If God took an oath would you trust it?
If God made a promise would that give you hope?
Please read Hebrews 6:13-20
This passage starts out by talking about the promise God made to Abraham. According to this passage He “swore by Himself.” Basically God made an oath and swore that He would do something.
Here is the faith part:
Vs. 15 “And after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”
Faith grows and Grace lives moment to moment as we awaken to what Jesus is doing in our lives to allow Love to flow through us.
Enjoy the moment!!! It comes from God and was brought to you by way of the cross.
God wanted to “put an end to all argument” and as a result He sent His only Son Jesus-
Vs. 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.”
What was the unchanging nature of His promise?
Was it to have a realtionship with His creations like He wanted in the Garden of Eden?
Could it be that Jesus was the culmination of making that relationship possible, which the law could never do?
Could it be that the purpose of the law was to bring me to that promise as Jesus is the only way to the Father?
Vs. 18 “God did this so that by two unchangable things in which it is impossible for God to lie we who have fled to take hold of this hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtains, where our forerunner, Jesus has entered on our behalf. He has become our high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
God swore and took an oath to Abraham and He also took an oath to you and me. That oath is Jesus and He is there as our permanent high priest forever. Not the law and not your guilt and shame- those are the things you can flee and take a hold of the encouragment and peace that passes all understanding that came from that old rugged cross.
GOD IS LOVE and that is His OATH to you and me!!
The verses you reference are also a clear reference to God’s UNCONDITIONAL, unfullfilled PROMISE to Abraham; that of the LAND promise to Abraham’s PHYSICAL heirs, the Jews. Many today are buying into the “Replacement Theology” lie that God is done with Israel, and then jump through hoops to try and make ALL of the promises given by God through EVERY Prophet regarding Physical Israel’s Restoration AND Salvation, for the blessing of ALL the nations, which is UNFULFILLED. Messianic Jews, interestingly enough don’t question God’s promises or His COMPLETE fulfillment of ALL prophecy down to the tiniest detail, because that is how God has fulfilled all prophecy that HAS BEEN fulfilled, literally, by the way. Messianic Jews also don’t have a problem believing God has plainly said what He wants us to know, and have no difficulty taking Scripture literally because they follow a very common sense rule regarding Scripture interpretation” IF the literal sense makes plain sense, seek no other sense, so you don’t end up with nonsense!” If we all accepted God at His word, as children so easily do, we would not have all the nonsense going on today from sowing false teachings, or more sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind. God would no sooner turn His back on His firstborn than a mother her newborn babe; indeed in Jeremiah He clearly states that the sun and moon would have to stop their cycles in the sky, and earth as we know it stop to function before He would turn his back on Israel. Yes, there has been a hardening of their hearts, but that allowed us Gentiles in, salvation still is of the Jews! And there are more Jews turning to Yeshua, their Mashiach, than EVER before in history. Also, a clear study of Romans 9-11 shows us that Paul does not question God’s ancient covenant with His people Israel, even warning GENTILE BELIEVERS that they not become prideful or think they are somehow now better than the “natural olive root” which clearly is the case with Replacement Theology. Not only is it Anti-Semitic in a time when Anti-semitism is rising as never before, but it’s man’s absolute arrogance and PRIDE again rising to basically say that THEY know better than God, so they feel free to basically re-write Scripture to fit their theology. How clear can Paul be,”It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are His descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. In other words, it is not the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. (Rom 9:6-8) Also, in 9:27 Paul quotes Isaiah,” Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand of the sea, ONLY A REMNANT WILL BE SAVED. For the Lord will carry out His sentence on earth with speed and finality.” And in 9:30-33 he continues,”What shall we say then? That the GENTILES, who did NOT pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith, but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it NOT By fAITH but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written, ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”…..”For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
And in Romans 11:5-8, “So too, at the present time there is a REMNANT CHOSEN BY GRACE. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. What then? What the people of israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, as it is written; “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not here, to this very day.” And finally, Paul asks the rhetorical question “Again I ask: Did they (Israel) stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? NOT AT ALL! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! (Rom 11:11-12). As well, think of the angel Gabriel’s instructions to Joseph regarding the birth of Jesus, telling Joseph to “do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife…..you are to give Him the name “Jesus,” BECAUSE HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.” -Matt 1:20-21
And Zechariah’s song after the birth of his son, John the Baptist, is totally prophetic in nature, and repeating God’s promises that the Messiah WILL deliver His people AND Redeem them. All meant to be taken seriously, NOT spiritualized away or taken out of context. God did NOT give us his word to be interpreted by men who DARE to claim the same infallibility which we KNOW to be a lie. And I take no aim at catholic friends or family, but the POWER applied to a mere man?? Absolutely unconscionable to offer
ANYONE THAT LIE! couched in the seemingly accepted language of the uber left,
Thank you for sharing – Wow – that is a direction I hadnt thought of and it has blessed me. I like what you said about literal. Maybe that is why we have to come as a little child – otherwise we wont understand it at all.
Thank you again for sharing and I hope we hear more from you – His Grace is sufficient for me, you and all that believe!
Good word Bob! I have to admit though– what drew me into this post was my wrong interpretation of your use of the word “swear”. lol
Swear as in made a vow not as in used profanity. Doh!
Thank you Dustin and thank you for your post on comparative religions – did you make the graphics on that! Sorry about the word choice – my hope is to draw people who would normally put God in a box to let them think that maybe God works in ways we dont understand.