'In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His

presence saved them' (Isa. 63:9).

The attitude of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as described

in Hebrews 11, the attitude of Israel, as described in Deuteronomy 2:26 -28

and the words and terms of Ephesians 2:19 will give sufficient light on the

nature of this our pilgrimage, to enable all who believe to realize something

of the 'other worldly' character of our calling.  The principle contained in

the words:

'Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come' (Heb.

is true of all the redeemed, of whatever calling or sphere of blessing.

Abraham 'sojourned' in the very land of promise as 'in a strange country'

and, instead of staking his claim, he became a 'tent dweller' as did Isaac

and Jacob.  He had a city in view, but it was a heavenly one (Heb. 12:22), a

'better, that is, an heavenly country' (11:16), and these men of faith died

without actually receiving in this life a fulfilment of the promises made to

them.  Even so they embraced them, believed them, and by their attitude

confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims passing through to their

inheritance that lay beyond.  Such an attitude plainly reveals a quest.  They

sought a better country and resisted all temptation to turn back.  As

pilgrims passing through this world, we are enjoined:

'If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all

men' (Rom. 12:18).

The request made in Deuteronomy 2:27 'to pass through' uses the Hebrew word

abar.  Abar means:

'To emigrate, leave one's territory or city (Mic. 1:11), to be

alienated, to pass into other lands (Ezek. 48:14); the noun form

indicates a region across or beyond, and so the word Hebrew, means one

from beyond, from the other side, i.e. probably from beyond the

Euphrates (Josh. 24:23), but possibly, in fact (if the name be given to

Canaan) from beyond Jordan' (Brown, Driver and Briggs).

Ephesians 2 reveals the state of the Gentile by nature, as an alien

from the citizenship of Israel and a stranger from the covenants of promise,

but with the breaking down of the middle wall of partition a new man was

created, and the Gentiles, who were once far off, are no longer strangers and

foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God

(Eph. 2:11 -19), and like Abraham who had the heavenly city in view, are

exhorted to 'seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the

right hand of God' (Col. 3:1 -4).  The pilgrim attitude is summed up by Paul

in 1 Corinthians 7:29 -31:

'But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both

they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as

though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced

not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use

this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth

Moffatt translates verse 31: