Alright, the text that we are
reading today, I said, is Hebrews 6, beginning in verse 13, reading
down through verse 20. For when God made promise to
Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself,
saying, Surely, blessing, I will bless you, and multiplying, I
will multiply you." And so, after he had patiently endured, he
obtained the promise, for men verily swear by the greater,
and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. wherein God, willing more abundantly
to show under the airs 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 the soul, both sure
and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. Whither
the forerunner of us is entered, even Jesus made a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now, it might not seem so from
the verses that we have read this morning, from the nature
of these verses, but our text is a part of that rather long
section of the book of Hebrews dealing with the priesthood of
Christ. And not just the priesthood of
Christ, but that His priesthood is after the order of Melchizedek. Actually, the section on the
priesthood of our Lord begins back in chapter 4 and verse 14
with what John Brown called a general introductory statement. Because
there he broaches the subject of Christ as our High Priest. He says, or writes to them, we
have a great High Priest. And immediately he attaches an
exhortation under that. Seeing that we have a great High
Priest Let us hold fast our profession. Now, the we here is a reference
to Christian believers. We believers. We Christians. We who have believed in the Lord. And two things about this high
priest that sets him apart from every other priest and particularly
the Aaronic or the Levitical priesthood, number one, He is
the very Son of God. Jesus, the Son of God, is our
great High Priest. And the second thing that sets
Him apart and elevates Him above any other priesthood is that
He is passed into the heavens. He has gone yonder to be at the
right hand of God. He exercises His priesthood,
not upon the earth or in an earthly tabernacle, but in the very heaven
of heavens and at the right hand of God. Then in chapter 5, verses
1 through 3, He sets forth the nature and the function of the
priesthood, the work of a priest that he is to offer gifts and
sacrifice it. In chapter 5, verse 4 and 5,
it is declared that Christ is a priest by the divine appointment
of God. He did not make himself a priest.
He was appointed so by God. In Hebrews 5 and verse 6, we're
working our way toward our text. The apostle here makes use of
that great text from Psalms 110 and verse 4 that says this, Thou
art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now, he brings up Melchizedek
here in this particular place. But notice that the apostle delays
any lengthy discussion of the priesthood of Melchizedek until
we come to the 7th chapter and verse 1. I find agreement with
the expositor John Brown that the Hebrew author at chapter
5 and verse 11 enters into a rather long digression which continues
all the way down to the end of the 6th chapter. And I call this
to your attention because our present text is found in the
midst of this digression. Chapter 5 and verse 10, he mentions
again that Christ is called of God to be a priest after the
order of Melchizedek. And in chapter 5 and verse 11,
he begins what Owen called, Owen also agreed, quote, his designed
digression, unquote. Melchizedek was the most imminent
type of Christ's priesthood in all of the Old Testament. Without
understanding this, they could not rightly understand or appreciate
the priesthood of Christ. That it is not after the order
of Aaron. It is after the order or arrangement
of Melchizedek. Notice in the end of chapter
5, he says unto them, that he had many things to say unto them
about this man and this priest Melchizedek. There was much to
be said. There was much to be summed up.
There were things of great importance that attached unto this man but
things that were hard to be uttered on the account of they being
hard of hearing or dull of hearing or understanding. Now because
they were dull of hearing, it's the same word rendered slothful
that we have here in chapter 6 and verse 12. It is difficult
to explain great and deep and eternal truths to those who are
not properly grounded in the things that are before them.
To such as are not even grounded in what the author calls the
first principles or rudiments of the matter. They're not even
grounded in that. Not even grounded in the beginning
of the Word of God. Have the inability to digest
strong meat and must be spoon-fed or bottle-fed with milk. Now
in chapter 6, the digression is continued. And in verses 1
through 8 of chapter 6 of Hebrews, this is among the most awesome
passage of Scripture that you will read anywhere in the New
Testament. As in verse 4 through verse 6,
the author declares, those that had been enlightened in a degree
and then had fallen away were irrecoverable, seeing that they
crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to
an open shame. Now you ought to compare That
passage with Hebrews 10, v. 26-29, only don't do it now. Now in Hebrews 6, v. 7 and v. 8, we have a similitude
from the author that is very clear. It is a similitude of
the earth or parcels of ground, or perhaps two different parcels
of ground, receiving the rain that God sends from heaven upon
it. One parcel brings forth herbs,
meat and fit for the dressing of the table. The other brings
forth nothing but thorns and briars, which are fit only to
be burned." Then in chapter 6, verse 9 through verse 12, the
apostle lets them know That He does not consider them all apostates
from Christ and the gospel. He speaks kindly and tenderly
unto them now. That He does not consider every
last one of them apostate. He calls them, if you notice,
beloved and says He has persuaded better things of them and things
that accompany salvation. He considered them. having things
in their life and conduct belonging to salvation. Then in verses
10-12, He encourages them, He admonishes them that they might
persevere in the gospel and in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 10, God is not unjust to
forget all of their works of love which they had shown in
His name, and for ministering one another unto the saints.
Then in verse 11 and 12, we're coming ever closer, that they
persevere and exercise in diligence and assurance unto the end, not
being slothful. And look at the last part of
verse 12 again, that they be followers, literally imitators
of those who through faith and patience, being long-suffering,
have inherited the promises of God. That they, as in verse 11,
keep the hope unto the end, persevere in the faith, hold the gospel. And then in verse 12, that they
imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises
that God has given unto His people. Now, at this point, in this digression,
the Apostle does a very wise thing as concerns the Jews whom
he is principally addressing, by the way. And that is, the
wise thing is, He uses or brings in the person or the name of
Abraham as a great example to hold up before them. Paul had
done the same thing in Romans 4 and Galatians 3. Brought in the case of Abraham
before the Jews. Now there is a reason why the
name Abraham carried so much weight with the Jews in that
day. and why Paul and other writers
are so quick to invoke Abraham and his name. And that is because
Abraham was one of the most revered characters in all of their history. One of the most revered names
to the Jews. They considered him the father
of their race. They can be heard boasting to
say, We be Abraham's seed. We are descendants of Abraham. Now, this Paul knew the name
Abraham would carry great weight with the Jews in Romans 4 and
Galatians 3, as would his relationship in the things that are spiritual. William G.T. Shedd, in his commentary,
put it this way, quote, of the head and father of the Jewish
nation, Abraham, would be a crucial test of doctrine so far as the
Jew was concerned." Not to drift too far out from our subject,
but in Romans 4, Paul uses Abraham to prove that justification is,
by faith, apart from the works of the law. He says and shows
that Abraham was justified before the law was ever given. And Abraham
was justified before he ever received circumcision. And as it was with Abraham, so
must it be with his children, particularly his spiritual children. And thus, they would be breaking
with Abraham if they sought justification by the works of the law, or trusted
in their fleshly descendancy, or in their fleshly circumcision. Now, the Hebrew author also invokes
the name of Abraham as an example of what he has exhorted them
to do. And I want you to look with me
at verse 13 again. Having said all of that, those
who by patience, and so forth. He now says, for when God made
promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he
swore by himself. That is, God did. Now here are
four things set forth in this one verse for us. A. We find that God made a special and particular promise unto Abraham. Verse 13 clearly says, when God
made promise to Abraham. And then B we notice, God confirmed
the promise to Abraham with an oath of swearing. For we read,
he swore. And then C we notice, Abraham
believed the promise that God had made unto him. Abraham believed
God. And then, D, in due time, in
due time, brothers and sisters, Abraham received the promise. He received that which God had
promised him and swore to by an oath And it came to pass. Now, should the question arise,
how is the case of Abraham, who lived and died in another era,
pertinent or relative to the Hebrews to whom this epistle
is addressed? They were sorely tempted to return
to Judaism. They were persecuted. for their
profession of Christ and of the Christian gospel. They were spoiled
of their goods simply for confessing to be Christians. Hebrews 10
and 34. So how then can Abraham's case
have any bearing or relation unto those first entry Jews?
Now to answer that, we need to see if we can determine the precise
promise that the writer has in mind regarding Abraham. The search is shortened when
we read that said promise had an oath of swearing that was
annexed to it. And this narrows the search then
down to that passage in Genesis chapter 22 after God had commanded
Abraham to offer his only beloved son Isaac upon the altar as a
burnt offering. And Abraham was obedient to bind
his son, to take the knot. But at the last minute, we read
that the angel of the Lord stayed the hand of Abraham from against
his son. And I'd like to read some from
Genesis chapter 22, if you care to turn there. The hand of Abraham
was stayed, Isaac was spared, and Abraham was commanded for
his fear of God and for his obedience. Now, in Genesis 22, 15 through
verse 18, we have the particular promise and oath that the Hebrew
author has in his eye. Notice verse 15, And the angel
of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou
hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son thine only,
that in blessing I will bless thee in multiplying, I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon
the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies."
And verse 18, "...in thy seed shall all the nations of the
earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice." Now the
promise with an oath was this, that Abraham would be the father
of a numerous, uncountable offspring, as numerous as the stars and
the sands upon the sea. So back to the question, how
is Abraham then a good model and example for those believing
Jews in Hebrews? when first God promised Abraham
a very large issue in Genesis 12 and verse 2. At that time,
it seemed both impossible and incredible. It seemed hopeless
and unreasonable that Sarah and Abraham would bear a son. For
example, Sarah had been barren all of her life. even from the
first of being a wife. And then, get this please, the
bodies of Sarah and of Abraham both became procreatively dead
before the seed ever came. Romans 4, 19, the deadness of
their body, that is, the procreative deadness in their flesh. no energy
or ability whatsoever to produce an offspring. But God made promise
to Abraham that it would be so. He even confirmed it with an
oath, even swearing by Himself. And as we read in Genesis 22
and 16, by Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord. Now, in Hebrews
6 and verse 14, the promise was this. Blessing, I will bless
you. Multiplying, I will multiply
you. And this promise to the good
man came with an oath. I swear by myself. And as Owen said, an oath, the
giving of an oath, the swearing to an oath, is one of the most
satisfactory ways of giving assurance that the promise will be fulfilled
by the promiser. And God sware to Abraham, and
also He sware by the greatest, that is, by Himself. And here
is the point made for the sake of the Jews. Hebrews 6 and verse
15, that after Abraham, had patiently endured, he obtained the promise
that God had given and with an oath had swore. The promise was
not immediately consummated in the life of Abraham. But being
long-suffering, Abraham realized the promise. He persevered. He kept the faith as we sometimes
hear of one keeping the faith. Abraham, remember, was 75 years
old when God promised to make of him a great nation and he
be the father. That's in Genesis 12, verse 2
and 3. Seventy-five years old at that
time. Now, Isaac was not born until
Abraham was a hundred years old. That's in Genesis 21, verses
1-5. And for those intervening years,
25 of those years, Abraham was long-suffering. He clung to the
promise of God, or as John Brown put it, steadily persevered in
believing and expecting amid all the trials to which he was
exposed. Please go with me or listen while
I read from Romans chapter 4 and verse 18 through 21 that is pertinent
to this same subject. Romans 4, verse 18, talking about
Abraham, 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. And being not weak in faith,
he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a
hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb,
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith, giving glory unto God, and being fully persuaded
that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Now, to sum all of this up, when
there seemed no ground and no hope as far as the flesh of the
couple were concerned, Abraham hoped. Abraham clung to the hope
that God had promised to bring to pass. He did not reckon the
procreative deadness of his and Sarah's body to be a bar or a
hindrance to God fulfilling the promise. He staggered not at
that promise that God had made him and out of unbelief staggered
not, remained fully persuaded that what God had promised he
was fully able to accomplish, to perform, and to bring to pass."
I think you notice that Paul is very gracious to Abraham.
In that passage in Romans 4, he does not mention, for example,
Abraham's carnal suggestion that perhaps one born in his own house,
a servant, might be the heir and promised seed that you have
in Genesis 15 1-3. Abraham said, here is this one
born in my house, perhaps he shall be an heir. And Paul does
not mention in Romans 4 Sarah sending Abraham to Hagar's bed
whereby Ishmael was conceived. That's in Genesis chapter 16.
But back to Hebrews 6 and the last five verses of the chapter. Here the author is ready now
to make some application of these things to those Jews wavering
in that day. He had held Abraham up before
them as a model of one who persevered, who believed, and who received
the promise. Now he will show how this applies
to their case. First, however, in verse 16,
the author gives a general summation of the nature and of the use
of oaths among men. Making two points. Number one,
verse 16, when man swears, that is, when man makes an oath, they
always swear by the greater. They swear by one they consider
to be greater than themselves. In other words, they swear up,
they never swear down. And with some, they constantly
are saying, I swear to God, I swear to God, I swear, home mother's
grave as if to impress upon us that they're not lying. But the
second thing that he notes, men consider an oath when one swears
and makes an oath and that oath is confirmed, it is the ultimate
assurance that the words spoken are true and the promise or parts
of the oath will be fulfilled. You can see that again in Galatians
3 and 15 about human covenants. Now, the application begins in
verse 17, concerning the oath of God and a purpose that was
served by it from the general practice among men when taking
an oath between themselves." Notice that the author tells
them, where in God? Now, remember these words, an
oath is the end of all strife among men. And so now he will
say unto them, where in God? more willing, or resolved, or
desiring to show under the airs of promise the immutability of
his counsel or of his purpose, confirmed the margin has yet
interposed himself. God interposed His very own self
by an oath. Just having said, an oath removes
all contentions between men. That an oath is a most compelling
evidence of sincerity and of truth. That an oath binds one
to fulfill a promise, the author tells those believing Jews that
God had dealt with them as he dealt with Abraham by an oath."
Now, to show them the immutability, the unchanging, the unalterable
purpose of God toward the spiritual children of Abraham. He confirmed, that is, he guaranteed
that it would be so. by the swearing of an oath. Because again, an oath is the
highest attestation of truth. He swears by an oath. Now, his purpose toward Abraham
was unchangeable. To give a promised son. To be
begotten by Abraham and born by Sarah. Not an illegitimate
child and not a house servant. but a true Son begotten by Abraham
and born by Sarah. Now, even the ages of Sarah and
Abraham were no hindrance. In due time, the promise of God
to Abraham was fulfilled. Even so, God, bound by His very
oath to save the spiritual children of Abraham, to bless them with
eternal and everlasting life. To Abraham God sware by Himself,
because though men sware by one greater than themselves, there
is none greater than God, and God sware by Himself. John Gill wrote on verse 17,
God bound Himself to this by an oath for the fulfillment of
the purpose and of the promise. Now, coming to verse 18, let
us first read it skipping over, for the time being only, a part
of it to be picked up later. Here is the thought in verse
18, that by two things immutable, we might have a strong consolation
who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before
us." My, what a mouthful is that! Two immutable things. Two things that will not and
that cannot change are the things mentioned in the whole context. The promise of God and the oath
of God. And in connection with this dual
immutability, the author says, in which it was, it is, impossible
for God to lie. He cannot lie concerning the
promise, nor can He make an oath in any falsehood. In verse 18,
we who have fled for refuge Some think this is an illusion or
perhaps a reference to the six cities of refuge in the land
of Canaan. The six cities of refuge were
set up whereby if a man killed another unaware, he might flee
to that city ere the avenger of blood overtook him that his
case might be heard. Now this fleeing involves two
things. A some present danger. There is danger to be fled from. And we have fled because of a
danger. Fear for safety. Second, it implies
diligence. To seek a safe place. To enter
into a haven. To find a refuge. You cannot
read this without thinking of old Joab. in 1 Kings 2 and verse
28, who having been against his king and because of his fear
of Solomon, fled into the tabernacle, there lay hold on the hands of
the altar as if to bind himself, thinking that Solomon would certainly
not lay hold on him there with his hands upon the horn of the
altar. However, those who have fled
for refuge through Christ to lay hold not on the horns of
a material earthly altar, but have laid hold upon the hope
which is set before us in the gospel and the message of Christ. Which in verse 19, he calls this
hope an anchor of the soul. My, the picture that this is
painting in our mind's eye this morning. An anchor. And then
he says, both sure and steadfast. Then he says something else,
which enters within the veil, having laid hold upon this hope,
which is like an anchor, sure and steadfast, and reaches within
the veil. Now let's ask ourselves the question,
What is the nature then of this hope? It has a likeness to that
of Abraham who hoped against hope. This hope has its foundation
in the Word and the promises of God made unto him. And in Hebrews 6 and verse 18,
the hope that is set before us, we who hear and believe the gospel
of our Lord. It is what one describes this
way. The expectation which the gospel testimony gives us warrant
to entertain. We are saved by hope or in hope,
Paul says in Romans 8 and verse 25. Again in Titus 1 and verse
2, in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began. Now this hope follows after faith
or belief, and it begets patience in those believers. It follows
after faith and it begets patience. From hope, Abraham patiently
endured. For the hope set before him,
Abraham patiently endured all of those years. Now notice something
else, that the inspired author here likens or uses the simile
of an anchor. An anchor, he says, of the soul,
that we be not tossed to and fro, carried about with every
wind of doctrine, as in Ephesians 4.14, nor be carried out to sea
and ravaged and destroyed by the raging storm. The anchor
holds the ship in place in spite of the waves about it. and the
wind, the anchor holds the ship in place. Hope is the anchor
of the Christian, and that holds us in place. An invisible line,
an invisible anchor, one that can't be seen, but what an anchor
it is. And notice in verse 19 of our
text, this hope likened unto an anchor is then said to reach
with in the veil. This is an allusion, of course,
to the Old Testament tabernacle. The high priest entered in the
first veil and the second veil into the Holy of Holies. The people could not go there. Only the priest could go there. Only by the appointment of God
and at appointed time. And the author uses this terminology
because, I think, he is framing his argument principally for
Jews in that time. And so he says, hope is an anchor
that enters within the veil. And then look at verse 20. where,
that is, within the veil, wherein the forerunner of us has entered. Here's another allusion to the
tabernacle which things were typical of that which we have
in Jesus Christ. So he says Jesus has gone into
the veil, or behind the veil, which Hebrews lets us know is
heaven itself and the very presence of Almighty God. He has done
that as a forerunner in our behalf and on our account. This is the
only time, I think, that this word forerunner appears anywhere
else in the New Testament. It is the word prodromos appears
and one who goes ahead. It is one who goes ahead as a
scout or a precursor one sent before to see that the way is
prepared for those that follow." Jesus has gone to prepare a place
for His people. I go and prepare a place for
you. But in verse 20, before we close,
we must not lose sight of the fact that Jesus is there behind
the veil, within the veil, In the presence of God, at the right
hand of God, He is there in the capacity of the great High Priest
of the church. The forerunner is entered. He
is made on earth an all-sufficient sacrifice and atonement for sin,
and by His own blood, Hebrews says, has entered into heaven
itself. into the very presence of God. Now, this writer is assuring
these wavering Jews that the gospel Christianity indeed has
a high priest. Christianity indeed has a great
high priest, but he's in heaven. And he has conquered death. And
his priesthood is not like that of Aaron. It is after the order
of Melchizedek. We can't look at it, but he describes
him, Melchizedek chapter 7, verse 1 through 10, a blessed passage
of Scripture. But his priesthood, that of Christ,
is after the order of Melchizedek. And what does that mean? It means
that he has a perpetual priesthood. Melchizedek did not receive his
priesthood from another, and it did not pass to any other. Christ has a priesthood after
the order of Melchizedek. It will never pass to another. Because death hath no more dominion
over him, he is a priest therefore forever. the only One that is,
for He ever lives to make intercession for us. He's righteous. He is immune from sin and from
death. And He is the very Son of God. Not a son of God as others are,
but the Son of God. The eternal Son of God. Now, Christ has gone. as our great high priest within
the veil there to make as a forerunner to prepare the way for us. Christ,
therefore, brothers and sisters, is our life. He is our salvation. He saves our soul. We need no earthly priest. We
have a great high priest at the right hand of God, one who has
died and lived again, One who had no sin like Aaron was a sinner. One who cannot lose his priesthood
by death as Aaron and his followers lost theirs. We have the oath
of God that stands firm and immutable. That Abraham's spiritual children
shall inherit the blessing. And having laid hope on that
which is an anchor to the soul, and is within the veil. Thank
God for His great oath and for the truth and immutability of
our great and wonderful God. Let's stand together, please,
and we'll have a word of prayer.