Hebrews 6:13-20 - Outline of Hebrews (Book Notes menu page)

In v.13-20, there are two interwoven themes:
  1. Abraham is an example of "faith and patience." (cp. v.11-12)
  2. Salvation is secure to true believers, since it is:
    A. Based upon God's Promise (v.13-15).
    B. Secured by God's Oath (v.16-18).
    C. Anchored by our High Priest (v.19-20).
  (Any lingering doubt about the security of salvation is dismissed. cp. v.4-6,9.)
6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham,
because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
6:14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee,
and multiplying I will multiply thee.
  This is a quotation from Gen 22:15-18.
  "I will... I will..."- God Himself will bring His promises to fruition.
6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
  so {GK=houto, in this manner, thus}
  obtained (cp. this word in Rom 11:6,7) - Abraham 'obtained' not by works, but by faith in God.
    Because God Himself brings His promises to completion, Abraham received that which God had promised, through patient trust in God's promise. (eg., Isaac, Gen 21:5)
  Was Abraham ever in danger of losing the promise?
    No. It was secured by God Himself.
  Was Abraham apathetic because the promise was secure?
    No. He is an example to us of diligent, not slothful, faith and patience (v.11,12).
  he... patiently endured {GK= makrothumeo, patience (in v.12), longsuffering}
    (makro= large, long, great; thumos= passion, heat)
  Thus, Abraham's desire for the fulfillment of God's promise was:
  - Intense - the consuming passion of his life,
    - the constant focus of his thoughts,
    - the context of his growing knowledge of God.
    Gen 12:1-4; 15:2-6; 16:2; 17:15-19; 22:1-3,9-14; 24:7
  - Continuing - uncrushed by the many apparent obstacles to fulfillment. Rom 4:16-25
    Abraham's hope (ie., confident expectation) was in God Himself.
6:16 For men verily swear by the greater:
and an oath for confirmation [is] to them an end of all strife.
  oath {GK=horkos, the root word means 'fence,' hence a setting of limits}
  confirmation {GK=bebaiosis, that which establishes or secures a matter}
    An oath, sworn before God, between men, looks to God as the mediator to hold the parties within the bounds of their contract.
    (Consider the finality and inviolability of Israel's oath to the Gibeonites, Josh 9:15-20; 2Sam 21:1-3)
6:17 Wherein {ie., likewise} God, willing more abundantly
to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel,
confirmed [it] by an oath:
  the immutability {unchangeableness}
  of His counsel {GK=boule, purpose, determined will}:
    God's Word (promise) is not subject to change.
    cp. Num 23:19; Mal 3:6; Jam 1:17
  more abundantly {ie., much more than is necessary}
  confirmed {GK=mesiteuo, to give surety, to mediate, to interpose}
    God has made His sure Word exceedingly sure, by interposing Himself as its Guarantor.
    He has done so for the benefit of those who are...
  heirs of promise - by faith, like that of Abraham. (Rom 4:16)
    Evidently, He wants us to know that we have eternal life. 1Joh 5:9-13
6:18 That by two immutable things,
in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, {Titus 1:2}
we might have a strong consolation,
who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
  we {the heirs of promise, v.17)- in contrast to those who are dull of hearing, and who turn away...
  have fled for refuge {GK=katapheugo, an intense form of pheugo (root of the English 'fugitive')}
    Those who flee are moved with desperation and urgency. cp. Mat 3:7; 1The 1:9,10
  to lay hold upon {GK=krateo, to vigorously seize or retain}...
    ie., to cling with strong faith (cp. v.15) to...
  the hope {GK=elpis, confident expectation}...
    ie., of eternal life, in Christ the Savior, whom God has "set before us."
    1Tim 1:1; Rom 3:25,26; Php 3:7-9; Heb 5:9
    Those, who turn away from Christ (v.6), comprehend neither the severity of God's wrath, nor the security of His salvation.
  that... we might have a strong {ie., forceful} consolation {GK=paraklesis, comfort, solace}
    ('Paraklesis' occurs several times in: 2Cor 1:3-7; 2The 2:16,17)
    What comfort can there be for those who flee from wrath, except to be free from wrath?
    We may take comfort that our salvation will not fail, since it rests upon...
  two immutable things:
  1. God's Promise- established on the authority of His Word. Gen 15:4-6
  2. God's Oath- established on the integrity of His Person (He sware by Himself). Gen 22:16-18
6:19 Which [hope] we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast,
  We who entrust our salvation to Jesus Christ are safe and secure.
  For He is as certain as God's (1) Word and (2) Oath:
  1. Of Him, "The Lord hath said...
    'Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.'" (Psa 2:7; Heb 5:5)
  - Of Him, "The Lord hath sworn and will not repent,
      'Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'" (Psa 110:4; Heb 5:6; 7:21)
    By Him, our storm tossed lives are anchored to the very Rock of Heaven.
      To Him, we are connected by an unbreakable line. (Rom 8:35-39)...
and which entereth into that within the veil;
6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered,
[even] Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
  Our Lord Jesus has gone before us into Heaven itself (not a mere earthly Temple, Heb 8:1,2)-
  - where He, as our High Priest, is our eternal surety. Heb 7:22
  - from where He will come again to receive us unto Himself. Joh 14:1-3; Heb 9:28

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