God made sure that His promise to Abraham was sure. He made His promise based on His name. He is the Creator of all things. His Word is sure because He is able to make sure that His promises come to pass. No one can stop His promise from being fulfilled.
This promise still holds true today. The fact that Israel is back in their land is a testimony to the surety of God’s promise to Abraham. The world is wasting money and time supporting Muslim terrorists but Israel will remain. The antichrist will cause much more grief for Israel than they have ever known in the past, but the nation will not be destroyed. The wise person prays for the peace of Jerusalem, not the destruction of Israel.
The fact that our country has supported and defended the Muslim chant: ‘from the river to the sea’ is shameful. Muslims will never own from the river to the sea. They have been beaten back recently and they will never have control of what they want. They are expanding across the world and shamefully too many Canadians are gullible enough to embrace their wicked ideology. We do not hate Muslim people, but we certainly do and must hate their false and wicked beliefs.
In verse 14 we are given the details of the promise God referred to in verse 13. It is the promise of the blessing that God made to Abraham. He promised him a seed and many nations. God gave Abraham and Sarah a son named Isaac. Through Isaac and his son Jacob, many more were born and the nation of Israel did grow and other nations have been formed as a result of Abraham’s other sons with Keturah. Ishmael, the son of an adulterous relationship between Abraham and Hagar also became a nation, but his nation has never been a blessing to anyone.
In verse 15 we read that Abraham needed to patiently endure. He tried to interfere with God’s plan by having an affair with Hagar. God rejected that son. God gave Abraham and Sarah His promised son at just the right time. It was far beyond the time when a couple could have children, but it was not a problem for God. God always knew what He was doing and He needed to teach Abraham some things prior to giving him this promised son.
In verse 16 we see that we as people swear by something that is bigger than we are. If you go to the bank for a loan, you have to prove you have enough collateral to cover the debt. If your name plus your assets are not enough, you may be required to get some outside help to get the loan you want. The Bible warns against this, but many people do not follow the Bible.
When the proper legal documents are drawn up, that is supposed to settle the issue. That is true when people’s word and signature are actually worth something. In today’s corrupt world, lawyers/liars are often enlisted to get around agreements that have been made. Corrupt judges also accept the wrangling of lawyers and promote corruption.
God used this human illustration to further explain His promises. He is not a man. He does not lie. He does not try to weasel His way out of a promise. He knows what He is doing when He makes a promise. He is able to see His promise through to the end because He knows what He is doing. The nation of Israel has been around now for some 4,000 years and it will continue to be around. Man can witness the faithfulness of God because His promises cannot be changed. That is the meaning of the word “immutability”. God’s promise to Israel can never be broken. That fact is a picture of the fact that His promise of salvation cannot be broken either.
When God spoke of His promise in verse 17 He spoke of that promise of an heir that would be a blessing to all people. Today, those who are saved are part of the spiritual family of Abraham, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. God confirmed His promise to Abraham with an oath also known as a covenant.
In verse 18 we see that these two immutable things, God’s promise and His covenant or oath, being made by the God who cannot lie; we have a strong consolation. The “we” here are those who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. God’s salvation is not a work of man. It is a promise of God that is of much greater consequence than that which God referred to in the opening verses of this chapter. His salvation is sure and it is effective in changing the heart and life of the saved person.
In verse 19 we are told that this hope that the saints have is an anchor of the soul. It is sure. It cannot be broken. That anchor can never be dragged off. It is set in place and it is sure. Again, God shows us that those who want to fight and suggest that a saved person can lose their salvation, are wrong.
God’s work of salvation is sure and stedfast. It is based entirely on that which is within the veil.
Verse 20 tells us Who that was. It is Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who is also the Son of Man. He was made high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Melchisedec had no beginning and no ending. Jesus Christ has no beginning and no ending. He entered into the holiest (that which was within the veil) with His own blood and presented that before His Father in heaven.
Biblical salvation is not dependent upon man. It is dependent upon Jesus Christ, the great High Priest. It is sure and It is certain. Those who are saved reject the lies of those who want to dismiss God’s promises. They reject it as heresy and they reprove those who want to spread that lie.
If you are saved today, you have eternal life. You do not have a ticket to sin. You have been given a new nature that is able to say no to sin and yes to God. When a true Christian fails to follow God’s way, He will chasten that person. The chastening is not designed to be pleasant but it is necessary. The end goal of God is to bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Too many people are trying to cheapen God’s wonderful gift of salvation. Be careful that you do not allow them to deceive you. God’s truth is here. Believe Him and follow Him.
Pastor Bartel