Slices
Prepare
It is too easy for politicians to make promises for the future that they cannot fulfil. That can make us cynical or insecure. Who can we trust?
Bible passage
The certainty of God’s promise
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’ 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest for ever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Explore
I am writing in the early summer when conditions in the English Channel encourage refugees to risk crossing the busiest shipping channel in the world in overloaded, flimsy boats. They are so desperate to enter the UK, longing for something better. They have no guarantee of gaining it.
This contrasts with the image in Hebrews of Christian hope which is 100 per cent secure. When God makes an oath, it is inevitably guaranteed. There is nothing and ‘no one greater’ than he to deflect or water down his promises (v 13). The writer illustrates this truth with reference to God’s guaranteed promises made to Abraham. Abraham’s grounds for confident hope will reappear in 11:8–19.
The writer builds on his insistence that God’s people need to persevere as they journey with God – who have ‘fled to take hold of the hope set before us’ (v 18) – so that they too can be certain of entering God’s presence. A firm, reliable anchor prevents a drifting away (v 19). Very beautifully, we’re told that Jesus has already arrived to welcome us to this place of safety (v 20).
Respond
It is appropriate to pray for God to protect those fleeing from danger hoping to find a place of safety. Ask God to make himself known to them. Find time to reflect on what it means to you that God’s promises are 100 per cent safe.
Deeper Bible study
Ask God to give you hearing ears to hear his Word to you today and to let it discern your thoughts and attitudes.
The last Greek word in verse 12 is ‘promises’,1 a noun that appears twice in these verses alongside the verb ‘to promise’. God’s promise to Abraham is one of the unchangeable things. The other one is God’s oath. After Abraham and Isaac returned from Abraham’s would‑be sacrifice of Isaac, God reiterated his earlier promise of numerous descendants and blessing for the nations and, to make it doubly sure, he confirmed the promise with an oath.2
The point of this example appears in verse 18. Abraham persevered with faith and patience and ultimately received what God had promised. His example is given to encourage the readers (and that includes us) firmly to take hold of the hope set before us, that is the hope of entering God’s rest.3 This hope is sure, because it is anchored in Jesus who has entered God’s throne room as our forerunner on our behalf and is seated at the right hand of God. That Jesus is our forerunner indicates that eventually, with faith and patience, we shall receive what God has promised and attain to God’s rest.
One way to help us understand this rather complex and strange-sounding argument is to remember that the readers of Hebrews were facing persecution and were tempted to give up. While the writer was confident about their faithfulness, he still needed to encourage them to persevere. He drew his encouragement from the faith of Abraham, who received what God had promised, from the example of Jesus, who endured suffering and is now exalted in God’s presence, and from God, who cannot lie. Our God is the God who cannot lie, who makes promises (and sometimes confirms them with an oath). Our God is faithful and will always give what he has promised.
Ask God to fill the hearts and minds of those who are called to suffer for the name of Jesus with hope in our promise-keeping God.
1 NIV translates it as a verb 2 Gen 22:15–18 3 Heb 4:6–11
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Job 37,38; Psalm 88
Read the Bible in a year:
Pray for Facilities and Administration Assistant Grace Inwood as she works to make Trinity House more energy efficient and as she provides support to the IT and Finance and Gifts teams.
