What does "if they had been thinking" reveal about faith and intention? Setting the Scene • Hebrews 11:15: “If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.” • The writer is still talking about the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—who left their homeland because God called them to something better. What “if they had been thinking” Means • The Greek verb (emnemnonto) pictures an ongoing, deliberate remembering. • Faith, therefore, is not merely about what we believe but what we allow our minds to dwell on. • Intention drives direction: whatever fills our thoughts shapes our choices. Faith Looks Forward, Not Backward • Abraham could have gone back to Ur at any point, yet his heart stayed fixed on God’s promise. • Luke 9:62: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” • Philippians 3:13–14: Paul “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” echoes the same principle. The Door They Chose Not to Open • Opportunity to return existed—roads, caravans, family ties—but they never took it. • True faith isn’t locked into obedience; it willingly keeps the exit door closed. • 2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight”—our gaze fixes on what God has said, not what we left. Intentional Mindset of Pilgrims • Hebrews 11:14: “People who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.” • Hebrews 11:16: “They were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.” • Faithful intention is active longing: thought-life stirs desire for God’s future. Practical Takeaways • Guard mental focus—faith starts in the mind. • Identify “return routes” in life and close them; obedience should be a settled decision. • Feed forward-looking hope through Scripture and worship. • Celebrate God’s promises more than past comforts. Connected Passages for Deeper Study • Genesis 12:1–4—Abraham’s initial call. • Numbers 14:3–4—Israel’s temptation to go back to Egypt, a negative example. • Colossians 3:1–2—“Set your minds on things above.” • 1 Peter 2:11—We are “aliens and strangers” longing for home with God. Summary in One Sentence “If they had been thinking” shows that faith deliberately fixes the mind on God’s future, not on the past, and that intention determines whether we press on in obedience or turn back. |
    |