August 27
“When God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one 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 indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,” Hebrews 6:13-17.
The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews deals with the certainty of God’s promises in a very special way. God had given Abraham a command and a promise: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,” Genesis 12:1-3.
Abraham was 75 years old when he responded to the call of God and left his father’s house with the promise that all the families of the earth would be blessed through a descendant of his. Sarah was 65 years old. That Descendant of Abraham and Sarah would be the promised Messiah and Savior, Jesus, whom God first promised to Adam and Eve: The Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head – that is, destroy the devil’s power (Genesis 3:15).
The promise of God that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through the Descendant of Abraham and Sarah was repeatedly given over a period of 25 years before it was fulfilled. “After (Abraham) had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” When Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old, God fulfilled the promise when Isaac was born.
When Isaac was a young lad, God tested Abraham’s faith and asked him to go to a certain mountain and sacrifice Isaac on an altar. Abraham responded to the call of God and went to the place that God designated. When he was about to slay Isaac, the Angel of the Lord, which is an Old Testament designation for the Son of God, called to Abraham from heaven and told him not to lay a hand on Isaac. The Lord provided a ram for Abraham to sacrifice instead of his son.
The Angel of the Lord spoke a second time from heaven and said, “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son – blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,” Genesis 22:16-18.
The promise of God to send the Savior for a blessing for the people of all nations was confirmed by an oath. Since there is no one greater than God, He swore by Himself to fulfill that promise. God cannot lie; His promises cannot be broken! Don’t ever doubt His promises!
The Gospel promise is summarized in the words, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved,” John 3:16-17. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin,” 1 John 1:7. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved,” Mark 16:16. These Gospel promises from God are confirmed by an oath. God swore by Himself! They cannot and will not ever change!
“Let me not doubt, but trust in Thee;
Thy Word cannot be broken.
Thy call rings out, ‘Come unto Me!’
No falsehood hast Thou spoken.
Baptized into Thy precious name,
My faith cannot be put to shame,
And I shall never perish.” Amen.