Hebrews Chapter 6 Part 2

 

Hebrews Chapter 6 Part 2

The Solution To The Problem

And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: Heb 6:11

we desire that... Paul comes back to his often repeated subject to the Hebrews here—that of warning them they must continue in full assurance of hope of eternal life even to the end, and that by so doing they will finally inherit the blessings of the promises (Heb. 6:11-12; cp. 2:3; 3:6, 3:12-14; 4:1-2, 4:6, 4:11; 6:1-8). Slothfulness will deprive them of both hope and faith.

every one of... The author is speaking again to unbelievers but appears to intentionally distance this particular group from the would-be apostates of (verses 4-6), who are in danger of being impossible to restore.

the same diligence... This term can carry the idea of eagerness or haste. It is a plea for unbelieving Jews to come to Christ immediately. If these uncommitted Jews followed the example of the active faith of the saints (verses 9-10, 12); they would obtain the salvation which gives “full assurance of hope until the end” (10:22; Col. 2:2). Salvation should not be postponed.

In the last lesson, we were talking about the responsibility of the mature Christian. We are to work the work of a Christian right up until the hour the Lord returns. We sing a song here at the church I attend that says, “we’ll work till Jesus comes”.

So many Christians are falling away today. Many think it is too hard. We are told in advance that in this life we will have tribulation.

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

In the next Scripture in Jesus’ own words we find out just what we must do.

Mat. 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Those who are weak in the faith will give up, and fall away.

1Cor. 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

If they would only diligently hold onto the good course they already were pursuing — and of which God was fully mindful — they would thus guarantee the hope which is duly awarded to those who so persevere.

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb 6:12

be not slothful... The same Greek word is translated “dull”.

but followers of... Greek: mimetes, imitators (see, 1Cor. 4:16). He gives Abraham as an outstanding example of faith (Heb. 6:12-15), then gives a whole list of faith-worthies of the Old Testament whom we can imitate in faith (Hebrews 11:1-12:3). This concept is repeated (in 13:7), and is inherent in the many illustrations of faith given (in chapter 11).

inherit the promises... The inheritance and the promises of salvation are a theme of this epistle (verses 13, 15, 17; 1:14; 4:1, 3; 9:15; 10:36; 11:7-9, 11, 13, 17, 33, 39).

Slothful means lazy. Captain John Smith, in the colonies, was not the first one to say “no work no eat”.

It is in this Scripture;

2Thes. 3:10 “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

There are numerous Scriptures on this subject of not being slothful. I will give two here.

Pro. 12:24 “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.”

Pro. 13:4 ” The soul of the sluggard desireth, and [hath] nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

The faith that we have must be the type which wears well with time.

Rom. 2:7 “To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life:”

Those who endure to the end receive the promise of eternal life.

Mat. 24:13 “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

These Scriptures leave no doubt what we must do.

He added, We do not want you to become lazy. The word “lazy” (nōthroi) is the same word rendered “slow” in Heb. 5:11 in the phrase “slow to learn.” The sluggishness which marked their immaturity was to be shrugged off. (The Gr. of this verse can mean, “We do not want you to be lazy” rather than “become lazy.”) Their real goal should be the inheritance that is set before them. They were to be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit God’s promises.

The Certainty of God's Promise

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Heb 6:13

sware by himself... There was none greater than He to whom He could appeal, so He pledged His own eternal power to fulfill the promise.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, taught that we should not swear by anything. We cannot even swear by our own head, because we cannot make one hair white or black. God, on the other hand, controls everything. He can swear by anything He wants to, because He controls everything.

He swore by Himself, because there is no greater. He is the Truth. The Truth cannot lie.

Tit. 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

If the readers were searching for models to “imitate,” there was the case of Abraham who received an oath from God, the promise that assured the multiplication of his seed as we will see.

Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. Heb 6:14

Surely blessing I... The 16th Old Testament prophecy in Hebrews (Heb. 6:14; Gen. 22:17, fulfilled). Next, Heb. 7:17.

as we see this was quoted from Gen. 22:17, this summarizes the essence of God’s promise. The fact that God had said it, assured its fulfillment. It is significant that the quote in Genesis is in the context of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, who was the immediate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. Ultimate fulfillment would also take place through Isaac and his descendants.

We know that the promises made to Abraham were for him and his seed forever. These promises are for the Christians, because we are the seed of Abraham.

Gal. 3:29 “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Now that we know these promises are for the believers in Christ, let us see what they are.

Gen. 48:4 “And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee [for] an everlasting possession.”

Gen. 12:2-3 “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:” “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

When we read of the Christians in heaven dressed in white robes, washed in the blood of the Lamb; we find there are so many that they are without number. I quote:

Rev. 7:9 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”

Rev. 7:13-15 “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?” “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” “Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”

God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled in the believers in Christ.

In due time his patience was rewarded in that he (lit.) “received the promise.

And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Heb 6:15

obtained the promise... The promise referred to in this verse is the supernatural birth of Isaac.

patiently endured, he... Abraham was an example of the patience mentioned (in verse 12). He received the promise in the beginning of its fulfillment by the birth of Isaac, but he did not live to see all the promises fulfilled (11:13).

Rom. 4:18 “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.”

This was so impossible in the flesh, because Abraham would be a hundred years old and Sarah would be ninety. Isaac was a son of promise, not of the flesh.

Gen. 21:5 “And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.”

Since the reference is to the promise given in Gen. 22:17 after the offering of Isaac, the author may have been thinking of the reception of the promise itself as the reward. In that case the idea is that after Abraham had patiently endured (the test involving Isaac), he obtained the promise. Waiting patiently translates the participle makrothymēsas, related to the noun “patience,” makrothymias in Heb. 6:12. This word, common in the New Testament, refers to the ability to hold one’s feelings in restraint without retaliation against others (cf., e.g., Col. 1:11; 3:12; Jas. 5:7-8, 5:10). A synonym, hypomonē, “endurance, perseverance,” means the ability to remain steadfast in the face of undesirable circumstances; cf. Col. 1:11; Heb. 12:1-3, 12:7; Jas. 5:11).

For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Heb 6:16

by the greater... One of great authority who can enforce the contract and punish for any failure to keep it.

oath for confirmation... Greek: bebaiosis (see, Phlp. 1:7).

Even ungodly men like Herod honored their oath. When a man took an oath, it was the penalty of death if he lied, so everyone believed when someone took an oath.

Mat. 23:20-22 “Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.” “And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.” “And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.”

An oath is a very serious thing.

Then the author of Hebrews affirmed that the messianic hope which the promise entailed was sure, not only to Abraham, but also to the Christian heirs of what was promised. As in human affairs an oath puts an end to all arguments, so too there can be no argument about this expectation since God confirmed it with an oath.

Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: Heb 6:17

the heirs of... The children of faith (Rom. 4:1-25).

Who are the heirs according to the promise? We will see in this next Scripture.

Gal. 3:29 “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

the immutability of... The unchangeable purpose of calling the Gentiles to salvation by Jesus Christ and saving all who believe, of both Jews and Gentiles (Gal. 3:13-14; 1Cor. 12:13; Rom. 1:16).

Immutability means unchangeable. This means then, that the promises God made will not change. They are forever.

Psm. 33:11 “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”

Isa. 14:24 “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand:”

We see from these Scriptures that once God has thought it, He will never change it.

As in human affairs an oath puts an end to all arguments, so too there can be no argument about this expectation since God confirmed it with an oath.

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Heb 6:18

two immutable things... This refers either to God’s oath and promise (Heb. 6:13), or to the two oaths of God confirming the promise to Abraham (Heb. 6:13) and making Christ a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:21). These are God’s promise and His oath. The Greek term behind “unchangeable” was used of a legal will, which was unchangeable by anyone but the maker of the will.

a strong consolation... Greek: paraklesis (see, Acts 13:15).

fled for refuge... Here we have an allusion to the cities of refuge, and to persons who fled to them in safety (Num. 35:1-34; Jos. 20:2-3). The sinner can flee to Christ and find eternal refuge and safety (John 3:16). In the LXX, the Greek word is used for the cities of refuge God provided for those who sought protection for avengers for an accidental killing (Num. 35:9-34; Deut. 19:1-13; Jos. 20:1-9; Acts 14:5-6).

upon the hope... Hope is one of the themes of Hebrews. It is also the product of Old Testament studies (Rom. 15:4). Hope for the fulfillment of God’s salvation promises is the “anchor of the soul” (verse 19), keeping the believer secure during the times of trouble and turmoil.

God’s spoken and written Word are unchangeable. Truth cannot lie, as we said before. God is Truth.

Num. 23:19 “God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

We read how important to God His Word is; in Jesus’ own words.

Mat. 24:35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

If anyone, such as a sectarian, denied this eschatological anticipation, he was flying in the face of the strongest possible divine guarantee. Not only was it impossible for God to lie, but His ever truthful Word was supported in this case by His oath. These are the two unchangeable things, which encourage those who take hold of the hope.

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Heb 6:19

Which hope we... Here Paul changes the allusion from safety in the cities of refuge to a ship reaching harbor after a tempestuous voyage, knowing that her anchor is sure and steadfast. So it is with the believer who has the hope of eternal life anchored safe in heaven (Heb. 6:19-20).

The Christian’s hope is of the resurrection. We see in this next Scripture that the Christian is not like the rest of the world who is without hope.

1Thes. 4:13-17 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.” “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:” “Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Jesus opened the way to the Father for us when He was crucified for us. He brought down the veil of partition for us.

Mark 15:38 “And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”

The image suggested in Heb. 6:18 by the words “fled to take hold” of hope was that of a fortified refuge. By a swift change in his figure, the writer then suggested the thought of a harbor where the soul may securely drop anchor. That anchor has been carried to the safest point of all — the inner sanctuary behind the curtain — by Jesus, who went before us.

Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Heb 6:20

forerunner is for... Jesus is our Forerunner to heaven and our High Priest to represent us until we are safe in heaven with God.

Jesus is even now seated in heavenly places. In fact, He is seated at the right hand of the Father. He is preparing a place for us, and when the Father says it is time, we will join Him at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is our High Priest. He carried His own precious blood to the Father to pay for our sin. Jesus represents us before the Father even now. The promise to the believers in John is beautiful.

John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.”

All believers are the bride of Christ. He is coming back for us, if we have remained faithful to Him.

2Cor. 11:2 “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.”

The Greek prodromos (“who went before us”) suggests a “forerunner,” and if the harbor imagery is still in mind it recalls the role of sailors who leave their ship in a smaller craft in order to carry the anchor forward to a place where it can be firmly lodged. So too the Lord Jesus, by His entrance into the heavenly sanctuary where He functions as a High Priest forever, has given to a Christian’s hope an anchorage from which it cannot be shaken loose. Since, therefore, the readers’ hope was sure, they could cling to it tenaciously right to the very end.