Home.  Home is a word most often filled with joy and fond memories.  It is a word that generates feelings of safety and comfort. The statement, “I’m going home is usually filled with excitement and anticipation, especially if one has not been “home” in sometime.  The Bible speaks of man going to his “long home” (Eccl. 12:5).  In this avenue of thought the Bible tells man that earth (this world) is not his home that he is only a sojourner here (1 Chron. 29:15, Ps. 39:12, 119:19, 2 Cor. 5:6-7, Heb. 11:13, 2 Pet. 2:11).  Being but pilgrims here, the Bible exhorts that  we pass the time of our sojourning here in fear (1 Pet. 1:17).  Until we come to fully realize the fact and significance of this world not being our “home” we will not follow the faith of the examples of old, found in Hebrews 11.  Are you looking for and desiring that “better country” (Heb. 11:13-16)?

In our article this week I want to consider six events in the lives of individuals in the Bible who were going home.  From these six events I want to consider the lessons that you and I can learn and apply to our lives that we might go home to be with God. [1] In Acts 8 we see the eunuch returning home from Jerusalem, where he had been to worship God.  From the text we see the eunuch reading the scriptures (30) Philip being sent by God to meet him (26, 29) Philip preaching Jesus (35) the eunuch believing and obeying (36-39).  The lessons for us are that we need to diligently study the scriptures, heed God’s call of sending us to teach others, and obeying what the scriptures teach, even if it is in direct conflict to what we may have been taught before.

[2] Moses, in Exodus 3, was on his way home to Canaan by way of Egypt.   Events that happened along the way, Moses made excuses why he could no do the work God wanted done.  Moses works ten miracles (plagues) in Egypt.  Moses receives the law and works miracles in the wilderness.  Moses disobeys God and fails to give God the glory for bringing forth water for the Israelites.  Moses is not permitted to enter Canaan for his disobedience. What are the lessons for us? Don’t make excuses, but rather trust in God. Partial obedience (failing to give God glory by our lives) will not get one home (to heaven).    [3] Paul in Acts 9 on his way to Damascus thought he was pleasing God (on his way home).  The events on the way  are that we find a zealous person with a clear conscience (Acts 23:1) who thought he was doing God’s will, was opposing God.  He had to obey the gospel (believe and be baptized) to have the forgiveness of his sins  (Acts 22:26)     The

lessons for us today are: one sincere and religious can be sincerely wrong and thus  - lost!  One must obey God’s will to be saved. One must remain in the right way to get home -to heaven (1 Cor. 9:27, 15:58).

[4] In Genesis 11 - 12 we find Abraham having to leave home to go home.  That is Abraham had to leave Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan.  It took an unwavering faith for Abraham to believe and obey God.  The lesson for us is that we too must leave home to go home.  As I noted in the beginning of this article, this world is not our home, we are but passing through on our way to eternity.  Where our home will be in eternity, depends on the choice and action we take in this life.  We too must step out in complete faith in God to make this journey (Heb. 11:6).

[5]  The “parents” of Jesus left him in Jerusalem as they started home in Luke 2.  They sought him among their friends and relatives, but he was not there.  The lessons for us from this event are:  many think they can go home (heaven) without Jesus.  We cannot go to heaven without Jesus (Acts 4:12, John 14:6, 6:44-45). We must seek him where he is to be found.  To have Jesus we must hear and obey his word (John 12:48, Rom. 1:16, Heb. 2:1-4, 5:8-9).

[6] In Luke 15 we have the lesson of the prodigal son.  Events that led to this young man going home are these.  He was away from home because he wanted to have his way.  Being away from home took him into company with the wrong crowd.  He had to acknowledge home was better than where he was to begin the trip home. He had to acknowledge his wrong (sin) in being away from home.  The lessons for us from this event are: We have to acknowledge that having our way (sin) takes us away from God (Isa. 59:1-2).  We must acknowledge that God’s way is best.  We must realize we are dependent upon God’s mercy to go home.  We must arise and take action to go home (Acts 2:38, 22:16).

Are you on your way home to heaven?