These tent-dwellers had no need to make loud professions; their actions spoke for

them: "for they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country". This was

their "confession"; they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims in the land. As

"partakers of the heavenly calling" they had this "confession" of which the Lord was both

apostle and High Priest (3: 1; 4: 14, where homologia is translated "profession"). The

whole of the intervening passages of chapters 3: and 4: are taken up with Israel in the

wilderness, and the rest that "remaineth". Israel in the wilderness not only remembered

the fish and the cucumbers, etc., of Egypt (Numb. 11: 5), but went so far as to say: "Let

us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt" (Numb. 14: 4). This word "captain" is

archegos in the LXX, and occurs in Heb. 2: 10 ("Captain") and 12: 2 ("Author").

The lesson is plain. These Hebrew believers would be readers of the LXX, and the

connection between the passages would be obvious. This temptation is recognized in

Heb. 11: 15:

The word "mindful" means "to remember", and is the same verb as is used in the LXX

of Numb. 11: 5, "We remember". Can there be any possible doubt but that the words of

Phil. 3: 13, "forgetting those things which are behind", are used in true contrast? We

need a holy forgetfulness of some things. Why had these saints no opportunity afforded

them of returning to Chaldea? They were not "mindful". Have you never had your

interest in a particular subject quickened, and then, the next day perhaps, have seen a

newspaper article or heard a conversation upon the very subject? You say, how strange!

But is it? You would have seen the article or heard the conversation even though the

subject had never come before your notice, yet it would have left no impression because

you were not interested. Jonah will always find a ship ready for Tarshish (Jonah 1: 3), but

such a circumstance will be no evidence of the will of the Lord. The only way to live, if

we would walk worthy of our calling is to remember the exhortation, "Seek those things

which are above . . . . . set your mind on things above . . . . . for ye died" (Col. 3: 1-3).

The positive is resumed in Heb. 11: 16: "But now they desire a better country, that is,

an heavenly". The word country is strictly "the fatherland". It is one of the "better"

things of Hebrews, and is balanced in this chapter by the better resurrection and provision

of 11: 35 and 40.  Now, just as the true followers of the Captain of salvation--are all

one, "for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren" (2: 11), so here, these

have followed the true Captain, and have not appointed a captain to lead them back to

Egypt, "wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for

them a city". These pilgrims of faith will find their inheritance in that day, when the

voice out of heaven shall say: "Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will

dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and

be their God" (Rev. 21: 3). Among those who will have no part in that city are "the

fearful". Throughout the epistle to the Hebrews the apostle's eye seems to be upon that

word. These saints were in danger of "drawing back unto perdition", of failing to hold

fast the confidence of their hope to the end. Such could not be renewed again unto

repentance. Such drawing back could only end in loss.