Art Toombs Ministries 

Online Bible Commentary

Just Passing Through 
Hebrews 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (NKJV)

The early Eastern Church (Dionysius and Clement, both of Alexandria), from the second century, claimed Paul was the writer of Hebrews. The Western Church later agreed.

Luke translated the letter to the Hebrews into Greek, according to Clement in the second century. Luke was with Paul during his second Roman imprisonment and was his amanuensis during Paul’s final days (2 Timothy 4:11).

It is likely that Luke was also Paul’s amanuensis for this letter. My conclusion is that this was Paul’s last writing, written in late 67-early 68 A.D.

In this letter, Paul is writing to Hebrews who have converted to Christianity from Judaism. Family and friends are likely pressuring them to return to Judaism, so Paul is writing to these Hebrew Christians to encourage them to remain steadfast in their faith and not to return to Judaism.

This chapter, Hebrews eleven, is known as the faith chapter. Paul runs chronologically through history and identifies those who are included in God’s “Hall of Faith”.

He is giving examples of great people of faith. He has already written of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah.

In this passage Paul writes of that which all these great people of faith had in common. Paul begins by writing “All these people were still living by faith when they died" (v. 13a). The proof of a true believer is that he perseveres to the end.

This is referred to as the perseverance of the saints. None had proven to be apostate. None had abandoned their faith.

They all had faced tremendous opposition. Abel was opposed by his big brother Cain, who eventually killed him in a jealous rage.

Enoch walked with God for 300 years, so you know he faced adversity at some point. Noah built his ark preparing for rain, an event that had never occurred. He surely faced opposition from naysayers.

Abraham and Sarah faced the opposition of old age when God promised that they would give birth to a great nation while in their nineties. All remained faithful to their God, despite opposition, until their dying breath.

Paul continues with “They did not receive the things promised” (v. 13b). Not only did these people of faith remain faithful through opposition, but they also remained faithful when they did not receive what had been promised.

They never lived to see their promises from God fulfilled. Abel was praised by God for his sacrifice, but then Cain cut his life short. Abel lost out on a lifetime of God’s blessings.

Enoch did not see his prophecies come true (Jude 14). Like most who prophesied, Enoch expected to see an earthly return by the Lord to set up His kingdom.

Noah, through his shame, brought a curse on his youngest son. Even though Noah’s family was the only one spared by God, not all of his family lived a blessed life.

Abraham and Sarah also did not live long enough to see the promises of God. God promised Abraham when he was 75 years old that he would father a great nation. However, when Abraham died at the age of 175 all he had to show for his promise was a 75 year old son and two fifteen year old twin grandchildren.

Paul continues with “they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance” (v. 13c). So, none of these great people of faith lived to see God’s promises fulfilled.

They waved at them from a distance, never seeing them close up. They believed that God’s promises would be fulfilled, but never experienced them. Despite not seeing God’s promises fulfilled, these great people of faith remained faithful to Him throughout their lives.

Paul completes this verse with “admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth” (v. 13d). They knew they were just passing through. They would not receive all of God’s promises in this lifetime.

Their real home was in Heaven. There was more to come.

Next, Paul writes “People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own” (v. 14). By admitting that they were foreigners and aliens, these people of faith were admitting that they were not satisfied where they were.

They knew there was something bigger and better. They were looking for a better “country”. Otherwise, they would have been content to settle down where they were.

Next, Paul writes “If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return” (v. 15). They also had the opportunity to return to where they had been, but this was not their choice either.

Paul writes “Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one: (v. 16a). Instead, they were longing for a better place--a heavenly one. They were longing to be with their God, to abide with Him.

Paul continues with “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God (v. 16b). Because of this, God was not ashamed to be called their God.

God rewards faithfulness with blessing. These people of faith knew that the ultimate blessing was ahead, in their heavenly home, which God had prepared for them.

Paul completes this passage with “for he has prepared a city for them” (v. 16c). They were just passing though where they were, because God had prepared a city for them, a city called Heaven.

Just as these great people of faith, we too are just passing through. This earth is not our real home. We are aliens, foreigners in a strange land.

Our Christian values do not fit this land in which we are living. We face opposition, adversity, and persecution because we are different. Those who cry the loudest for tolerance and political correctness are the same ones who persecute us.

God sees us in our persecution. He knows what we are going through because he also experienced it in this land.

He is testing us, looking for us to remain faithful. He wants us to remember that there is more to this life, that the best is yet to come.

He wants us to persevere, to remain faithful. He wants us to realize that we are just passing through, and this too shall pass.