{"id":28858,"date":"2023-11-22T22:00:31","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T05:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/hebrews-6_1-12-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-11-14T12:23:41","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T19:23:41","slug":"hebrews-6_13-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/hebrews-6_13-20\/","title":{"rendered":"You Can Trust Who God Is and What God Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hebrews 6:13-20 <\/strong>\u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

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Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

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Today\u2019s passage is\u00a0Hebrews\u00a06:13-20.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Hebrews 6:13-17 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Because 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a013-17:\u00a0\u00a0As an example of \u201cthose who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised\u201d (v12), the writer of\u00a0Hebrews\u00a0mentions the story of Abraham.\u00a0\u00a0Despite Abraham\u2019s old age and his wife Sarah\u2019s inability to have children, God promises to Abraham and Sarah that \u201cI will surely bless you and give you many descendants.\u201d (v14)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0To show how serious God is about fulfilling that promise, God \u201cswore by himself\u201d (v13) because \u201cthere was no one greater for him to swear by\u201d (v13) and people usually swear on something that is greater than themselves (v16).\u00a0\u00a0The specific wording can be found in Genesis 22:16-17:<\/p>\n

16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0\u2026”I swear by myself, declares the\u00a0LORD<\/em>, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,<\/p>\n

By swearing by himself and making this oath, God was trying to make it \u201cvery clear\u201d to Abraham and his descendants that God was serious about doing what He said He would do (v17).\u00a0\u00a0As verse 16 says, \u201cthe oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite wavering in his faith on occasion, Abraham waits with faith and patience long to enough to see God\u2019s promise become a reality.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As verse 15 says, \u201cso after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.\u201d<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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  1. Just as God swore by himself and gave an oath to assure Abraham that He would do what He said He would do,\u00a0God desperately wants us to know that we can trust Him.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0He wants us to be \u201cvery clear\u201d about that (v17).\u00a0\u00a0That is why God has given us His great and precious promises.\u00a0\u00a0That is also why Jesus would often preface his boldest claims with the words, \u201cI tell you the truth\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0That is why to every person who trusts in Jesus, God gives His Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 5:5).\u00a0\u00a0God is the business of making good on His promises.\u00a0\u00a0He wants us to know that and to trust Him completely.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Just as Abraham waited patiently by hanging onto God\u2019s promise,\u00a0when you\u2019re tempted to give up, remember the rhema word that God has spoken to you.\u00a0\u00a0This will help you to wait patiently, to not give into fear and to persevere in faith until you receive what God has promised.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    Hebrews\u00a06:18 (NIV)<\/strong>
    \n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.<\/em>On verse 18:\u00a0\u00a0What are the \u201ctwo unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie\u201d and by which we can be greatly encouraged?\u00a0\u00a0Many scholars think those two things are likely God\u2019s Word and God\u2019s promise.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Another good interpretation I find is that those two things are God\u2019s nature (which does not change and which makes it impossible for Him to lie) and His promise.\u00a0\u00a0In other words, we can depend on and find great encouragement in (1) who God is and (2) what God says.\u00a0\u00a0His character and His promises are completely trustworthy.\u00a0\u00a0In hanging on to who God is and what God says, we have courage to face difficult circumstances.<\/strong>Hebrews\u00a06:19a (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
    \n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure…<\/em><\/p>\n

    On verses 19a:\u00a0\u00a0Through the ups and downs of life, our hope in God is, as verse 19 says, \u201can anchor for the soul, firm and secure\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0While our circumstances change all the time, praise God that He never changes.\u00a0\u00a0He is always faithful, dependable and trustworthy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Hebrews\u00a06:19b (NIV)<\/em><\/strong>
    \n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0\u2026It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,<\/em><\/p>\n

    On verse 19b:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Further describing the hope we have as Christians, the writer of\u00a0Hebrews\u00a0says that this hope reaches to the very presence of God (represented by \u201cthe inner sanctuary behind the curtain\u201d \u2013 v19).\u00a0\u00a0In other words,\u00a0this hope we have is not some false hope, but is grounded in the firmest place: God\u2019s presence, the place where truth, justice, righteousness and strength originate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Hebrews\u00a06:20\u00a0(NIV)<\/strong>
    \n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.<\/em><\/p>\n

    On verse 20:\u00a0\u00a0Here Jesus is described as our forerunner, \u201cthe one who went before us\u201d and who entered God\u2019s presence on our behalf.\u00a0\u00a0Praise God that\u00a0Jesus is the one who goes before you and who represents you in the presence of God.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0The writer of\u00a0Hebrews\u00a0then describes Jesus as having \u201cbecome a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0We\u2019ll look at what that means and why that is significant tomorrow when we look at\u00a0Hebrews\u00a07.<\/p>\n

    Father, thank You that in an ever-changing world where lies and scams abound, You never change and You always speak promises that we can totally rely on.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You that no matter what our circumstances are like today, Your Word is a firm and secure anchor for our souls.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You for Jesus, our forerunner, who goes before us.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

    Today\u2019s passage is\u00a0Hebrews\u00a06:13-20.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

    Hebrews 6:13-17 (NIV)
    \n13\u00a0\u00a0When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,
    \n14\u00a0\u00a0saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”
    \n15\u00a0\u00a0And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
    \n16\u00a0\u00a0Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
    \n17\u00a0\u00a0Because 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.<\/p>\n

    On verses\u00a013-17:\u00a0\u00a0As an example of \u201cthose who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised\u201d (v12), the writer of\u00a0Hebrews\u00a0mentions the story of Abraham.\u00a0\u00a0Despite Abraham\u2019s old age and his wife Sarah\u2019s inability to have children, God promises to Abraham and Sarah that \u201cI will surely bless you and give you many descendants.\u201d (v14)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0To show how serious God is about fulfilling that promise, God \u201cswore by himself\u201d (v13) because \u201cthere was no one greater for him to swear by\u201d (v13) and people usually swear on something that is greater than themselves (v16).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28860,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28858"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28862,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28858\/revisions\/28862"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}