Hebrews 11:15-16 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from where they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.… This stretching forth of the soul's hand after a heavenly country is man's patent of nobility. God might be ashamed of the poor grovelling thing which, having intellect, having reason, having a heart and a soul, can rest in things seen. God might be ashamed of the creature that is satisfied with the created, and finds in human honour and human love the fulfilment of capacities capable of the everlasting. But God is not, cannot be, ashamed of the creature that feels itself on earth an exile and a sojourner; feels that it hath here neither citizenship nor yet abiding-place; feels that nothing can satisfy but the Spring and Source of Being; feels that "with Him is the fountain of life, and that in His light alone it can ever see light." He is "not ashamed" of these, "to be surnamed" — to add to His other titles of glory and Deity, the appellation, self-chosen, "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob." "Not ashamed," and He proved it — "for He prepared for them" — there is no "hath" in the Greek — "prepared" for them, that is, in the eternity that is behind — prepared for them when the "foundations" of the everlasting "city" were laid before the world was — "He prepared for them" in that invisible past a "city." Not a "country " alone, which they might recognise as their natal and ante-natal home; but a state and a polity too, which is more than a place, more than a dwelling — having laws also, and institutions, and citizens — even that "kingdom" of God Himself, which is the revelation of Christ in the gospel. (Dean Vaughan.) Parallel Verses KJV: And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. |
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