Faith produces vision. Though they died without receiving the promises, they saw them afar off, believed what they saw, rejoiced in them, and identified themselves and God with them. This ability to see gave direction to their lives and set them apart from the rest of mankind. Brethren must likewise live on the basis of the words of promise. David, by contrast, began to settle in and was no longer a pilgrim. Neglect of God and pride began affecting his decisions.
Hebrews 11:13
A pilgrim is a person on the move, traveling from one place to another. It is usually used in a religious sense of one who may have no settled habitation but knows where he is going. Here, it is especially clear that all of these people were motivated by their vision of what lies at the end of the journey.
A pilgrim is a person on the move with no settled habitation who knows where he is going. The heroes of faith were motivated by their vision of what lies at the end of the journey. Faith produces vision. Though they died without receiving the promises, they saw them afar off, believed what they saw, rejoiced in them, and identified themselves and God with them. This ability to see gave direction to their lives and set them apart from the rest of mankind. Brethren must likewise live on the basis of the words of promise. David, by contrast, began to settle in and was no longer a pilgrim. Neglect of God and pride began affecting his decisions.