The heritage that God has promised to His people is not in this world. Abraham had no possession in the earth, "no, not so much as to set his foot on." Acts 7:5. He possessed great substance, and he used it to the glory of God and the good of his fellow men; but he did not look upon this world as his home. The Lord had called him to leave his idolatrous countrymen, with the promise of the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession; yet neither he nor his son nor his son's son received it. When Abraham desired a burial place for his dead, he had to buy it of the Canaanites. His sole possession in the Land of Promise was that rock-hewn tomb in the cave of Machpelah.

Den arv, Gud har lovet sit folk, findes ikke i denne verden. Abraham havde ikke nogen ejendom på jorden, "ikke så meget som en fodsbrede". ApG. 7, 5. Han havde store rigdomme, og han brugte dem til Guds ære og sine medmenneskers bedste; men han betragtede ikke denne verden som sit hjem. Herren havde kaldet ham til at forlade sine afgudsdyrkende landsmænd og givet ham løftet om Kanaans land som et evigt eje, og dog fik hverken han eller hans søn eller sønnesøn det. Da Abraham ønskede at få en begravelsesplads til sine døde, måtte han købe den af kanaanæerne. Det eneste, han ejede i det forjættede land, var et gravsted i klippehulen i Makpela.