Christians do not live by explanations but by promises. God tells us the truth. Satan is a liar and cannot keep his promises. Many people are looking for something to believe in. See Psalm 37:3 – Trust in the Lord. Put your trust in the promises of God. Do we believe in the faithfulness of God? The writer brings Abraham as the great example of one who believed in the promises of God. See Genesis 12 for the historical account of Abraham. We need to dance on the promises of God, just like Abraham. Here are four reasons to dance on the promises of God.

1 – His person (vs. 13-14)

An oath would be sworn on someone greater than himself. God could find no one greater than himself. God is truth and is incapable of lying. See Titus 1:2 & Numbers 23:19. God does what he says. God does not lie. See James 1:17. God does not change like shifting shadows do. This is good news for us. God has made promises that we can stake our lives on. See John 1:12. We can become sons of God. If you have been born-again then you are walking proof of God’s promises.

God made a promise to Abraham (vs. 14). God promised to bless and multiply Abraham. This promise was fulfilled in Genesis 22. Can you imagine a faith that is prepared to sacrifice its only son? Abraham received what God promised.

2 – His purpose (vs. 14-15)

It was God’s idea for Abraham to be blessed. God had a design in mind for Abraham to be blessed and multiply. From Abraham we get Israel and the Messiah. See Deuteronomy 7:7. God loved Israel and kept his promises. God had a purpose in it all. He called out one nation for seven purposes:-

• To proclaim God to the world – The world was full of polytheism and atheism. Someone had to tell the people of the true God. See Isaiah 43:21.
• To reveal the Messiah – God would send someone to bring salvation.
• To be the priest nation. See Exodus 19:6. A priest is a mediator between God and man. Israel mediated between God and the world.
• To preserve and transmit Scripture – They have given us the word of God by preserving it over the centuries.
• To show forth the faithfulness of God – Despite their unfaithfulness.
• To show how blessed it is to serve God.
• To show forth his grace in dealing with sin. We see it in the sacrificial system. God is a God of grace. He has a plan for dealing with sin.

Just as God had a purpose for Israel, so he has a purpose for you. God has a reason for your existence. See Ephesians 1:3-4. If you do what you know then God will show you what you don’t know!

3 – His pledge (vs. 16-18)

God has made an oath. The oath was made by swearing by someone greater than themselves. It was a way of confirming the truth. God could not swear on anybody greater than himself. God is promising to keep his promises. God’s down payment for this pledge is the Holy Spirit. See 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 & 2 Corinthians 5:5. A down payment is guaranteeing that more is to come. See Ephesians 1:13-14. It is literally an “engagement ring”. It shows that you have the assets to follow through what you have promised. God’s pledge is immutable. It does not change. It is like it is written in a will. We don’t stand on the shifting sands of doubt. We stand on the promises of God. If you don’t apply the promises of God in your life then you will have doubt and disbelief.

4 – His priest (vs. 19)

He is made a High Priest forever. He has already gone behind the veil. He is the anchor of our soul. You drop your anchor so that your boat does not drift. Our anchor is seated at the right hand of God. Our boat may move around but the anchor holds. It is an anchor of the soul and it is not going anywhere. We have an anchor that holds against the storms of this life.

Categories: Hebrews