We all make promises. How do God’s promises different from human promises? Why is there usually a waiting period before God’s promise is fulfilled? Why did God take an oath with His promise to Abraham?
My translation and notes on Hebrews 6:13-20
God’s Promise Is Sure
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, and since he could not solemnly make an oath by anyone greater, he took an oath on himself,
14 Saying, “I will bless yous, surely blessing, and multiplying, multiply yous.” [Genesis 22:17]
15 So, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
[Abraham is our example of believing a most reasonable faith, experiencing many life challenges to his faith, and increasing in hope. God’s hope is His promise/oath. God proved Himself faithful which increased Abraham’s hope and faith. The promise that Abraham obtained was the birth of his son Isaac, the son of promise (Genesis 17:2)].
16 Truly people take an oath on [something] greater, and a vow of confirmation is to them the end of all argument.
[There is nothing greater than God. There is no other God (Isaiah 45:5, 2 Kings 19:15, Nehemiah 9:6, and Isaiah 44:6). He is the only creator. An oath by, in, and on God is the highest, the greatest, and the one of most value].
17 In this, God wanting even more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the unchangeableness of his counsel confirmed it with a vow,
[God did not have to pledge an oath, but He did so to increase Abraham’s faith. This example should also increase our faith. Concerning Bible laws about oaths, see Numbers 30:2, Deuteronomy 23:21, and for Christians following the Law of Christ—Matthew 5:33-37].
18 So that by two unchangeable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge could have great comfort to hang on to the hopeN3 set before us.
[What are the ‘two’ things? It could be God’s promise of descendants and promise of a country, now known as Israel. The promise of descendants is in particular Isaac and later Messiah—Jesus. God gave these two promises unconditionally. See Genesis 17 especially Genesis 17:5 and Genesis 17:8. Abraham did have a son by Sarah—Isaac—fulfilled. The promise of an eternal country only partially. See Hebrews 11:8-12. Abraham believed God concerning the land, for he bought a burial place for his wife Sarah (Genesis 23)].
19 That [hope] we have is a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul and enters the other side of the veil,
[We have promises as well which are solid and unmovable in the storm. These are for our soul—eternal life (John 3:16), heaven (2 Corinthians 5:6-8), home (John 14:1-3), and family (Ephesians 3:14-21, 2 Corinthians 6:18, and Revelation 19:6-9). There are many promises to believers].
20 Where our forerunner, Jesus, entered, having become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
[Barclay (beware) writes on this passage:
The writer to the Hebrews uses a most illuminating word about Jesus. He says that he entered the presence of God as our forerunner. The word is prodromos (G4274). It has three stages of meaning: (i) It means one who rushes on. (ii) It means a pioneer. (iii) It means a scout who goes ahead to see that it is safe for the body of the troops to follow. Jesus went into the presence of God to make it safe for all men to follow.
Let us put it very simply in another way. Before Jesus came, God was the distant stranger whom only a very few might approach and that at peril of their lives. But because of what Jesus was and did, God has become the friend of every man. Once men thought of him as barring the door; now they think of the door to his presence as thrown wide open to all.
-Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)].
God’s timing
God promises Abraham a son. Abraham waited 25 years from the promise until Isaac was born. Why the wait? We must wait to learn patience, diligence, trust, loyalty, and whatever we need to learn to handle the promise when it comes. Messiah was promised to Eve in Genesis 3:15. When Cain was born, Eve believed she had gotten a man—Yahweh. She understood the promise but had the wrong application. So, it was with Lamech when Noah was born. Messiah was born at the right time. Galatians 4:3-5 So we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the principles of the world, 4 But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born subject to the law, 5 To redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive the adoption of children. Abraham and Sarah went through many experiences that tested and increased their faith.
What to do while we wait. [This article is by Abigail Folds, but I do not know much about her or what she believes]. When You’re Waiting on a Promise from God
Six things that have helped me as I’m waiting:
- REFOCUSING ON THE PROMISE KEEPER ANYTIME I START FOCUSING ON THE PROMISE
- REDIRECTING MY THOUGHTS, WHICH IN TURN REDIRECTS MY HEART
- REMEMBERING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO ALL THE “WAITERS” IN SCRIPTURE
- TALKING WITH GOD ABOUT MY DISAPPOINTMENTS
- ACTIVELY SEEKING TO BE PRUNED AND PREPARED FOR THE PROMISE
- RELYING ON HIS GRACE
Also, see Experiencing God’s Promises by Gregory Brown