Biographies are generally interesting if they are biographies; that is to say, if the events of the persons life are truly told; but I think that the most interesting biography to any man is his own lite. Sure, we dont have what the promises of the word of God set forth as being ours yet, but were going to have them. Dr. S. Lewis Johnson expounds the Hebrews passage which explains the struggle of the Christian between his new faith and old nature. I am sure that this exercise will awaken many happy thoughts, and I feel equally certain that it will suggest many regrets; but the happiness will be good for you if it excites your gratitude, and the regrets will be good for you if they deepen your penitence. God swears that it will. Answer. The liturgies that were used by the priests were largely found in the Old Testament. And our great High Priest has entered heaven as our representative and he is there; and because hes there, the rest of those who belong to Him, those whom He represented are going to be there too. The next morning, according to the story, she woke up and all of the joy that she had before was gone. Im going to be called, father, not exalted father, but father of a multitude. And when it was over and the shock was over and they got back behind the tent, they said, The old man couldnt take it. 3:15-25), is secure, being based upon "two immutable things", that is, elements that cannot change. They finally caught up with him and he had to stop and he plunged his spear into him and killed him. They become one; and so does Christ make his people one with himself. In the restoration of Isaac, when he was offered up on Mount Moriah? Married? Oh, yes, Im married. It began with the giving of the Law, and it concluded with the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ and thats, youll remember, when the Cross took place, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain, from top to bottom, as if God is doing away with the Mosaic Law. Start for FREE. On the other hand, it may be something else. Now, he says he obtained the promise in verse 15, And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. When was the promise obtained? Now, do you mean to tell me that it is possible for you or me to say he will not fulfill these promises to Abraham? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth Psalm 33:11 And you can imagine them gathering in Abrahams quarters, and asking him questions, like, since theyre inquisitive: How old are you? Well, Im seventy, or what ever it is. Only six! The SLJ Institute was founded to preserve the many sermons of the late Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. 18 that by two [ a]immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we [ b]might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. Noah Websters Mercian Dictionary of the English Language, 1828 edition, defines immutable as unalterable, not capable or susceptible to change. The proper study of God's elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. There is no liturgy. Thou becamest mine. Oh, it was a joyful day, a blessed day! BEST VALUE in digital Bible study. 2023 Word of Faith Int'l Christian Center |terms, conditions, and privacy policy. Now, there was another reason for offense or difficulty, and that would be the disparity between the poor visible presence of the early Christians, who were not very impressive people and the glorious invisible future that they proclaimed in their teaching. III. The first is to make us (mankind) into his very kind of people, in his likeness and image. He may well say, If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. What glory can we bring to Omnipotence? And bless in death a bond so dear?. Heb 6:17-18 The inheritance we have in Christ has been guaranteed by God Himself by two immutable things. Though the sin of the people is brought to their remembrance, yet the Lord does not say to them, Ye entered into covenant with me, but he says, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. So, at this time, I shall not say much about the covenant that you made with God; do not you forget it, and do not forget that you have often forgotten it. In the first place, IT WAS A COVENANT FREELY MADE. Nothing but an empty tomb! Most expositors, as Doddridge, Whitby, Rosenmuller, Koppe, and Calvin, suppose that the reference is to the promise and the oath of God, each of which would be a firm ground of the assurance of salvation, and in each of which it would be impossible for . Thou becamest mine. After all that the Lord has done for us, let us become his again; let us come and yield ourselves up to him once more. 1. The covenant was also on Gods part, for he has promised to save all those who trust him; and that promise became ours when we trusted his dear Son. Ever since we became his, we have been the objects of his love and mercy, he has done everything for us. And the covenant was renewed. Is not the blood of Jesus called the blood of the everlasting covenant? Now, incidentally, this expression Thus is a rather loose rendering of the original prepositional phrase. Are you now penitent? Died Abner as a fool dieth? And, you know, thats precisely what he did. There are no robes. God's counsel and oath, which never change and alter, and from which he never varies: in which it was impossible for God to lie; fail or deceive, nor, indeed, in anything else, besides his counsels, promises, and oath, see ( Titus 1:2 ) we might have a strong consolation; the saints often stand in . Its a promise. If God has promised to save thee, as he has done if thou believest in Jesus, he will save thee in the teeth of death and hell. They are His promise and His oath. We could think of the person who brought it in on the little boat as the captain, and we would have a figure of what our author is talking about. Now, theres a third reason for certainty and this is an introduction to what the authors going to labor in the next few chapters. The word of God, which brings the promise, is the word which created the heavens and the earth, and which upholds them. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. This is unmerited grace. And what we would no longer hear would be quibbling and saying things that are not meant. As a matter of fact, hell make reference to that near the end of this epistle in the last chapter. Notice, verse 17, Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel; so he gives us his promise, he calls it something hes determined to bring to pass, and he also calls it, a hope. Ah, my Lord, thou knowst my name; We can't modify the state of the object after it is created. Do we believe that? Maybe youre puzzled over it. You hardly thought you had them, but other people could see them, and they told you that they were there; and they would sometimes say, How beautiful God has made you by his grace! Do you remember that? Hebron! (wpe), Ezekiel 6:8. We have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.. Scripture: 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which . The context tells us that this child, with whom God entered into covenant, was one who could not have had any claim upon him. In fact, what our author does here, when he says that Abraham is the greatest character, mentioning him, he takes us back beyond the Law of Moses, and we know that thats true. Well, perhaps thats true. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. For professors tottering on the brink of irremediable apostasy, the action that they should be sure that theyve made is to do what he says here, when he says, have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. Verse 18. Save on BibleGateway+ with code FAITH. Sit still and meditate till your hearts burn within you because of this amazing love. Why do we need a High Priest? The two immutable things mentioned in Hebrews 6:17-18 are the Word of God and the blood of Jesus. The bonds of the old life are difficult for new Christians to break; difficult for mature Christians to break. Taking our text in its connection, we learn that this covenant was a marriage covenant. that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us; GOD'S WORD Translation God did this so that we would be encouraged. And so this kind of anchor is one thrown into heaven. Now, you may remember that when we began the section of the warning in chapter 5 in verse 11, in the immediately preceding verse the author had written, Called by God an High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. And then he launched into the warning admonition and the admonition began at chapter 5, verse 11, and went all the way through chapter 6, and it reaches its climax and conclusion in verse 20, where he returns, again, to the idea of our Lord as a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek; And that, of course, he will develop in great detail over the next chapters. He says, Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Could my zeal no respite know, You did not grumble at the preacher then, you enjoyed listening to him whenever you could. The Power of God is either absolute and unlimited; by it He is able to do all things that are possible, though he never does them or ordinate, and limited by his Decree and revealed Will, according to which God having freely bounded Himself, changes not being immutable. Congratulations. Furthermore, when Joab killed him, they were right by Hebron. That may be the case. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong . 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even . Charles Haddon Spurgeon October 30, 1887 First published Mon Jul 1, 2002; substantive revision Tue Aug 5, 2014. I hope you wont feel offended! And he said he had a couple of friends in his past or, at least, he heard about these individuals. I. 8. . Are you now zealous for God? Ans. If you have any question about it, just think for a moment about the fact that if your Protestant church or if your present-day church is a church that meets very simply, that simply preaches the word of God without fanfare, gathers once a week to observe the Lords Supper, and calls that church or calls that the meeting of the church or calls it the assembly, and makes the claim that the New Testament sets that forth, as the way in which Christians should meet, Im sure you can sense something of the offense of the Christianity that is found in the New Testament; the Christianity that is governed by the principles that are found in the New Testament because there may not be any buildings. New Living Translation So God has given both his promise and his oath. Yes, I did. [Prayer] Father, again, we want to express to Thee our thanksgiving for the word of God which Thou hast in marvelous grace given to us in order to give light for our feet as we seek to travel through this life that Thou hast given us to live. Are you now believing? Now, heres a man who has been laboring under exalted father, all of this time, and now hes told by God, his name is father of a multitude. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. God's immutability means He is consistent in seeking our highest good, reaching out to us in His unfathomable mercy, whispering our name in the frightening darkness of life's most tragic events. And then thirteen more years, ninety-nine years of age, the Lord God appeared to Abram. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls. I believe it was Pliny, who made reference to the fact that they sang a hymn, as if to the Lord God. When Jacob was born and that was, you know, sixty years later, something like that. And, probably, youve had some experience with some individual who will even acknowledge that there was a time when he was interested in spiritual things, but that was a long time ago and the profession that was made is no longer a profession, its an admitted rejection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In loving recognition for all he has done, we dedicate this site to preserving his work. The word immutable is ametathetos in Greek. James 1:17 also teaches the immutability of God: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is . Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Well, of course, our Lords name would be mentioned more than anybody elses wouldnt it? By two immutable things, God's counsel and God's oath, we have been given such hope that is "an anchor of our soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.". So you could see that someone who came out of Judaism, with all of the beauty and majesty of that service, and also the history of Judaism, and left Judaism to gather with a largely a poor class of people, who met in homes and observed simply the Lords Supper, after having been baptized in water, I think, you can see that this would have been a trial for those who were not truly converted. Perhaps, the reference is to the fact that when Abram got to heaven that then and throughout the period of time intervening, he has come to understand even more significantly the promise that was given to him. Maybe a few of you may not. That, of course, is the great support that we have. That statement, incidentally, to flee for refuge? The word for flee is the word that is used in the Old Testament in the description of the cities of refuge. Could my tears for ever flow?. adore, and wonder! The doctrine of divine immutability (DDI) asserts that God cannot undergo real or intrinsic change in any respect. KJV, Journal the Word Bible, Large Print, Red Letter Edition: Reflect, Journal, or Create Art Next to Your Favorite Verses, KJV, Thinline Bible, Large Print, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, King James Version, KJV, Word Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: 1,700 Key Words that Unlock the Meaning of the Bible, KJV, Value Thinline Bible, Large Print, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, King James Version, KJV, Reference Bible, Center-Column Giant Print, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print, KJV, Reference Bible, Personal Size Giant Print, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print. The Lord Jesus Christ has taken upon himself our nature, and has become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh; so that, when Paul is speaking of marriage, he says, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. And then he adds, This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church, which means that Christ has joined himself to his people, and become one in nature with his chosen henceforth and for ever. Yes, I did. One Immutable God and Two Immutable Things: Hebrews. Aaronic priests were priests who could never measure up to the perfect eternal priest. And so the Lord Jesus is referred to here as the forerunner. Sought thy mercy-seat by prayer Oh, how precious were many texts of Scripture! All of those that were buried in their tombs are still in their tombs. Backward with humble shame we look May God deliver us from that! Now, in verse 16, he says, For indeed men swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. The human oath supports the promise by appeal to a higher authority. Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged. But anyway, youre not much. Your ears were hung with ear rings then. The Immutability of God | Answers in Genesis. He drew me, and I followd on, To understand the doctrine, then, we must first understand these kinds of change. And thats one of the reasons Israel has missed the boat because Israel thinks of Moses as the great character of the Old Testament. That vow renewd shall daily hear: Many changes I have seen; Let me read it again in order to make it more definitely upon our minds. Hebrews 6:18-20 JUB - that by two immutable things, in which - Bible Gateway that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, which we have as an anchor of . The forerunner? That, of course, would signify that the Aaronic priesthood is no longer their priesthood. Hebrews 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Job 23:13,14 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? And he will go on to talk about that. We thank Thee for the clarity of the word of God, we thank Thee for the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand the difficult places, and we ask, Lord, that Thou wilt enable us to be submissive to his teaching that we may continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of him. Was it at the birth of Jacob? I cannot find fault with thee; neither am I able to find words with which to praise thee sufficiently for all the love and kindness thou hast made to pass before me. Remember, when God first appeared to Abraham, he was seventy years of age. No doubt what is primarily involved in it is the offense of the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ and, perhaps, as one commentator put it, some time ago, The dazzling seductiveness of outward shows of Jewish worship.. Wherefore, let us bow in reverent adoration of the unselfish, self-created love of God to us which we have known since that dear hour which brought us to his foot, and he entered into covenant with us, and we became his own. I repeat that converting times are covenanting times. You know, there is a statement in the Old Testament, a part of a text, in 2 Samuel chapter 3, that has to do with Abner. And what were we by nature? Thats the whole point. No, you didnt. And he was commenting upon the fact that this was the reputed place of our Lords burial, I believe. It is the foundation for life for those who stand upon it. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.