Certainty of God's Promise

Hebrews 6:13–20 ESV

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

The Example of Abraham

Hebrews 6:13–15 ESV

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.

Promise to have many descendants

Problem he was an old man

First fulfillment Isaac birth

tested when he was told to sacrifice Isaac

Full Fulfillment at Exodus from Egypt

God Gave his Oath

Hebrews 6:16–18 ESV

For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

We trust people when they give an oath

God gave an oath

God does not lie

God’s doesnt change

Why does the author of Hebrews tell us these truths?

The Anchor of Hope

Hebrews 6:17–20 ESV

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

He wants to encourage us who seek refuge in him

to hold fast to the hope set before us

What is our hope

Anchor of our soul

sure and steadfast- certainty

A hope that enters the inner place behind the curtain- the holy of holies

remember the high priest went there once a year on the day of atonement A day that begins tonight at sunset

on the day of atonement the high priest offered sacrifices and took the blood and spread it on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant that the sins of the people might be covered by the blood of the sacrifice and God would passover their sins for another year.

Yet our hope is in Jesus that he went behind the curtain and offered his own blood on the mercy seat once and for all that no other sacrifice would be necessary and that we might recieve not just a passover for our sins but a complete forgivenesss and cleansing of our sins. That we might recieve the righteousness of Christ and live forever with God in heaven.

That is our hope that we are sinners saved by Grace through the blood of Jesus and we place our trust our faith in his power to save and we pledge our lives in service to him as our Lord.

This same Jesus has gone before us and intercedes for us at the right hand of God the Father in the throne room of heaven yet promised us before leaving that he would one day come back and take us home to be with him forever.

Why do we believe these things because God has proved himself to be faithful over and over again in the lives of those who have gone before all the way back to Abraham the father of faith.

Second because he has given his word and always kept his word. If we would believe man who swear an oath how much more should we trust God who has never lied.

Let us not be tossed about by the storms of this life let us not sail on the winds of doubt and despair. Though all around us may be falling apart though it seems dark and all around us people despair. We have the hope of Christ as an anchor to hold us in the storm.