We have a sure and steady anchor - part two

A continuation from a couple days ago. Justin is still sleeping so I have a chance to read this further this morning.

When God makes a promise, we can be certain he will keep it. This we read in Hebrews 6.

13For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, 14saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you." 15And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. 16For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Last time I was here I was thinking on how God swears by himself because there is no one, no thing greater than he is, and how if we must swear by something it must be by God. Somewhere in the gospels there is a passage that says..."let your yes be yes and your no be no". So if you say you are going to do something...then by the grace of God DO IT. In James 5:12 we read "

12But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation."

and in Matthew 5:33-37 "

33"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' 34But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil."

Just do what you say you are going to do.

Abraham knew that God would keep his promise. He waited for it. He received it. He became a great nation! This from one old man and one old woman...patiently waiting for God to do what he'd said he would do. :)

I find these next verses so interesting:

7So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

God can't lie.
God swore by the greatest thing he could...himself.
These two truths guaranteed that what he said would be, would definitely be.

This does indeed make God our sure and steady anchor.
We can trust that what he says is, is.
We can trust that what he says will be, will be.
We can just trust him.

It is our hope.

I just find that to be SO VERY COOL. Don't you?