Genesis 22:14:  “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said [to] this day, In the mount where the LORD is seen.”

Gn 24:63: “ And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels [were] coming.”

Gn 28:22: “And this stone, which I have set [for] a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.”

Let me share with you something interesting that I found the in the Talmud this morning as I was reading in Pesachim 88a.  Jacob call the place he set the stone the House of God, “Not like Abraham who called it a mountain (Genesis 22:14; not like Isaac, with whom it is called a field (Genesis 24:63; but like Jacob , who called it a house.”  The Talmud went on to explain that it was on the mountain that God was seen (ra’ah in the Spirit) by Abraham.  A mountain is a place which is visited at certain times, a field is a place where you meditate with God on occassion, but a home is permanent.  Jacob called this place where he met God home.

Today many of you went to church where you seen God in the Spirit through worship, praise and the imparting of His Word.  But then you came home, had dinner, turned on the ball game and went about your business.  Before you go to bed or when you start you day tomorrow  you will have a short time of Bible Study, prayer and meditate on God.  Then you will go to work and face the trials of the day .

If I had learned anything during my time of darkness I have learned that God is not just my mountain, my field, but He is also my home. The word for mountain in Hebrew is harar.  Harar is also the word for thinking.  People often went to the mountains to be closer to God and to think and meditate on God.   A pregnant woman in Hebrew is the harah which is the word mountain in a feminine form. A pregnant woman was believed to be closer to God for she carried God’s creation of life in her.   When you think of God you try to picture Him in your mind.   Because of life’s duties and daily cares we cannot always be thinking of God. We cannot always be in church.  We do not live in church.

The word field is sadeh which is also the word for nourishment and produce.   We do spend time in meditation of God’s Word to be nourished spiritually and so we can go out and produce something for the Lord.

How many of us, however, see God as our home. The word in Hebrew for house or home is bayith which means a dwelling place.  It is where you abide where we are 24/7 with God.  We cannot worship God 24/7 or meditate on Him 24/7 but we can abide with Him 24/7.  He is with us wherever we go.  When we die everything about us will change except for one thing, we will still be with God.

I was thinking how my parents loved God all their lives.  God was their home.  At an elderly age they one day fell into a state of unconsciousness and within a few days their bodies began to shut down and then they passed on.  Everyone  said that they went home.  They did not go home, they were always home, they just moved their residence to continue being with Jesus.

My father used to tell me the story of a young guy in his outfit in the army during WWII.  His name was Benny .  Benny grew up on a farm in the country.  His whole life was on that little farm with his mother, father, sister and little brother.  That was until one day he found himself in that foreign, alien environment known as the US Army.

Benny was a good soldier.  Having grown up in the country he was in top physical condition,  he was a natural sharp shooter having spent his life hunting wild game to help feed his family.  Benny was a good soldier except for one thing, he was homesick.  He would walk around the base with my father and say; “Floyd, I miss my family, my mother, father, sister, little brother, I just have to go home.”  My father would try to encourage Benny and tell him: “Benny, just hang in there, in a few weeks you will finish basic training and you will get a leave to visit your family.” But Benny, he couldn’t wait and sure enough, one morning when there was roll call and Benny’s name was called, there was no answer.  Benny had gone home.

It didn’t take the army long to find Benny and bring him back. For whatever reason Benny was not severely punished as was allowed to rejoin his outfit and finish out basic training. One night after lights out my father went to Benny and ask: “Benny, did you make it, did you make it home.”  When my father asked that question old Benny’s face lit up as he said: “You know, Floyd, when I crossed that last hill I looked down and there I saw our little house, smoke coming from the chimney.  I knew my mother and sister were preparing dinner and I saw my father and little brother in the field mending a fence.  My little brother, he was the first to see me from that mountain.  He dropped everything and started to jump up and down shouting: “Dad’s it’s Benny, Benny’s a come home, Benny’s a come home.”  “My father and brother left that field as I left that mountain and I came to my house, my home where they all greeted me.”

My father said it was too bad he had to come back but Benny said: “I am still home in my heart and one day when this old war is finished, I will return to my home, my home to stay.”

In my heart I am home now, I may still be in the field and on the mountain, but in my heart I am home and one day when I cross that last hill, I will be home to stay .