Greater

This week, I am exploring the 2nd half of Hebrews 6. There are several awe-inspiring characteristics of God in verses 13-20! The overarching theme is that God is greater! Why? Because He is God. Because unlike man and man-made things, He is unchanging and all He says and does is unchanging. Because He is truthful in all He says and promises. And because He offers a hope that is "an anchor of the soul" (6:19). 


First: the idea of God's promise and oath. 6:13 says, "...since He could swear by no one greater, he swore by Himself." When I read this verse, I can't help but smile. God knows--and points out to His people--He is greater than anyone or anything. Commentary by Marie Isaacs states that Philo, a Jewish exegete, "adds the oath taken was 'an oath benefiting God; you mark that God swears not by some other thing, for nothing is higher than He, but by Himself, who is best of all things'". 


Second: the unchageableness of the promise. If the promise that God makes is consistent with His character, then God is also unchageable and His purpose through the promise was unchaging. All that God has said cannot/will not change. And if God is sovereign and perfect, His original intent is not going to change. (Chapters 7 and 8 deal more specifically with the promise itself--I will go into more promise details next time.) 6:17 shows that God wants His people to understand His promise and to recognize that His purpose is unchanging. He is not a God of confusion, but of clarity! Because God's promise has never changed and will never change, we see that God can never lie. 


Third: 6:18--"so that by two unchageable things in which it is impossible for God to lie..." God's promise and His oath are the two things that are unchageable and because God is faithful and true, we can trust this promise. I think it is interesting that God solidifies His promise with an oath. Because He is God, He cannot lie, His word is Truth and unchaging. Shouldn't this be enough for His people? I believe that the main reason God chose to solidify His promise with an oath is to reinforce its importance. 


Fourth: a new hope. The last few verses put much emphasis on the hope that will be received due to the promise. Again showing that God is not a God of confusion--He wants His people to be certain in the hope they now have. "A hope both sure and steadfast". Like God's unchanging promise, our hope will remain sure. 

Just

With an active discussion of Hebrews 6 this week, I am attempting to see what this confusing passage has to say about God the Father.

 

6:4-6 brings much question to interpretation, and seems to contradict much of what I have heard about God protecting His children from being snatched out of His hand. (John 10:28-29). But after looking into various commentaries and journals and after discussion in class, I see some consistency in God's character, not the opposite. In various OT accounts, God has denied repentance to His people who choose to renounce Him. There have been many who "experienced God's benefit, but still scorned the law" (Nongbri article). In the wilderness generation, God provided His people with His protection, His guidance, food and water, and a promise of their forefather's land. Still, the Isrealites refused to believe and trust God even after being enlightened of God's promises and tasting of His power and provision. Because of their lack of faith and renunciation of God, He refused to offer them repentance and denied them the Promise Land. But "GOD IS NOT UNJUST" verse 10 tells us.

 

Verse 7 gives hope that if we are drinking in God's word, accepting His work within us and His promises, we will receive blessing. His grace is offered time and time again but if we completely deny Him, He is still just in denying us repentance.  The argument that there is a distinct God of the OT-- a God of justice and wrath, and a God of the NT--a God of love and mercy, is false. He is both, always. There is always love, there is always the offer of grace and mercy, but there is always justice. If our purpose as humans is to bring praise and glory to God, does he not have the right to deny us repentance if we choose to scorn His name?  Numbers 14, Daniel 9:11-12 and Deut. 11:26-28 are Old Testament examples of God's people scorning the name of the Father and Him removing their opportunity to repent.