Abraham Desired a Heavenly Land

The Patriarchs never expected an inheritance in Palestine, never understood that to be a part of God's promise to them and never desired it. 1500 years after ancient Israel's settlement in the land, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob long since dead, were yet hoping for the homeland God had promised them. They looked for an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ (Matthew 8:11, 12) not in the land of Palestine. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

In fact, God said he did not give Abraham enough dirt in Canaan to cover the sole of his foot. "And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on." (Acts 7:5). That land was promised to Abraham's fleshly descendants through the law of Moses, upon the condition of their faithful obedience. It was not the inheritance God promised Abraham, (Galatians 3:19-21)

Moses predicted Israel's apostasy and removal from the "covenant" right to the physical land, through idolatry and the refusal to obey God's covenant. (Deuteronomy 32) They were punished by the Assyrian captivity in the 8th century B.C, at which time God cast off the 10 northern tribes forever for their calf worship and sacrifices to Baal under wicked king Jeroboam.

God, angry with the 10 northern tribes (called Israel versus the southern tribe of Judah following the division of the kingdom after Solomon's reign), cast them from his sight, --cut them off from the covenant. They were torn from the house of David, (2 Kings 17:18-21) confirming the prophecies of Hosea declaring that "Israel" were no longer God's covenant people. "Call her name "Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel but I will utterly take them away..."Call his name Lo-Ammi, for you are not My people, and I will not be your God, (Hosea 1:7-9) (emp. mine).

Following this, the king of Assyria repopulated Israel with people from Babylon, Cuthah, Aba, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel. (2 Kings 17:24).