And God be pleased to bless us
together this evening as we meditate upon his word. Let's turn to
the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, chapter 6, and we'll read verses
17, 18, 19 and 20. The last four verses in the sixth
chapter of Paul's epistle to the Hebrews. Wherein God, willing
more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability
of his counsel confirmed it by 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 which hope we have as an anchor of
a soul both sure and steadfast and which entereth into that
within the veil whither the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus
made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek we are thankful that the Lord
has granted to us the epistle to the Hebrews for the great
and wonderful promises that it contains, the certainty of the
work of God. And so as we read together these
few verses in this 6th chapter to the Hebrews, we note that
the Lord is graciously addressing a certain people And those certain
people are those who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the
hope set before us. And really the hope set before
us is none less than the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore
may we be able to find in our own hearts the evidence that
we have fled for refuge. It means really that we've run
to the Lord Jesus Christ. We fled to Him for that hope
which is set before us. And either side of these, this
phrase, we know that the Lord graciously blesses such. We're told He willingly more
abundantly to show unto the heirs a promise, the immutability of
His counsel confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things
in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation. Now, the Lord is so gracious,
willing more abundantly. The Lord does bless His people
abundantly. far in excess of what they can
really think, the abundant blessing of the Lord. And we might ask,
well, what is the abundant blessing of the Lord? Well, the abundant
blessing of the Lord is surely to know that we are heirs of
promise, that the Lord has indeed laid down His life so that we
might possess life, and that the Lord more abundantly, shows
to such the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. And that immutability, the two
immutable things really are the promise, the promises of God
and the oaths of God. And they are things that cannot
be changed. And we know the Lord has said,
I am the Lord, I change not. The Lord does not change. He
is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. And what He has
promised will be fulfilled. And that surely must be an encouragement
to us as we can read the promises of God and the Word of God, and
then perhaps can relate and remember the promise which God may have
spoken to our hearts, to that heart which is an heir, heir
of God, the precious promises which God may have given to us
and my friends they will not change and they will not be taken
away and they will remain and we can rest upon them because
they are like a rock indeed they are founded upon that rock those
promises which God has given us if they are of value they
will be founded upon what Christ has done and therefore they are
of great value and so Wearing God willing, He is willing more
abundantly to show unto us these great blessings. Sometimes we
fail to realize the promises of God and the faithfulness of
our God. Unless we consider ourselves
and realize so often how we failed in keeping the commands of God. We failed in our attitude towards
our God. How can we fail in following
the gracious commands of our God? And nonetheless here we
have this great statement that God willing more abundantly to
show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel.
That counsel which he gives. He gives much counsel to his
children. And it's good if we listen and
hear that counsel and absorb it and recognise it's good for
us. The Lord only gives good counsel. You and I may give bad counsel,
but the Lord only gives good counsel, sure counsel, positive
counsel, truthful counsel, counsel which will not fail. And it's
confirmed to us by an oath, that by in two immiscible things in
which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation. They're great words, aren't they?
Abundantly, immutability, impossibility, and strong consolation. And they
all refer to the greatness of our God. And so therefore tonight,
may our faith be increased and strengthened to believe that
although this was written so many years ago to the Hebrews,
yet it still has a voice speaking to us today. Indeed the word
of God still speaks to his people, and bless God if it still speaks
to our hearts. So we are able to be really thankful
that we have the Word of God before us, the truth of God's
Word, which is true, which is confirmed to us, and it is immutable,
and it is impossible for God to lie, and therefore we have
this strong consolation. It is a consolation. We live
in a world, don't we, with many things to disturb us and to upset
us, And it causes us to cry and to weep and be sad. But we have
in God a wonderful consolation. And it will be a great blessing
if we realise it is a strong consolation. It's a strong consolation
in the Lord. Because the Lord gives to us
all that we need. He supplies our every need. He goes before us. He prepares
the way. He knows the path that is ordained
for us. We may think it's strange. We
may think it's difficult. But we will confirm with the
Apostle, with the Psalmist, when he tells us in 107th Psalm, he
brought them forth by the right way. They might go to a city
of habitation. And the Lord deals with His people
in love to their souls and brings them about in that right way
because it will prove to be a strong consolation. The reason is that we will have
the evidence in our hearts that what He is doing for us is for
our eternal good. And we always want to have right
views, eternal views. We don't want to have constrictive
views. We want to have broad views and long views to observe
the greatness and the favour of Almighty God as he brings
us into situations and that we are therefore favoured with this
strong conservation. And the Lord then says, who have
fled for refuge that they hold upon the hope set before us. Now, Paul uses this illustration. this refuge for they hold upon
the hope set before us we read that 20th chapter in Joshua because
it so clearly points out and defines what are termed the cities
of refuge and they were important cities for the children of Israel
because if they were perhaps wrongly condemned over something
which they had not intended to do. And they had someone who
was seeking their life, trying to shed their blood. Then they
were given the opportunity to flee to the cities of refuge. And once they entered in to those
cities, they were safe. if they were honourable and doing
those things which were right they were safe in that city those
who were pursuing them were not able to take them no they were
perfect safety in that city and there were those six cities three
on each side of Jordan and the road to those cities was always
kept clear was always kept in a good condition so that those
who were fleeing were able to come without any obstacles to
the cities of refuge. And that's a good lesson for
us to realise that those who had to flee they had as it were
a clear run having determined to flee to that city of refuge
there weren't the obstacles to hinder them in that race and
therefore the pursuers were not able to overtake them and it
was a place of wonderful relief when they arrived in safety at
the gate of the city they were able to enter in and there was
no one to stop them from that great and glorious favour I'm
sure we understand that today this city of refuge for us is
still needful, but it is there before us. And what is it? The Lord Jesus Christ. We've
seen a refuge for sinners the gospel makes known. And that
refuge is in Jesus alone. There's no other refuge, no other
place of safety. When we're in Christ, there is
perfect safety. When the people were in this
city of refuge, there was perfect safety. And I believe it's not
without significance that all these cities, of course, had
names. And all those names represented
something. And I've looked this up and thankfully
I've been able to find out that Kedesh is another name for holy. Well, it was indeed a place where
they were able to be holy. To keep themselves from all the
attacks outwardly of the world. And what a blessing it would
be if you and I escape to this refuge in Jesus and realise it
is a holy place. A holy place, a place where we
may come aside as it were and rest and seek for that true comfort
from the Saviour Himself and be able to meditate upon His
great sacrifice for sinners. I think it is then a holy place. And then the second city is Shechem. And Shechem is another word for
shoulder. You may think, well I don't see
any reference really to a shoulder being of any help. Well, just
think of the Lord Jesus Christ. What did he do when he had that
flock and the 99 sheep and he went after that one sheep that
had wandered away. And what did he do? He carried
it home on his shoulders. Yes, a place of support, as a
place of rest, and a place of assurance because that lost sheep
was brought safely back to the fold. And we see, do we not then,
in this refuge for sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ graciously
coming and taking us up, perhaps we are very weary, But with no
strength at all, I think the Lord comes and picks us up and
carries us on his shoulders. You can't get any closer, can
you, than that. I think what a wonderful blessing
that is. Now, here was this citadel called
Shechem, which has this other name, shoulder, which is important
for us to consider. And then, moving on to Kirjath
Arbor, which is Hebron. Another name for that is fellowship.
Fellowship. I'm sure we can appreciate the
wonder of this refuge then. To know the fellowship of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul knew what it
was, didn't he? Fellowship with his sufferings. If you and I
are able to come to this refuge, we fled to this refuge. and we're
safe here in Jesus and that may be blessed to us and be a wonderful
place where we indeed have fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Well the Apostle knew what it
was and he desired that he might have this fellowship and he tells
us that he counted all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord for whom he had suffered
the loss of all things and did count them but done. And he goes
on to say that I may know Him. He did of course know the Saviour.
My friends, he wanted to know the Saviour more. And that's
a great blessing for us. If we fled to Christ because
we desire to know Him more, to have greater fellowship with
Him. And that's what the Apostle said, that I may know Him and
have power of His resurrection. The risen Saviour and the fellowship
of His sufferings being made conformable unto His death. Fellowship with His sufferings. It's not something that you and
I would understand naturally. Fellowship with the sufferings
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But it's a wonderful privilege
to be united to Christ in this way. The Lord brings us into
times, into places where there is that suffering. And what do we find then? Union
with Christ. We understand a little of what
Christ endured that we might be blessed with blessings in
our soul. Fled to Christ and find there
this fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, it's a place
of favour, isn't it? It is a refuge, isn't it? Consolation,
who have fled for refuge. And these things are great consolations,
are they not? They're strong consolations to
us, as we fled for refuge. And then we read in that chapter
in Joshua, when they crossed over the other side of Jordan,
there were still three more towns. The first was Beza. And another
name for that is to be fortified. Well we can appreciate, can't
we, a fortified place of safety. Now these cities were not necessarily
fortified. We can understand though, can
we not, what a fortified place is. In history, how people desire
to get into a castle or a fortified place He might feel to be safe. Well, there's no greater place
of fortification than to save himself. He has to be in Christ. In Christ, you see, the devil
may try and attack, but you see there's wonderful safeties are
not. in the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as there was natural safety
in these sinners of refuge, there is great and glorious safety
in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is indeed a fortified place
for poor, wretched, fleeing sinners. You know, we flee, do we not?
Where do we flee from our great adversary, the devil, who harasses
us, who tempts us, who tries us? Yes, he pursues us. relentlessly until we are safe
in the city of refuge and then Ramoth Ramoth is a place of exaltation
where we can imagine, can we not a poor person running and
becoming exhausted and getting safely into a city of refuge
and they will be so exalted into the safety which it gives to
them It's a wonderful place. Exaltation. So it is, my friends,
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Is there no exaltation in our
hearts when we've come to realize there is that great and glorious
safety in Christ? The blessing is, it is an eternal
safety. These people who arrive, they
see it as a refuge, They either were reunited to their own homes
when the high priest died, or if not, they carried on in their
life until they died. Naturally, the City of Refuge,
it was not their eternal dwelling place. But the City of Refuge,
the Church of God, Christ is our eternal refuge. What a blessing
it is then to look and to have the exultation to realise that
the Lord has brought us safely to himself. Yes, we've been brought
safely, what we've left as it were, the city of destruction,
where we've been harassed and where we've been pursued because
of perhaps a wrong judgement. Yes, people will pursue us, the
devil pursues us, safety in Christ, and then lastly, the Golan, Another
name for that is manifested. Manifested. The Church of God
are manifested in Christ. They are evidenced as the Church
of God, as the people of God, as those for whom Christ has
died. And therefore, if we understand
this, this is a strong consolation. We can imagine coming on all
these these six different types and all combining together to
form a strong consolation for us as we think of the holiness
and the shoulder and the fellowship and the fortification and the
exhortation and the manifestation what a blessing it is then to
find ourselves safe in the arms of Jesus who have fled the refuge
to lay hold upon the hope set before us. The union with Christ
on this earth produces that hope which is set before us of eternity
with the Lord, in glory, in heaven. That surely is the hope that
is set before us. Not only safety while on this
earth, regard to our souls condition, but eternal safety in Christ
never shall be separated from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord so we have this strong consolation and remember
it's based upon our God it's based upon His immutability it's
based upon the fact that we are heirs of His promise that is
based upon the fact that it is impossible for God to lie and
with all these things to realise then we are blessed with this
strong consolation and that we have by his grace laid for refuge
to lay hold upon the hope set before us the apostle then gives
us a little view he tells us which hope we have Which hope
we have? Well, tonight, we can ask the
question, can we not, do we have a hope? Do we have a hope that
we are in Christ? Do we have the evidence that
by His grace we have fled to this refuge for sinners? And we found there that wonderful
place of safety. And then, as the Apostle says,
this hope which is set before us, And it's a hope which we
have. It's not a vain hope. It's a
good hope. It's a hope which is based upon
the promise of God. The sure and certain promises
of God who does not lie. And there's our consolation.
And there's our support. And there's our strength. And
that's what we are relying upon. Which hope we have. Yes. Apostle is able to declare that
positively, isn't he? Which hope we have. This wasn't
a false hope. This was a good hope. And so
if we have some evidences of God's blessing to us in this
city of refuge, surely then we're able to say with some confidence
that we have this hope. Which hope we have. And what
is this hope? Well, it's as an anchor of the
soul. Life is sometimes portrayed as
a journey upon the ocean. In a ship, travelling across
the ocean and having to face all the storms of the seas and
the roughness of the waves and the wind and what a blessing
then to get safely into a harbour, safety into a place where there's
calm, safety into a place where then, more so in these days when
this is written, they could then cast out that anchor. The anchor
would take good hold into the bottom and they would know that
they were safe, yes. And here we have the description
which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. As we travel through
the roughness of the oceans, spiritually, having to face great
opposition, high waves, strong winds, endeavouring to cast us
and make shipwreck of our faith. And there's been a hardship and
a difficulty in pursuing to keep that course. Hasn't been easy. It's not easy to keep a course
when the sea's rough. It's quite a struggle, much more
so in these days when it didn't have any modern things that we
have and they just relied upon the sun and the stars and the
sails and the rudder. And if the stars and the moon
and sun weren't evident, then it wasn't very easy to actually
produce a good course. In any event, it was hard to
raise the sails and hard to steer the boat. It wasn't easy at all. And yet, what a blessing when
the mariners arrived safely into a safe haven and were able to
cast that anchor out and to find it held firm. Well here we have
the spiritual illustration and it's the anchor of the soul.
And we all need to cast that anchor out. And where is it cast? Both sure and steadfast. Naturally,
when the anchor is cast out into a calm, shallow place, it holds
sure and steadfast. Well, we in our spiritual life
need to cast out our anchor. And our anchor is cast into where?
Well, the Word of God tells us, within the veil. Within the veil. You may think, well, what does
that really mean? Well, we only have to go back, do we not, to
the tabernacle or to the tabernacle? And what do we see there? We
see the holy place and we see the most holy place. The holy
of holies. And the holy of holies represents
in heaven. And in the holy of places was
the Shekeniah, the spirit of God which came down and met with
the high priest on the annual occasion. When the high priest
entered through the veil. through the veil and not without
blood, shed blood. Blood shed from the slain animal.
And then as we think of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, what
did he do? He entered in beyond the veil. Where did he enter? He entered
into glory. The veil was torn from the top
to the bottom and there's no need of a natural veil. The way
was now made clear and it was made by the Lord Jesus Christ
who entered into heaven. And we see then therefore that
this anchor then is cast where? Into glory. Within the veil where
the Lord Jesus Christ is. It's cast into Him and it is
both sure and steadfast and which enters in to that within the
veil. You see, our faith then stretches
forth to throw this anchor within the veil to the Lord Jesus Christ,
because He, my friends, must be our anchor. And as we think of that, you
see, it's really as we're founding Christ, you see, in this city
of refuge, Then it is that we lay hold of the hope set before
us. The hope of eternal glory. The hope of getting a safe home. And as we come into a close proximity,
there is an anchor thrown within the veil. An anchor's firm and
sure and steadfast is entered within the veil. Now the blessing
is, if the Lord God has given us faith to behold the Lamb of
God that taketh away the sin of the world. Giving us faith
to view the Lord Jesus Christ as our suffering Saviour who
has taken away our sin by the shedding of His most precious
blood and has therefore entered into the holy place through His
shed blood once for sin. No need to enter in again. No
need to sacrifice again. Yes, the Old Testament was every
year, but here, once, the Lord Jesus Christ entered in. What
a wonderful picture it is, isn't it, for us, as we travel on here,
and as we have, by God's grace, been able to run to this city
of refuge, and found Christ to be our refuge, and then by faith
to cast our anchor into the heavenly place, glory at last. And who
is there? The apostle tells us, Whither
the forerunner is for us entered. Even Jesus, made a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. This forerunner, this great and
glorious high priest, we read of, do we not, in the 12th chapter
of this same epistle where the apostle says we are foreseen,
we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight and the sins that so easily beset
us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross
despising the shame and is set down at the right hand at the
throne of God our great and glorious forerunner yes he's run that
race what a race it was how hard it was how many obstacles there
were what a difficult race it was but my friends the Lord Jesus
he ran the race and so the apostle tells us for consider him that
endured Such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest
ye be weary and faint in your minds. And so as we've been brought
safe in that city of refuge to spend that time considering the
Lord Jesus Christ, considering what he endured, contradiction
of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your
minds. Sometimes we are weary. Always, my friends, consider
Him. When we think how hard the way is, how difficult it is,
you have to put things in a right perspective, in a right position,
when we, by His grace, consider Him, who endured the cross. And the Apostle says, You have
not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And you
have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you, as unto
children. My son, despise not the chasing
of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him." Sometimes
the Lord does chase and He does rebuke and it brings us perhaps
to our senses so we are able then to consider Him more and
realise what the Saviour endured so that we might live with a
forerunner is for us entered. It is a good exercise to ponder
and the journey that Lord Jesus Christ made from the Bay of Bethlehem
to that time of ascension into glory. It's worthy of our meditation
and as we may therefore have been brought to this place of
refuge and found there a place of strength and a place of comfort
and a place of resting. Then they were able then to ponder
these things and to realize, yes, the Lord has done great
things, great things, whereof we are glad. Well, the Lord's
brought us out of shore by His grace, we shall desire to think
of these things and to be glad of all his favour and all his
mercy and so the psalmist tells us in the 46th Psalm God is our
refuge and strength and think this is written so many years
ago and so many years before the Lord Jesus Christ was on
the earth and yet how true it is to realise then they were
looking forward to the blessing of this refuge therefore will
not we fear that the earth be removed May the mountains be
carried in the midst of the sea, the waters thereof roar and be
troubled. May the mountains shake with
the swelling thereof. We can picture calmly the world
is seen like that. And yet the Lord then directs
us to say there is a river. The streams thereof shall make
glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the
Most High. God is in the midst of her. Yes,
God is in the midst of her. God is in the midst of that city
of refuge. She shall not be moved. God shall
help her, and that right early. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the
Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh
wars to cease unto the end of the earth. He breaketh the bow,
and cutteth the spear in thunder. He burneth the chariot in fire.
Be still. And if we're in this city of
refuge, we can be still. We can't be still until we're
safe in Christ. My friends, we're in Christ.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge,
Seir. Well tonight, may we indeed know
something of the wonderful blessing of knowing that we have fled
by God's grace for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before
us which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast
and which entereth into that within the veil Whither the forerunner
is for us entered, even Jesus, made a high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Amen.