Bible Questions and Answers

A visitor writes,

"Who are examples of sojourners in the Bible who received help from the Lord?"

Abraham, having moved from Ur of the Chaldees, was a sojourner in the land of Canaan and lived in tents for the rest of his life.

When his wife Sarah died, he had to purchase a field and cave to bury her in.

Genesis 23:4  I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a buryingplace with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

He was blessed by God because of his faith and received the promise of an eternal inheritance which forms the basis of the Gospel preached by Jesus Christ and his apostles.

Those who believe the gospel and are baptised into Jesus Christ become ‘sojourners’ in their own countries and heirs of the same promise that God made to Abraham.

Galatians 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Using Strong’s Concordance:

Sojourner 08453 תושׁב towshab or תשׁב toshab from 03427; n m;

Translated in the King James Version – ‘sojourner’ 9 times, ‘stranger’ 3 times, ‘foreigner’ 1 time.

Meaning: 1) sojourner, stranger

Isaac and Jacob were also sojourners with hope in the same promise.

The writer to the Hebrews explains:

Hebrews 11:8  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

When Israel went into the promised land and received their inheritance, God reminded them that the land was his and they were effectively sojourners in it. Under the Law given at Sinai, they were not permitted to sell their inheritance.

Leviticus 25:23  The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

When they offered their firstfruits Israel were to remember their sojourn in Egypt and how God had subsequently blessed them:

Deuteronomy 26:5  And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous:

Solomon in his prayer at the dedication of the Temple reminds them (and us) that we are all sojourners in this life, just passing through.

1 Chronicles 29: 14  But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 15  For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

David writes in Psalm 39:

Psalms 39:12  Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

In conclusion, we are all sojourners in this life, but through Jesus Christ God promises the faithful an eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God in the life to come.

Galatians 3:9  So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

I hope this helps.

God bless,

Glenn