The document discusses the theological significance of Jesus as the forerunner and high priest in the order of Melchizedek, emphasizing His role in entering the heavenly kingdom as the first fruits of human nature. It provides warnings against apostasy while encouraging believers to strive for perfection, gain knowledge of religious truths, and maintain hope amid life's trials. The text concludes with the idea that true Christians have assurance of salvation and eternal life through God's unwavering promises.

1. JESUS WAS OUR FORERUNNER
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Hebrews 6:20 20where our forerunner, Jesus, has
entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest
forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
Whither the forerunner - The word προδρομος, prodromos, does not merely
signify one that goes orruns before another, but also one who shows the way,
he who first does a particular thing; also the first fruits. So in the Septuagint,
Isaiah28:4, προδρομος συκου signifies the first fruits of the fig tree, or the
first ripe figs.
To this meaning of the word Pliny refers, Hist. Nat., lib. xvi., c. 26:Ficus et
praecoceshabet, quas Athenis Prodromos (προδρομος ), vocant. "The fig tree
produces some figs which are ripe before the rest, and these are calledby the
Athenians prodromos, forerunner." The word is interpreted in the same way
by Hesychius; it occurs in no other part of the New Testament, but may be
found in Ecclus. 12:8, and in Isaiah 28:4, quoted above from the Septuagint.
From this we may at once perceive the meaning of the phrase: Jesus is the
first fruits of human nature that has entered into the heavenly kingdom; the
first human body that was ripe for glory, and ripe long before the rest of the
children who are partakers offlesh and blood. And he is entered for us, as the

2. first fruits of all who have found redemption in his blood. Compare John
14:2; (note); 1 Corinthians 15:20;(note), 1 Corinthians 15:23; (note); and the
notes there.
The metaphoricalallusion is to the person who carries the anchor within the
pier head, because there is not yet watersufficient to carry the ship in; and to
this I have already referred.
After the order of Melchisedec -After a long digressionthe apostle resumes
his explanation of Psalm110:4, which he had produced, Hebrews 5:6,
Hebrews 5:10, in order to prove the permanency of the high priesthood of
Christ.
We have in this chaptera very solemn warning againstbacksliding and
apostasy, and that negligence and sloth which are their forerunners. A man
cannot be carelessaboutGod and heaven, till he has losthis relish for sacred
things; and this relish he cannotlose while he is diligent and faithful. The
slightestdeparture from truth and purity may ultimately leadto a denying,
and even reviling, of the Lord who bought him.
Every obedient believerin Christ Jesus has both the oath and promise of God
that he will make all grace abound towards him, for in blessing God will bless
him; he may be greatlyagitatedand distressed, but, while he continues in the
obedience of faith, he will ride out the storm. His anchor is within the veil
while his heart is right with God. Jesus is gone before to prepare a place for
him; and where the first fruits are, there will soonbe the whole lump. He who
perseveres unto death shall as surely see Godas Jesus Christ now does. God's
oath and promise cannotfail.
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible
Whither - To which most holy place - heaven.
The forerunner - The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New
Testament. A “forerunner” - πρόδρομος prodromos-is one who goes before
others to prepare the way. The word is applied to light troops sent forward as

3. scouts;Diod. Sic. 17,17;compare “Wisdomof Solomon” (apoc)12:8. “Thou
didst send wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little.”
The meaning here is, that Jesus wentfirst into the heavenly sanctuary. He led
the way. He has gone there on our account, to prepare a place for us; John
14:3. Having such a friend and advocate there, we should be firm in the hope
of eternal life, and amidst the storms and tempests around us, we should be
calm.
Made an high priest forever - see the notes on Hebrews 5:6, Hebrews 5:10. To
illustrate this fact, was the objectfor which this discussionwas introduced,
and which had been interrupted by the remarks occurring in this chapter on
the dangerof apostasy. Having warned them of this danger, and exhorted
them to go on to make the highest attainments possible in the divine life, the
apostle resumes the discussionrespecting Melchizedek, andmakes the
remarks which he intended to make respecting this remarkable man; see
Hebrews 5:11.
Remarks
1. We should aim at perfectionin order that we may have evidence of piety;
Hebrews 6:1. No man can be a Christian who does not do this, or who does
not desire to be perfectas God is perfect. No one can be a Christian who is
“satisfied” or“contented” to remain in sin; or who would not “prefer” to be
made at once as holy as an angel - as the Lord Jesus - as God.
2. We should aim at perfectionin order to make great attainments; Hebrews
6:1. No man makes any greatadvance in anything, who does not sethis
standard high. Men usually accomplishabout what they expectto accomplish,
If a man expects to be a quack physician, he becomes such; if he is satisfiedto
be a fourth-rate lawyer, he becomes such;if he is willing to be an indifferent
mechanic, he advances no higher; if he has no intention or expectationof
being a firstrate farmer, he will never become one. If he sincerelyaims,
however, to excel, he usually accomplishes his object. And it is so in religion. If
a man does not intend to be an eminent Christian, he may be certainhe never
will be. Religionis not produced by chance - any more than fine fruit is, or
than a goodharvest is. One of the principal reasons whyPresident Edwards

4. became so eminent a Christian, was, that in early life he adopted the following
resolution, to which he appears always to have adhered, that “onthe
supposition that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any
one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects ofa right
stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true lustre, and appearing
excellentand lovely, from whateverpart, and under whatevercharacter
viewed: Resolved, To actjust as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be
that one, who should live in my time.” Life, by S. E. Dwight, D. D., p. 72.
3. We should aim to acquire as much “knowledge”ofreligious truth as we
possibly can; Hebrews 6:1-2. True piety is “principle.” It is not fancy, or
dreaming, or visions, or enthusiasm. It is basedon knowledge,and does not go
“beyond” that. No man has any more religion than he has “knowledge” ofthe
way of salvation. He cannot force his religion to overstepthe bounds of his
knowledge;for “ignorance” contributes nothing to devotion. There may be
knowledge where there is no piety; but there can be no true religion where
there is no knowledge.If, therefore, a Christian wishes to make advances, he
must gain a knowledge ofthe truth. He must understand the greatdoctrines
of his religion. And in like manner, if we wish the next generationto be
intelligent and solid Christians, we must train them up to “understand” the
Bible.
4. The consequencesofthe judgment will be eternal; Hebrews 6:2. No truth is
more solemn than this. It is this which makes the prospectof the judgment so
awful. If the consequences ofthe sentence were to continue for a few years, or
ages, orcenturies only, it would be of much less importance. But who can
abide the thought of “eternaljudgment?” Of an “eternalsentence?”Here the
most fearful and solemn sentence is for a short period. The sentence will soon
expire; or it is mitigated by the hope of a change. Painhere is brief. Disgrace,
and sorrow, and heaviness of heart, and all the woes that man can inflict, soon
come to an end. There is an outer limit of suffering, and no severityof a
sentence, no ingenuity of man, can prolong it far. The man disgraced, and
whose life is a burden, will soondie. On the cheeks ofthe solitary prisoner,
doomed to the dungeon for life, a “mortal paleness”will soonsettle down, and
the comforts of an approaching release by death may soothe the anguish of his
sad heart.

5. The rack of torture cheats itselfof its own purpose, and the exhaustedsufferer
is released. “The excess (ofgrief,) makes it soonmortal.” But in the world of
future woe the sentence will never expire; and death will never come to relieve
the sufferer. I may ask, then, of my reader, Are you prepared for the
“eternal” sentence?Are you ready to hear a doom pronounced which can
never be changed? Would you be willing to have God judge you just as you
are, and pronounce such a sentence as oughtto be pronounced now, and have
the assurancethat it would be eternal? You seek worldlyhonor. Would you be
willing to be doomed “always” to seek that? You aspire after wealth. Would
you be willing to be doomed to aspire after that “always?” Youseek pleasure -
in the frivolous and giddy world. Would you be willing to be doomed “always”
to seek afterthat? You have no religion; perhaps desire to have none. Yet
would you be willing to be doomed to be always without religion? You are a
strangerto the God that made you. Would you be willing to be sentencedto be
“always” a strangerto God? You indulge in passion, pride, envy, sensuality.
Would you be willing to be sentencedalways to the raging of these passions
and lusts? How few are they who would be willing to have an “eternal”
sentence passedonthem, or to be doomed to pursue their present
employments, or to cherishtheir present opinions for ever! How few who
would “dare” to meet a sentence which should be in strict accordancewith
what was “just,” and which was never to change!
5. With the righteous it should be matter of rejoicing that the judgment is to
be eternal; Hebrews 6:2. They candesire no change of the sentence whichwill
assignthem to heaven; and it will be no small part of the joy of the heavenly
world, that the results of the judgment will be everlasting. There will be no
further trial; no reversing of the sentence;no withdrawing of the crown of
glory. The righteous are the only ones who have not reasonto dread a “just
eternal sentence;” and they will rejoice when the time shall come which will
fix their doom forever.
6. We should dread apostasyfrom the true religion; Hebrews 6:4. We should
habitually feelthat if we should deny our Lord, and rejecthis religion, there
would be no hope. The die would be cast;and we must then perish for ever.
By this solemn considerationGodintends to preserve his people, and it is a
considerationwhich has been so effectualthat there is not the leastreasonto

6. suppose that anyone who has ever had any true religion, has fallen awayand
perished. Many have been “almost” Christians, and have then turned back to
perdition Matthew 7:2, Matthew 7:23; Acts 26:28, but there is no reasonto
suppose that any who have been true Christians have thus apostatizedand
been lost. Yet Christians are not kept without watchfulness;they cannot be
kept without the most sincere and constantendeavors to preserve themselves
from failing.
7. If the sin of apostasyis so great, then every approachto it is dangerous;and
then every sin should be avoided. He that habitually indulges in sin “cannot”
be a Christian; and every sin which a sincere Christian commits should be
measuredby the guilt which “would” exist should it become final, and should
he wholly fall away. No man can indulge in sin and be safe;and no professed
Christian who finds himself disposedto indulge in sin, should cherish the
expectationof reaching heaven; Hebrews 6:4-6.
8. It is a matter of devout gratitude that God“has” kept all his true people
from apostasy;Hebrews 6:4-6. If it is true that no one who has been
regeneratedhas ever fallen away;if the means which God has used have been
effectualin a world so full of temptations, and when we have hearts so prone
to evil; and if it is the intention of God to keepall to eternal salvationwho are
truly converted, then it should be to us a subject of devout thankfulness and of
encouragement. In view of this, we should admire the wisdom of the plan
which thus secures salvation;we should look to him with the firm assurance
that he “will keep” what we have committed to him to the final day.
9. We should improve the privileges which we enjoy so as to receive a blessing
from God; Hebrews 6:7-8. It is desirable that a farm should be wellcultivated
so as not to be overrun with briars and thorns; desirable that it should
produce an abundant harvest, and not exhibit mere barrenness and
desolation. Yet, alas, there are many professing Christians who resemble such
a field of thorns, and such a scene of desolation. Theyproduce no fruits of
righteousness;they do nothing to extend the kingdom of the Redeemer!What
can such expectbut the “curse” ofGod? What can the end of such be but to
be “burned?”

7. 10. God will not fail to reward his faithful people; Hebrews 6:10. What we
have done in his service, and with a sincere desire to promote his glory,
unworthy of his notice as it may seemto us to be, he will not fail to reward. It
may be unobserved or forgottenby the world; nay, it may pass out of our own
recollection, but it will never fail from the mind of God. Whether it be “two
mites” contributed to his cause, or a “cup of cold watergiven to a disciple,” or
a life consecratedto his service, it will be alike remembered. What
encouragementthere is, therefore, to labor in the promotion of his glory, and
to do all we can for the advancement of his kingdom!
11. Let us follow those who have inherited the promises; Hebrews 6:12. They
are worthy examples. When from their lofty seats in heaven they look back on
the journey of life, though to them attended with many trials, they never
regretthe “faith and patience” by which they were enabled to persevere. We
have most illustrious examples to imitate. They are numerous as the drops of
dew, and bright as the starof the morning. It is an honor to tread in the
footsteps ofthe holy men who have inherited the promises;an honor to feel
that we are walking in the same path, and are reaching out the hand to the
same crown.
12. It is the privilege of those who are truly the children of God to enjoy
strong consolation;Hebrews 6:13-18. Their hope is basedon what cannot fail.
God cannot lie. And when we have evidence that he has promised us eternal
life, we may open our hearts to the full influence of Christian consolation. It
may be asked, perhaps, how we may have that evidence? Will God speak to us
from heaven and assure us that we are his children? Will he reveal our names
as written in his book? Will he come to us in the night watches and address us
by name as his? I answer, No. None of these things are we to expect. But if we
have evidence that we have true repentance, and sincere faith in the
Redeemer;if we love holiness and desire to lead a pure life; if we delight in the
Bible and in the people of God, then we may regard him as addressing us in
the promises and oaths of his word, and assuring us of salvation. These
promises belong to us, and we may apply them to ourselves. And if we have
evidence that God “promises” us eternal life, why should we doubt? We may
feel that we are unworthy; our consciencesmay reproachus for the errors

8. and follies of our past lives; but on the unchanging word and oath of God we
may rely, and there we may feelsecure.
13. How invaluable is the Christian hope! Hebrews 6:19. To us it is like the
anchor to a vesselin a storm. We are sailing along the voyage of life. We are
exposedto breakers, and tempests. Our bark is liable to be tossedabout, or to
be shipwrecked. In the agitations and troubles of life, how much we need some
anchor of the soul; something that shall make us calm and serene!Such an
anchor is found in the hope of the gospel. While that hope is firm we need fear
nothing. All is then safe, and we may look calmly on, assuredthat we shall
ride out the storm, and come at last safelyinto the haven of peace. Happy they
who have fled for refuge to the faith of the gospel;whose hope like a steady
anchor has entered into heaven and binds the soul to the throne of God;
whose confidence in the Redeemeris unshakenin all the storms of life, and
who have the assurance that when the tempestshall have beatenupon them a
little longerthey will be admitted to a haven of rest, where storms and
tempests are foreverunknown. With such a hope we may well bear the trials
of this life for the few days appointed to us on earth - for what are the longest
trials here compared with that eternal rest which remains for all who love
God in a brighter world?
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
Whither as a forerunner Jesus enteredfor us, having become a high priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Of great interestis the word "forerunner," the implications of which are so
extensive. It means that where Christ has gone his disciples shall at last follow,
that where he is there they may be; and the priority of his entrance into the
upper and better country suggests the services that Christ is there and
performing for them that shall in due time arrive to be with him. He is their
intercessor, theiradvocate, their hope and redeemer. There is also the thought
that Christ's entry into that sphere makes possible the entry of all who shall
follow him. It is because he has entered that they may enter. Macknight
thought the term "forerunner" is an allusion "to one sent from a ship to fix its

9. anchor in the place to which it is to be drawn."[10]Westcottbelievedthat the
word was used especially"ofthe men or troops which were sentto explore
before the advance of an army."[11]One of the most interesting things said
about the use of the word was written by Morgan, saying,
It marks a difference betweenChrist passing in within the veil, and everything
that had precededit in the ritual of the Hebrew people. Aaron had entered
within the veil once a year, but never as a forerunner. He enteredas the
representative of those who were left outside; but they were always left
outside. No one followedAaron when he entered within the veil to stand in the
presence ofthe ark and the mercy seat. When Jesus passedwithin the veil, he
entered as a forerunner, which at once suggestedthatthe way was open for
others to follow him.[12]
Thus is laid the foundation for that more complete comparisonof the high
priesthood of Jesus with that of Melchizedek which next follows, and to which
so much attention is given in the next chapter. The premise has already been
establishedthat the Messiah's being the antitype of Melchizedek is of supreme
importance, a thing witnessedand confirmed by the oath of Almighty God
himself, and therefore something to which the strictestattention should be
paid.
[10] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 534.
[11] Brooke FossWestcott, op. cit., p. 164.
[12] G. Campbell Morgan, God's Last Word to Man (Westwood, New Jersey,
Fleming H. RevellCompany, 1936), p. 76.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus,.... Christwas a runner;
he had a race to run, which lay in going about to heal diseases,in preaching

10. the Gospel, in obeying the law, and in suffering death for his people;which
race was run by him with greatswiftness, strength, and courage, with
patience, cheerfulness, andjoy, and is now ended; as appears from the
accomplishmentof salvation, from his entrance into heaven, and sessionatthe
right hand of God; from the glorificationof his human nature, and its
everlasting freedom from the dominion of death: and this race is run out, as a
"forerunner"; Christ is the most excellentrunner; there is none like him;
there is none that can come up to him; he has out ran and exceededallothers;
he has performed in the bestmanner; he has run out his race first, and has
entered into heavenfirst by his own blood; and he has clearedthe waythither,
and opened the gates ofheaven for his people; and is a guide and pattern for
them to follow: and he is the forerunner for them, as well as entered for them;
for he was born, and he lived, and died for them, for their goodand service;
and he is entered into heaven for them, as man and Mediator, and as their
high priest; where he represents their persons, appears and intercedes for
them, takes care oftheir affairs, and presents their services;prepares
mansions of glory for them, and takes possessionofheaven in their name, and
opens the way for them to follow him thither; all which gives great
encouragementto hope to enter now, where Jesus is:who is
made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec;see Hebrews 5:6.
This is repeatedhere, to lead on to what the apostle had to say concerning
Melchizedek in the following chapter.
(9) He repeats David's words, in which all those comparisons that he
mentioned before are signified, as he declares in all the next chapter.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The absence ofthe Greek article requires Alford‘s translation, “Where. As
forerunner for us (that is, in our behalf), entered Jesus” [andis now: this last
clause is implied in the ‹where‘ of the Greek, whichimplies being IN a place:
‹whither‘ is understood to ‹entered,‘ takenout of ‹where‘; whither Jesus
entered, and where He is now]. The “for us” implies that it was not for
Himself, as God, He needed to enter there, but as our High Priest,

11. representing and introducing us, His followers, opening the way to us, by His
intercessionwith the Father, as the Aaronic high priest entered the Holiest
Place once a year to make propitiation for the people. The first-fruits of our
nature are ascended, and so the restis sanctified. Christ‘s ascensionis our
promotion: and whither the glory of the Head has preceded, thither the hope
of the body, too, is called. We ought to keepfestalday, since Christ has taken
up and set in the heavens the first-fruit of our lump, that is, the human flesh
[Chrysostom]. As John Baptist was Christ‘s forerunner on earth, so Christ is
ours in heaven.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
As a forerunner (προδρομος — prodromos). Old word used for a spy, a scout,
only here in N.T. Jesus has shownus the way, has gone on ahead, and is the
surety (εγγυος — egguos Hebrews 7:22)and guarantorof our own entrance
later. In point of fact, our anchor of hope with its two chains of God‘s promise
and oath has laid hold of Jesus within the veil. It will hold fast. All we need to
do is to be true to him as he is to us.
A high priest for ever (αρχιερευς εις τον αιωνα — archiereus eis ton aiōna).
There he functions as our greathigh priest, better than Aaron for he is “after
the order of Melchizedek,” the point that now calls for elucidation (Hebrews
5:10.).
Vincent's Word Studies
Whither the forerunner is for us entered ( ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν
ιἐσῆλθεν )
Ὅπου , strictly where, instead of ὄποι whither(not in N.T.), but more
significant as indicating an abiding there. Πρόδρομος forerunnerN.T.oIt
expresses anentirely new idea, lying completely outside of the Levitical
system. The Levitical high priest did not enter the sanctuary as a forerunner,
but only as the people's representative. He entered a place into which none

12. might follow him; in the people's stead, and not as their pioneer. The
peculiarity of the new economy is that Christ as high priest goes nowhere
where his people cannot follow him. He introduces man into full fellowship
with God. The A.V. entirely misses this point by rendering “the forerunner,”
as if the idea of a high priest being a forerunner were perfectly familiar. Rend.
whither as a forerunner Jesus entered. Comp. Hebrews 10:19.
Made a high priest ( ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος )
Rend. having become a high priest, etc. Become, becausehis office must be
inaugurated by his suffering human life and his death.
Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for
ever after the order of Melchisedec.
A forerunner uses to be less in dignity than those that are to follow him. But it
is not so here; for Christ who is gone before us is infinitely superior to us.
What an honour is it to believers, to have so glorious a forerunner, now
appearing in the presence of God for them.
William Newell's Commentary on Romans and Revelation
Whither as a Forerunner Jesus enteredfor us, having become a High Priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. In Chapter 9:24 we read:
"Christ entered not into a holy place made with hands, like in pattern to the
true; but into Heavenitself, now to appear before the face of God for us."
Vincent well says, "'Forerunner,'(a word used only here) expresses an
entirely new idea, lying completely outside the Levitical system. The Levitical
high priest did not enter the sanctuary as a forerunner, but only as the
people's representative. He entered a place into which none might follow him,

13. in the people's stead, and not as their pioneer. The peculiarity of the new
economyis that Christ as High Priestgoes nowhere that His people cannot
follow Him. He introduces man into full fellowshipwith God."
To quote the saintly Andrew Murray, "He is a Priest forever, a Priest in the
powerof an endless life, a PriestWho opens to us the state of life to which He
Himself has enteredin, and brings us there to live here on earth with the life
of eternity in our bosom."
"There is a sanctuaryin which God dwells. There was a veil that separated
man from God. Jesus came from within to live without the veil, and rend it,
and open a way for us. He is now there for us as Forerunner. We may now
enter in and dwell there, in the powerof the Holy Ghost. This is the gospel
according to the Epistle to the Hebrews."
And now we return in Chapter 7 to the subject of the Melchizedek high
priesthood of Christ; mentioned indeed in Chapters 5, 6 and 10, but (in 5:11
to 6:19) broken off by a prolonged parenthesis necessaryon accountof the
"dullness of hearing," and lack of full growth of the hearers:for the apostle
had "many things to say" of Melchizedek, but they were hard to explain
because ofthe hearers'low spiritual state. But in Chapter 6:9, as we have just
seen, he calls them "beloved," and is persuaded that "things that accompany
salvation" are theirs--though he had thus spokento arouse them out of
sluggishness into diligence and imitation of the faith and patient endurance of
such as Abraham.
Now we must consider this Melchizedek priesthoodof Christ--a stupendous
subject--and may God indeed assistus;for have we not all found ourselves to
be "dull of hearing" as to many glorious truths spokenin Scripture?
Sermon Bible Commentary
Hebrews 6:20
The lessons ofcomfort and instruction which we are to derive from the
appearance ofMelchisedec to Abraham are as clearas they are important.

14. I. The word "Melchisedec" leads ourthoughts at once to that remarkable
passagein Jeremiahxxiii., where it is declaredof Christ that this is His name
whereby He shall be called, "JehovahTsidkenu," the Lord our Righteousness.
For Zedek and Tsidkenubeing the same in their root, the only difference
betweenthe passagesis that in the prophet; He is the Lord of Righteousness,
while here He is its King. Whether we look, therefore, into the pictures of
Genesis, orthe shadows of prophecy, or the originals of the Gospel,
righteousness androyalty meet togetherto make the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. Let us endeavour to catchthe meaning of the word "righteousness."Before
God it means justification. Take this in one of its comfortable applications. St.
James says:"The effectualfervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
But you are afraid to take it. You say, "But I am not righteous." Read
"justified," for that is what it means. "The effectual fervent prayer of a
justified man availeth much."
III. But don't for a moment suppose a justified man canlive unrighteously. A
man who has had his sins pardoned through Christ has been too conversant
with the strictestand highest principles of equity, as carried out in the great
scheme of his redemption, ever to be able to take afterwards a low standard of
moral duties, or to think lightly of any of his obligations. The motive of his
whole life lies in that righteousness ofChrist in which he stands; and it is a
rule of our being that the conduct always grows up to the motive. Therefore,
that man cannotbe justified who is not endeavouring to live justly.
J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 2nd series, p. 1.
I. The whole history of Israelis a golden history; if we may so say, a Holy
Ghosthistory. It differs from every other history. This nation God formed for
Himself; and in the events, institutions, and greatmen of this people God, in a
specialmanner, revealedHimself and the truths of His kingdom. And this
because the eternal Word, the Saviour of sinners, the King of the Jews, the
Head of the Church, the Heir of all things, who is the upholder and end of all
ages, Jesus Himself, is organicallyand inseparably connectedwith the chosen
nation. He is of the seedof David, of the seedof Abraham. Hence the names of

15. persons and places, the omissions of circumstances, the use of the singular or
the plural number, the application of a title—all things are under the control
of the all-wise and gracious Spirit of God.
II. While we stand in awe, beholding the grandeur and infinite depth of the
Scripture as one organic Spirit-built temple, and the beauty, perfection, and
exquisite skill which characterisethe most minute portion of this structure, we
feel at home, and as in a peacefuland fragrant garden. For our admonition
was the Scripture written—for us upon whom the ends of the world are come.
I possessthe whole in every little fragment; though weak, ignorant, and
limited, I have perfect peace in the light of life, and often I find the truth of
that saying of Luther, "In Scripture every little daisy is a meadow."
Everywhere in Scripture we behold Jesus, the Lord, our greatHigh Priest,
enthroned in heaven; King of righteousness andPrince of Peace, who brings
unto us the blessing of God, who sustains our inner life, and who gladdens and
strengthens our hearts by giving us continually bread to eatand wine to
drink.
A. Saphir, Lectures on Hebrews, vol. i., p. 338.
Reference:Hebrews 6:20.—H. W. Beecher, ChristianWorld Pulpit, vol. xxix.,
p. 210.
Expository Notes with PracticalObservations onthe New Testament
Observe here, The person spokenof, Christ: the subject matter spokenof him,
his entering into heaven; and the quality in which he entered heaven; namely,
as our forerunner.
This denotes, 1. His public capacity, that he entered heaven in our name, and
to negotiate our affairs.

16. 2. His absolute precedency, he is our forerunner, but he himself had no
forerunner, none enteredbefore him in their own names, but in his, and upon
his account, through the virtue of his merits, and by the prevalencyof his
mediation.
Learn hence, 1. That there is a place and state of happiness above, prepared
for pious souls, which Christ is alreadyentered into, and has takenpossession
of: This place may be consideredin its amplitude and largeness, in its stability
and firmness, in its sanctity and holiness, in its pleasure and delightfulness, in
its glory and blessedness,in its eternity and everlastingness:And this place is
by Christ prepared for believers;namely, by his death and satisfaction, by his
resurrectionand ascension, by his mediation and intercession.
Learn, 2. That our Lord Jesus Christis not only entered into heaven, but
entered as oour forerunner, to take and keeppossessionofit in t he name and
steadof all believers. To enter heaven as our forerunner, implies, that he
entered in our natures, that he keeps possessionof it in our names:As sure as
the Head is gone before the members, so certainly shall the members follow
their Head; as a forerunner supposes others to follow after; and it implies that
Christ will put us into the actualpossessionofheaven in his own time.
Inference, 1. Is Christ gone before to heaven, then let us be willing to follow
him in the wayof obedience, and in the way of suffering, as well as to meet
him in the end.
2. To make haste after him. Did he fly as an eagle towards heaven, and shall
we creep like a snail? Is not the bosoms of Christ more desirable than the
arms of our dearestfriends? Shall not we enjoy all comforts in the enjoyment
of our Comforter?
3. Let our hearts at presentbe with him. O! Where should or hearts be, but
where our Head is?
Greek TestamentCriticalExegeticalCommentary

17. 20.]where ( ὅπου is found in places where ὅποι ought rightly to stand, as in
our own common phrase, ‘Where are you going?’It is in fact a constructio
prægnans, become a familiar idiom. So Xen. Ages. vi. 6, ἄδηλος γιγνόμενος,
ὅπου τε εἴη καὶ ὅπου ἴοι. See also reff.) as forerunner (not “the forerunner” as
E. V.: the omission of the art. necessarilyplaces πρόδρομος in the situation of
predicate) on our behalf (it is disputed whether ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν is to be joined with
πρόδρομος orwith εἰσῆλθεν. Œc. and Thl. adopt the former: Thl. explaining
very fully: οὐκ ἠρκέσθη δὲ εἰπὼν πρόδρομος, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ
ἡμῶν, εἰς πλείω πίστωσιν, ὡσανεὶ τοῦτο λέγων· οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐδεῖτο τοῦ ἐκεῖσε
ἐλθεῖν· πῶς γάρ, θεὸς ὤν; ἀλλʼ ὥσπερ σάρκα διʼ ἡμᾶς ἔλαβεν, οὕτω καὶ δἰ
ἡμᾶς εἰσῆλθεν ἐσώτεροντοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἵνα ἡμῖν ἀνοίξῃ τὴν ὁδόν. ὥστε
ἀναγκαίως εἰσελευσόμεθα καὶ αὐτοί. ἢ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀντὶ τοῦ ἵνα ἐντυγχάνῃ
ὑπὲρ ἡμῶντῷ πατρί, ὡς καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἰσῄει εἰς τὸ ἅγιονἅπαξ τοῦ
ἐνιαυτοῦ, ἐξιλασκόμενος ὑπὲρτοῦ λαοῦ. And so Thdrt., referring to John 14:1
ff. And similarly many moderns also. But Bleek, De Wette, Lünem., Delitzsch,
al. prefer joining ὑπὲρ ἡμῶνwith the verb, as more simple. One objectionto
this they do not seemto have seen:the emphatic position which it gives to
ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, a position certainly uncalled for here. Besides which, the predicate
πρόδρομος standing alone is bald and unexpected, whereas πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ
ἡμῶν fully justifies itself. And the subsequent words, κατὰ τὴν τάξιν ΄.
ἀρχιερεὺς γεν. εἰς τ. αἰ., are no confirmation of the other view, as Del.
maintains. The Lord’s entrance is sacerdotal, whether He is forerunner for us,
or has entered for us. ὑπέρ is not pleonastic, as Œc.:but He is forerunner on
our behalf, as representing, and introducing, us, who are to come after.
πρόδρομος is a goodclassicalword, signifying ordinarily the scouts who were
sent before an army, Herod. i. 60; iv. 121–2;and see many examples in Bleek:
but also any others sentbefore, reff.; and Herod. ix. 14, ἦλθε ἀγγελίη
πρόδρομος. It is a figure analogous, in its propriety, to ἀπαρχὴ τῶν
κεκοιμημένων, πρωτότοκος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν, in theirs. And it is one full of
comfort to us: as Thl., ὁ γὰρ πρόδρομος, τινῶνἐστιν ἀκολουθούντων
πρόδρομος·καὶ οὐδὲ πάνυ πολὺ τὸ μέσον τοῦ προδρόμου καὶ τῶν ἑπομένων,
ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἰωάννου καὶ χριστοῦ. μὴ τοίνυν ἀσχάλλετε. ὁσονούπω
εἰσελευσόμεθα ὅπου ὁ πρόδρομος ἡμῶν)entered Jesus, having become (see on
ch. Hebrews 2:17) a High Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek (the

18. stress is on the words κατὰ τὴν τάξιν ΄ελχισεδέκ, which on that accountare
takenout of their order (see ch. Hebrews 5:10) and put first. And this is so,
because it is this particular point to which the Writer wishes to return in what
follows. He assumes forthe present ἀρχ. γεν. εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα as conceded, and
takes up the mysterious point which he left at ch. Hebrews 5:10, for
elucidation. And thus ends the digressionwhich beganthere).
Heinrich Meyer's Critical and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament
Hebrews 6:20. Close ofthe digressionmade from v. 11 onwards, and apt
return to v. 10.
ὅπου]whither. Inexact, as Luke 9:57, John 8:21 f., and often, instead of the
ὅποι, which is never used in the N. T. (see Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 439);yet
more significant than the latter, since it contains, in addition to the notion of
having entered, the additional notion of remaining.
πρόδρομος]as harbinger. The expression, in the N. T. only here, characterizes
Christ as the first member in a series, thus glances atthe fact that those who
believe in Him shall attain to the MostHoly Place. Comp. John 14:2-3.
ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν] in our interest, or for our eternalwelfare, namely, to obtain
pardon for us (Hebrews 9:12), to representus in the presence ofGod
(Hebrews 9:24), and to open up for us an entrance into heaven itself (Hebrews
10:19 f.). ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν is to be construed, not with πρόδρομος (Heinrichs,
Böhme, Tholuck, Ebrard, and others), but (as already the Peshito)with
εἰσῆλθεν.
In that which follows the emphasis rests upon κατὰ τὴν τάξιν ΄ελχισεδέκ
(Böhme, Delitzsch, Alford, Maier, Hofmann), which on that account is
preposed; not upon εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα (Bleek, Woerner), which latter, on the
contrary, as an additional note of definition is derived only from the κατὰ τὴν
τάξιν ΄ελχις.
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament

19. Hebrews 6:20. πρόδρομος, forerunner) swift. A very significant word: a
forerunner has those who follow him. He is elsewhere calledthe first, the first
fruits, the first-begotten.— κατὰ, according to)is put at the beginning of the
clause for the sake ofemphasis.
—————
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
Whither the forerunner is for us entered: this heaven is actually possessedfor
us already by a harbinger, who came at his Father’s word to fit and prepare
us for it, and then again returned in our nature, and as our Head and
Representative he hath entered, made the wayopen, and paved the coastfor
us thither, and made it plain and safe;and having takenreal and full
possession, is making ready our mansions; and when he hath completed his
work in us, will come and take and carry us thither, and put us into the full
possessionofit in our persons, Hebrews 9:24 John 14:2-4.
Even Jesus, made an High Priestfor everafter the order of Melchisedec:he
describeth the forerunner to be God the Son incarnate, the Saviourof
believers, he that will keepthem safe for it, and setthem safe in it. Their
Jesus, who as to his office is the greatgospelHigh Priest, had fulfilled his type,
and put an end to it by his entering within the veil into the holy of holiest in
heaven, being constitutedby his Father a royal High Priest, superior to all
other orders and persons, a High Priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec, mentioned before, Hebrews 5:10, where the Spirit begun a
digression, and having here ended it, repeats the description of it again, as the
thing to be immediately handled and pursued, as he doth in the next chapter.
Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament
The forerunner is for us entered; he has enteredinto heaven itself as our high-
priest, to present his own blood before the throne as the expiation for our sins;

20. and he has entered as our forerunner also, who will in due time bring us into
his Father’s presence, andpresent us faultless before his throne.
Made a high-priest-after the order of Melchisedec;thus the writer returns to
the theme which he had proposed, chap Hebrews 5:11.
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
20. ὅπου πρόδρομος … εἰσῆλθεν. Lit., “where a forerunner entered … Jesus”;
or better “where, as a forerunner” (or harbinger), “Jesus entered.” I see no
reasonto depart from the normal force of the aoristby rendering it (as in the
A.V.) “is entered,” which would rather require the perfect εἰσελήλυθεν. The
aoristcalls attention to the single act, and is therefore, here, a vivid picture.
ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, “on our behalf.” This explains the introduction of the remark.
Christ’s Ascensionis a pledge that our Hope will be fulfilled. He is gone to
prepare a place for us (John 14:2-3). His entrance into the regionbehind the
veil proves the reality of the hidden kingdom of glory into which our Hope has
castits anchor (Ahlfeld). This is evidently a prominent thought with the writer
(Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 9:24).
κατὰ τὴν τάξιν ΄ελχισεδέκ. Melchisedek resembledChrist in his twofold τάξις
of kingly rank, and priestly office. By repeating this quotation, as a sort of
refrain, the writer once more resumes the allusion of Hebrews 5:10, and
brings us face to face with the argument to which he evidently attached
extreme importance as the centraltopic of his epistle. In the dissertation
which follows there is nothing which less resembles StPaul’s manner of
“going off at a word” (as in Ephesians 5:12-15, &c.). The warning and
exhortation which ends at this verse, so far from being “a sudden transition”
(or “a digression”)“by which he is carriedfrom the main stream of his
argument,” belongs essentiallyto his whole design. The disquisition on
Melchisedek—forwhichhe has prepared the way by previous allusions and
with the utmost deliberation—is prefaced by the same kind of solemn strain
as those which we find in Hebrews 2:1-3, Hebrews 3:12-14, Hebrews 12:15-17.
So far from being “hurried aside by the violence of his feelings” into these

21. appeals, they are strictly subordinated to his immediate design, and inwoven
into the plan of the Epistle with consummate skill. “Hurry” and “vehemence”
may often describe the intensity and impetuosity of St Paul’s fervent style
which was the natural outcome of his impassioned nature; but faultless
rhetoric, sustaineddignity, perfect smoothness and elaborate eloquence are
the very different characteristicsofthe manner of this writer.
γενόμενος, “haviny become,” as the result of His earthly life.
εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. The words come emphatically at the end, and as Dr Kay says
strike the keynote of the next chapter (Hebrews 7:3; Hebrews 7:16-17;
Hebrews 7:21; Hebrews 7:24-25;Hebrews 7:28). St Luke in the same way
begins his Gospeland ends his Acts of the Apostles with a sonorous
antispastus ( ἐπειδήπερ) and epitrite ( ἀκωλύτως).
Hawker's PoorMan's Commentary
REFLECTIONS
Called upon as the Church is, in this Chapter, to leave behind first principles
in the awakening ofthe soul to the convictions of sin, and having then but
slight views of Christ, let us seek from Godthe Spirit, that growth in grace
which marks those who have long known the Lord, and long found our own
nothingness in everything out of Christ; that we may discoverthat life, and
light, and joy, are only in Christ; while deadness, darkness, andsorrow, are in
all we sayor do.
But, Reader!while divine teaching infallibly leads every child of on into this
conclusion, soonerorlater, let no child of God be led away, from the features
of characterGod the Holy Ghost hath here drawn of hypocrites, to fancy that
such distinguish him also. Theydiffer as wide as the eastfrom the west. God's
children are indeed full of defects and unworthiness, and undeserving;
nevertheless, they are still children. The new spiritual life imparted to them in
regeneration, however, to their view, at times appears hardly discernible, is in

22. them a well of water, springing up to everlasting life. But, the unawakened
nature of the hypocrite, amidst all appearance of plentiful showers, is all
outward and forming pools only, like Job's friends, prove deceitful, as the
brook which in summer seasonsdry away.
Reader!if so be the Lord hath causedyou to know his grace, andby
regenerationyou are led to the precious discoveryof being an heir of promise,
see here the unspeakable love of God, and his willingness more abundantly,
that his children shall live upon, and rejoice in, the immutability of his
counsel. Oh! the strength of that consolation, founded in God the Father's
will! Jesus's person, blood, and righteousness,and the Holy Ghost's
regenerating, sanctifying, and renewing mercy. Jesus!be thou the anchor of
my soul, both sure and stedfast!Not like the mariner's anchor beneath, but
above; not founded on anything breakable, but in things which are eternal.
Not formed by the wisdom of men; but in the power of God. Precious,
precious Jesus!thou art the Rock ofages!Thy work is perfect. Blessed,
forever blessed, be God, for Jesus Christ.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
20. Through the firmamental veil Jesus has penetratedeven to the right-hand
of God. Thither he has ascendedas our forerunner, our pioneer, our goer-
before; opening an ascending pathway through which we are to follow him.
For us—In our behalf; assuring us that as he has entered so we shall enter.
Melchizedek—Coming around from ch. Hebrews 5:10 againto Melchizedek,
who forms now the future subject.
Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Hebrews 6:20. Whither as forerunner Jesus has entered for as, having become
after the order of Melchisedec a High Priest for ever. ‘As forerunner’ (not
‘the,’ and not ‘a’ forerunner, as if He were one of several. This absence ofthe
article simply calls attention to the nature and purpose of His entrance).

23. ‘Forerunner’ occupies the prominent place also in the sentence. The Levitical
high priest entered the Holy of Holies on behalf of the people, as Christ also
entered into the Holiest of all. Here He appears in a new character. He is now
gone to prepare a place for us; we are to follow and to share His glory and His
throne. The ‘priest for ever’ of the Psalmis now changedinto ‘high priest,’ a
title made appropriate by the fact that it is not into the holy place simply, but
into the immediate presence ofGod, He is gone.
After the order of Melchisedec occupies the emphatic place in the verse, for it
is the subjectto which he is about to return. Here, therefore, the digression
ends.
The Expositor's Greek Testament
Hebrews 6:20. The holding-ground of the anchorof hope, the real presence of
God, is further described in the words ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν
ἰησοῦς, “whither as forerunner for us entered Jesus”.ὅποι does not occurin
N.T. or LXX, ὅπου taking its place, as in English“where” often stands for
“whither”; see Matthew 8:19, Luke 9:57, James 3:4. So, too, occasionally, in
Attic; examples in Bleek. πρόδρομος as an adjective, “running forward with
headlong speed,” see Jebb’s note on Soph., Antig., 107;as a substantive
“scouts”or“advancedguard” of an army, Herodot., i. 60, and Wisdom of
Solomon12:8, ἀπέστειλάς τε προδρόμους τοῦ στρατοπέδουσου σφῆκας. The
more generalmeaning is found in Numbers 13:21, ἡμέραι ἔαρος, πρόδρομοι
σταφυλῆς. Isaiah28:4. The idea may be illustrated by Hebrews 2:10,
Colossians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 15:23. ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν goes betterwith
πρόδρομος—whichrequires further definition—than with εἰσῆλθεν, although
Bleek, Weiss andothers prefer to join it to the verb. ἰησοῦς, the human name
is used, because it is as man and having passedthrough the whole human
experience that Jesus ascends as our forerunner. His superiority to the
Levitical priest is disclosedin the word πρόδρομος. Whenthe Levitical High
Priestpassedwithin the veil he went as the representative, not as the
forerunner of the people. Hence indeed the veil. In Christ the veil is abolished.
He enters God’s presence as the herald and guarantee ofour entrance. The

24. ground of this is given in the concluding clause, κατὰ τὴντάξιν … αἰῶνα,
“having become [becoming] an High Priest for ever after the order of
Melchizedek”. Jesus carriesour hope with Him to the realities which lie
within the veil, because it is as our High Priestwho has made atonementfor
sin that He is now at God’s right hand. By His death He securedfor us power
to enter, to follow where He has gone before. The participle does not
determine the precise point at which He became High Priest, before or
contemporaneouslywith His passing through the veil.
JosephBenson's Commentaryof the Old and New Testaments
Hebrews 6:20. Whither the forerunner — προδρομος, a forerunner, is one
who goes before to do some service for another who is to follow: in which
sense also the Latin word ante-cursoris used. A forerunner uses to be less in
dignity than those that are to follow him: but it is not so here; for Christ, who
is gone before us, is infinitely superior to us; is for us entered — Namely, for
our good. 1st, To prepare a place for us, John 14:2. 2d, To make continual
intercessionfor us. 3d, To make us partakers ofhis own glory, John 17:24;
Revelation3:21. 4th, To take possessionofheaven for us, John 14:3. What an
honour is it to believers to have so glorious a forerunner now appearing in the
presence ofGod for them! Made a High-Priest for ever — Christ ascendedto
heaven, 1st, To open it to us by the sacrifice ofhimself, and to plant our hope
of eternal life there as an anchor of the soul. 2d, Because having opened
heaven, he remains there as the High-Priest of that holy place, to introduce all
believers into the presence ofGod. This shows in what sense Jesus is a High-
Priestfor ever. He is so, not by offering sacrifice forever in behalf of his
people, but by interceding for them always, Romans 8:34;and by introducing
them into the presence of God by the merit of the one sacrifice of himself,
which he offeredto God without spot.
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
the = as.

25. Forerunner. Greek. prodromos. Only here.
Jesus. App-98.
made = having become.
an. Omit.
for ever. App-151. a.
after. Greek. kata. App-104.
order. See Hebrews 5:6. This order is unique, being that of a high priest
without altar, offering, sacrifice, orsuccessor.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for
ever after the order of Melchisedec.
The absence ofthe Greek article requires (Alford) 'Where, AS forerunner in
behalf of [ huper (Greek #5228)]us, entered Jesus'(and is now; implied in the
'where' [ hopou (Greek #3699)]:"Whither" is understood, taken out of
"where," Whither Jesus entered, and where He is now).
For us - implies that it was not for Himself He needed to enter there, but as
our High Priest, representing and opening the way to us, by His intercession
with the Father, as the Aaronic high priest entered the Holiest once a year to
make propitiation for the people. The first-fruits of our nature are ascended:
so the rest is sanctified. Christ's ascensionis our promotion; where the glory
of the Head has preceded, there the hope of the body, too, is called. We ought
to keepfestalday, since Christ has takenup and setin the heavens the first
fruit of our lump, that is, the human flesh (Chrysostom). As John Baptist was
Christ's fore-runner on earth, so Christ is ours in heaven.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

26. (20) Whither the forerunner.—Rather, Whither, as forerunner, Jesus entered
for us, having become High Priestafter the order of Melchizedek for ever.
The Jewishhigh priest entered the Holiest Place by himself—a representative
but not a leader. Jesus has entered the true sanctuary(Hebrews 9:24) that He
may give His people entrance there (Hebrews 10:19;John 14:2-3). With this
renewedmention of the greathigh-priestly act (Hebrews 4:14), the writer
returns to the words of Scripture on which he was about to dwell (Hebrews
5:10), when the painful thought of the unpreparedness of his readers for
higher Christian teaching forced itself upon his mind. In this verse the order
of the words taken from the Psalm is changed;in the lastwords “for ever” is
declaredwith unequalled impressiveness the permanence of our Christian
hope.
Treasuryof Scripture Knowledge
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for
ever after the order of Melchisedec.
the forerunner
2:10; John 14:2,3
for
1:3; 4:14; 8:1; 9:12,24;12:2; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:3,20-23;1 Peter3:22;
1 John 2:12
an
3:1; 5:6,10;7:1-21
The Bible Study New Testament
Jesus has gone in. As the Jewishhigh priest went through the curtain into the
MostHoly Place in the earthly temple, Jesus has gone into heaven itself and

27. sits at God's right side! By doing this, he has anchoredour hope of forgiveness
and eternallife, and we hold firmly to it! See Hebrews 10:20." He has become.
Unlike the Jewishhigh priest, Jesus is a high priest forever!! This is explained
in the next chapter.
E.M. Zerr's Commentary on SelectedBooksofthe New Testament
Jesus is called the forerunner because he has gone on before us to be the
intercessorforHis people. For this purpose He was made a High Priest like
the order of Melchisedec.The advantage of being after that order instead of
the order of the Levitical form was predicted in the Old Testament( Psalm
110:4), and it will be discussedin the next chapter ( Hebrews 7:1-28).
Commentary by J.C.Philpoton selecttexts of the Bible
Hebrews 6:20
"Where the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus."Hebrews 6:20
How blessedlydid the Lord comfort his sorrowing disciples when he said to
them, "In my Father"s house are many mansions—if it were not Song of
Solomon, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." He has gone
to take possessionbeforehandof his and their everlasting home; for he is
ascendedto his Father and their Father, to his God and their God. He has, as
it were, filled heaven with new beauty, new happiness, new glory. In him
dwells all the fullness of the Godheadbodily. His glorious Personas Immanuel
has become the objectof heaven"s praise and adoration. The electangels
adore him as God-man; and the spirits of just men made perfect worship him
in company with the angelic host. What a view had holy John of heaven"s
glorious worship, when he saw the four living creatures and the twenty-four
elders fall down before the Lamb; when he heard their new song and the voice
of many angels round about the throne, and all saying with a loud voice,
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain—to receive power, and riches, and

28. Wisdom of Solomon , and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing" (
Revelation5:12).
Heaven itself is waiting for the completion of the greatmystery of godliness,
when the whole Church shall be assembledaround the throne; when the
marriage supper of the Lamb shall come; when the headstone shall be
brought forth by the hands of the spiritual Zerubbabel, with shoutings of
Grace, grace unto it. Earth itself is groaning under the weightof sin and
sorrow;and the souls of those under the altar who were slain for the word of
God, and for the testimony which they held, are crying with a loud voice,
"How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on
them that dwell on the earth?" No, the very signs of the times themselves are
all proclaiming as with one voice that it cannot be long before the Lord will
come a secondtime without sin unto salvation.
Haldane's Expositionon the Epistle to the Romans
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for
ever after the order of Melchisedec,
Christ, the greatobjectof our hope, has, in the characterof our forerunner,
entered within the vail, thus taking possession, as it were, on our behalf, of the
heavenly inheritance, and giving us the assurance ofbeing with Him.
He is gone to prepare a place for His people, and He says, "And if I go to
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that
where I Amos , there ye may be also." John14:3. Having offered an all-
sufficient sacrifice, and being brought againfrom the dead through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, He has enteredinto the most holy place with His
own blood, as the glorious head and representative of His body the Church.
He is made forever a high priest after the order of Melchisidec.

29. BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Anchor Of The Soul
Hebrews 6:19, 20
W. Jones
Which hope we have as an anchorof the soul, etc. Christians have been
exhorted to imitate "them who through faith and patience inherit the
promises." There are most excellentreasons for their doing so; for God's
purposes and promises are most sure. They were not lightly or hastily made;
they are most solemnly confirmed; they are "immutable things, in which it is
impossible for God to lie;" and they supply the strongestencouragementto
the Christian's hopes (vers. 13-18). Notice-
I. THE OBJECTOF THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE. This is not explicitly stated
in the text; but it is implied in it, and it may be gatheredfrom the argument of
the writer. We may define it as the attainment of his destiny, or the perfection
of his being. But to mention some particulars:
1. Freedomfrom sin and suffering. The rest which remaineth for the people of
God certainly includes deliverance from sin, and from pain of body, and
distress of mind, and darkness and sorrow of spirit. We must become free
from sin, or our salvation will be neither complete nor true; for sin would mar
the fairestrealms, and fill them with discordand misery.
2. Attainment of spiritual perfection. "Let us press on unto perfection" (ver.
1). We hope for more clear, more correct, more comprehensive knowledge;
for purity of heart which will be perfect in its kind, though not in its degree;
for love which shall be perfect in like manner; and for harmony betweenour

30. purposes and performances, our willing and doing. We are inspired by the
sublime hope of becoming like unto our Lord and Savior (1 John 3:2, 3).
3. Enjoyment of heavenly blessedness. ThroughChrist God will bring "many
sons unto glory." Jesus, has enteredheaven as our Forerunner, and we hope
to follow him thither. We are "looking for the blessedhope," etc. (Titus 2:13).
"Godhath begottenus againunto a living hope," etc. (1 Peter1:3-5). This
glorious hope is "setbefore us" as a prize to be won; it is "setbefore us" to
animate our spirits, to strengthen our bands in Christian work, and to
quicken our feetin the Christian race, Contrastthis with any inferior object
of hope; e.g. worldly possessions, worldly pleasures, worldlyhonor's. These do
not satisfy;that does. These degrade the soul; that exalts it. These will fail
those who have attained and cherishedthem; that will lead to splendid and
perpetual fulfillment.
II. THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE. "Which hope we have
as an anchorof the soul, both sure and steadfast, and entering into that which
is within the veil." This hope is the stayof the soul amid a tumultuous world.
It is clearly implied:
1. That the voyage of life is marked by storms. These storms are occasionedby
bodily afflictions, temporal anxieties and losses,family trials, domestic and
socialbereavements, andspiritual conflicts.
2. That these storms try and imperil the soul. There is danger of striking upon
the hidden rock of some subtle and insidious sin, of being driven by the wild
winds of passionagainststernand stony cliffs, or of being hurried helplessly
onward by fierce storms of sorrow. The dangers in navigating the sea of life
are numerous and various. Many a noble soul has reachedthe desired haven
sore damagedin life's storms, while some, alas!have "made shipwreck
concerning the faith."
3. That the Christian's hope, as an anchor, will enable him safelyto outride
the storms. "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
steadfast," etc. Ebrard's note seems to us both true and beautiful: "Two
figures are here, not so much mixed as, in a very elegantmanner, combined.
The author might compare the world to a sea, the soul to a ship, the future

31. still concealedgloryto the coveredbottom of the sea, the remote firm land
stretching beneath the waterand coveredby the water. Or he might compare
the presentlife upon earth to the forecourt, and the future blessednessto the
heavenly sanctuary, which is still, as it were, concealedfrom us by a veil He
has, however, combined the two figures. The soul, like a shipwreckedmariner,
clings to an anchor, and sees notwhere the cable of the anchor runs to, where
it is made fast; it knows, however, that it is firmly fixed behind the veil which
concealsfrom it the future glory, and that if it only keeps fasthold of the
anchor, it will, in due time, be drawn in with the anchor by a rescuing hand
into the holiest of all." This hope enables the Christian in deep distress to say,
"Why art thou castdown, O my soul?" (Psalm 42:11). And in wildest storms
it inspires him to sing, "Godis our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help
in trouble," etc. (Psalm 46:1-3, 7).
"Hope, as an anchor firm and sure, holds fast
The Christian's vessel, anddefies the blast."
(Cowper.)And thus "we are saved by hope."
III. THE ASSURED REALIZATION OF THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE. Two
things assure us of the fulfillment of our hope.
1. The characterof the anchorand the anchorage.The anchor is "both sure
and steadfast, andentering into that which is within the veil" (cf. Romans 5:1-
5; 2 Thessalonians2:16;1 Timothy 1:1).
2. The presence of Jesus as our Forerunner in heaven. "Within the veil,
whither as Forerunner on our behalf Jesus entered." The veil spokenof is that
which divided the holy of holies from the holy place. "Within the veil" is a
figurative expressionfor heaven. The presence ofthe Son of man in heaven is
a guarantee of the realization of the hope of every believer in him. He entered
heaven as our Representative, and"as a Forerunner on our behalf." "Where
I am, there shall also my servant be." "I go to prepare a place for you. And if
I go and prepare a place for you," etc. (John 14:2, 3). Mark, then, the absolute
necessityofvital union with the Lord Jesus Christ. One with him by faith

32. here, we shall be one with him in blessednesshereafter. "Christin you, the
Hope of glory.... Your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our
Life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifestedin glory." -
W.J.
Biblical Illustrator
Heirs of promise.
Hebrews 6:17-20
Heirs of promise
B. Beddome, M. A.
I. CONSIDERWHEREIN THE PORTION OF BELIEVERS CONSISTS:
THEY ARE "HEIRS OF PROMISE." Thoughthey have little in possession,
they have much in prospect; if not rich in enjoyment, they are rich in faith
and hope. Amongst men, promises are often of little worth; but all the

33. promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus, unto the glory of God by
us.
1. With regardto their subjectmatter, they include all things pertaining both
to life and godliness;ensuring support in this world, and glory in the world to
come.
2. There are promises made to the church in general, and others to individual
believers;and 'both are the portion of the saints. Of the former it is said,
"Godis in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall he)p her, arid
that right early." Promises also are made to individuals, for their comfort and
encouragement, and which are applicable to all the saints. "He hath said, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." "Mygrace is sufficient for thee; My
strength is made perfect in weakness." "Fearnot, for I am with thee; be not
dismayed, fur I am thy God." "As thy day is, so shall thy strength be."
3. The promises of God are either absolute or conditional. Some of the
promises are absolute, not suspended on any act or endeavour of ours, or on
any previous qualification; and such are all those which relate to the first
bestowmentof grace. "Forwho maketh thee to differ; and what hast thou that
thou hast not received? It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth;
but of God that showethmercy." But there are promises conditional to grace
received, and which are made only to those who believe. "God resisteththe
proud, but giveth grace to the humble. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be
given him."
4. The Divine promises have various degrees ofaccomplishment. Some have
already been fulfilled, either in whole or in part; as in the case with those
relating to the coming of Christ, the establishment of His kingdom, and the
universal spread of the gospel. Some are daily fulfilling, and others are yet to
be fulfilled.
II. WHO ARE THE " HEIRS" OF PROMISE, AND WHAT CHARACTER
DO THEY BEAR?

34. 1. They may be known by their perception of the promises themselves. They
view them not only more distinctly and clearly, but in a light very different
from that in which other persons either do or canconsiderthem. They are
representedas seeing them afar off, and being persuaded of them. Thus they
see the suitableness and excellencyof the promises, that they are the fruit of
free and unmerited love, and are adapted to all casesand circumstances.As
David saw the commandments, so they see the promises to be exceeding
broad.
2. The heirs of promise may be known by the powerful application of the
promises to their ownhearts.
3. They may be known by the regardthey bear towards them, and the desire
they feel for their accomplishment. The promises contain all their salvation,
and all their desire; they meditate therein both day and night, and view them
with a satisfactionsimilar to that of a man who looks overthe title-deeds of an
estate which secures to him the possessionofa large inheritance.
4. The practical effects which the promises produce in us are anothermeans
of showing who are the prop .r heirs; for "everyman that hath this hope in
Him, purifieth himself, even as Christ is pure."Improvement —
1. If not heirs of the promise, what are we? Heirs of the curse — of that curse
which cuts off on every side, and will one day enter into our bowels like water,
and like oil into our bones.
2. If heirs of the promises, we are interestedin all the blessings containedin
them, relating both to this world and that which is to come. If the promises
are ours, all things are ours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, orthe
words, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come;all are ours, and
we are Christ's and Christ is God's.
3. If heirs of the promises we are heirs of God; all that He is and has, that is
communicable, is made over to us in a wayof covenantedmercy.
4. Being heirs of God, we are also joint heirs with Christ Jesus, to whom the
birth-right blessing properly belongs.

35. (B. Beddome, M. A.)
God's faithfulness to His promises
John Gill.
The Bible is a book of promises, as wellas of revelations, or Divine statements.
These promises are our heritage. Faith in the promises makes the future
present, and the heirship possession. It is thus " the substance of things hoped
for." Shall the promises fail? Is God unfaithful? Shall a QueenElizabeth
value her promise, as when she gave the first vacancyto one unfit? Shall a
Chatham have a wall rebuilt, rather than seemto break a promise to his son?
Shall a Napier refuse an invitation that he may keepa promise to a poor girl?
And shall God refuse to honour drafts made on His promises in the name of
His Son? Shall the promises fail? Is there inability or unwillingness to
perform?
(John Gill.)
The immutability of His counsel.
God's counselin relation to His people
B. Preece.
I. THAT THEIR SALVATION FROM SIN SHALL BE A COMPLETE AND
PERFECTSALVATION. This is the avoweddesignof —
1. All His purposes (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Corinthians 1:2;
Hebrews 3:1; 1 Peter1:2; Romans 8:29: Ephesians 2:10).
2. All His promises (Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah31:31-34;Ezekiel11:19, 20;2
Corinthians 12:1; 2 Peter1:4; 1 John 1:9).
3. The earthly mission of His Son (Matthew 1:21; John 1:29; Corinthians L
21-22;Titus 2:11-14;1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:26).

36. 4. The constant operations of His Spirit (Ephesians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians2:13).
5. The heaven which He has prepared for their eternalresidence. Only the
pure in heart shall see God. "Without holiness," &e.
II. THAT THEIR COMPLETE AND PERFECTSALVATION FROM SIN
SHALL BE EFFECTEDBYTHEIR OWN PERSEVERANCE.
1. What is the perseveranceofthe sailors?(1)An increasing acquaintance with
God's word, implying diligent examination, thoughtful investigation, careful
comparisonof part with part, and discriminating deductions from the
whole.(2)An increasing confidence in God's promises; implying intelligent
trust in Him for pardon of sin, sanctificationof spirit for seasonable strength
in temptation, support in trouble, and victory in death.(3) An increasing
conformity to the image of Christ; implying the embodiment of Christianity in
our lives, making our practice agree with our profession, yielding to Christian
impulses, cherishing Christian affections, displaying Christian tempers,
speaking Christian words, practising Christian actions
2. The proposition that God secures the complete salvationof His people by
their own perseverance,is confirmed by —(1) The injunctions of Scripture.(2)
The nature of the case. Canyou teacha child to walk without its constant
effort and perseverance?(3)The example of saints (Philippians 3:13, 14).
III. THAT THEIR PERSEVERANCESHALL BE SECURED BY GOD'S
OWN BLESSING.
1. It is God's counselthat the salvationof His people shall be a complete and
perfect salvation.
2. It is also God's counselthat this shall be securedby their own perseverance.
3. It is also God's counselthat their perseverance shallbe securedby His own
blessing.
(B. Preece.)
Confirmed it by an oath.

37. The oath of God
R. S. Candlish, D. D.
The Divine hath is one of the mysteries of revelation. To one duly considering
the majestyof God, and His relation to His creatures, nothing can be well
more awful than His swearing to us, and swearing by Himself.
I. THE MEANING OF THE DIVINE OATH AND ITS GRACIOUSNESS
FAIL TO BE CONSIDERED.
1. The Divine oath is representedas analogous to an oath among men, and yet
different from it. The designin both is the same; it is for confirmation,
whether of a fact or of a promise; and so for the ending of all strife and doubt
(vers. 16, 37). There is a difference, however, betweenthe two oaths, arising
out of the difference betweenthe parties swearing. Menswearby the greater
(ver. 16). But this God cannot do; and therefore He swears by Himself (ver.
17). Still the appealin both cases is virtually the same. What are the two
immutable things which the oath of God, swearing by Himself, brings upon
the field! What can they be but the Divine word and the Divine name or
nature? Take first the Divine word. That is an immutable thing. The word or
promise of God is always sure and trustworthy. But take in now the secondof
the two immutable things whereinit is impossible for God to lie; His name,
His character, His nature, His being and continuing to be such as He is. What
new security is thus given? Is it not in substance this: — That God discovers
to us a ground or reasonofwhat He designs to do farther back than the mere
sovereignand discretionary fiat of His absolute will; deeply fixed and rooted
in the very essenceofHis being? Is it not that He puts the certainty of that to
which He swears,not only on the ground of His having intimated it
beforehand, but on the ground of a strongernecessity, in the very nature of
things, and in His own nature; lying far back and far down, in His being God,
and being the God He is? The thing is to he so. not merely because Godhas
said it shall be so, but also because it cannotbut be so, God continuing to be,
and to be the God He is. This is what, in swearing by Himself, He means to tell
us.

38. 2. The graciousnessofthe oath is as wonderful as its meaning. It is indeed
more so. Even among men; if the heart is true, and the eye, even turned on
empty space, beams keenwith honour: there is a certain feeling of repugnance
to being called to swear. And undoubtedly no one who possessesright feeling,
as regards the sacrednessofa spokenword, will volunteer an oath. It is on this
principle that our Lord gives forth His utterance againstnot only false but
promiscuous swearing, It is of evil that this practice of swearing, evenwhen
most right and fitting, cometh among men on earth; of the evil of men's
deceitfulness, their proneness to prevaricate and lie. It is at the besta
necessaryevil. And is it anything else when it is God who swears from
heaven? Of that oath also, of that oath pre-eminently, may it not be said that
it cometh of evil? Not indeed of the evil of anything false or suspicious on the
part of Him who swears;but of the evil heart of unbelief in those to whom He
swears.
II. THE USES TO WHICH IT IS APPLIED IN SCRIPTURE MAY SERVE
STILL FARTHER TO ILLUSTRATE THE REAL IMPORT AND THE
GRACIOUSNESSOF THE OATH.
1. We have an instance of the Divine oath in connectionwith the mediatorial
priesthood of Christ. And what is very seasonable and providential, we have
an ample inspired explanation of it, as viewed in that connection. I refer to the
oracle in Psalm110:4, as expounded in Hebrews 7. The priesthood of Christ is
no mere arbitrary, discretionaryordinance, which, as being expedient to-day,
God may institute by His sovereignauthority in His word or law, and which,
by the same sovereignauthority, He may supersede to-morrow, as no longer
needed and no longeruseful. No; it is an office having its deep root in the very
nature, the essentialgloryand perfection, of God Himself. It is therefore
unchangeable, not merely as God's word, but as His very being, is
unchangeable. The word of Godis indeed immutable, under the conditions
attachedto it when it is uttered. But it may be, according to these conditions,
the basis of what is merely temporary, insufficient, and provisional. What is
basedon the absolute immutable nature of God must necessarilybe both
permanent and perfect.

39. 2. Founded on this primary use, if I may so speak, ofthe Divine oath, as
bearing on the constitution of the mediatorial economyin the personand
work of the greatHigh Priest, there are other instances of its use in Scripture,
connectedwith the carrying out of that economy, to which it may be
interesting and useful to advert.(1) The Divine oath may be viewedin its
bearing on the gospelcall. In that connectionit occurs oftenvirtually; and
expresslyit occurs in this at leastamong other passages:Ezekiel33:11. Thus
viewed, the oath of God is peculiarly significant. It places the assurance which
you may have, all of you, any of you, of God's perfect willingness, His earnest
longing, to receive you back to Himself, on a footing such as, if you would but
considerit, must make you feel that you dare not doubt, and cannot
withstand, His affectionate importunity.(2) The oath of God stands connected
with the doom of unbelief. This is one of the most impressive and awful of all
its uses. It is indeed a terrible thought. For it means that God executes His
threatened judgments, not because He delights in the infliction of evil; nor
even because He is determined to verity His word; but because, being such as
He is, even He has no alternative!
3. The Divine oath is all-important in its bearing on the security of the
believer's hope. That indeed is its immediate application here. The question of
your progress and perseverance to the end has been raised;by the reproof
and exhortation and warning containedin the previous passage. Your only
safetyagainstbacksliding and apostasylies, as you are told, in getting out of
the mere elements of the gospelviewedas a method of personalrelief, and
passing on to the perfection of insight and sympathy, as regards the higher
aspects and bearings of it, in relation to the glorious name of God. But, alas 1
one may say, what confidence canI ever have in that line? The perfection to
which I am to go on, alas!how distant. The sin into which I may relapse, alas!
how near. What is to give me confidence? Is it my own diligence in following;
not slothfully, the saints that have gone before? Or is it my owncarefulness to
depart from the iniquity that dogs my steps behind? No. Both of these
conditions are indispensable, but neither of them is to be relied on as giving
assurance. Butthou art in the hands of a God whose name, and nature, and
characterthou knowest. And, to put an end to all debate in thy heart, He
swears ByHimself to thee. He points to His essentialperfection. He bids thee

40. consider, not only what He says, but what He is; what thou in Christ hast seen
and found Him to be. And He tells thee that, as surely as He is what He is, as
surely as He liveth, so surely He pledges Himself to thee, and must keepfaith
with thee.
4. One other application of the Divine oath I can but touch upon; it is the
connectionin which it stands with the ultimate triumph of the Lord's Church
and cause in the world (Isaiah 45:22, 23). The purpose of God to all the earth
with the knowledge ofHimself and of His glory is a purpose founded, not
upon His mere sovereignword, but upon His essentialnature. It is no
arbitrary decree, but an absolute necessityof His very being, which requires
that the light which has come into the world shall ultimately dispel the world's
darkness, and that the kingdom which the God of heaven has setup in the
earth shall in the end make all other kingdoms its own. The time may seem
long; the struggle arduous and doubtful. But as surely as God continues to be
the GodHe is; as surely as the Lord liveth; so surely shall His gospelmake
way among the nations, till all the earth is filled with His glory.
(R. S. Candlish, D. D.)
The end of God's oath
John Owen, D. D.
God doth not give it to make His word or promise sure and steadfast, but to
give assurance andsecurity to us of their accomplishment. Every word of God
is sure and certaintruth itself, because it is His; and He might justly require
of us the belief of it, without any further attestation. But yet, knowing what
greatobjections Satanand our ownunbelieving hearts will raise againstHis
promises, at leastas to our own concernin them, to confirm our minds, and to
take awayall pretences of unbelief, He interposes His oath in this matter.
What can remain of distrust in such a case? Ifthere be a matter in doubt
betweenmen, and an oath be interposed in the confirmation of that which is
calledin question, it is to them, as the apostle fells us, an end of all strife
(Hebrews 6:16). How much more ought it to be so on the part of God, when

41. His oath is engaged?And the apostle declares this end of His oath, it is to
show the immutability of His counsel(Hebrews 6:17). His counselwas
declaredbefore in the promise; but now some doubt or strife may arise,
whether, on one occasionorother, God may not change His counsels;or
whether He hath not chargedit with such conditions as to render it useless to
us. In what case so everit be, to remove all doubts and suspicions of this
nature, God adds His oath, manifesting the unquestionable immutability of
His counseland promises. What therefore is thus confirmed, is ascertainedto
the height of what anything is capable of. And not to believe it is the height of
impiety.
(John Owen, D. D.)
Two immutable things.
Immutable things
J. Vaughan, M. A.
Now what are those "two immutable things' which cannotfail? Some have
seenin them the two covenants — the covenantwhich God made with
Abraham; and the covenantwhich God made with Christ. Some have
understood it to mean, first, the promise of the fact made to the patriarchs;
and then the greatfulfilment of that promise revealedin the gospel. But it
appears to me far better, and much more accordantwith the whole line of
thought, to take it as meaning, first, the nature and the characterof God; and
then God's "oath," or covenant, whereby He has made over that characterto
man, and pledged Himself to our salvation. Here, then, every believer finds his
double rest. First, I have the being of God — all faithfulness, all love. That
God is my Father. I am dearer to Him than I am to myself. It is His glory and
His necessityto be kind to me. In that great"I AM" I find my argument. He
revolves within Himself. And it is for His own glory that His own creature
should be happy, holy, useful here; and with Him and like Him for ever. But,
after all, everything else — the Bible, redemption itself, is only a platform to
exhibit the characterof God. But then. as if this were not enough, 1 have all

42. those attributes, and all that nature, made over to me, as my own, in solemn
compact, sealedwith blood. His justice is pledged to acceptmy Substitute, and
to release me. His word is committed to it, that, if I am Christ's, however
unworthy I be, I shall be "acceptedin the Beloved" One. And that nature and
that oath are my "two immutable things." Can the eternalJehovahchange?
Can God's truth fail? Can He deny Himself? Has not He "made with me an
everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure?" So, as the "anchor" has
its two cables, my hidden "hope" has its two strong confirmations. And
nothing can divide them. It lies in its own adamantine, indissoluble power.
And its twofold power is one that never can be broken. Therefore, welldid St.
Paul say, "Sure and stedfast." "Sure," in God's being; "stedfast,"in God's
covenant;and in both it is just what a poor, wretched sinner wants, in such a
world as this — "a strong consolationto those who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope setbefore them." They say the ship "always drops to her
anchor." So, by secretinfluences, the soul, which is held to Jesus, will
continually, and almost insensibly, be getting nearer and nearer to Him every
moment; nearer in converse;nearer in likeness;nearer in love. Norwill it rest
till it is as near Him now as the circumstances ofthis present life allow —
looking for the time when there shall be no hindrances; and we shall be near
Him, and one with Him for ever. But, though the "anchor" be cast — and
though the holdings be sure — and though the ship "drops to her anchor" —
still the winds beat on, the waves may roll, and the vesseltoss. Only, so long as
the chain holds, she can never break off; and she cannever become a
castaway. There is no warrant, brethren, you are in Christ, that, therefore,
you shall not be buffeted by storms; or that you should not feel the
roughnesses of this world's troubles. Ratherbecause you are bound to Him,
you may strain the more, that you may ride in perfect peace. No feat" that
that "anchor" may slip. There may be trials, but there is no danger; distress,
but not despair; and welcome eventhe tempest, in its fury, if it prove the
firmness of the tenure by which you are held, and the goodnessby which you
are encouraged.
(J. Vaughan, M. A.)

43. The immutable grounds of a believer's confidence
T. Manton, D. D.
I. God's single word is an immutable ground; having this, you have enough.
And so it will appear if you considerthe power and the certainty of it.
1. The power of God's word. His wind is nothing else but the declarationof
His powerful will; the force of it was discoveredin creating the world. God
createdall things by His word (Psalm33:9). All the works of God subsist by
the force of His word (Hebrews 1:3). Therefore if you have this immutable
ground, if Godbath deposited and plighted His word. you have enough to
establishstrong consolation, forit is powerful to all purposes whatsoever.
2. Considerthe certainty of it. When the word is gone out of God's mouth it
shall not be recalled. The Lord prizeth His faithfulness above all things. The
Scripture must be fulfilled whateverinconveniences come ofit. Mark the
whole course of providence, and you will find that Godis very tender of His
word; He value it above all His works (Luke 21:33).
II. The main thing is, what ground of consolationwe have in God's oath.
1. Forthe reasons why God should give this oath.(1)To show us the certainty
of our privileges in Christ.(2) Godsweareth, as for the confirmation of His
grace in Christ, and to show the certainty of our privileges in Christ, so for the
commendation and excellencyof them. An oath is not lawful but in weighty
matters; it must be takenm judgment, as well as in righteousness andtruth
(Jeremiah 4:2).
2. The advantages we have by God's oath. What greaterassurancecanwe
have?(1)Considerthe sacrednessofan oath in general. Perjuredpersons are
the scornof men, and they have forfeited the privilege of humanity. Well,
then, if the oath of man be so sacredand valuable, how much more is the oath
of God? It is impossible for God to lie. He cando all things which argue
power, but nothing which argueth impotency and weekness, forthis were to
deny Himself.(2) This oath is so sacred, becausethe name of God is invoked in
it. It is the name of God that giveth credit to all other oaths.(3)This advantage
faith hath by God's oath, it is a pledge of His love and goodwill, that He would

44. condescendso far to give us His oath for our assurance andsatisfaction.(4)
God's oath is an argument that He delighteth in our comfort and assurance.
He would deliver us not only from hurt, but from fear.(5)Considerthe special
nature of God's oath. God appeals to the reverence and confidence we put in
His holiness, excellency, andpower; nay, and there is somewhatthat answers
the imprecation and execration, and all His excellencyis laid at pawn, and
exposed, as it were, to forfeiture, if He doth not make goodHis
word.Application: —
1. We see the greatness ofthe condescensionof God.
2. What reasonwe have to bind ourselves to God. There was no need on God's
part why God should bind Himself to us, but greatneed on our part why we
should bind ourselves to God. We start aside like a deceitful bow, and
therefore we should solemnly bind ourselves to God (Psalm 119:106).
3. You see the greatwrong you do to God in giving so little credit to His
promises. You make God a liar (1 John 5:10).
4. To press us to improve these two immutable grounds, that we may grow up
into a greatercertainty. His saying is as immutable as His swearing;God's
word is valuable enough of itself, but only because we countan oath more
sacred. Godhath added it over and above. Men are slight in speech, but
serious in an oath. Well, then, since you have a double holdfast on God, make
use of it in prayer and in meditation; in prayer, when you speak to God; in
meditation, when you discourse with yourselves.
(T. Manton, D. D.)
Impossible for God to lie.
Inferences from the impossibility of God to he
W. Gouge.

45. 1. The impossibility of God to lie is a greataggravationofthe heinousness of
unbelief. Forhe that believeth not God, hath made Him a liar (1 John 5:10),
which is in effectto make God no God.
2. This is a strong motive to believe: a greatercannotbe given: for as there is
no will, so neither powerin God to lie.
3. This should make ministers who speak in God's name to be sure of the
truth of that which they deliver for God's word, else they make God a liar, for
their word is taken for Gods (Colossians 2:13). Theyare God's ambassadors.
An ambassador's failing is counted his master's failing.
4. Though we cannot attain to such a high pitch of truth, yet every one ought
to endeavour to be like God herein, namely, in avoiding lying. Lying is a sin
unbesseming any man: but most unbeseeming a professorof the true
religion.Generalarguments againstlying are these:—
1. Lying is condemned by those who were led by no other light than the light
of nature: as philosopher, orators, poets.
2. Every man's consciencecondemns lying. If one be not impudent, he will
blush when he tells a lie; and infinite shifts are ordinarily made to cloak a lie,
which show that he is ashamedthereof, and that his conscience checkethhim
for it.
3. No man can endure to be accounteda liar.
4. Lying over throws all society.
5. A man takentripping herein will be suspectedin all his words and actions.
He that is not true in his words ,'an hardly be thought to deal honestly in hi,
deeds.Arguments againstlying in professors ofthe Christian religion are
these:—
1. Lying is expressly forbidden in God's word (Leviticus 19:11; Ephesians
4:25; Colossians3:9).
2. It is againstknowledge andconscience.

46. 3. It is a filthy rag of the old man, and one of the most. disgraceful;and
therefore first set down in the particular exemplification of those filthy rags
(Ephesians 4:22-25).
4. It is most directly opposite to God, who is Truth itself, and concerning
whom we heard that it was impossible that He should lie.
5. Nothing makes men more like the devil, "for he is a liar and the father
thereof" (John 8:44). A lying spirit is a diabolicalspirit.
6. As a lie is hateful to God, so it makes the practisers thereofabominable
(Proverbs 6:16, 17; Proverbs 12:22).
7. Lying causethheavy vengeance. In general, it is said, the Lord will destroy
them that speak lies (Psalm 5:6). Memorable was the judgment on Gehazi (2
Kings 5:27). And on Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5-10).
(W. Gouge.)
Strong consolation.
Strong consolation
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. Who are THE FAVOURED PEOPLE OF GOD.
1. Observe, then, that the favoured children of God are first described as "the
heirs of promise," by which at once most solemnly are excluded all those who
are relying upon their own merits. Dostthou confess that thou hast nothing of
thine own wherein to boast, and dost thou hope alone in the mercy of Godin
Christ Jesus?Thenlet me hope thou art one of the heirs of promise. "Heirs of
promise," again. Then this excludes those who are heirs according to their
own will, who scoffat the mighty work of grace, and believe that their own
free choice has savedthem. One more thought: "Heirs of promise," then
heirs, not according to the powerof the flesh, but according to The energyof
grace.

47. 2. A plainer descriptionof the favoured people follows in the eighteenthverse.
"Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope setbefore us." Then all
the people of God were once in danger.
II. Let us look to the ways and dealings of OUR CONDESCENDING GOD to
these favoured people. Notice eachword, "Godwilling." WheneverGod does
anything in a wayof grace, He does it as we saycon amore, He does it in the
highest sense willingly. It is not the will of God that sinners should perish; but
when He reveals Himself to His saints, He doeth it with a sacredalacrity, a
Divine cheerfulness. It is an occupationdivinely suitable to His generous
nature. "Willing more abundantly." Do notice that expression. It has in the
Greek the sense ofmore than is necessary, and is secretlymeant to answerthe
objectionconcerning the Lord's taking an oath. God is willing to reveal
Himself to His people, and He is willing to do that "more abundantly," up to
the measure of their need. He would let them know that His counselis
immutable, and He would not only give them enoughevidence to prove it, He
would give them overwhelming evidence, evidence snore than would be or
could be possibly required by the case itself, so that their unbelief may have
no chance to live, and their faith may be of the strongestkind. "the word "to
show" is remarkable;it is the very word used in the Greek whenour Lord
showedHis disciples His hands and His side, as if the word would say that
God would lay bare the immutability of His nature, would as it were strip His
eternal purposes, and let His people look upon them, handle them, and see
their reality, their truth and certainty. "Godis willing more abundantly to
show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel." Oftentimes a
man will not give further assurance ofthe truth of what he states, whenhe
believes he has already given assurance enough. Observe with wonder that
our ever gracious Godnever standeth on His dignity in this style at all, but He
lookethnot so much at the dignity of His own person as at the weakness ofHis
people, and therefore being willing more abundantly to show unto His poor,
feeble, trembling people the immutability of His counsel, He not only gives one
promise, but he adds another and another and another, till to count the
promises were almost as difficult as to count the stars or number the sands on
the sea shore. Yea, and when He has done all this, He comes in with a master
clap to crown it all, and confirms every promise by an oath, that by not one

48. immutable thing, but by two, the promise and the oath, in both of which it is
impossible for Jehovahto lie, His people might never dare to doubt again, but
might have strong consolation.
1. The first immutable thing upon which our faith is to stay itself, is the
promise. Oh, what consolationis this, then, our refuge is secure, our
confidence is firm! Look ye here, ye people of God. This promise of God was
not made in a hurry. A man makes a promise on a sudden, and he cannot
keepit afterwards;but through the everlasting ages the promise was on
Jehovah's heart before He spoke it with His lips. Men sometimes make
promises that they cannot fulfil, they are in circumstances whichdo not
permit them. But can God ever he in a difficulty? Men sometimes make
promises which it would be unwise to keep, and perhaps it is better to break
them; but the Lord cannotbe .unwise, His is infinite wisdom as well as infinite
strength. The promise, then, because ofits wisdom, will surely stand. Beside,
the promise He has made is to His own honour. It redounds to His glory to
show mercy to the unworthy. Moreover, His promise is made to His ownSon,
and His love to Him is interwovenwith His promise. He could not break His
word to one of us without breaking it to His dear Son, since we are in Him,
and trust in Him. The Divine promise must stand good.
2. But it is added that God, in order to prevent our unbelief effectually, has
takenan oath. God has with an oath sworn by Himself that all the heirs of
pro-raise shall be blessedfor ever, saying, "Surely blessing, I will bless thee."
Now, who among us dare doubt this? Where is the hardy sinner who dares
come forward and say, "I impugn the oath of God"?
III. But I must note THE STRONG CONSOLATION WHICHFLOWS OUT
OF ALL THIS. There is strong consolation, saysthe text, for the heirs of
grace, whichimplies that the children of God must expect to bare trouble. All
the followers ofthe greatCross-bearerare cross-bearers too;but then there is
the strong consolationfor the strong tribulation. What is strong consolation?
1. I think strong consolationis that which does not depend upon bodily health.
What a cowardly old enemy the devil is! When we are vigorous in body, it is
very seldom that he will tempt us to doubt and tear, but if ,ye have been

49. rackedwith hours of pain and sleeplessnights, and are getting to feel faint
and weary, then he comes in with his horrible insinuations: "Godwill forsake
you. His promise will fail t" He is vile enough to put his black paws on the
brightest truth in the Bible, say, upon eventhe very existence ofGod Himself,
and turn the boldest believer into the most terrible doubter, so that we seemto
have gone bodily overto the army of Satan, and to be doubting every good
thing that is in the Word of God. Strong consolationevenat such times,
enables us still to rejoice in the Lord though every nerve should twinge, and
every bone should seemmelted with pain.
2. Strong consolationis that which is not dependent upon the excitement of
public services and Christian fellowship. We feel very happy on a Sunday i ere
when we almostsing ourselves awayto everlasting bliss, and when the sweet
name of Jesus is like ointment poured forth, so that the virgins love it. But
when you are in colderregions, how is it? Perhaps you are called to emigrate,
or go into the country to a barren ministry where there is nothing to feed the
soul. Ah, then, if Son have not gotgoodground for your soul to grow in, what
will ye do?
3. The strong consolationwhichGod gives His people is such as no mere
reasoning canshake. You might as well reasonme out of the toothache, or
convince me that I do not exist, as reasonme out of my consciousnessthatI
love Christ, and theft I am saved in Him. They cannottouch the essentials of
vital godliness, and this is a strong consolationwhichreasoning no more
woundeth than men come at leviathan with spears and swords, for he
laugheth at them, and accounteththeir spears as rotten wood.
4. Strong consolation, again, becauseit will bear up under conscience, and
that is a harder pressure than mere reasoning canever bring.
5. Ay, and we can deal with Satan with his horrible insinuations and
blasphemies, and still can say, "I will trust in the Lord and not be afraid." To
rejoice then, and say, "Though these things be not with me as I would have
them, yet hath He made with me an everlasting covenantordered in all things
and sure";this is strong consolation.

50. 6. And it will be proved to be so by and by with some of us, when we stall be in
the solemnarticle of death.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Consolationthe fruit of assurance
T. Manton, D. D.
That the fruit of this certainty and assurancewhichwe have by God's Word
and oath is strong consolation.
I. WHAT IS MEANT BY STRONGCONSOLATION? Consolation. There
ate three words by which the fruits of assurance are expressed, which imply so
many degrees ofit. There is peace, comfort, and joy.
1. Peace. Thatwe have as a fruit of justification (Romans 5:1).
2. Then there is consolationwhichnotes an habitual persuasionof God's love;
there is an habitual serenity and cheerfulness of mind. Though there be not
high tides of comfort, there is support, though not ravishment. It is called
"everlasting consolation" (2 Thessalonians 2:16. 17).
3. Then there is joy, or an high and sensible comfort (Romans 15:13). The next
term is "strong consolation.'"Whyis it so called?
1. It is calledso either in opposition to worldly comforts, which are weak and
vanishing
2. Or else it is called" strong consolation" in comparisonwith itself, with
respectto less or more imperfect degrees ofcomfort. There is a latitude in
comfort, some have more and some less;some have only weak glimmerings
and drops, others have strong consolation, "joyunspeakable, andfull of
glory" (1 Peter1:8). Now a Christian should aim at the highest degree;the
strongeryour consolation, the better is Christ pleasedwith it (John 15:11).
3. It may likewise be calledstrong in regard of its effects.(1)It marreth carnal
joy, it puts the soul quite out of taste with other things. Men used acorns tilt

51. they found out the use of bread.(2) It is strongerthan the evil which it
opposeth;it swallowethup all our sorrows, whateverthey be.
II. How THIS STRONG CONSOLATION ARISETHFROM ASSURANCE
AND CERTAINTY. To establishjoy and comfort, two things are necessary —
excellencyand propriety. The thing in which I rejoice, it must be good, and it
must be mine. Suitably here in the text there is an assurance ofexcellent
privileges; and then there is a qualification annexed that we may understand
our own interest. God by His oath assures us of excellentprivileges in Christ,
and that is a ground of strong consolation. ThenHe requireth a duty of us,
that we fly for refuge to take hold of the hope setbefore us.
1. Forthe excellencyof our privileges. You know that which will minister solid
comfort to the soul it had need be excellent. A small matter, though never so
sure, will not, occasiona strong consolation;the joy is according to the object.
Now, whether a Christian look backwardor forward, there is matter of
rejoicing to the heirs of promise. Backward, there is the immutability of His
counsel;forward, there is a hope set before us. From one eternity to another
may a believer walk and still find cause of rejoicing in God.
2. Another cause ofstrong comfort is interest and propriety. Besides the
excellencyof the privilege, there must be the clearness ofour interest. The
objectof joy is not only goodin common, but our good. It doth not enrich a
man to hear there are pearls and diamonds in the world, and mines of gold in
the Indies, unless he had them in his own possession;so it doth not fill us with
comfort and joy to hear there are unchangeable purposes of grace, and that
there was an eternal treaty betweenGod and Christ about the salvation of
sinners, and that there is a possible salvation, but when we understand this is
made over to us.
III. HOW IT IS DISPENSEDON GOD'S PART, AND HOW FAR IT IS
REQUIRED ON OURS BECAUSE EVERYHEIR OF PROMISE CANNOT
SPEAK OF THESE LIVELY COMFORTS,THOSE SWEETAND STRONG
CONSOLATIONSOF THE SPIRIT. First, on God's part. There is a great
deal of difference betweenChristians in respectofGod's dispensations.

52. 1. ConsiderChrist, though He loved all His disciples, yet He did not use them
all alike familiarly; some were more intimate with Him, and were more in His
bosom. So though all the electare dear to Christ, yet there are the electof the
elect, some chosenout above others, with whom God will be more intimate
and familiar.
2. Though God deals here with greatdifference, yet it is usual with the Lord to
give most comfort to three sorts of persons.(1)To the poor in spirit. A broken
vesselis fitter to hold the oil of gladness than a full one, I mean such who are
empty and broken, and possessedwith a sense oftheir own wants.(2)Though
God is at liberty, yet usually He fills those which are exercisedwith hard and
long conflicts with their corruptions. Comfort is Christ's entertainment for
those that return from victory over their lusts (Revelation@:17).(3) Those
that are called forth to greatemployments and trials are seldom without
comfort, and this strong consolation, that they may behave themselves worthy
of their trial. Look, as men victual a castle when it is in danger to be besieged,
so God layeth in comfort aforehandwhen we are like to be assaulted. This we
have in the example of our Lord Himself. Justbefore Christ was tempted He
had a solemntestimony from heaven (Matthew 4:1). Secondly, on our part. It
is not absolutelyrequired that we should enjoy it, but only to seek afterit; and
if we want it, to submit to God's pleasure. Comfort is seldom withheld when it
is long sought and highly prized. I cannot sayhe is no child of God that bath
not a feeling of this strong consolation, but he is none that doth not seek after
it, and that hath low and cheapthoughts of the consolations ofGod (Job
15:11).
(T. Manton, D. D.)
Strong consolationforthe Lord's refugees
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. WE HAVE FLED FOE REFUGE."
1. The man-slayer, the moment he had in the heatof passionkilled a man,
became an apt representative of an awakenedsinnerwho discovers himself to

53. be in an evil case. Itis the work of the Spirit of Godto convince men of sin, of
righteousness, andof judgment to come, and it is well when the soul begins to
fear, for then it begins to live.
2. The alarmed man-slayerwould next, if he could calm himself at all,
considerwhat he could do, and he would sooncome to the conclusionthat he
could neither defy, nor escape, norendure the doom which threatened him.
Thus in the days of our conviction no hope was discoveredto natural reason,
and our dread increasedtill feartook hold upon us there, for we saw what we
had done, but we knew not what we could do to escape fromthe consequences
thereof.
3. Then there came to our ear what perhaps we had heard before, but had
heard so indifferently as never to have really understood it — we heard of a
divinely provided way of escape. Whenunder a sense of sin men value Christ
Jesus. How wonderful is the system of grace!Here it is: that as in Adam we
die through Adam's sin, so if we be in Christ we live through Christ's
righteousness.
4. The text, however, not only implies that we need the refuge and have heard
of it, but that we have fled to it. To flee awayfrom self to the provided refuge
is a main act of faith.
II. BUT WE HAVE COME TO "LAY HOLD." Here we have a change of
figure, unless we recallthe case ofJoab. who fled for refuge to the temple and
laid hold upon the horns of the altar Justificationby faith in Jesus is setbefore
us. What are we to do according to the text? We have to "lay hold" upon it.
You are drowning; there is a rope thrown to you; what have you to do? "Lay
hold." You are not to look at your hands to see whether they are clean
enough. No, lay hold, dirty hand or clean hand. "But my hand is weak." Lay
hold, brother, as best you can, weak hand or not, for while you are laying hold
of Christ God is laying hold of you; you may rest assuredof that. If you have
the faintestgrip of Christ, Christ has a firm grip of you such as never shall be
relaxed. Your business is at this moment to lay hold and keephold. What is to
be done in order to lay hold?

54. 1. Well, we must believe the gospelto be true. Do you believe it to be true that
God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their
trespassesunto them? Yes, I know you believe that God has sent His Son to,
be a propitiation for sin. So far, so good. The next thing is to apprehend for
yourselves this truth. Christ justifies believers;He is worthy of trust; trust
Him, and He has justified you. "I do not feel it," says one. You do not need to
feel it. It is a matter of believing. Believe in Jesus, and because you are a
believer be assuredthat yon are saved.
2. While a man lays hold upon a thing he goes no further, but continues to
cling to it. We have fled for refuge, but we flee no further than the hope which
we now lay hold upon, namely, eternal life in Christ Jesus. We never wish to
get beyond God's promise in Christ Jesus to believers, the promise of
salvationto faith. We are satisfiedwith that, and there we rest.
3. Did you notice that the apostle speaks oflaying hold upon a hope? This does
not mean that we are to lay hold by imagination upon something which we
hope to obtain in the dim future, for the next verse goes onto say " which
hope we have." We have our hope now, it is not a shadowy idea that possibly
when we come to die we may be saved. We know that we at this moment are
safe in our refuge, and we lay hold on our confidence as a presentjoy. Yet that
which we lay hold upon is full of hope, there is more in it than we can now see
or enjoy. What is the hope? The hope of final perseverance, the hope of
ultimate perfection, the hope of eternal glory, the hope of being with our Lord
where He is that we may behold His glory for ever — a hope purifying,
elevating, and .full of glory; a hope which cheers and delights us as often as we
think of it.
III. This is our last point, WE ENJOY"STRONGCONSOLATION."We call
that liquor strong of which a very few drops will flavour all into which it falls.
How wonderfully the consolationofChrist has affectedour entire lives! There
is such potency in it that it sweetens everything about us. It is so strong that it
masters all our fears, and slays all our scepticisms.
1. What I want you to note is that the consolationof the Christian lies wholly
in his God, because the ground of it is that God has sworn, and that God has

55. promised. Neverlook, therefore, to yourselves for any consolation;it would be
a vain search.
2. Remember, too, that your consolationmust come from what God has
spokenand not from His providence. Outward providences change, hut the
oath never changes, hold you on to that. Your comfort must not even depend
upon sensible realisations ofGod s favour, nor on sweetcommunions and
delights. No, but upon — He has said it and He has swornit — those are the
two strong pillars up n which your comfort must rest.
3. Remember, however, that the power of the strong consolationderived from
the oath of God must in your personalenjoyment depend very much upon
your faith. What is the consolationofa promise if you do not believe it, and
what is the comfort of an oath if you doubt it?
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Strong encouragement
H. W. Beecher.
When stars, first created, startforth upon their vast circuits, not knowing
their way, if they were consciousand sentient, they might feelhopeless of
maintaining their revolutions and orbits, and despair in the face of coming
ages. But, without hands or arms, the sun holds them. Without cords or bands
the solarking drives them, unharnessed, on their mighty rounds without a
single misstep, and will bring them, in the end, to their bound, without a
wanderer. Now, if the sun can do this, the sun, which is but a thing itself,
driven and held, shall not He who createdthe heavens, and gave the sun his
power, be able to hold us by the attractionof His heart, the strength of His
hands, and the omnipotence of His affectionate will?
(H. W. Beecher.)
Strong consolation

56. Tinling's Illustrations.
It is impossible, wrote Dr. Doddridge, after an illness, to express the comfort
God gave me on my sick bed. His promises were my continual feast; they
seemed, as it were, to be all united in one streamof glory. When I thought of
dying, it sometimes made my very heart to leap within me, to think that I was
going home to my Father and my Saviour.
(Tinling's Illustrations.)
Who have fled for refuge
The city of refuge
J. Beaumont, D. D.
I. THE VIEW GIVEN OF THE SAVIOUR IN THE TEXT. He is called" the
hope set before us." In the Scriptures we read of hope that is in us, hope that
is laid up for us, and hope that is setbefore us. The happiness of heaven —
heaven itself — its light and glory, its songs, and its blessedness — this is the
hope laid up for us: that goodwork of the Holy Spirit's operationon the
heart, here and now, whereby we look for the former, and for the earnestof it,
is the hope that is in us; and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the only
foundation and hope, for sinner or for saint, for pardon or for holiness, is the
hope set before us.
II. THE CONDUCT OF THE MAN DESCRIBEDIN THE TEXT IN
REFERENCETO THIS BLESSED OBJECT. He is said to " flee for refuge,"
and to "lay hold upon it." In this there is an allusion to the flight of the man-
slayerto the city of refuge. Methinks I descrythe man-slayer looking behind
him; he sees the avengerof blood; he sees the horrible burning frown upon his
brow, he hears the dismal tramp of his feet, and awayhe flies; he stops not,
turns not out of his course, but presses onand on with acceleratedspeed, until
at length, all punting and breathless, he enters the hallowedgates of the city of
refuge, and enters into peace. Suchis the flight of the sinner's soul to the arms
of Christ Jesus. This representationsets before us the case ofa man struck

57. with a conviction of guilt, smitten with an apprehensionof danger, despairing
of relieving himself, coming out of himself, and trusting to another. The very
name of Jesus, which was before an insipid sound, is now to him like music.
His soul leaps within him to know that " God is in Christ reconciling the
world unto Himself not imputing to men their trespasses";his heart dances
for joy when he finds that "it is a faithful saying that Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners." But observe:his conviction of guilt, and danger,
and ruin, being now no longersuperficial, but pervading, individual, and
thorough, he is not surf-fled with this merely generalrepresentationofthe
matter. It is not now enough for him to know in so many generalterms that
God is merciful, and that Christ is a Saviour; he now narrowly pries into the
whole affair, into the authority and commissionof Christ to save. into His
ability and His qualifications to save, into His willingness and readiness to
save.
III. THE PRIVILEGE AND HAPPINESS OF THOSE WHO HAVE THUS
FLED TO CHRIST JESUS FOR REFUGE. "Bytwo immutable things, in
which it was impossible for God to lie," they have "a strong consolation."
What is consolation? It is the relief of the mind under any trouble or pain; or
the presence andenjoyment of a goodwhich is able to prevent altogether, or
else carry awayand bear down before it, as in a full tide or flowing stream, all
evil felt or feared. Two things would occurto the mind of the man-slayerin
connectionwith his flight to the city of refuge. One would be: "Is it true — is
it really, incontrovertibly true, that if I getto the city of refuge, the avenger
dares not, must not touch me?" The other would be: "Suppose I get to the
city, and am secure againstthe stroke ofthe avenger, whatkind of
accommodationand provision shall I find within that city?" These two things
would occur to him on his wayto, or on his arrival at the city of refuge; and if
he had had any uncertainty as to the one or the other, he would have been
overwhelmed with confusion and dismay. But he had no doubt; he knew, he
was quite sure, that if he gotto the city of refuge, the avengercould not touch
him, that he would be as safe in the city as if he were in heaven. He also knew
that, if he gotto that city, and should remain in it, all his wants would be
supplied, everything necessaryforhis accommodationand support would be
provided for him. Thus he had consolution. Now apply these two things as an

58. illustration of the nature of the happiness of believing in Christ. "There is no
condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." "Theythat believe enter into
rest." "Who is he that shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is
God that justifieth." What is it you are afraid of? Is it the justice of God? I
know the justice of God has the impenitent sinner by the throat, and says,
"Payme that thou owest!But I know also that the hand of the penitent sinner
lays hold on the hope setbefore him, and justice takes his hand off. It must be
so;otherwise God were unrighteous in demanding two payments for one debt.
"He that believes shall be saved." "There is no condemnationto them that are
in Christ Jesus."Whatare you afraid of? Is it of the fiery law? The law is not
roaring after you if you have got into the city of refuge: it is not muttering its
tremendous maledictions againstyou if you have laid hold of the hope set
before you. If you hear anything at all of the demands of the law, it is the
echoes ofthose demands dying awayamid the battlements of the city wall; for
he to whom you have fled, and on whom you have laid hold, has "magnified
the law and made it honourable." Then what is it you are afraid of? Is it of the
roaring lion of hell? He is indeed "going about seeking whomhe may
devour"; but your faith in Christ is a shield wherewith you may quench the
fiery darts of the wickedone. Then what is it you have to fear? Is it death?
You may give up that fear along with all the other fears;for Jesus, to whom
you have come, on whom you have laid hold, has put down death, abolished it,
and buried it in His own grave; and has brought life and immortality to light.
This is consolation, but that is not the whole of it. I said that the consolationof
the man-slayeron reaching the city of refuge would also include an assurance
that he should be provided for, while there, with everything necessaryfor his
accommodationand support. This answers to the other half-the happiness of
believing in Christ — which consists in the infinite assurance that Godhas
given the believer that he never shall want any manner of thing that is really
good, and that he never shall be in inextricable danger. "The young lions do
lack, and suffer hunger"; and well they may; "but they that seek the Lord
shall not want any good thing." Can that man want waterwho lives on the
brinks of an everlasting spring? Can that man want light who lives in the
centre of the eternal sun? Now look at the grounds on which this consolation
rests. We have it, says the apostle, "by two immutable things in which it was
impossible for God to lie." What are these immutable things? Where are they

59. to be met with? We cannot write the word immutable on the rock; it is
constantly wearing away:nor on the sun; the sun himself shall grow old and
dull. But there are two immutable things — the word of promise and the oath
of God. These are calledthe "counselofGod," to intimate that His promise is
the declarationof His counsel. Promises very often are the result of anything
but counsel;but the promise of God is the counselof God, the manifestation
and publication of His counsel, The promises of God — what are they like?
Whereunto shall I compare them? They are like so many silver cords let down
from heaven, hanging out from the pavilion of infinite clemency, I had almost
said, sentdown from the heart of God itself, for the hand of faith to lay hold
on. The promise of God is an immutable thing; and by that we have our
consolation. Butthere is another ground of this happiness. God, knowing the
million ills of human life, the million jealousiesofthe human heart, knowing
the backwardness ofyour mind, and the slownessofyour heart to believe His
own eternal word of promise, hath condescendedto superadd to that His
solemn oath. What is that oath like ? Is it not as if Jehovah was laying all the
perfections of His nature, staking the very glory of the Godhead, on the truth
of His promise previously made? These are the two immutable things by
which we have our consolation. Finally, let me mention the quality of this
happiness. It is calledin the text a "strong consolation";a consolation
amongstthe most substantial, the most abundant and efficient; a consolation
available for every exigencyof life, for the solemnity of death, for the crisis of
the judgment day. How strong is this consolation?It is strongerthan the
afflictions of life. It turns the dungeon into a gate of heaven, the place of stocks
into the vestibule of glory. If, like the Hebrews, to whom the language was
originally addressed, you were called to bear the spoiling of your goods for
Christ's sake;with this consolationyouwould bear it joyfully. Soaring on the
wings of grace, youmay defy the powerof affliction, calamity, sickness, and
change. He, whose wordof promise and solemn oath you have, has said He
will be with you " in six troubles; yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee."
Strong consolation!How strong? Strongerthan the dread of wrath. Oh, what
a mountain is gone when the fear of hell is gone! Oh, what a load is removed
from the human spirit when the dread of the wrath to come is removed! And
it is removed from the man who has fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set
before him. Strong consolation!How strong? It is not only stronger than all

60. the afflictions of life, and strongerthan the dread of the wrath to come, but
strongerthan the fearof death. "The wickedis driven awayin his wickedness;
but the righteous hath hope in his death." Go and see the righteous die. Death
has come in at the window; laying his hand upon the heart; freezing up the
life-blood of the fountain. Deathis there; but Christ is there also. Death, the
last enemy, is there; but Christ, the Lord of life and glory, is there too. Death
is there as the servant; Christ as the Master. "I heard a voice from heaven
saying, Blessedare the dead that die in the Lord." Strong consolation!How
strong? Strongerthan all the terrors of the final judgment, than the
desolations ofuniversal nature.
(J. Beaumont, D. D.)
Flying for refuge
T. Manton, D. D.
The true heirs of promise, with whom God hath pawned His word and oath to
do them goodeternally, are such as have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the
hope set before them. In the description there are two parts, "flying for
refuge," and "taking hold of the hope setbefore them." The one relates to
their justification, or their first acceptationwith God in Christ, "Flying for
refuge";the other relates to their carriage afterjustification, "To take hold of
the hope setbefore them."
I. Forthe first branch — "Flying for refuge." It is an allusion to the cities of
refuge spokenof under the law.
1. That Christ is a believer's city of refuge, or the alone sanctuaryfor
distressedsouls.
2. It is the property of believers to fly to Christ for refuge. This flying may be
explained with analogyto the two terms of every motion, which are terminus
a quo and ad quem, from what we fly, and to what; and so we have the perfect
method which the Spirit observeth in bringing home souls to God. In this
flying to Christ as a city of refuge there is a driving and a drawing work;the

61. first belongs to the law, the secondto the gospel. The law driveth us out of
ourselves, and the gospeldraweth us, and bringeth us home to God.(1)Let us
speak of thy terminus a quo, the term from which we come, or-the driving
work;it is comprisedin these two things — a sense of sin, and a sense ofthe
wrath of God pursuing for sin.(2) Let us come to the terminus ad quem, from
what we c me to what; they run to Christ as their city of refuge.(a)It implies
earnestness, as in a case oflife and death. A dilatory trifling spirit shows we
are not touched at heart.(b) Running to the city of refuge implieth avoiding all
byways. A soulthat is rightly affectedcannot be satisfiedwith any other
thing; another place would not secure the man, nothing but the city of
refuge.(c)This running implies an unwearied diligence. The man was running
still till was gotteninto the city of refuge, for it was for his life; so we are
unwearied until we meet with Christ (Song of Solomon3:2).(d) When they are
got into their city of refuge, they stay there; having once takenhold of Christ,
they will not quit their holdfast for all the world.
II. For the secondbranch, "To lay hold upon the hope that is set before us,"
and you must repeatthe word "flying" or "running" again.
1. What is this hope? Hope is put for the thing hoped for, heaven with all the
glory thereof; for it is a hope "that lies within the veil (ver. 19), or a hope "laid
up for us in heaven" (Colossians 1:5). Mark the double end of him that
cometh unto Christ, refuge and salvation; for in Christ there is not only
deliverance from pursuing wrath, but eternal life to be found; first we fly
from deservedwrath, then we take hold of undeserved glory. This is more
easyof the two (Romans 5:10, 11).
2. Why is this hope said to be set before us?(1)To note the divine institution of
this reward; it is not devisedby ourselves, but appointed by God.(2) It is
proposedand set before us for our encouragement. As it is said of Christ
(chap. 12:2).(3) What is it to run to take hold of the hope setbefore us?
Sometimes it implieth a challenging it as ours; as 1 Timothy 6:19: "Thatthey
may lay hold on eternallife." Here it signifies holding fast, never to let this
hope go. It implieth diligence of pursuit, perseverance to the end, and all this
upon Christian encouragement.(a)Diligence in pursuit of eternallife in the
heirs of promise. It is expressedby working out our salvation, making it our

62. business (Philippians 2:12). When we will not be put off with anything else,
but have heavenor nothing, this is to seek heavenin goodearnest.(b)This
flying to take hold of the hope set before us imptorteth perseverance in well
doing, notwithstanding the difficulties in the way to heaven.(c)All this upon
Christian encouragements, forthe hope that is before them. A man may know
much of his spirit by what bears him up, and what is the comfort and solace of
his soul (Titus 2:13). Application —
1. Comfort to those that can apply it, even to those who are thus qualified,
that are driven and drawn to Christ, and then go on cheerfully with the work
of obedience, waiting for their inheritance in heaven.
2. Conviction. It showeththe hardness of their hearts who have neither felt the
law work nor the gospelwork, but remain like the smith's anvil, softened
neither with hammer nor with oil; neither driven by the threatenings of the
law, nor drawn with the glad tidings of salvation;neither John nor Jesus
workethon them. Of such Christ speaketh(Matthew 11:17).
3. To persuade you to this temper. Three sorts of people usually we speak to
—
(1)The carnalsecure.
(2)Those that are affectedwith their condition.
(3)Those that esteemChrist, and embrace Him. that own Him as ready and
willing to save sinners,
(T. Manton, D. D.)
Christ typified by the cities of refuge
J. Burns, D. D.
I. EVERY SINNER IS JUSTLY EXPOSED TO DEATH. Pursued by the
righteous avengerof blood, who will castthe wickedinto hell, with all the
nations that forgetGod.

63. II. GOD HATH APPOINTED JESUSAS THE REFUGE FOR
CONDEMNED SINNERS. He came that men might not perish, but have
everlasting life. He came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Now in
this He was strikingly typified by the cities of refuge.
1. In their number we are reminded of the sufficiency of Christ. There were
six of these cities. Doubtless amply sufficient for the caseswhichmight require
them. Jesus is the sufficient Saviour of all men. In Him is room for the whole
world. Merit, mercy, and willingness for every child of man.
2. In their diversified localities we see the accessibility of Christ. These cities
were placed in various parts of the land, so as to be near to every quarter, and
accessible to the inhabitants throughout. Here we see at once pointed out to us
the nearness ofChrist to every portion of the family of Adam.
3. In the spacious well-directedroads to the cities of refuge, we are reminded
of the free, full, and plain declarations of the gospelof Christ.
4. In the significationof the names of the cities we also perceive the glorious
excellencyof Christ. One of these cities was called"Kadesh," which signifies
"Holy." Jesus is the Holy One of God. He redeems and saves men to holiness.
Another was called"Shechem," whichsignifies "Shoulder," representing
Christ as bearing the sins and burdens of the sinner. Another was called
"Hebron," signifying "Fellowship." Thus Christ is the medium and ground of
fellowship betweenGod and men, and betweenthe whole body of believers. In
Christ we become the sons of God and members one of another. Another was
called"Bezer," whichsignifies a "Stronghold." Christ is often thus described.
He is our refuge, our fortress, and a stronghold in the day of trouble. In Him
we are more secure than if surrounded by a munition of rocks. Another of the
cities was called"Ramoth," which signifies "Exaltation." Jesus is the exalted
Son of God. The Prince of life. The Lord of glory. The name of the last city of
refuge was "Golan," which signifies "Exultation," or "Joy." Christ is the joy
and rejoicing of His people. His gospelis the messageofjoy. His kingdom is
not only righteousnessand peace, but joy in the Holy Ghost.
5. In the deliverance of the man-slayer we see typified the salvationwhich is in
Christ Jesus. Within the city he was safe. Now, by believing repentance, the

64. sinner flees to Christ, and becomes interestedin His all-extensive merit and
saving benefits. But he must be in Christ. And he must abide in Him (John
15:1-7). Thus he shall be delivered from presentcondemnation, and from
eternal death. In Christ is ample provision for his comfort, safer), and well-
being.Application:
1. We see the awful misery and peril of the carelesssinner.
2. The absolute necessityof repentance towards God and faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And how necessarythat this should be prompt and immediate.
3. How urgently should ministers make known the terrors of the Lord and
persuade men.
4. How happy are those who are delivered from the power of Satan, and have
been brought to enjoy the forgiving love of God. Within the city of refuge all
their interests are secure both for time and eternity.
(J. Burns, D. D.)
Laying hold of the hope
It is said that a traveller by night fell into a dry well. His cry for help attracted
a neighbour, who let down a rope and attempted to draw him up, but did not
succeedbecausethe rope kept slipping through the fallen man's hands. At
length the rescuer, suspecting that the fallen man's grip was feeble because of
his having something in his hand besides the rope, calledout to him, "Have
you something in your hands?" "Yes," replied the man at the bottom, "I have
a few precious parcels which I should like to save as wellas myself." When at
last he became willing to drop his parcels, there was muscular powerenough
in his arms to hold fast the rope till he was delivered. Are you seeking purity
of heart, and still finding yourself, day after day, in the horrible pit of
impurity, though the golden chain of salvation is loweredto you from above;
have you met something in, your hands? How about those precious parcels?
Have you dropped them all? Then lay bold on the hope that is setbefore thee,
and keephold till thy feet are on the re k, and songs ofdeliverance burst forth

65. from thy lips, and thy goings are henceforthestablishedin the highway of
holiness. Is that lastparcel too precious to be dropped? Well, say then, "I will
not give up my idol," and no longer dishonour Godby saying, "I cannot
believe."
Can you be safe too soon
J. Flavel.
Can you be safe too soon? Can you be happy too soon? Certainly, you cannot
be out of danger of hell too soon; and therefore why should not your closing
with Christ upon His own terms be your very next work? If the main business
of every man's life be to flee from the wrath to come, as indeed it is (Matthew
3:9), and to flee for refuge to Jesus Christ, as indeed it is (Hebrews 6:18), then
all delays are highly dangerous. The man-slayer, when fleeing to the city of
refuge before the avengerof blood, did not think he could reachthe city too
soon. Setyour reasonto work upon this matter; put the case as it really is: I
am fleeing from wrath to come;the justice of God and the curses ofthe law
are closelypursuing me; is it reasonable that I should sit down in the way to
gather flowers, orplay with trifles? for such are all other concerns in this
world, compared with our soul's salvation.
(J. Flavel.)
The only refuge
— "I have no hope in what I have been or done," said De. Doddridge, on "his
dying bed, "yet I am full of confidence;and this is my confidence:there is a
hope set before me. I have fled, I still fly, for refuge to that hope. In Him I
trust, in Him I have strong consolation, and shall assuredlybe acceptedin this
beloved of my soul."
Which hope we have

66. The Christian hope
LocalPreacher's Treasury.
I. "WHICH HOPE WE HAVE."
1. A living hope.
2. A blessedhope.
3. A goodhope.
4. A sustaining hope; takenhold of it; we feel it. Our faith seizes it. Our hearts
experience it.
II. WHAT THIS HOPE IS TO THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN HOLD OF IT.
1. It holds the soul, as an anchor holds the ship, from drifting before the wind
and currents of human opinions, personaldoubts, &c.
2. It holds the soulfrom sinking in despair, in the midst of its sorrows,
tribulations, and conflicts.
3. It is, therefore, a comfortto the soul to have this hope in times of trial and
sorrow.
4. It is "sure and steadfast." Nothing candestroy it.
III. THE OBJECT OF THIS HOPE. It is not anchoredin the uncertain and
shifting things of time and of earth, but takes hold of the eternal and heavenly.
1. Of the crownof righteousness which"fadeth not away."
2. Of the many mansions which Christ has gone to prepare for us.
3. Of the inheritance incorruptible, underfiled, &c.
4. And in due time this hope shall realize its respective
objects.CONCLUSION:
1. Rejoice in this hope.
2. Cherish this hope.

67. 3. Castit not away on any account.
(LocalPreacher's Treasury.)
Christian hope
J. M. Hoppin.
Hope is one of the noblest of the natural instincts. It is, as the poets say, the
sunshine of the mind. Like the old sun-dial of Saint Mark's at Venice, it marks
only the cloudless hours. It has a lifting powerwhich raises and carries life on.
The boy hopes to be a man, and you see, in his thoughtful moments, the
dignity and energy of a man, so that you say, "He will be a credit to his family.
He will conquer Silesia." The man looks through the years, bearing up Under
their burdens, to the honours and rest of old age. Old age, stript of all else,
ought at leastnot to live on the past, as is often said, but to be waiting in joyful
expectationof something better that is beyond. There is this quality of hope in
us which is the spring of our courage and of the capacityof recoveryfrom
disappointment and defeat. Prince Eugene was always more terrible in defeat
than in victory. Hope, "the nerve of life," as Thackeraycalls hope, without
which man would lose half his happiness and power, and power of growth,
making him "a man of hope and forward-looking mind even to the last," is
that which gives life its impetus; but which native quality, strong though it be,
ends in human nature and what it cando and compass. It is, like human
nature itself, a thing of earthly uncertainty whose grounds are evershifting;
while the hope which is spokenof in the New Testament, or that which may be
calledChristian hope — even if it use the beautiful natural instinct while
transforming it. into something spiritual — is a more enduring principle,
partaking of the eternal state of being. If we look at the reasons why Christian
hope, as distinguished from the natural or instinctive quality, is likened to an
anchor that enters into the veil and is sure and steadfast, the chief reason of it
we will find to be that it is a hope which is fixed upon God and His truth,
where alone is stability. God's being is that which "is," not that which
"becomes." Nothing canadd to or take from the perfect One in whom all
fulness dwells:though let us fairly understand that God is not unchangeable

68. in the sense that His nature is one of immovable hardness like a rock;for His
heart is touch,-d by the most delicate emotions that the purest spirit is capable
of feeling; but He is unchangeable in the immutability of those moral qualities
which form His characterand upon which the government of the world rests
secure. If we see the proofs of God's firmness in the unalterable operations of
His physical laws — a principle on which all science is founded — so we may
believe that the blessedpromises of God will come true, and that He who
brings forth the spring violets from under the snows of winter, rejoices to
bring out from the most ruggedand unpropitious circumstances the
blossoming of every hidden seedof hope; and the rugged circumstances form
a factorin the Divine plan. In God's wisdom misfortune is a blessing, and
compels men t, use their powers boldly, and to do things that they could not
possibly have done in prosperous times. And God does not desert a soul in
misfortune. When we seemto be entirely hemmed in He makes a way of
escape forthe soul. In the dear immensity of the Arabian desertwhere
nothing else grows you will find minute sand-flowers too small even for
fragrance, and yet that cheerthe wandererand say, "Up, heart, there is hope
for thee t " Another reasonwhy Christian hope has in it the principle of
stability is because it has a source of strength in the perfect characterof the
spiritual work which Jesus Christhas done for and in the soul. Notonly the
Divine, but even the human part of Christ's work, from His birth to His
resurrection, gives no signs of failure or imperfection. Christ became true
man that He might redeemman, and His human nature was that of one
"made perfectthrough suffering," approaching the cross with slow and
steady step. Christ went through what man goes through, or cango through,
touching every human part, relation. and need, preserving His obedience to
the end, doing all the will of the Father, and righteously triumphing for and in
weak humanity, and then, stretchedon the shameful tree, as He was about to
yield His spirit, could He cry with a loud voice, "It is finished!" An offering
for human sin was made by that strong and tender love, and nothing was
incomplete. As even the clothes in the sepulchre were rolled up and laid by
themselves when Christ arose, nothing was left undone. The resurrectionof
Jesus from the dead is the confirmation, and, as it were, celestialtouch, or
crown, put on Christian hope, that carries it across the confines of death into
the worlds beyond. Christian hope may be seento be something sure and

69. stable in its nature, lastly, because as a matter of experience there is a strong
and indestructible expectationthe fruit of the spirit of Christ, which is awaked
m the Christian soul and the Christian church, and has always beenso in
every age and every believing mind. There is nothing more inspiring in the
study of history than to trace the beginnings of this new hope in Christian
civilisation, and its ennobling influence in public morals, law, and
government, the treatment of oppressedclasses,the socialelevationof woman,
the higher uses of property, in art, science,literature, politics, and every phase
of human life, forming the spring of progress, and having in it a certain
faculty of prophecy, in which, as a German writer says, "the longing heart
goes forth to meet beforehand greatand new creations and hastens to
anticipate the mighty future"; above all, making the soul invincible to evil,
come in whatever shape it may, in poverty, old age, sickness,prison, wreck,
war. the contempt of the world and the violence of active persecution; or
whether it come in the more hidden trials and struggles ofthe spirit. There
can be no delusion here. There is a hope which comes into the mind, however
inexplicable, which was not there before — a new instinct of a new nature. It
is, as the Scriptures call it, "a living hope," — an active principle working by
love and purifying the heart. "He that believeth hath the witness in himself;"
for it is faith in eternal things which is at the bottom of this hope, and it is the
outcome of a new spiritual life within. He who has this hope enjoys a
communion with the Divine. He wins the blessedunity which is in God. A "
new marvellous light" arises in him and spreads through his being. There is a
letting in of the love of God to the soul which expels its gloom and selfishness;
and selfishness must be pressedout of true hope. Such pleasure experienced
here in God, such openings of the soul into His love, must look forward at
some time to a blissful enjoyment of Him — to the greatvision of God and His
eternal peace. It is this simple fact which makes Christianity, notwithstanding
its solemn truths, a cheerful religion, and which gives it a quality of joy that
fills it with a perpetual sunshine. In the apostolic church this awokethe voice
of song and brought to the world the life of a new blossoming springtime rich
in its promise of greatthings — its true golden age, notpast but present and
to come. This hope of the Christian, then, is a greathope. a bright, clear, and
steady hope, surpassing all the vague desires of the natural heart, beautiful as
the poetry of the heart sometimes makes these to appear-yetearthly and

70. evanescent, like the painted clouds that pie up in the westernskyof a
summer's sunset turning ashy and deathly pale when the light fades out of
them. But the "things hoped for" are too fair, too high, too pure, even to be
conceived. The prayer, indeed, of thin hope is not for a life without trials, but,
with the apostle, the believer would fight that he might win; he would endure
self-denial that he might rise above the sensualinto the spiritual; and while
the hope sustains and cheers, he would also "know Christ " and the fellowship
of His sufferings, and sound the depths of Christ's holy life and perfect
victory. Is your hope thus ,veil-grounded? When the storm comes, does the
anchor hold? When a strong and unexpected temptation fall- like a sudden
blast on you, does the anchor hold? In the face of real affliction — of death —
would it hold? Does your hope take hold of the unchangeable love of God? If
so. when tempted, "rejoice, andshow the same diligence, with the full
assurance ofhope unto the end." Armed with a hope which has in it this sure
promise, go forth to a life of goodness.Expectto achieve greatthings.
(J. M. Hoppin.)
Christian hope
W. B. Leach.
II. WHAT IS ITS OBJECT?Onwhat is this hope supremely fixed? "Upon
that which is within the veil." Yes, it is attractedy the glory which is
afterwards to be revealedby the fulness of grace, which is to come unto us at
the revelationof Jesus Christ, the "far more exceeding and eternalweight of
glory," which eye hath not seen," but which will burst upon our enraptured
souls when we awake up in the Divine likeness atthe resurrectionmorn. O
what a sublime anticipation! — The perfectionof the soul in happiness, which
in this world is so limited and interrupted — the perfection of the soul in
purity, which is now only attained in part, because "the flesh lusteth against
the spirit, and we cannotdo the things that we would" — the perfectionof the
soul in knowledge, whichhere is so contracted, intercepted, acquired with so
much difficulty, and so soonforgotten by the weaknessofmemory and the
infirmities of age — the perfection of the soul in holy love, which on earth is so

71. faint, cold, and beak — the unveiled vision of God and the Lamb — intimate
and everlasting communion with the Great Jehovah. Again, we say, what a
sublime anticipation! How elevating — how expanding — how purifying —
how cheering — how attractive! Compare it with the hope of the worldling,
whose portion is only in this life, and consists ofhouses arid lands, silver and
gold, titles and emoluments — compare it with the hope of the sensualist, who
fares sumptuously every day, and cries, "Whatshall we eat, what shall we
drink, and wherewithalshall we be clothed? " whilst his soul is unfed by the
bread of life, untaught by the Spirit of God. Compare it with the hope of the
ambitious, whose greatobjectis to rise upon the scale ofpopularity.
II. WHAT IS YOUR AUTHORITY FOR CHERISHING THIS PLEASING
ANTICIPATION? ON WHAT DOES YOUR HOPE BEST? Notupon your
own merits, howeveramiable your temper, moral your conduct, charitable
your actions, and just and uniform your dealings;nor is it founded upon the
mercy of God unconnectedwith the doctrine of the Atonement, and the work
of the Holy Spirit upon the heart. The believer's hope rests exclusively and
entirely, as you will find in the context, upon "the two immutable things," the
oath and promise of God relating to the sufferings and death of His beloved
Son, as the only sacrifice for sin, and the strong consolationwhichis derivable
from a humble dependence upon His merits and love.
1. The word and covenant of God are the charter of our hopes, which we are
permitted to plead, saying, "RememberThy word unto Thy servant upon
which Thou hast causedme to hope"; recollecting that"whatsoeverthings
were written aforetime, were for our instruction, that we, through patience
and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope."
2. The finished work of Christ is the support and security of our hope; " as the
law made nothing perfect, it was merely a shadow of goodthings to come, but
the bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh unto God."
3. Our union with the Saviour, and the renewalof our soul by the converting
grace ofthe Holy Ghost, are the evidence and the sanctionof our hope, as
"Christ is in us the hope of glory," and, by the witnessing of the Spirit, "we

72. know what is the hope of our calling," and enjoy "the full assurance ofhope
unto the end."
III. THE BENEFITS WHICHRESULT FROM THIS DESIRABLE STATE
OF MIND. "IT IS LIKE AN ANCHOR TO THE SOUL, BOTHSURE AND
STEADFAST."Here a state of trial and exposure is implied. The soul, by this
nautical phraseology, is compared to a vesselfloating upon the uncertain and
perpetually-changing surface of the ocean, where an anchor is indispensable
to its safety. On what does the hope of a newly-awakenedsinnerrest? On
what is the anchorof a believing penitent cast?
1. On the free mercy of the blessedGod"who desireth not the death of a
sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickednessand live."
2. It rests upon the efficacyof the Saviour's blood, which is unto all and upon
all them that believe; which is the price of our redemption — the purchase of
our acceptance — the ratification of our place, and the balm of our
consolation.
3. The invitations of the gospelare also the sanction of a penitent sinner's
hope. These are the warblings of mercy's trumpet, the proclamation of
redeeming love.
4. Norcan we omit. to notice the encouragementwhich the pleasing change
produced in the sinner's mind affords to the energies ofevangelicalhope.
Thus assuredof his safety, he spreads his sails — launches forth and speeds
his waytowards the promised land, the better country, favoured with the
superintendence of the Saviour as his pilot, the Word of God as his chart and
his compass, andhope as his anchor. At length after many a storm and
struggle, the believer reaches the peacefulport of everlasting bliss. Then,
again, his hope, as an anchor to the soul, is most valuable. He is now waiting
for the signalto disembark and to land upon the better country. He therefore
resembles Paul, who, having " fought a goodfight," finished his course and
kept the faith, said, "I am now ready to be offered up, and the time of my
departure is at hand." "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that
He is able to keep," &c.

73. IV. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS HOPE.
1. This will appear if you reflecton the insufficiency of all things here below to
satisfy the immortal soul and render it happy.
2. Your peace and comfort depend in a greatdegree upon the possessionofan
evangelicalhope.
3. The possessionofthe blessing in question is indispensable from the
uncertainty of life, only during the limited span of which can the hope of glory
be obtained.
4. And, finally, the satisfactionand comfort of your friends who may survive
you are involved in your possessing a goodhope.
(W. B. Leach.)
The hope of the believer -- "sure and stedfast
W. Brock.
I. THAT THE HOPE OF THE CHRISTIAN MAN IS A SPECIFIC AND
WELL DEFINED HOPE — a hope about which he cangive an answer — a
hope which he can trace to its origin, and the operations of which he is able, in
some measure, to explain. This may be seenby the use made of the word
"which," in the passagebefore us. The idea seems to be that these men, when
awakenedby the powerof the Holy Ghostto a sense of their personaldanger,
look about them for some place of deliverance to which they may run and be
secure. And the apostle says that for men in that condition, there is a hope set
before them in the gospel, that is accessible to them: and there is the voice of
mercy bidding them fly from the wrath ,o come;and the men here spokenof
have hearkenedto that vice. They have availed themselves of that provision,
they have run there-unto, and they are saved.
II. THAT THIS HOPE, DERIVED FROM CHRIST, RELATES TO A
CONDITION OF BLESSEDNESS— it entereth into that which is within the
veil. Now who can tell us what there is within the veil? Who can conceive what

74. it is to have Christ entered in amongstthese things withing the veil, as our
Forerunner and Representative?Jesus Christ, as our Forerunner, has
removed the obstaclesout of our way, and made all the necessary
preparations for our safe departure from that which is seenand temporal to
that which is unseen and eternal. "I go," He says, "to prepare a place for you,
but I come againto take you to Myself, that where I am, there ye may be
also." All this is going on at this moment. His heart is towards you, His
occupationis about you, and thus it is from hour to hour. In the multitude of
your thoughts, then, you may rejoice that you are raisedup togetherwith
Christ, made to sit togetherin heavenly places with Christ; and that be, use
He lives you live also.
III. THAT THIS HOPE ACTS AS AN ANCHOR TO THE SOUL. It is not
mere sentimentalism, but, as hinted in our text, a thing of the most powerful
efficacy, without which men, in this world, could not live. It is calledthe
"anchorof the soul." This leads us to think of the sea, of storms and tempests,
and of some gallant vesselwhich, in order to be saved from the storm, must
have all the appliances of deliverance, safety, and defence. Have you never
seensuch a vesselwhensuddenly a storm has come down upon her, and she
has been unable to getout to sea? Theythen let go the anchor, as the only
hope, the sole remaining chance of escape. Suppose the anchor drags, what
then? Suppose it parts from the cable which unites it to the ship? Suppose the
anchor breaks? The doom of the ship is sealed;for the anchor is everything;
and this hope, which is so beautifully comparedto the anchor, is everything to
the Christian. Your trials and perplexities are not only like a storm, but as a
storm from which you cannotget away. You cannot run before it. You cannot
take advantage of a wider berth by getting out to sea. There is no alternative:
you must "ride it out." What would you do under such circumstances but for
your hope that you have an interest in the. great salvation? Whatcould you do
without it? I do not wonder that the Bible calls it a "living," "blessed," and
"glorious hope." How often have you and I been savedfrom making
shipwreck, thus far, of our professionand consistency by reverting yet once
more to the everlasting covenantwhich "is ordered in all things and sure!"
IV. THAT THIS ANCHOR TO YOUR SOUL WILL NEVER FAIL. It is
"sure and stedfast." Look atthese two words: the word " sure" refers to hope

75. itself, and the word "stedfast" to that which the hope relates to. Hence, then,
we have the anchor, and the anchorage.The hope of the goodman, in itself
considered, is sure; no matter what the strain upon it, it is strong and
infrangible. It was originatedby the "Godof Hope";it is sustainedand
guarded by Him; and therefore it cannotbe broken. It is a sure thing. We
have heard men say, "Whatshall we do in an extremity like this?" But the
answeris explicit enough— "My grace is sufficient for thee";and the hope
which is of God's own implantation, is a hope which will never fail. It is, in
itself considered, inviolable and indestructible. God createdit, and He will
take care that it shall never be destroyed; we will therefore rejoice in it. But,
moreover, it is not only "sure," it is also "stedfast." The former, as I have
said, referred to the anchor itself, this latter relatedto the anchorage.
"Steadfast,"i.e., it has laid hold of that which will not let go. This seems to
have been the apostle's thought. An anchor, you know, although it may not
break, may drag. Its material and constructionmay be the very best, still
there may be nothing like a tenacious bottom in which to embed itself. There
may be none of the "bars of the earth," as Jonahcalls them, upon which it
may gethold; and therefore in the extremity — at the very crisis — their
doom is sealedfor want of anchorage!Now the anchorage ofyour hope will
never let the anchor drag. If I were askedwhatthis anchorage is I should say
it has laid hold of the " exceeding greatand precious promises, which are all
yea and amen in Christ Jesus." It has laid hold of the everlasting covenant
which "is ordered in all things and sure." It has laid hold of the Rock ofAges.
It has laid hold of the "two immutable things by which God sware and cannot
lie." It has laid hold of the foundation of God which standeth "sure," and
againstwhich" the gates ofhell shall not prevail." It has entered into that
which is within the veil, and embedded itself deep down into the Divine
purposes, and enwrapped itself around the Divine all-sufficiency, and taken
hold — with its firm, broad, seven-fold gigantic grasp-ofthe great high
throne, which is from everlasting — the throne of God and of the Lamb, and
that throne itself must drag ere your anchor will come home
(W. Brock.)

76. Hope something more than faith
F. B. Meyer, B. A.
Faith accepts and credits testimony; hope anticipates. Faith says the fruit is
good;hope picks and ears. Faith is bud; hope blossom. Faith presents the
cheque; hope lays out the amount received. And such hope is the anchor of the
soul. The comparisonbetweenhope and an anchoris familiar even to heathen
writers, and it is easyto see how fit it is. It steadies the soul. Take an
illustration from common life: A young man pledges his troth to a poor but
noble girl. He is draughted for foreign service, and says farewellfor long ,
ears. Meanwhile she is left to do as wellas she can to maintain herself. Work
is scanty, wages low, she is sometimes severelytempted and tried. But, amidst
all, she is kept true to her absent lover, and to her nobler self, by the little
strand of hope which links her to a happy and united future. So, when
suffering, or tempted, or discouraged, our hope goes forwardinto the blessed
future, depicted on the page of Scripture in glowing colours, and promised by
the word of Him who cannotlie; and the anticipation of it fills the soul with
courage and patience, so as to endure the trials of thee, in view of the certain
blessednessofeternity.
(F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
An anchorof the soul.
Our anchor within the veil
C. Stanford, D. D.
I. Our hope, we are here told, is "As AN ANCHOR OF THE SOUL" To the
imagination of the writer, life is a sea, the soulis a ship, and hope is the
anchor of the soul. It was not the first time that this emblem had been thus
poeticallyapplied. He had seenit in the Hebrew Writings which he had read
at the feetof Gamaliel;in the course of his Greek studies, he had possibly met
with the sayings of Socrates — "To ground hope on a false supposition is like
trusting to a weak anchor." "A ship ought not to trust to one anchor, nor life

77. to one hope." He had heard the Romans, in proverbial phrase, call a man's
last desperate hope, Anchors sacra. Finding this metaphor in the service of
common life, he baptized it, quickenedit with a new meaning, and pressedit
into the service of God, employing it to show the superiority of the Christian's
hope to the hope of any other man.
II. Our hope, it is further said, ENTERETHINTO THAT WITHIN THE
VEIL." The idea appears to be this: — h ship shatteredwith" the battle and
the breeze," atlength gets near the port; but owing to the shallow waters, or
the sweeping tempest, or the temporary prohibition of the authorities on
shore, she is not permitted at once to enter the harbour. The sailors then
heave out the sheet-anchor, and by means of the boat it is carried within the
royal ,lock;and though the ship cannot herselfget in, she is thus prevented
from being drifted awayinto the deep sea. To enterinto that within the veil, is
to enter within the harbour of eternalrepose — this may not at present be
permitted, bat we may castour anchorthere, and meanwhile wait in safety
here. To convey the whole of the idea which the apostle has in view, two
images are combined. Let us forget the nautical allusion, and think only on the
image which is borrowedfrom the Temple. "The veil" is that which divides
earth and heaven; and our anchor "enterethinto that which is within the
veil."
1. The words "within the veil" suggestthe mysteriousness ofheaven to the
inhabitants of earth. It is natural that those who are on their way to the
heavenly country should make it the frequent theme of conjecturalthought.
But, after all, heaven will be a secretus until we die. "My chief conceptionof
heaven," said RobertHall to Wilberforce, "is rest." "Mine," replied
Wilberforce, "is love." Perhaps both conceptions are true, and union of
perfect love wits perfect rest conveys our best idea of heaven, considered
simply as a state. But what is the manner of existence there, and what is the
true physical theory of another life? How shall we see without these eyes, hear
without these ears, actwithout this material instrument of being? What are
the visions, the emotions, the specific employments of heaven? Where and
what is the regionitself? Is it a star? Is it a sun? These questions are
unansweredand unanswerable. The gospelis sent to show the wayto glory,
and not what that glory is. "The Holy Spirit teachethhow we may reach

78. heaven, and not how heavenmoves." In answerto all our questions respecting
its nature, the Saviour replies, "What is that to thee? follow thou Me."
2. The nearness of heaven is suggestedby the epithet "veil." Christians, there
is only a veil betweenus and heaven! A veil is the thinnest and frailest of all
conceivable partitions The veil that concealsheavenis only our embodied
existence, and though fearfully and wonderfully made, it is only wrought out
of our frail mortality. So slight is it, that the puncture of a thorn, the touch of
an insect's sting, the breath of an infected atmosphere, may make it shake and
fall.
3. The glory of heaven is suggestedby the expression" within the veil." What
was within the veil of the Hebrew Temple? Not the ark, not the censer, not the
rod that budded, not one of these things apart, nor all combined, made the
glory of the place, but its true glory was the mystic light that shone above the
mercy-seat, and symbolised the presence of" the GreatKing." In like
manner, the manifested presence ofGod, and that alone, is the true glory of
heaven.
4. The holiness of heavenis here suggested. Within the inner veil was the
"Holiestof all." All the Temple was holy, but this was "the Holy of Holies." It
was a perpetual memorial of the fact that heaven is a place of exquisite and
awful purity.
III. Our hope, entering within the veil, depends on the life of Jesus there.
"WHITHER THE FORERUNNERIS FOR US ENTERED, EVENJJESUS."
The forerunner of the ancient ship was the Anchorarius, the man who had
charge of the anchor, and who carried it within the harbour, when there was
not yet watersufficient to float the ship into it. In a spiritual sense, the
forerunner of the worshipping Israelites was the high priest, who, taking with
him the symbols of sacrifice, enteredwithin the veil on their behalf. The
forerunner of a band of pilgrims is one who precedes them to the place of
destination, to give notice of their approach, to take possessionin their name,
and to prepare for their arrival.
1. The sense in which Christ sustains the office of forerunner in relation to the
millions who are hastening to the world of light within the veil. He is the

79. SovereignProprietorof heaven; He is the very glory of the place; yet He is
thee leading "not a life of glory only, but a life of office." His perpetual
presence there is the perpetual argument for our salvation. He is There to
complete the removal of every impediment to the entrance of His followers;
there as the sublime guarantee that we shall be there.
2. You are also taught by these metaphors to see how entirely your hope is
identified with faith. Many a person will tell you that he hopes, only because
he does not venture to say that he believes. Hope is thought to be something
less decisive than faith; to imply a lower grade of Christian attainment, a
weakertone of spiritual life, or perhaps an uncertainty as to whether we feel
even the first stirs and the faintestindications of that life. But hope, instead of
involving less grace than faith, does, in reality, involve more. Faith — healthy
faith — faith with a keeneye, a strong hand, and an unfaltering voice;faith
that can say, "I know whom I have believed, and who has the charge of my
anchor";such faith as this must be in existence before you can have "a hope
that maketh not ashamed."
IV. Our hope is an anchorof the soul which has peculiar recommendations. It
is "BOTHSURE AND STEADFAST.''
1. The term "sure" seems to refer to the reliable nature of the anchoritself. It
is not constructedof doubtful materials; its cable will not snap in the tempest;
no stress or strain upon it, and no resisting force will drag it from its
anchorage. The term "steadfast"seems to refer to the use of the anchor. An
anchor is that which keeps the ship steadfast. While waiting on this
fluctuating sea of life, a hope in Christ will keepyou safe amidst all peril, and
fixed amidst all change.
2. You will be steadfastin the calms of life. Amidst all brightness here, hope
for something brighter there; amidst all earthly good, hope for a better and
enduring substance;"setyour affections on things above, where Christ sitteth
on the right hand of God"; and through the powers of the world to come,
earth will be disenchanted, the spirit will be kept upon its guard, and your
faith will be "steadfast"to the end.

80. 3. You will be steadfastamidstthe storms of life. There are storms of carp,
storms of conscience, storms oftemptation; and all thoughtful natures know
that the wildest storms that everrage are those which are felt within, to which
there are no human witnesses,and which sometimes spend their fury when all
without seems placid and delightful. What deep Christian thinker has not
sometime been nearly overwhelmedin waves ofmental perplexity? What
lonely wrestlerin prayer is there who has not sometimes cried, "Deepcalleth
unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts:all Thy waves and billows are gone
over me? " But if in such hours of dark tempest we can retain the conviction,
howeverfaint, that He who presides amidst the glories of heaven is our own
Redeemer, that He still holds us with His mighty power and will not let us go,
we shall survive the crisis;our ship, shattered though it be, will never
founder; in the very rush and agonyof waters we shall patiently hope on.
(C. Stanford, D. D.)
The anchor
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. First, let me call your attention to THE DESIGN OF THE ANCHOR of
which our text speaks.The designof an anchor, of course, is to hold the vessel
firmly to one place when winds and currents would otherwise remove it. God
has given us certain truths, which are intended to hold our minds fast to truth,
holiness, perseverance — in a word, to hold us to Himself. But why hold the
vessel?
1. The first answerwhich would suggestitselfwould be, To keepit from being
wrecked. If every wind of doctrine whirled you about at its will you would
soonbe drifted far awayfrom the truth as it is in Jesus, and concerning it you
would make shipwreck;but you costyour Lord too dear for Him to lose you,
to see you broken to pieces on the rocks;therefore He has provided for you a
glorious holdfast, that when Satan's temptations, your own corruptions, and
the trials of the world assailyou, hope may be the anchor of your soul, both
sure and steadfast.

81. 2. An anchor is also wanted to keepa vesselfrom discomfort, for even if it be
not wreckedit would be a wretchedthing to be driven hither and thither, to
the north and then to the south, as winds may shift. There are solid and sure
truths infallibly certified to us, which operate powerfully upon the mind so as
to prevent its being harassedand dismayed. The text speaks of" strong
consolation."Is not that a glorious word — we have not merely consolation
which will hold us fast and bear us up againstthe tempest in times of trouble,
but strong consolationso that when affliction bursts forth with unusual
strength, like a furious tornado, the strong consolation, like a sheet-anchor,
may be more than a match for the strong temptation, and may enable us to
triumph over all. Very restful is that man who is very believing.
3. An anchor is wanted, too, to preserve us Item losing the headway which we
have made. Those who know anything experimentally about Divine things
have casttheir anchor down, and as they heard the chain running out, they
joyfully said, "This I know, and have believed. In this truth I stand fastand
immovable. Blow, winds, y-u will never move me from this anchorage;
whatsoeverI have attained by the teaching of the Spirit, I will hold fast as
long as I live."
4. Moreover, the anchor is needed that we may possessconstancyand
usefulness. The man who is easilymoved, and believeth this to-day and that
to-morrow, is a fickle creature. Who knows where to find him?
II. Secondly, I invite you to considerTHE MAKE OF THE ANCHOR —
"Thatby two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we
might have a strong consolation."Anchor-making is very important work.
The anchor-smith has a very responsible business, for if he makes his anchor
badly, or of weak material, woe to the shipmaster when the storm comes on. If
anything in this world should be strong it should be an anchor, for upon it
safetyand life often depend. What is our anchor? It is made of two Divine
things. The one is "God's promise, a sure and stable thing indeed. To this sure
word is added another Divine thing, namely, God's oath. Conceive the
majesty, the awe, the certainty of this! Here, then, are two Divine assurances,
which, like the flukes of the anchor, hold us fast. We have for our anchor two
things, which, in addition to their being Divine, are expresslysaid to be

82. immutable — that is, two things which cannot change. When the Lord utters a
promise He never runs back from it — "the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance." Notice nextof these two things that it is said —
"Wherein it is impossible for God to lie." It is inconsistentwith the very idea
and thought of God that He should be a liar. A lying God would be a solecism
in language, a self-evident contradiction. But now, what is this promise, and
what is this oath? The promise is the promise given to Abraham that his seed
should be blessed, and in this seedshould all nations of the earth be blessed
also. To whom was this promise made? Who are the "seed"?To Christ
Himself, and to all who are in Christ, is the covenantmade sure, that the Lord
will bless them for ever and make them blessings. And what is the oath? That
may refer to the oath which the Lord sware to Abraham after the patriarch
had offeredup his son, for which see the twenty-secondchapterof Genesis:
but I think you will agree with me if I say it more probably refers to the oath
recordedin the one hundred and tenth Psalm, which I would have you notice
very carefully — "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a
priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."I think this is referred to,
because the twentieth verse of our text goes onto say, "Whither the
Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priestfor ever after
the order of Melchizedek." Now Iwant you to see this anchor. Here is one of
its holdfasts — God has promised to bless the faithful, He has declared that
the seedof Abraham, namely, believers, shall be blessed, and made a blessing.
Then comes the other arm of the anchor, which is equally strong to hold the
soul, namely, the oathof the priesthood, by which the Lord Jesus is declared
to be a priest for ever on our behalf; not an ordinary priest after the manner
of Aaron, beginning and ending a temporary priesthood, but without
beginning of days or end of years, living on for ever; a priest who has finished
his sacrificialwork, has gone in within the veil, and sits down for ever at the
right hand of God, because His work is complete, and His priesthood abides in
its eternal efficacy. What better anchor could the ComforterHimself devise
for His people? What strongerconsolationcanthe heirs of promise desire?
III. OUR HOLD OF THE ANCHOR. It would be of no use for us to have an
anchor, howevergood, unless we had a hold of it. The anchormay be sure,
and may have a steadfastgrip, but there must be a strong cable to connectthe

83. anchor with the ship. Formerly it was very generalto use a hempen cable, but
large vessels are not content to run the risk of breakage, andtherefore they
use a chain cable for the anchor. It is a grand thing to have a solid substantial
connectionbetweenyour soul and your hope; to have a confidence which is
surely your own, from which you ,'an never be separated. Our text speaks
plainly about this laying hold of the anchor in the end of the 18th verse —
"Thatwe might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope setbefore us." We must personallylay hold on the hope;
there is the hope, but we are bound to graspit and hold it fast. As with an
anchor, the cable must pass through the ring, and so be bound to it, so must
faith lay hold upon the hope of eternallife. "Well," saith one, "but may we lay
bold upon it?" My answeris, the text says it is " set before us," — to "'lay
hold of the hope setbefore us." You may graspit, for it is setbefore yon. Now,
notice that our hold on the anchor should be a present thing and a conscious
matter, for we read, "which hope we have." We are conscious that we have it.
No one among us has any right to be at peace if he does not know that he has
obtained a goodhope through grace. Mayyou all be able to say, "which hope
we have." As it is well to have a cable made of the same metal as the anchor,
so it is a blessedthing when our faith is of the same Divine characteras the
truth upon which it lays hold: it needs a God-given hope on our part to seize
the God-givenpromise of which our hope is made. The right mode of
procedure is to graspGod's promise with a God-createdconfidence:then you
see that right away down from the vesselto the anchorthe holdfast is all of a
piece, so that at every point it is equally adapted to bear the strain.
IV. Fourthly, let us speak ofTHE ANCHOR'S HOLD OF US. A ship has hold
upon her anchorby her chain cable, but at the same time the most important
thing is that the anchorkeeps its hold upon the ship; and so, b, cause it has
entered into the ground of the sea bottom, holds the vesselhard and fast. Do
you know anything about your hope holding yon? It. will hold you if it is a
goodhope; you will not be able to getaway from it, but under temptation a, d
depressionof spirit, end under trial and affliction, you will not only hold your
hope — that is your duty, but your hope will hold you — that is your
privilege. How is it that our Divine anchor holds so fast? It is because it is in
its own nature sure — "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both

84. sure and steadfast."It is in itself sure as to its nature. The gospelis no
cunningly devisedfable: God has spokenit, it is a mass of fact, it is pure,
unalloyed truth, with the broad sealof God Himself set upon it. Then, too, this
anchor is "steadfast"as to its hold, it never moves from its lodgment. It is sure
in its nature, and steadfastwhenin use, and thus it is practically safe. The
result of the use of this anchorwill be very comfortable to you. "Which hope
ye have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast."I may sayto every
believer in Jesus, that his condition is very like that of the landsman on board
ship when the sea was ratherrough, and he said, "Captain, we are in great
danger, are we not?" As an answerdid not come, he said, "Captain, don't you
see greatfear?" Thenthe old seamangruffly replied, "Yes, I see plenty of
fear, but not a bit of danger." It is often so with us; when the winds are out
and the storms are raging there is plenty of fear, but there is no danger. We
may be much tossed, but we are quite safe, for we have an anchor of the soul
both sure and steadfast, whichwill not start. One blessedthing is that our
hope has such a grip of us that we know it. In a vesselyou feelthe pull of the
anchor, and the more the wind rages the more you feel that the anchor holds
you. Like the boy with his kite; the kite is up in the clouds, where he cannot
see it, but he knows it is there, for he feels it pull; so our goodhope has gone
up to heaven, and it is pulling and drawing us towards itself.
V. And now, lastly, and best of all, THE ANCHOR'S UNSEEN GRIP, "which
entereth into that within the veil." Our anchor is like every other, when it is of
any use it is out of sight. When a man sees the anchor it is doing nothing,
unless it happen to be some small stream anchor or grapnel in shallow water.
When the anchor is of use it is gone:there it went overboard with a splash; far
down there, all among the fish, lies the iron holdfast, quite out of sight. Where
is your hope, brother? Do you believe because you cansee? Thatis not
believing at all. Do you believe because you can feel? That is feeling, it is not
believing. But "Blessedis he that hath not seenand yet hath believed." Albeit
our anchoris gone out of sight, yet thank God it has takena very firm grip,
and "enteredinto that which is within the veil." What hold can be equal to
that which a man hath upon his God when he can cry, "Thou hast promised,
therefore do as Thou hast said"? Note next, that when an anchorhas a good
grip down below, the more the ship drags the tighter its hold becomes. At

85. first, when the anchor goes down, perhaps, it drops upon a hard rock, and
there it cannot bite, but by and by it slips off from the rock and enters into the
bottom of the sea;it digs into the soil, and, as the cable draws it on, the fluke
goes deeperand deeper till the anchor almostburies itself, and the more it is
pulled upon the deeper it descends. The anchorgets such a hold at last that it
seems to say, "Now, Boreas, blow away, you must tear up the floor of the sea
before the vesselshallbe let go." Times of trouble send our hope deep down
into fundamental truths. The text concludes with this very sweetreflection,
that though our hope is out of sight we have a friend in the unseen land where
our hope has found its hold. In anxious moments a sailor might almost wish
that he could go with his anchor and fix it firmly. That he cannotdo, but we
have a friend who has gone to see to everything for us. Our anchor is within
the veil, it is where we cannot see it, but Jesus is there, and our hope is
inseparably connectedwith His person and work. Our Lord Jesus by His
intercessionis drawing us to heaven, and we have only to waita little while
and we shall be with Him where He is. He pleads for our home-bringing, and
it will come to pass ere long. No sailorlikes his anchor to come home, for if it
does so in a storm matters look very ugly; our anchor will never come home,
but it is drawing us home; it is drawing us to itself, not downwards beneath
devouring waves, but upwards to ecstatic joys.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
The anchorof the soul
W. Arnot.
In many respects the world, and human life on it, are like the sea. Itself
restless, itcannot permit to rest any of the pilgrims that tread its heaving,
shilling surface. At some times, and in some places, greattempests rise;but
even in its ordinary condition it is always and everywhere uncertain,
deceptive, dangerous. Currents of air and currents of oceanintermingle with
and cross eachotherin endless and unknown complications, bringing even the
most skilful mariner to his will end — making him afraid either to stand still
or to advance. On this heaving sea we must all lie. The soul is tossedby many

86. temptations; but the anchorof the soul is sure and steadfastwithin the veil.
Without are fightings, within are fears, all these are againstus; but one thing
will overbalance and overcome them, "Our life is hid with Christ in God."
Hope sometimes signifies the act of a human spirit laying hold of an unseen
object, and sometimes the ,objectunseen whereonthe human spirit in its need
lays hold. These two significations may be combined together:they are so
combined here. "The hope set us" is Christ entered for us now within the veil;
and the hope that "we have" is the exercise ofa believing soulwhen it trusts
in the risen Redeemer. These two cannotbe separated. The one is the grasp
which a believing soul takes ofChrist, and the other is the Christ whom a
believing soul is grassing. The anchormust not be caston anything that floats
on the water, howeverlarge and solid it may seem. The largestthing that
floats is an iceberg. But although an iceberg does not shake like a ship, but
seems to receive the waves and permit them to break on its sides as they break
on the shore, it would be ruin to anchor the ship to it. The largerand the less
would drift the same way and perish together. Ah, this statelyChurch, this
high-seeming ecclesiasticalorganisation, woe to the human spirit that is
tempted in the tossing to make fast to that greatimposing mass! It is not sure
and steadfast. It is floating: it moves with the current of the world: it moves to
an awful shore. Notthere, not there I Your hope, when you stretchit out and
tip for eternal life, must enter "into that within the veil, whither the
Forerunner is for us entered." Nor will it avail a drifting ship to fix its anchor
on itself. Hope must go out for a hold, even as the ship's anchormust be flung
awayfrom the ship. 'l he eye is made for looking with, not for looking at.
Away from all in ourselves, and out through all that floats like ourselves on
this shifting sea, we must throw the anchor of the soul through the shifting
waters into Him who holds them in the hollow of His hand. Mark, further,
that hope in Christ is specificallythe anchor of the soul. There is no anchor
that will make our temporal possessions fast. Wealthand friends, and even
life, may drift awayany day on the flood, and no poweron earth canarrest
the movement. These bodily things may or may not abide with a Christian,
but his anchor does not hold them. It is only an anchorof the soul, not an
anchor of the body. We must not expectfrom the Lord what He never
promised. There are contrivances not a few in our day for fixing material
property, so that it shall not drift awayin the currents of time. The system of

87. assurancesboth on life and property has reachedan enormous magnitude.
Taking up the obvious analogyemployed in this scripture, one of the
insurance societies has adoptedthe anchoras its name. But the action of these
anchors is limited to things seenand temporal. They cannot be constructedso
as to catchand keepany spiritual thing. They may hold fast a wife's fortune,
when the life of the bread-winner falls in, but they cannot maintain joy in her
heart, or kindle light in her eye. Farless can they insure againstthe shipwreck
of the soul. Only one anchor cangrasp and hold the better part of man — and
that is the hope which enters into the heavens and fastens there in Jesus. The
anchor — in so far as it indicates the object which hope grasps — the anchor
is "sure and steadfast." The expressions are exactand full; the words are
tried words; they are given in order that we might have strong consolation
who have fled for refuge to the hope setbefore us. There are two cases in
which one's hope may be disappointed: the support you lean on may be
unwilling or unable to sustainyou; in the one case it is deception, in the other
weakness.A Christian's hope is not exposedto either flaw; it is both "sure and
steadfast," thatis, the Redeemerwho holds them is willing and able. He will
not falselylet you go, nor feebly faint beneath your weight. He is true and
strong; for these are the words;He both will and can keepthat which we
commit to Him againstthat day. Take now a series ofpractical lessons:
1. The ship that is kept by an anchor, although safe, is not at ease. It does not
on the one hand dread destruction, but neither on the other hand does it enjoy
rest. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you"; "in the world ye shall hare tribulation, but be of goodcheer:I have
overcome the world."
2. But further, the ship that is held by an anchor is not only tossedin the
tempest like other ships, it is tossedmore than other ships. The ship that rides
at anchor experiences rackingsand heavings that ships which drift with the
tide do not know. So, souls who have no hold of Christ seemto lie softeron the
surface of a heaving world than souls that are anchoredon His power and
love. The drifting ship, before she strikes, is more smooth and more
comfortable than the anchoredone; but when she strikes, the smoothness is all
over. The pleasures of sin are sweetto those who taste them; but the sweetness
is only for a season.

88. 3. When the anchorhas been castinto a goodground, the heavierthe strain
that comes on it, the de, per and firmer grows its hold. It is thus with a
trusting soul: temptations, instead of driving him away from his Saviour, only
fix his affections firmer on the Rock ofAges.
4. The ship that is anchored is sensitive to every change of wind or tide, and
ever turns sharply round to meet and resist the stream, from what direction
soeverit may flow. A ship is safestwith her head to the sea and the tempest.
Watch from a height any group of ships that may be lying in an open
roadstead. At night when you retire they all point westward;in the morning
they are all looking to the east. Eachship has infalliably felt the first veering
of the wind or water, and instantly veered in the requisite direction, so that
neither wind nor wave has ever been able to strike her on the broadside.
Thereby hangs the safetyof the ship. Ships not at anchor do not turn and face
the foe. The ship that is left loose will be caught by a gust on her side and
easilythrown over. As with ships, so with souls:those that are anchoredfeel
sensitively the direction and strength of the temptation, and instantly turn to
meet and to overcome it: whereas those that are not anchoredare suddenly
overcome, and their iniquities, like the wind, carry them away. "We are saved
by hope" — savednot only from being outcast in the end, but from yielding to
temptation now.
5. When the ship is anchored, and the sea is running high, there is great
commotion at her bows. The waves in rapid successioncome onand strike.
When they strike they are broken, and leap, white and angry, high up on the
vessel's sides. This tumult is by no means agreeable in itself, blot the mariner
on board would not like to want it, for it is the sign of safety. If, while wind
and waves continue to rage, he should observe that this commotionhad
suddenly ceased, he would not rejoice. He would look eagerlyover the
bulwarks, and seeing the waterblue on her bows, instead of the hissing,
roaring spray, he would utter a screamof terror. The smoothness at her bows
indicates to him that her anchoris dragging. The ship is drifting with wind
and waterto the shore. Such, too, is the experience of a soul. If you are fixed, a
greatflood is rushing by, and it must needs cause a commotion round you. An
impetuous tide of worldliness will dash disagreeablyagainst you from time to
time. Do not be too anxious to make all smooth; peace may be bought too

89. dear. When the mighty stream of vanity on which you float produces no
ruffling at the point of contact — when it is not disagreeable to you, and you
not disagreeable to it — suspectthat your anchor is dragging, that it has lost
its hold, and that you are drifting into danger. Castin the anchorwhile the sea
is calm; you will need it to lean on when the last strain comes on.
(W. Arnot.)
The anchorof hope
A. G. Brown.
I. Let us first of all note THE ANCHOR. It is necessaryto have a very clear
idea as to what the Holy Ghost means by this word "hope." Look at the
previous verse, and you will see that we have the word "hope" there, "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
setbefore us"; then he adds, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul."
Now, I believe that the two hopes do not mean preciselythe same thing. In the
eighteenth verse it is a hope that is setbefore us; in that verse I bare God's
promise. God's promise is the basis of my hope, Christ Himself is the object of
my hope. But, then, having that promise, there comes into my heart the grace
of hope. That which the apostle means here is something far more than the
common notion that we attachto the word "hope." I don't think I shall be
going too far when I say that nothing is more adverse to the scriptural idea of
the word " hope" than the meaning we generally intend by it. In our ordinary
conversationhope is something less than faith, in Scripture it is something
more — it is faith developedinto a full assurance.So when the apostle speaks
of hope it is not of that kind which says, "Well, I hope I may get to heaven, but
I don't much think I shall," but it is of the kind which says, "I know that I am
safe;I know that my Forerunner has entered within the veil for me; I know
that God's promise and God's oath togetherdo ensure my eternal salvation;
and this hope is the anchor that is hung at the bows of my ship." Now, the
anchor must be made of the right stuff. One writer has said that "anchor-
making is very important work." I should imagine it was, and I should say

90. woe to the anchor-smith who tampered with the material of the anchor. Why
is it of infinite importance that the anchorshould be right in its material?
Becausethere are times when the lives of captain, mates, crew, passengerswill
all depend upon whether the anchor is made of the right stuff or not. Cast-
iron anchors won't do; they must be made of the best material, well wrought
and welded; and I think I am correctin saying that in all our naval
establishments there is an arrangementfor testing every anchor; and when it
is proven it receives the Government mark. I know that the anchor of which
we are speaking is true, because there is heaven's own brand upon it — "sure
and steadfast."Betterhave no hope at all than have a bad one; better be
without hope than place confidence in a false one. Do any of you say, "What
should our anchor of hope be made of?" I will tell you. Go and geta whole
number of "Thus saith the Lord" and weld them together, for the only anchor
that is worth anything is that anchorof hope, the very material of which is "
God has said." I believe the bestsmithy for making an anchor is the empty
sepulchre just outside Jerusalem. Go into that sepulchre where once the body
of Christ lay; it is empty now; there fashion thy anchor, "begottenunto a
living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead." Now, with the
anchor goes the chain, and I cannotseparate betweenthe two. I know that
some have said that hope is the anchorand faith is the cable;well, it may be
so, but you cannot really separate between faith and hope. Faith culminates in
hope, and if faith does not lead to hope it is not worth anything; and, on the
other hand, I cannot imagine a hope that is worth anything that does not come
from faith, so I take cable and anchor as one. And I remark here that the
anchor must have its cable, and the cable to be worth anything must have an
anchor. I think that in my time I have come across some who had a chain, but
there was no anchor at the end of it. They did believe — at leastthey said so;
and who are we that we should dare to question their veracity? They do
believe, for if they believe nothing else they believe they have some doubts;
and I have seenthem always paying out the cable, and saying, "I believe, I
believe," and yet somehow they have nothing at the end to grip. There is the
chain, but it will drag over a hundred promises without laying hold of a
solitary one. They have faith, so they say, but somehow or other it is not the
faith that ever grips the Word of God sufficiently to bring their vesselround.
The Lord save us from that sort of faith which is like a cable without any

91. anchor at the end. But, on the other hand, I don't think the anchor would be
very much use unless there was a cable attachedto it. What would you think if
in time of storm the captain said, "Overboardwith the anchor," and
overboard it goes;there is an end of it; there is no connectionwhatever
betweenthe anchorand the ship. An anchorthrown overboard without a
cable is about as much use as a cable thrown over without an anchor.
II. Now I want you to see THE ANCHOR LET GO. Our hope, like other
anchors, is of no use as long as we can see it, as long as the anchor is slung at
the bows it is doing nothing. You would think that man a lunatic who should
say, "I always feelso safe when I see the anchor." You would think that
captain an imbecile who should say, "I always think my ship is safe when I
have my anchoron deck." The realworth of the anchor begins when it is
thrown overboard. The oceanbed holds the anchor, and the anchor holds you.
Now you will observe, if you look into the text, my anchor enters into that
within the veil. I wish I had the powerfor a moment to give you a glimpse
within the veil and see where the anchor is. If you were to have passed
through the veil of the Tabernacle you would have seenan oblong chest —
that was all; and on the top of that oblong chesta slab of gold exactly covering
it. If you had lookedinside that chestyou would have found two tables of
stone containing the law, written by the finger of God. That was calledthe
mercy-seat. There, you will see, was mercybased on justice; peace reposing on
righteousness;a Divine salvation resting on the pedestalof accomplishedlaw
— treat was all that was within the veil; and, says Paulin our text, "Which
hope we have as an anchor of the soul which entereth" — now, I always find
that nine people out of ten quote this text wrongly; they say, "which entereth
within the veil," but it is, "which entereth into that within the veil"; in other
words, the mercy-seat— God's mercy basedon righteousness, or, if you like
to put it so, Christ Himself. Now, for a moment note this. Am I not right in
saying that the more the ship drags at the cable the more fixed becomes the
anchor? Ah! when first my soul trusted Christ and I dropped my anchor, I
don't think it had a very firm hold, but every strain on it has driven it deeper.
It is always so, for if you look in Romans 5. you will see that experience leads
to hope. The more a man trusts God the better he knows God, and the better

92. he knows God the more he trusts Him. He learns to sing, "My heart is fixed to
God, my heart is fixed."
III. I have tried to show you the anchorage;now look at THE SHIP RIDING
AT ANCHOR. One thing I observe is that, though she is anchored, she does
not necessarilyescaperolling, nor her passengers avoidsickness. There may
be considerable discomfortwhile there is no danger. Many souls as well as
ships are anchoredin the "downs"!I notice, too, that when a ship is at anchor
she always faces the tide. I was travelling recently on the Chatham and Dover
Railway, and just as we approachedWhitstable we obtained a glimpse of the
sea, and I said to a fellow-passenger,"The tide is coming in." "How canyou
know that?" he asked. "Why," I replied, ,' it's the simplest thing in the world;
look at the boats that are anchored there, and see which way they face;
anchoredcraft always face the tide." Ay, and so will it be with you; if you
know what it is to have your anchor gripping that which is within the veil you
won't be a man who is afraid to look the world in the face. The ship swings
round with the tide and seems to say, "I am not to be caught, whicheverway
you come you will meet my bow." These are the sort of Christians we want at
the presenttime — men who are so anchored on to God, who are so filled with
His spirit, and who have so bright a hope within them that they must face the
run of the tide of this world. A dying sailorwas near his end, and the death
sweatstoodupon his brow. A friend said, "Well, mate, how is it with you
now?" The dying man, with a smile, made answer, "The anchor holds, the
anchor holds." God grant that ever one of you may be able to saythis, for His
name's sake.
(A. G. Brown.)
Sure anchoring
H. Allon, D. D.
I. FIRST, THE STAY OR ANCHORAGE OF THE SOUL DURING THE
'VOYAGE OF LIFE IS CHRIST WITHIN THE VEIL, CHRIST IN THE

93. HOLY OF HOLIES, CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLY HAVEN. UPON HIM
IN HIS EXALTED GLORY THE SOUL STAYS ITSELF AND IS SECURE.
1. In the first place, He is the living Christ of intercession, not the dead Christ
of sacrifice.
2. Secondly, although within the veil, the Living Christ has a vital interestin
us who are yet without. His entrance into the heavenly place has not broken
off His connectionwith our earthly lives and interests. The same redeeming
purposes, the same tender human sympathies, the same greatmediatorial
solicitudes fill His Divine heart.
3. The use of the term "Forerunner" conveys to us an additional idea not
included in that of the palest-hood. The high priest was not a forerunner; no
one was to follow him into the holy place; but Christ is strictly a forerunner.
"Where He is, there His servant is to be also" — where He is, and as He is, for
we are to be "like Him when we see Him as He is." At present He is our
interceding Priest, but the consummation of His intercessionis our reception
into the heavenly place with Him. As the Forerunner Be enters the holy place,
not alone, but only first. "I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come againand receive you unto Myself, that
where I am, there shall My servant be also." Verygreat and very precious are
the assurances thus conveyed to us. First, that in virtue of His entrance to the
heavenly place we shall surely enter also. He has "openedthe kingdom of
heaven to all believers";by His own blood He appears in the presence ofGod,
and secures ourappearance also. "Whosoeverbelievethin Him shall not
perish, but have everlasting life." He prepares the place for us in the sense of
making a place for us certain. But more than this is meant. As the Forerunner
He secures our entrance under the same conditions; we enter as He has
entered; our humanity glorified as His is glorified. We shall enter as He has
entered, with a proper resurrectionbody; with all the marks of personal
identity that distinguish us here, that are the means of intelligent communism
and friendship.
II. IN THE SECOND PLACE. THE ANCHOR WHICH HOLDS THE SOUL
STEADFAST TO THE LIVING FORERUNNERWHO IS WITHIN THE

94. VEIL IS HOPE;HOPE MOORS THE STORM-TOSSED SOULTO THAT
WHICH WILL SECURE IT. Our hope must be "a goodhope through
grace";our anchor must have length of cable sufficient, and must lest only
upon Christ. Hope is so far more than faith. That which is seenis not hope.
Hope is that trust in the future and the unseen which calculates probabilities,
which hits the mean betweenpossible failure and certain security. We feel
uncertainty enough to make it hope, and assurance enoughto make the hope
strong and animating. We "give all diligence to make our calling and election
sure." We castout the anchorof our hope with cable enough, so to speak, to
fastenit upon the unseen Christ. A greatand blessedhope, the hope of being
with Christ, and of realising the exceeding greatand eternal weightof glory. A
goodhope, warrantedby accumulatedevidence — by God's wonderful
revelation — by His assuredand unchangeable promises;a hope warranted
by His words, by His resurrection, by His entrance into the holy place as our
Forerunner, who hath "brought life and immortality to light," and who is
Himself " the Resurrectionand the Life." We are "begottenagainto this
lively hope by the resurrectionof Jesus Christfrom the dead."
III. OBSERVE, IN THE THIRD PLACE, HOW HOPE FIXED UPON
CHRIST MAKES THE SOUL STEADFAST AND SECURE. Unregenerate
men are described as "having no hope";they are "without God and without
hope in the world"; that is, they have no hope that is not delusive, that will not
fail them in the testing hour, and make them ashamed. "The God of hope" is
not their hope; they hope in something else, they do not know the hope that
comes "through patience and comfort of the Scriptures." There can be no
hope for a man who has not fled for refuge to Christ, "the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is our hope." To Christ, then, the redeemedman has come;he has fled
for refuge to lay hold upon the hope setbefore him, and this hope is the
anchor that keeps his soul firm It is a thing of practical, powerful efficacy,
that secures both our present steadfastnessandour ultimate salvation. It is
"an anchorof the soul, sure and steadfast."
1. The first suggestionofthe metaphor is of a tempestuous and perilous sea,
which our ship of life has to navigate, and that we are in danger of "making
shipwreck of faith and a goodconscience." Whatimage could give a more
vivid representationof our spiritual condition? — of the rough sea upon

95. which we ride? — the hurricane above us, and the sunken rocks and
quicksands around us.
2. How beautifully in this representationare both worlds brought together!
Our ship sails upon the oceanof this life, has to bear its tempests, navigate its
perils, but she finds her sure anchor within the veil — the anchor of her hope
is fixed in the glorified Christ. The ship rides upon the sea of time; its anchor
is fixed in eternity. Here there is no sure anchorage — hence the anchoris "
hope," the expectationof things not seen. The immortal soulcan fix securely
only upon an immortal stay; and when after vain hopes in other things she has
fixed her anchorupon Christ, it is as though she had laid hold upon the bases
of the everlasting hills, as though with sevenfoldstrength she had grasped
"the bars of the earth."
(H. Allon, D. D.)
The soul's anchor
The Study.
I. The soul, like a vessel, is in quest of a desired haven. Mind is made to look
out of itself, our desires not satisfied with temporal things. All men look into
the future, live by hope, and are sailing in expectationof peace. But the
expectationof some reaches no further and gets no higher than earth, while
the spiritual anchorin the calm depths of the EternalPresence, andthe solid
moorings of eternity.
II. Hope of heaven, like an anchor, preserves the soul in its passage.Some sail
without a ripple or a swell, under propitious gales which fill their sails and
press them homeward. Others, like Paul in the Adriatic, wrestle with the
billows, "exceedinglytossedwith a tempest," with neither sun nor stars in
sight. But the soul is preserved, and outrides the storm. "He bringeth them to
their desired haven."
III. This hope is sure and steadfast. Sure — will not disappoint us — a good
hope through grace. Steadfastin its nature, taking goodhold, unchangeable in

96. its promise and purpose, "a lively (living) hope which makethnot ashamed."
Lay hold upon this "hope set before you in the gospel."
(The Study.)
The voyage of life
Homilist.
I. THE VOYAGE OF LIFE EVEN TO THE GOOD IS TUMULTUOUS.
Becauseof —
1. Physicalinfirmities.
2. Secularanxieties.
3. Socialafflictions
4. Spiritual conflicts.
II. THE GOSPELPROVISIONS ARE EQUAL TO THY. EMERGENCIES
OF THE VOYAGE OF LIFE.
1. It has an anchor — Hope.
2. It has a refuge.
III. THE EFFICACYOF THE GOSPELPROVISIONS FOR THE VOYAGE
OF LIFE IS IMMUTABLY GUARANTEED.
1. God has an "immutable counsel" concerning the safety of His people.
2. God desires to demonstrate to His people the immutability of His counsels
in relation to their safety.
3. God furnishes this demonstration by some most solemn declarations.
4. God's declarationcannot but be true.
(Homilist.)

97. Hope the anchorof the soul
J. Burns, D. D.
I. THE NATURE OF CHRISTIAN HOPE.
1. The object of hope is always really or imaginarily goodenjoyment of God
— of His favour, smiles, and blessings to end of life, and of His presence for
ever.
2. The object of hope must be future good. What God has laid up for them
that love Him.
3. The object of hope must be attainable. "Godwill withhold no goodthing
from them that walk uprightly."
II. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS HOPE.
1. The anchor is essentialto secure the vesselin time of storm and peril.
2. The anchor is only of service when connectedwith a goodcable.
3. The anchor must be employed.
4. The anchor must be caston goodground.
III. THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS HOPE.
1. It is of importance to our Christian character. It is as indispensable to the
believing soul as the anchor is to the vessel.
2. It is of importance to our labours. All must be done in hope. We must sow
in hope; pray and wrestle in hope.
3. It is of importance to our happiness.
IV. THE CERTAINTYOF THIS HOPE. "Both sure and steadfast." The
Christian's hope cannot fail, unless —
1. The Divine veracity fails.

98. 2. Christ's precious blood should lose its saving efficacy.
3. Christ's presence in heaven and intercessionshouldbe
unavailing.APPLICATION.
1. Let the believer increase in hope, rejoice in hope, until its enrapturing
anticipations shall terminate in glorious fruition.
2. Let the hopeless come to the blessedSaviour, who will, by the gracious
manifestation of Himself, banish darkness from the mind, and despondency
and sorrow from the heart. There is, in the gospel, ample ground of hope to all
who receive the record God has given of His Son.
(J. Burns, D. D.)
Our anchor
James Wells, M. A.
One of the sights in Rome is the " Gallery of Inscriptions" in the Vatican.
Inscriptions from old heathen tombs coverthe one side, and inscriptions from
the early Christian tombs coverthe other. There is a heaven-wide difference
betweenthe two. On the heathen side there is one long wail of despair — the
shriek of friends as the dying were hurried from them into the hateful abyss.
But the Christian side breathes only peace and hope. The names of the
departed are mixed up with the name of CartEr, and some rudely carved
symbol of the faith is usually added. The ship and the anchorare the greatest
favourites. At the side of the anchorthe Christians often carvedthe words,
"Hope in Christ," or "Hope in God," thus uniting and explaining, as our text
does, the word and the image.
I. OUR ANCHOR. "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul." The hope
of the Bible is not like the hope of the world. The old fable says that Pandora
shut up all the miseries of men along with hope in a box. The box was offered
to Prometheus. or Forethought, who would not have it; and then to
Epimetheus, or Afterwit, who took it. Rashly opening it, all the miseries flew
abroad, and when he hastily closedthe lid, only hope remained in the box.

99. And so, they said, every one has hope. You hope to be rich some day, but your
hopes won't make you rich unless you take the right way. What a poor,
broken, hopeless thing our hope often is! Hugh Miller tells that when his
father was drowned at sea. he was a boy five years old. Long after every one
else had ceasedto hope, the little fellow used to climb, day after day, a grassy
knoll, and look wistfully out over the MorayFirth for the sloopwith the two
stripes of white and the two square topsails. But months and years passedby,
and the white stripes and square topsails be never saw. That poor boy looking
seawardis a true parable of mankind. Here is a wickedman, who hopes to be
saveda last. You hope so and I hope so;but his hopes, and yours, and mine
won't help him, unless he leave off his sins and come to the Saviour. The hope
of the soul is often the most uncertain thing in the world, for many are content
with a hope they dare not examine. But the Christian's hope is sure, and never
disappoints; for it is just saving faith with its eye full upon a glorious future.
The anchorhere (including cable and all) stands for everything that links a
Christian to Christ, everything that gives heaven a hold on him, and him a
hold on heaven. Our anchoris "sure and steadfast." Godsays and swears by
Himself, that if you trust in Christ, you shall never perish. But remember you
must trust in the living Saviour, not in some dead thing belonging to Him. Our
Greek schoolbooksintroduce us to the simpleton at sea in a storm. A sailor
found him grasping the anchor on deck. The simpleton explained that the
anchor was the sign of hope, and that, as he had it in his arms, there was no
fear of his drowning. You are no wiserthan he if you trust in any sign, or
mere hope, or dead word. Hope was not crucified for you, nor were ye
baptised in the name of Hope. The hope of our text means the thing hoped for,
just as a "will" means not the parchment but the request.
II. THE FAR END OF THE ANCHOR IN HEAVEN. The sailorcasts out his
anchor, which rushes through the sea to the bottom out of sight, The source of
his safetyis hidden from his eyes. And so the Christian casts his anchorup
through the unseen, even to the very heart of heaven, the holy of holies in the
Temple above. The sailorin a storm seeksa safe anchorage. Some ofour
shelteredbays, with a stiff clayeybottom, are crowdedwith vessels in squally
weather. As doves to their windows, the sailors " flee for refuge to lay hold
upon the hope setbefore" them by their charts:they castanchor and smile at

100. the storm. It is plain that your hope must anchor in something outside of
yourself. Two fishermen at sea were once talking about heavenly things. The
one was busied with his frames and feelings, always looking into his own
heart, and not unto Christ. His comrade r, plied, "Ah, John, you are for
anchoring in the hull; you must throw your anchorout." Well spoken;for no
refuge or safetycan we find in self. And further, earth has no safe anchorage
for the soul. Notwithin, not around, but above lies the firm ground in which
you must sink your anchor. "Hast thou hope?" they askedJohn Knox, as he
lay a dying. He spoke nothing, but raisedhis finger and pointed upwards, and
so died. Yes, our anchor finds holding-ground only in heaven. But heaven is a
large place, and there are many things in it, you may say. True, but our hope
is fixed not on the things, but on the Personin heaven.
III. THIS END OF THE ANCHOR. "Which hope we have," or hold, "as an
anchor," or anchor-cable. The hope is set before us that we may lay hold upon
it. Think here of a boat at anchor, and a boy in it holding the anchor-rope. If
he lets go his hold he drifts out to sea. "Hold on," you cry to him, and "hold
on" is the apostle's appealto the Hebrews. Look now at that corn-ship of
which Paul, though a sicklyman of books, and no seaman, is really the captain
and the saviour — showing us that the Christian should always be of men the
most manly, and of heroes the most heroic. There he stands, calm and erect;
tossed, but not drowned. Such is the Christian soul, tranquil amid the wild
waves. All the storms of life come to him as they come to other men, but his
Christian hope steadies his soul.
(James Wells, M. A.)
The anchorof the soul
A. K. H. Boyd, D. D.
There is a certainhope which Christian people have: a hope setbefore us:
which is like an anchor: an anchor which has caughtfirm hold, and which is
holding on, somewhere within this veil. The meaning seems to be that the
cable from that anchor reaches to us; and we hold on to it. The soul "lays hold

101. upon the hope setbefore us": and then this hope does for the soul what an
anchor does for the ship that keeps an unbroken hold of its anchor. This is
what the imagery, the comparisonin the text means. Well, is it true? I do not
ask now, True to our own experience? Put that awayjust at present. But is it
true as a generalprinciple? That is, If a man had "laid hold of the hope set
before us," would it be like an anchor of the soul? Yes, plainly it would be.
The hope of eternal life, of happiness with Christ and all we love in heaven, is
well fitted to keepthe soul steadfastamid the waves and storms of this world
— that is, to do to the soul the anchor's part. It will keepthe soul from
drifting away, or being driven away, by gales orcurrents, or upon rocks and
quicksands near. Think of sorrow:sorrow in its widest sense, including all
that makes us sadand unhappy — losses, privations, disappointments,
bereavements, pain, sickness, death — the instinctive feeling of our race has
discernedin all these the storms and tempests of the world within. "Nota
wave of trouble"; pleasantthe prospect, apt the similitude! You remember
goodJuxon's words, as the ill-fated king knelt to the block:"One last stage,
somewhatturbulent and troublesome, but still a very short one":life's last
brief storm must be gone through. We take the goodhope with all that comes
with it, and from which it cannot be separated. We take it with the conviction,
amid all sorrows,that this is the right way; that it was Christ that led us into
them and will leadus through them; that for all this there is a need-he; that it
is all for our best good — our sanctification, our weaning from sense and
time; that it is educating us for higher and better things than we ever could be
fit for without it. Think now of temptation: temptation in the largest sense:
everything from within and without that would lead us into sin — that would
seek to make us make shipwreck of our souls. It, returns the hope of heaven,
and all that is bound up along with the hope of heaven, will hold up againstall
these. And here there is something especiallyfit in the similitude of an anchor.
For the specialbusiness of the anchoris to keepthe ship from drifting away.
Now there are temptations which come like a sudden blast or squall upon the
anchoredship; and there are other temptations which are like an insensible
current, drifting away and away. But whether temptation addresses us as the
strong single impulse, or as the gently and perpetually gliding current, it is
plain that in either case we must have something to hold us up againstit:
something which shall be to the soul as the anchor that keeps the ship from

102. driving or drifting, and makes it hold its ground. There is but one thing that
can be that: only grace from above; the goodhope through grace — and all
that is implied in having that goodhope; the faith, resting simply on a
crucified Saviour; the sight of sin, as it is seenin the light from Gethsemane
and Calvary: the realising anticipation of all the rest and joy and purity
above, which permitted sin would fling away. In discourses founded upon my
text, it is a common thing to point out that the goodhope which comes of a
firm faith is as an anchorof the soul in that it is what will hold up the soul
againstdoctrinal error. St. Paul likens the man, ready to catch up every new
idea or crotchet, if attractively put, to one "tossedto and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine":and the comparisonis apt. Now, in these
shifting days, no doubt a real personalinterest in vital Christian truth — a
personal hope through that — is the greatanchor that shall keepus in the
goodold ways, and save us from making shipwreck of our faith. Justa word
now of the assurance the text gives us that the anchored hope which is to
preserve us steadfastamid the storms of life must have its hold "within the
veil." That is, to really do us any good, our greatdaily hope must be of
something beyond this life and this world. The hope must take hold "within
the veil"; realise, in some measure, the substantiality of the possessionsthere
which seemso vague and far away to mere sense. Only thus canit serve as an
anchor, amid the failing of earthly stays and hopes. And a further thought is
suggestedby the text. The anchoris not holding on where you might
sometimes have uneasydoubts of its holding securely; not amid the waves and
storms of this uncertain world; but in the calm within the veil, where our
Redeemer, our Forerunner, He who walkedfirst the way which it is appoint-d
that we should walk, has entered in; for us entered in; entered in our never-
ailing Intercessor, and abides the Remembrancerof His one great atoning
sacrifice, ourHigh Priest upon the throne. If He be not with us here, visible
King of His Church, ready to resolve many wearyquestions about it with
which we would wish to go to Him, it is because it is better for us He should be
there; and meanwhile He has sent the BlessedSpirit to more than fill His
place;and His Church is left to pray that it may more and more "know Him,
and the power of His Resurrection"!
(A. K. H. Boyd, D. D.)

103. Hope the anchorof the soul
R. Watson.
I. I callyour attention, in the first place, to THAT WITHIN THE VEIL,
WHICH IS AT ONCE THE GROUND AND THE OBJECTOF THE
BELIEVING HOPE OF EVERY TRUE CHRISTIAN.
1. A manifestationof God under the new and evangelicalrelationof God
reconciledto His offending creatures.
2. The priesthood of our Saviour.
3. "All spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." This refers more
particularly to the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the communication of spiritual
blessings through Him.
4. In a terse which follows the text there is an expressionof greatemphasis.
"Whither," says the apostle, "the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus."
Well, then, if Christ is the Forerunner, others have followedHim, and have
entered within the veil; all the apostles have passedwithin the veil; all the first
disciples, who followedHim through the reproaches and persecutions ofthe
first ages;all, in fact, from that time to the present, who have died in the faith,
have gone within the veil of our greatForerunner. Here, indeed, is a scene for
hope to fix her steady gaze up m; and when we thus beheld the multitude
which no man cannumber, who keeptheir eternal Sabbath in that sanctuary
above, shall we not be cheeredwith the songs sung there, and which we hope
ourselves one day to learn, and encouragedto pass through the various
troubles and exercisesofthis present state, seeing that the way into the holiest
of all is indeed made manifest, and that we may follow those who have entered
the veil, and are now in the presence ofGod?
II. There are PRACTICAL LESSONS whichwe may learn from this subject.
1. And the first is, the necessityof fleeing for refuge, as the apostle expresses
it, to lay hold on the hope thus set before you.

104. 2. Let those who have thus fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before
them, feelthe duty they owe to others who are still exposedto the danger
which themselves have happily escaped.
3. Let those who have entered into this port, and have casttheir anchor there,
be prepared for storms.
(R. Watson.)
Hope the soul's anchor
J. P. Peabody.
This comparisonof hope with an anchoris opposed to common modes of
thought and expression. The more natural figure to most minds would be that
of a buoy. I apprehend that, where that of the anchor is employed, in nine
casesout of ten it is quoted from the Bible without any definite meaning. Yet I
do not believe that it was usedat haphazard in our text; but it seems to me one
of the numerous cases in which a profound wealthof spiritual significance is
condensedinto a single word of Scripture. All hope is not anchor-like;or, if it
be, there are many hopes which are anchors with cables too short to reachthe
bottom, and which therefore only expose the vesselto quicker, more irregular,
and more violent pitches and plunges in the storm-lifted deep. The anchor
needs a length of cable sufficient, but not too great;adequate weight;and the
adjustment of stock, shank, and flukes, which will most effectually hold the
ship to her moorings. These characteristicsapplied to spiritual things would
give us adequate remoteness, vastness, andcertainty as the requisite
properties of a hope that shall be an anchorto the soul.
I. ADEQUATE REMOTENESS. Remotein point of time we cannot, indeed.
pronounce the objects of the Christian hope; for there may be at any moment
but a stepbetween us and death. Yet the doe effect of distance is produced in
part by the indefiniteness of our term of life here, and in part by our
imperfect knowledge ofthe details of our future condition. The hopeful
Christian sees heavennear enough to furnish every possible motive for virtue,
fidelity, and spiritual affections, yet not near enough to detach him from the

105. relations in which God would have him conscientiouslyfaithful — from the
field of duty of which the Mastersays, "Occupytill I come."
II. Our Christian anchor is of SUFFICIENT WEIGHT. Time presents no
attractions that canvie with the promises of eternity. Our conceptions of
heaven are enough to more than fill the soul with their fulness, and to outshine
all things else by their Divine radiance. The imagery of the New Testament
carries fancy on to its utmost limits and up till its pinions cansoarno higher.
In these boundless and infinite prospects we have more than a counterpoise
for whatevermight beguile our souls from their high calling and destiny.
III. Our Christian anchor has ITS FIRM HOLD OF CERTAIN AND
IMMOVABLE EVIDENCE, Little as we know where or what heaven is, no
law of our being is made more sure to us than our immortality. Its evidence is
not intuition, surmise, speculation, or longing, but fact which cannot he
gainsaidunless we pronounce the whole past a dream and all history a fable.
We have the same proof that the dead have risen which we have that countless
multitudes have sunk into the death-slumber. The resurrectionof Christ is not
even an isolatedfact of authentic history, but a factwhich has left surer traces
of its reality, deeperchannels of its influence, than any other event that has
occurredsince the creationof man. It was the initial cause, andthe only
possible cause, ofa series of events and experiences that have been developing
themselves for eighteenhundred years. In thus laving intense stress onthe
historicalargument, I forget not the intimations of immortality, the hopeful
analogies,he onward pointings, of which nature and life are full. The spring
flowers that bloom around the sepulchre of Jesus never wither. Again, there
are times when our sculls seemalmost consciousofimmortality, spring forth
into a higher sphere, behold their celestialbirthright, and read the words of
eternal life in capacities whichthey have no room to develop here, in longings
which earth cannotsatisfy, in aspirations that transcend all createdgood. But
weariness,care, orsorrow comes;and then the wings of the spirit droop, its
heaven is clouded over, and to him who depends on his own clearintuition all
looks dark and desolate. Butthe Christian thus bowed down stoops to look
into the place where the Lord lay, hears the voice of the resurrectionangel,
and sees, througha cleft in the clouds, the shining path of the ascending
Redeemer. We have, then, a hope fitted to be an anchor of the soul. and we

106. need it to give us stability equally among the temptations, the duties, and the
trials of life.
1. Among its temptations. How close their pressure!How intense their
disturbing force!Like the swellof a storm-lifted octan, they break upon our
youth, dash againstthe strength of our maturer years, and burst over the
hoary head. Appetite and passion, pride and gain, ease and indolence, how do
they essayby turns their single and their combined power upon every soul of
man! How do they toss and dash from breakerto breaker, and from shallow
to shallow, every unachored spirit! And their hold upon us is as unanchored
spirits — through our intense desire of immediate gratificationand our
detachment from the unseenfuture. But let me only behold in faith my risen
Saviour, and hear from Him those Divine words, "BecauseIlive, ye shall live
also," then I cancastawaythe withening wreath from the earthly vine for the
amadanthine crown. I candash from me the cup of sensualgratification, for
the waterwhich I may drink and thirst no more for ever. I can tread the
rough and steeppath, while at every stepthe celestialcity rises clearerand
brighter to my view.
2. But we no less need this anchorwhen we have escapedthe temptations
which assailthe lowernature, and find ourselves on the shorelesssea ofduty.
Here againthe waves lit up their voice. How vest the extent, how complex the
demands, how imperative the claims, how earnestthe calls of spiritual
obligation! How liable we are, even with a quick and tender conscience, to let
some of these voices drown others — to selectour easyor our favourite
departments of duty insteadof aiming at entire fidelity — to let waywardness
modify principle, and convenience limit obligation!How does the random,
errotic course ofmany who mean to do right and well, resemble that of a ship
driven by the wind and tossedon the billows 1 And here our anchor comes
into use, to keepus in the moorings where God has placedus. It is earthly
breezes — human opinion, fear, and favour — that swayus hither and
thither. The consciousnessofour immortality alone can make us firm and
resolute, with every real demand of duty before us in its relative claimers and
just proportions, with the work given us to do present to the inward vision,
and with the whole powerof the world to come making its strength perfect in
our weakness.

107. 3. We need our anchor among the trials and sorrows whichare the lot of all.
Howevercalmly the sea of life may roll for a while there are times when the
waves and the billows so over us, and the floods lift up their voices around us
— times when, if in this life only we have hope, we at. ready to pronounce
ourselves of all men the most miserable. When the gains of a lifetime are
sweptawayin an hour, and a prime spent in affluence sinks into a needy old
age, when, agonisedby violent disease, we pass atonce from vigorous health
into the very jaws of death, or, crippled by chronic infirmity, we drag our
limbs after us as a prisoner his chain; when the light of our eyes is quenched,
and the voices that made sweetmelody in our hearts are silent in the grave:
when, as with not a few among us, our dead outnumber our living, and the
monuments in the cemeteryare more than the olive-plants around our table
— we then have encounteredgriefs beyond the reachof human comforters.
They set adrift the soul that has no hold on heaven. They abandon it to empty
regrets, fruitless complainings — often to a despondencywhich can find relief
only in the self-forgetfulness ofsensualindulgence. They are, in an earthly
point of view, intense and unmitigated evils. Ver. with the anchor of an
immortal hope, how serenelymay the Christian outride these storms, and at
the very acme of their violence hear the voice which ever says to the a winds
and to the waves, "Peace!be still!"
(J. P. Peabody.)
A goodanchor
W. H. Burton.
That the soulneeds an anchor none will deny. There is scarcelya time in its
experience when it does not feelits need of a stay. Even in the harbour the
ship is safe only as she is securelymoored; and at sea her only chance of safety
frequently depends upon her possessionofthese essentialsafeguards.
I. WE NEED AN ANCHOR IN PROPORTIONTO THE SHIP. A small
kedge wallhold a smack, but the bestbower is required for others;while some
can do with nothing less than the greatsheetanchor. Other things being

108. equal, the greaterthe ship, the largermust be the anchor which is to hold her.
But with the utmost possible precaution many a ship has perished. One of Her
Majesty's ships, the Megaera, was totallylost through the badness of her
anchors. One by one, no less then three gave way, and they were obligedto let
the vesseldrive on to the beach. But if it be important that the ship should be
provided with proportionate anchors, how much more important is it that the
soul should be well supplied with that which will be adequate to its
emergencies!And what will suffice to meet these emergencies? Whatis there
that can meet the requirements of the priceless, never-dying soul? Formalism
is wholly inadequate as an "anchorof the soul." It may do very well for fine
weather, but it will not hold in a gale There is but one good anchor. "A good
hope through grace" alpine can hold thee there, and, blessedbe God, that is
sufficient. But there are not a few who, to make assurance doubly sure, have
zone to yet another quarter, whence they have hoped to obtain an anchor
which, togetherwith the first, would be more than sufficient to meet their
case. Theyare hoping that, through their go-d works, they will be enabledto
outride the dangers of death and the judgment. The place from whence this
article comes is kept by old Legality. Anxious sinner, believe me, "It is of
faith, that it might be by grace."It is "not of works, lestany man should
boast." But there are some who, to these two, seek to add even yet another.
Their idea seems to be that no one, nor even two anchors, are sufficient. They
go off to feeling in order to strengthen the other two. If legality has slain its
thousands, feeling has slain its ten thousands. People are foolish to imagine
that because they canwork themselves up to a certain pitch of religious
feeling, that therefore they are saved. It is an anchor that will not hold; nay, it
is an anchorthat will not even sink.
II. WE NEED AN ANCHORAGE IN PROPORTIONTO THE ANCHOR
The best anchorin the world will not hold in a bad ground. We can easily
imagine that a bad anchorage,like a bad anchor, may do very well for fine
weather, but will fail in the storm. We had, I remember, an anchor that had
held us well in any weatherwheneverwe had castit. But one day, being near
the shore, we threw it over as usual, and went below to dinner. We had not
been there many minutes, however, when the wind freshened, and a sudden
squall with heavy rain came whistling through the shrouds. Of course,

109. because our anchorhad held us through weatherworse than that, we listened
with the greatestcomposure to the music of the storm, and were not a little
entertained by it as we proceededwith our meal. But while we had not the
leastapprehension of danger, we were suddenly arousedby the lurching of the
vesselas, dragging her anchor with her, she was being driven from her
anchorage, itwas no fault of the anchor; it was bad ground. We found our
anchor, goodas it was, couldnot get a hold on the indifferent anchorage into
which we had castit. It was well for us that the wind came off the land, for
had it come the other way nothing could have savedus from being driven on
the shore. As it was, we escapedwith a drenching. I need not saythat such a
contingencycan never happen in true spiritual navigation. The anchorage
indicated in our text is equal to the anchor. It is "that within the veil."
1. The blood-sprinkled mercy-seat. Mercythrough Christ is the one ground of
the sinner's hope, and the blood-sprinkled mercy-seatis the only place at
which he may draw near to God.
2. The sinner's Great Advocate. What a source of comfort to the convinced
sinner! Look at it, anxious heart. Surely, when such an Advocate has
undertaken your cause, you canleave it in His hands. Give it up to Him now.
3. The ark of Jehovah's covenant. What an anchorage!Are you conscious of
daily shortcomings and oppressedcontinually with a sense ofguilt? You may
see here how, always, the "sin is covered" over, and how JehovahHimself, as
in His Shekinahglory He dwells betweenthe cherubim, sees no spot upon you.
As the broken law was hidden in the ark under the blood, so the believing
sinner is hidden in Christ. This is our hope! Are you feeling your weakness?
As you have to confront the dangers and difficulties of life, do you feel your
need of help? The manna here reminds you of His faithfulness, whose name is
still Jehovah-Jireh. You cannot look within that sacredark, and not
remember that He has said, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be," and "My
grace is sufficient for thee." Are you in distress because ofGod's chastening
hand? In the budding rod you may see the type of every sorrow that befalls
the saint. It may be a rod, but it is a rod that buds and blossoms, and brings
forth fruit.

110. 4. And then, besides all this, we are reminded of the everlasting covenant.
What a world of satisfactionwe find there! "A world," did I say? What a
heaven of height, and depth, and breadth, and length of infinite sufficiency is
discoveredto us there!
III. WE NEED A CABLE PROPORTIONTO BOTH. It is not enough to
know that you have a goodanchorage anda goodanchor: you must also be
persuaded that you have the God-wroughtcable of living faith: "By grace are
ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves:it is the gilt of God." But
though the anchors of feeling, and formality, and legality, and orthodoxy may
be, and are, castcablelessinto the sea, if you obtain the anchor"goodhope,"
the cable of living faith is always possessedwith it. For —
1. These are everconnected. Faith is the blessedcable which holds the ship
here, and the anchor there. As the one strong chain ever vibrates and keeps
up a communication betweenthe anchorage and the ship, so faith, while it
dwells here in the h art, ever dwells there "within the veil."
2. These cannever fail. It is quite possible for a man to have an anchorand a
cable of the most genuine quality, and yet, through ignorance of their nature,
to be all the time in jeopardy; and it is equally possible, through the same kind
of ignorance, for a man having an anchor and a cable that are bad, to repose
in a false confidence until he is awakenedto a terrible discoveryof his
mistake. Sailors have often ridden out a gale with fear and trembling,
expecting every moment to find themselves adrift, while others have been
suddenly astonishedto find that the anchorupon which they could have
stakedtheir lives has actually given out. And these representtwo very large
classesofpeople in the religious world. There are thousands who have a good
hope, but who fear that it is bad; and there are millions who have a false hope,
but who believe that. it is good. To show either class their mistake is most
difficult. If you try to remind the hypocrite that his hope "will perish," the
sincere seekerimmediately appropriates the warning as intended for himself;
while if you endeavour to assure the broken-heartedthat "the Lord is nigh
unto them " to save them, the hypocrite will at once claim the comfort as his
own. Believe me, sorrowing soul, if you are taking hold of "that within the
veil" — if Christ, and Christ alone, is your trust — if His blood is your plea,

111. and His advocacyis your daily joy, then you have the almighty anchorcastin
the all-sufficient anchorage,and you are held by the omnipotent cable of
living faith. With these you are safe;disaster is impossible. You must and will
ride out every possible change.
3. These everremain unchanged. It will be a Ideated thing if we can always
realise this. Let our hope be" sure and steadfast."The cable will sometimes be
very much shaken;in all her changes it sill rise and fall with the vessel;but,
beloved friends, having taken, let hope keepits hold on that which is within
the veil. The strongestcable will tremble, and so will the strongestfaith; but
the trembling cable holds a "sure and steadfast" anchor, and that anchor
moves not though the chain may shake.
(W. H. Burton.)
The anchorof the soul
J. T. Davidson, D. D
There are many things which a sailorholds to be essentialwhen he goes outto
sea. The captain who should go out to sea without an anchor would be decreed
a madman. Life is a restless, unquiet sea, full of trouble and danger. You are
the ship, that sail this sea, and are exposedto its changes and storms. Many of
you are now just leaving the peacefulharbour of home with all its tender
influences, and are putting forth upon the wide and open main. I remember
hearing of an infidel who, when laid upon his last bed of sickness, was urged
by his godless companions notto show the white feather, but to hold on. What
do you think was the answerof the dying man? With a face fuller hopeless
dismay, he lookedat them and said, "How can I hold on when I have nothing
to hold by?" Ah! he felt the need of a spiritual grapnel, something " sure and
steadfast" to which he could cling. But it is not only in the hour of death we
require it; we need it all through life. Let us then have a little talk together
about this "anchorof the soul."
I. WHAT IS IT MADE OF? You all know what ordinary anchors are made
of. In very early times there were no such things known; but large stones with

112. a rope attachedto them were used for the purpose. By and by the Greeks
beganto make them of iron, and their example has been followedby all
maritime nations. If anything in the world needs to be robust and reliable it is
an anchor, for on its strength hundreds of precious lives may depend. Well,
what about our spiritual anchor? Ah! of how much more importance it is that
it tie durable, seeing the interests here at stake are everlasting. You cannot
afford to run any risks with the soul, for it is more valuable than the whole
world. Now, having seenwhat the anchor of the soul is made of, I want you
think of this question.
II. WHY DO YOU NEED IT? Why does a ship need an anchor? To keepit
steady, yet say, and save it from being carried awayby wind and tide. Oh,
how many influences there are around us that put us in danger. Then an
anchor is of greatvalue in preventing a ship from drifting. Young converts
will soonfind themselves in dangerof backsliding. When you get out into the
world you will find a strong current running dead againstyou; the influence
of irreligious society, and of a spurious charity, will tempt you to abate your
zeal, and to give up, one by one, holy practices and vital truths which once
were dear to you as life, and you will glide unconsciouslyback into an easy-
going formalism; and then, alas! for your spiritual and eternal interests!
Therefore, as St. John says, "Look to yourselves, that ye lose not those things
which ye have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward." Keep fasthold of
your hope in Christ, and you will be able to maintain your ground, Neverlet
go your spiritual anchor and you win successfullyresist the strong currents
around you. Now we come to the lastpoint.
III. WHERE ARE YOU TO CAST THIS ANCHOR? The same apostle
speaks ofit "entering into that within the veil"; and, perhaps, the expression
strikes you as a very" curious one. Undoubtedly it is not usual to eastanchors
within curtains or veils. But when you think over it the meaning is clearand
beautiful. The meaning of the word "veil " takes us back to the worship of the
ancient Jewishsanctuary. Although the pious Jewishworshippernever
entered within that curtain, never saw behind it, yet he knew perfectly what
was there; he knew the blessedtruth set forth by that mercy-seat, and all his
spiritual hope was basedupon it. The anchor of his soul entered into that
within the veil and took hold of the blood-besprinkled mercy seatof God. Ah!

113. it won't do to throw out your soul's anchor upon the mere clemencyor
indulgence of an amiable God. The anchormust be fixed in the ground God
has provided, and nowhere else. It must lay hold on covenantmercy, on
nothing less than the finished work of Jesus. Ah! perhaps some of you have as
yet gotno anchor! You are going forth into the future, with its unknown
dangers and storms, and are wholly unprepared! Oh! it is a sad thing to live "
without God, and without hope in the world." Sir Humphrey Davy, a brilliant
and successfulman of science oflast century, with almosteverything that the
world could give t, make a man happy, once wrote to a friend, "There is but
one personI envy upon earth, and that is the men who has a clearand fixed
religious belief." Alas! how many all around us who will still lack this.
Intelligent and amiable and with much to make them happy, but still dark
within. "All at sea" in very deed as regards spiritual things, and with no
anchor to cling to! What are you going to do in the coming storm? To-day the
air may be calm and the sky serene;but the clouds are gathering for such a
tempest and riot of elements as earth has never seen;and woe betide those
who in that hour have no Saviour they can call their own!
(J. T. Davidson, D. D,)
Importance of the anchor
H. O. Mackey.
During the short naval battle betweenthe Merrimac and the Congressand
Cumberland, the anchorof the former, being unprotected, was shot away.
Ever afterwards the ironclad battle-ships were constructedso as to include an
anchor-well, in which the anchor, when out of the water, might be stowed
awayin safety.
(H. O. Mackey.)
A seaside sermon
U. R. Thomas.

114. I. LIFE IS A SEA. Two sorts of peril.
1. Drift — from routine, customof society, currents of popular feeling, habits
of commerce, &c.
2. Storms — to health, circumstances faith, love.
II. THE SOUL IS A SHIP. Not a rock, nor a waif, but a vessel — capable of
progress, and under proper guidance able to reacha right haven.
III. HOPES AND ANCHORS.
1. Common.
2. Manifold.
IV. CHRISTIAN HOPE HIS THE ONLY SUFFICIENT ANCHOR.
1. Fixed on God through Christ.
2. Fastenedby chains of faith and love vouchsafedthrough Christ.
(U. R. Thomas.)
The soul's only sure refuge
J. N. Norton, D. D.
Professor, whose masterlywork on the "PhysicalGeographyof the Sea," and
others of like value, have given him a reputation whereverlearning is valued,
was a devout, humble-minded Christian. In his youth he had pacedthe
quarter-deck of a man-of-war, in the capacityof midshipman, and long years
after, in his dying hour, the scenes ofearly days came back. He fancied
himself in the midst of a storm, when the goodlyship, holding by her anchors,
seemedthreatened with destruction, even under the shadow of the shore.
Turning his languid eye upon his son, who nursed him, he asked, in the
language ofthe ruling passionof his soul," Do I seemto drag my anchors?"
The answer, "Theyare sure and steadfast," gave him gratifying assurance.
After he had been silent for some time, and was Supposedto be speechless, a

115. friend askedhow he felt, when he promptly said, "All is well!" and forthwith
left the shores of time for the fairer scenes ofthe eternal world. This only
refuge for the soulis what we should prize above all things else:and the most
important question to be settled is whether, or not, we have soughtand found
it.
(J. N. Norton, D. D.)
The anchorof the soul
H. Melvill, B. D.
The apostle had just been speaking of "laying hold on the hope set before us,"
by which he seems to denote the appropriation of those various blessings
which have all been procured for us by Christ. And when the apostle
proceeds, in the words of our text, to describe this hope as an anchor of the
soul we are to understand him as declaring that the expectationof God's
favour and of the glories of heaven, through the atonement and intercessionof
Christ, is exactly calculatedto keepus steadfastand unmoved amid all the
tempests of our earthly estate.
1. Now the idea which is immediately suggestedby this metaphor of the
anchor is that of our being exposedto greatmoral peril, tossedon rough
waters, and in danger of making shipwreck of our faith. And we must be well
aware, if at all acquainted with ourselves and our circumstances, that such
idea is in every respectaccurate, and that the imagery of a tempest-tossed
ship, girt about by the rock and the quicksand, as wellas beatenby the
hurricane, gives no exaggeratedpicture of the believer in Christ, as
opposition, under various forms, labours at his ruin. We first observe that
there is greatrisk of our being carried about, as an apostle expressesit, "with
every wind of doctrine";and whatever, therefore, tends to the keeping us in
the right faith, in spite of gusts of error, must deserve to be characterisedas
an anchor of the soul. But, we may unhesitatingly declare, that there is a
power, the very strongest, in the hope of salvationthrough Christ, of enabling
us to stand firm againstthe incursions of heresy. The hope presupposes faith

116. in the Saviour; and faith has reasons for the persuasionthat Jesus is God's
Son, and "able to save to the uttermost"; and though the individual is ready
enough to probe these reasons, and to bring them to any fitting criterion, it is
evident, that where faith has once taken possession, and generatedhope, he
has so direct and overwhelming an interest in holding fast truth, that it must
be more than a specious objectionor a well-turned cavil which will prevail to
the loosening his grasp. We observe, next, that the believerin Christ is in as
much danger of being moved by the trials with which he meets as by attacks
upon his faith. But he has a growing consciousnessthat "allthings work
togetherfor good," andtherefore an increasing submissiveness in the season
of tribulation, or an ever. strengthening adherence to God as to a father. And
that which contributes, perhaps more than aught besides, to the producing
this adherence, is the hope on which the Christian lays hold. If you study the
language ofDavid when in trouble you will find that it was hope by which he
was sustained. He describes himself in terms which accuratelycorrespondto
the imagery of our text. "Deepcallethunto deep at the noise of Thy
waterspouts;all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me." But when the
tempest was thus at its height, and everything seemedto conspire to
overwhelm and destroyhim, he could yet say, "Why art thou castdown, O my
soul! and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall
yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." It is hope,
you observe, to which he turns, as the principle through which the soul might
best brave the hurricane. And canwe wonder that a hope, such as that of the
believer in Christ, should so contribute to the steadfastnessofits possessor
that the winds may buffet him, and the floods beat againsthim, and yet he
remains firm, like the well-anchoredvessel? Is it the loss of property with
which he is visited, and which threatens to shake his dependence upon God?
Hope whispers that he has in heavenan enduring substance;and he takes
joyfully the spoiling of his goods. Is it the loss of friends? He sorrows not "
even as others which have no hope," but is comforted by the knowledge that "
them also which sleepin Jesus will God bring with Him." Is it sickness — is it
the treacheryof friends — is it the failure of cherishedplans, which hangs the
firmament with blackness, and works the waters into fury? None of these
things move him; for hope assures him that his " light affliction, which is but
for a moment, workethfor him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of

117. glory." Is it death which, advancing in its awfulness, would beat down his
confidence, and snap his cordage, andsend him adrift? His hope is a hope full
of immortality: he knows "whomhe hath believed, and is persuaded that He
is able to keepthat which he hath committed unto Him againstthat day." We
go on to observe that the Christian is exposedto greatvarieties of temptation:
the passions ofan evil nature, and the entirements of a "world which lieth in
wickedness,"conspire to draw him aside from righteousness, andforce him
back to the habits and scenes whichhe has professedlyabandoned. The
danger of spiritual shipwreck would be comparatively small if the sea on
which he voyages were sweptby no storms but those of sorrow and
persecution. The risk is far greaterwhen he is assaultedby the solicitations of
his ownlusts, and the corrupt affections of his nature are plied with their
correspondentobjects. And though it too often happens that he is overcome
by temptation, we are sure that if he kept hope in exercise he would not be
moved by the pleadings of the flesh and the world. Let hope be in vigour, and
the Christian's mind is fixed on a portion which he canneither measure by his
imagination nor be deprived of by his enemies. And now if, at a time such as
this, when it may almostbe saidthat he has entered the haven, that he
breathes the fragrance, and gazes onthe loveliness, and shares the delights of
the Paradise ofGod — he be solicitedto the indulgence of a lust, the sacrifice
of a principle, or the pursuit of a bauble — can you think the likelihood to be
greatthat he will be mastered by the temptation, that he will return, at the
summons of some low passion, from his splendid excursion, and defile himself
with the impurities of earth? We canbe confident that if hope, the hope set
before us in the gospel, be earnestlyclung to, there will be no room in the
graspfor the glittering toys with which Satanwould bribe us to throw away
our eternity. And therefore — to bring the matter again under the figure of
our text — we can declare of hope that it ministers to Christian steadfastness,
when the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, combine to
produce wavering and inconstancy.
2. Now, throughout these illustrations we have rather assumed than proved
that Christian hope is of a nature widely different from that of any other. But
it will be easilyseenthat we have claimed for it nothing beyond the truth if we
examine, the apostle's statementin regard of a Christian's hope, that it

118. "enterethinto that within the veil." The allusion is undoubtedly to t, he veil,
or curtain, which separatedthe holy place from the holy of holies in the
Temple at Jerusalem. By the holy of holies was typified the scene ofGod's
immediate presence, into which Christ entered when the days of His
humiliation were ended. And hence we understand by the hope, or the anchor,
entering within the veil, that, in believing upon Jesus, we fastenourselves, as it
were, to the realities of the invisible world. This throws new and greatlight on
the simile of our text. It appears that the Christian, whilst tossing on a
tempestuous sea, is fastbound to another scene ofbeing, and that, whilst the
vesselis on the waters of time, the anchor is on the rock of eternity. Within the
veil are laid up joys and possessionswhichare more than commensurate with
men's capacities forhappiness when stretched to the utmost. Within the veil is
a glory such as was never proposed by ambition in its most daring flight; and
a wealth such as never passedbefore avarice in its most goldendreams; and
delights such as imagination, when employed in delineating the most exquisite
pleasures, hath never been able to array. And Jet hope fastenon this glory,
this wealth, these delights, and presently the soul, as though she felt that the
objects of desire were as ample as herself, acquires a fixedness of purpose, a
steadiness ofaim, a combination of energies, whichcontraststrangelywith the
inconstancy, the vacillation, the distraction, which have made her hitherto the
sport of every wind and every wave. The object of hope being immeasurable,
inexhaustible, hope clings to this objectwith a tenacity which it cannot
manifest when grasping only the insignificant and unsubstantial; and thus the
soul is bound, we might almost sayindissolubly, to the unchangeable realities
of the inheritance of the saints. And can you marvel if, with her anchor thus
dropped within the veil, she is not to be driven from her course by the wildest
of the storms which yet rage without? Besides, within the veil is an Intercessor
whose pleadings insure that these objects of hope shall be finally attained.
(H. Melvill, B. D.)
Entereth into that within the veil
Hope entering within the veil

119. E. L. Hull, R. A.
I. LET US REGARD THE NECESSITYFOR THIS HOPE. We have to show
here that there are difficulties which render Christian endurance an
impossibility, apart from the sustaining powerof a hope that enters within the
veil.
1. There is a veil over the spiritual world. By the spiritual world I mean all the
unseen realities which surround us now. He who is in the highestsense
spiritual, feels the world to be a Divine temple, because he realises Godin it —
His infinite presence shining from the deep sky above, and His love revealed
in every flower. To him Christ is everywhere, hallowing, as of old, the
relationships of life, and colouring by His sympathy its struggles and its
sorrows. He can reverence men, not because they are rich, or successful, or
powerful, but because theyare living and immortal spirits; and his standard
of life is not the expedient, or the pleasurable, or the popular — but the
righteousness, the truth, the love of the eternal world. Still, that world is
veiled: only the eye of a strong faith can see its beauty. We are so encircled
and enchainedby the fleshly and material, that we canonly clearly realise the
eternal in moments of meditation or prayer; while the transient presses
incessantlyupon us, and by its strong glare absorbs us — while passion, with
its coloured light, blinds the vision of the soul. Is it not evident, then, that to be
faithful to thy end demands a hope that enters within the folded veil which
hides from us the spiritual world?
2. There is a veil over the discipline of life. Indeed, the meaning of human life
generallyis profoundly veiled. Here we have often to sow in tears while the
reaping is veiled — just as in the natural world we castthe seedinto the
ground in utter ignorance of the manner in which it will he quickened into
life. The sowing is seen, the leaping may be believed in, but the connection
betweenthe two" is concealed. The sowermust trust to the dark laws of
nature. He cannotsee the marvellous forces that cause the seedto germinate;
the mysterious influences of winter snows and summer rains; the silent
electric currents by which the sowing is linked to the harvest that will wave in
golden glory beneath the autumnal sky. So in spiritual life. We have to live for
eternity. We have to work in faith. We feel the effort, realise the duty, see the

120. thing to be done, but the laws which cause our toil to bear fruit are as hidden
and mysterious as the laws of natural life. If, then, we could not rest on a hope
which enters within the veil, and in its strength believe in the certainty of the
harvest, how could we be steadfastto the end?
3. There is a veil over the heaven of the future. I know of course there is a veil
over its employments, relationships, locality — which how earnestlywe long
to pierce I But here a greatproblem meets us. Taking the Scripture teaching
that this life is the germ of the future life; that its present discipline is but the
prelude to that " exceeding weightof glory"; that this is but the bud ,,f which
the future life will be the flower, how is this earthly life to developinto the
blessedlife of heaven? But here comes in the hope which "enterets within the
veil." Just as in the natural world the inscrutable activities which darken the
seed-time, and create the fear of the seed's failure, do yet mature its fruitage;
so in the spiritual life the Divine law of growth is at work, though it may be
hidden from us. Our life here must be imperfect, because we live for eternity,
and God is causing our life and work to move on an eternal scale. We, in this
"time world " see but the minute commencementof that which reaches on
into the everlasting. Every true effort must have its completion.
II. But the practicalquestion meets us — HOW CAN THIS HOPE, AS A
POWER IN LIFE, RE ATTAINED? The words following our text give us the
reply — "Whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High
Priestfor ever." They suggest —
1. Faith in Christ our Priest. Without that we should tremble at the drawing
aside of the veil. Like the high priest of old we must be sprinkled with atoning
blood before our hope canenter within it.
2. We must have fellowship with Christ our Forerunner. Don't let this become
a vague idea, it leas a meaning for us which is intensely real. Remember that
He is our example, inasmuch as He is a "High Priestwho is touched with a
feeling of our infirmities, having been tempted in all points even as we are."
Remember how He struggled againsttemptation — how He met it by instant,
unconquerable resistance, aridthen " angels came and ministered unto Him."

121. So with us. After Christ like conflict we become "more than conquerors
through Him that loved us," and are strengthenedwith angelic hopes.
(E. L. Hull, R. A.)
Within the veil
E. P. Hood.
There in the temple, in the day of the old Hebrew service, there hung the veil,
heavy, gorgeous,mysterious itself, and in its fabrication concealing mystery;
made and suspended "afterthe pattern given in the mount." Very glorious
was the embroidery of that impressive symbol, "the purple, the blue, the
scarlet, inwrought with the fine twined linen," and the forms of the golden
cherubim spread over the richly colouredvesture (Exodus 26:31, 32). Thus,
behind the veil, lay enshrined all the gorgeoussymbols and heraldries of the
Jewishhistory and faiths; the veil concealedtheir splendours, and defended
their beauty — it was a parable and a mystery.
I. WHAT WAS THAT VEIL, AND WHAT DID IT SAY TO THOSE WHO
BOWED PROSTRATEBEFORE IT, AND WHAT DRIES IT SAY TO US
NOW? When the Jew bowedthere, and heard from behind the veil the sound
of the bells upon the beautiful vestments of the priest, and heard the echo of
feet moving to and fro, and saw the priest stepping in whither he could not
follow, lifting that veil, entering that door; what think you were the feelings of
the ancientJew? what did it all sayto him? This was whatit said, "Separated,
separated! cut off from holiness;cut off from God." That was what it said,
and the echo within the heart of the Jew said, "Separated, separated."What
do you feel, and what are you able to realise now? What is that veil to us?
What says the apostle? "The veil, that is to say, His flesh." Behold that broken
body, behold that pierced side; this is the world's greatwonder, and the
church's too. That is the tree veil. It is sinful humanity which hangs between
our happiness and God. It is our human nature which cannot go up into the
holy of holies. Christ took up that infirm, sinful human nature, bore it, lived
in it, died in it, and resumed it after He had laid it down. He took it again,

122. glorified it, and by it " broke down the middle wall of partition contained in
ordinances, and by Himself made one new man, so making peace." Ilook
down to my nature, laden with sin, and I despair; I look up to Christ's nature,
and rejoice with "joy unspeakable, and full of glory, receiving the end of my
faith, even the salvationof my soul." I look down to my nature, and I see my
helplessness;I look up to Christ's nature, and see my hope. I look down to my
nature, and see my sin; I look up to His, and see His holiness, and I know it is
mine. That veil which separatedme from God, becomes now the "fine linen
which is the righteousness ofthe saints," in which I approach him, and say, "I
will greatlyrejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He hath
coveredme with the robe of righteousness, andwith the garments of
salvation."
II. And now, WHAT IS WITHIN THE VEIL, WHAT DOES MY TEXT OR
CONTEXT FIND?
1. And lift up thine heart, Christian; lilt it up, for IT is there — the immutable
and the unchangeable will. We need strong consolation, and the apostle
fetches the strong consolationforthe heirs of promise from behind the veil.
Surely I need not detain you by so trite a remark as that we stand in the midst
of mystery. "The day breaks, and the shadows flee away," where we
understand the body of our Lord, where we pass through that sacredveil.
There is a life not to be accountedfor by human conditions, and time, and
space. His will is "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," immutable!
Hence, within the veil, is God's Divine map; there is the plan to Him all
known, and clearly seen;infinite consciousness,and prescience,provision, and
providence — this is the everlasting and unchangeable God.
2. Within the veil. Who is within the veil? He is there. Do you find it difficult
to realise it? Do you find it difficult to send your heart to Him, and to see
Him? But where is He but there? Where should He be but there? "Yet a little
while," said He, "and the world sooth Me no more, but ye see Me, and
because I live, ye shall live also." Dying saints have seenHim. Yes, He lived,
He died, He rose to be revived, and He is there waiting till He shall come
without sin unto salvation.

123. 3. Within the veil. What is there P They are there, they are there. The loved
but not the lost; why, then, their loss deplore? They are there, the holy, and
the immortal, and the pure, and the true. They are there! Beyondthe flesh.
"Where should the dying members rest?" All mystery supposes a solution of
the riddle; they are beyond the enigma. All is plain now within the veil.
III. "SEEING, THEN, IT IS SO, WHAT MANNER OF PERSONSOUGHT
WE TO BE?" Such is the plea of the apostle. All this veil must be dissolved.
They can hear us and see us, even behind the curtain. Therefore believe, and
wait, and rejoice, and aspire. Within the veil! Are not these comfortable
words? Within the veil! Even now has not "the darkness passed"?Is it not
true that "the true light now shineth" beyond the veil? Henry
IV. was told of the king of Spain that he had greatacquisitions, and was asked
what he had to say to it? He replied, "I am king of France:" but he is king of
Castile;"I am king of France":but he is king of Navarre;"I am king of
Franc":but he is king of Portugal; "but I am king of France:"He is king of
the Sicilies;"but I am king of France":he is king of the New Indies; "but I
am king of France." To he king of France answeredall questions, and was to
him equal to all. So thou and I, oh, Christian, have an answerfor all
questions, and equal to all, "within the veil." Your church is imperfect and
erring, and small in the world's esteem. Ah, but "within the veil"! You are
yourself dark and cloudy, and desponding, and you cannot see the promised
land or the Saviour. Yes, but "within the veil!" And as with the world, so with
your family; death invades and breaths in on your household, and your
household loves. True, but "within the veil." And sin accuses you, and
consciencestings, andbeyond is the judgment-seat. But " within the veil."
(E. P. Hood.)
Anchored within the veil
J. Vaughan, M. A.
I. What is this "soul" of ours? Always like a barque, tossedabout and sure to
drift and drift, on shoals and on rocks. What a bitter picture is the history of

124. this "soul" of ours! All unstable, and never continuing long in one strain; with
no power of itself to help itself.
II. And WHERE is it? In an ocean? And all the while that soul is so rich an
argosy, laden with treasures which cannot be told; bought at the highest
possible price, carrying in it an eternity into the very presence ofGod.
III. WHAT, THEN, DO WE WANT? "An anchor." "An anchor" which is "
sure" to be "steadfast."
IV. Now look at SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCESOF THIS
WONDERFULCONNECTION OF THE "SOUL " WITH THAT
"ANCHOR WITHIN THE VEIL,"
1. And first, how perfectly safe that soul must be. God's eternal counsel, God's
very being, and God's oath passing into Christ. A Christ unseen; wearing a
body Himself in heaven; who secures and seals your pardon. Your strength,
your peace, your life, your glory.
2. Then how restful should your soul so "anchored" be! What mean all these
doubts and fears? What though you be tossedabout, you are held as by chains
of adamant, and your soul shall never perish! You cannotbe lost! There
cannot be any shipwreck to a soulthat is "anchored" "within the veil."
3. And by that tokenthat you are "anchored," you cannotbe very far from
shore. You may not see the land of promise; you may not yet hear the songs of
its inhabitants; but there is no anchorage outin the mid-sea, you must be near
the coast, nearerperhaps than you guess now, in this dark night; but you will
be surprised to find how close youare all the while when the morning breaks.
Therefore you must make haste to be ready to go ashore, for the voyage may
be nearly done, and you only wait the order to step out, and be at home.
4. Meanwhile, remember this, a ship always drops towards her anchor. And
before you land you must be nearing and nearing Christ and heaven: your
thoughts there, your focus there, your tastes and your desires there; and your
"hope" must become more real and more perfectevery day. There must be
more realisationof the land you are about to touch; more affections there;
more appreciationof its loveliness;more familiarity with its language, and

125. love, and praise. You must be practising what you will have to do when you
arrive.
(J. Vaughan, M. A.)
The nearness ofheaven
C. Stanford, D. D.
The nearness ofheaven is suggestedby the epithet " veil." A veil is the
thinnest and frailestof all conceivable partitions. It is but a fine tissue, a
delicate fabric of embroidery. It waves in the wind; the touch of a child may
stir it; an accidentmay rend it; the silent action of time will moulder it away.
A mere cord breaking, a mere" socketofsilver " starting from its place would
have opened the veil of the temple. It was lifted up by the priest " once in the
circuit of a year";and at the crucifixion it was parted by an invisible hand.
The veil that conceals heavenis only our embodied existence, and though
fearfully and wonderfully made, it is only wrought out of our frail mortality.
So slight is it that the puncture of a thorn, the touch of an insect's sting, the
breath of an infected atmosphere, may make it shake and fall. In a bound, in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the throb of a pulse, in the flash of a
thought, we may start into disembodied spirits, glide unabashed into the
company of greatand mighty angels, pass into the light and amazement of
eternity, know the great seer, t, gaze upon splendours which flesh and blood
could not sustain, and which no words lawful for man to utter could describe!
(C. Stanford, D. D.)
The Forerunner is for us entered.
The Forerunner
Thee. Main, D. D.
I. There is A PLACE referred to, here. "Within the veil " is heaven, the shrine
and dwelling-place of Deity. This is the goalof the believer's sanctified

126. ambition, the very consummation of his best and holiestdesires — to enter in
within the veil, to gaze on the unclouded glories of Jehovah's face, and dwell
forever with Him.
II. There is THE PERSON who has entered within the veil, even Jesus, by
whom an entrance has been effected. To tell one of any one of my fellow-men,
who has passedfrom earth to heaven, does not that proclaim that a way has
been opened up into the holiestof all; that there is no impassable gulf, no
insuperable barrier in the way, but that an entrance may in like manner be
ministered to a greatmultitude? How much more so, that it is Jesus who has
entered in! For none ever loved us like Jesus;never heart glowedand yearned
like the heart of Jesus;and we may well feel assuredthat wherever He is, He
will never forgetus; and that He will be found just as willing to help us in
heaven as He showedHimself to be walling to help us on earth.
III. There is THE CHARACTER HE SUSTAINS in thus entering; it is as a
Forerunner for us. This characteris not personal, but official and
mediatorial; and therefore it exerts a pregnant influence upon all His people.
1. As a Forerunner He announces our future arrival in heaven. He makes it
known that in coming up from this dim and distant region, where for a season
He had dwelt, He comes as a pioneer on the march, — that His footsteps will
be followedby myriads of the ransomed, so that from that day forward all
heaven has been in an attitude of expectation.
2. As the Forerunner He takes possessionofheaven on our behalf; for He
enters in our nature and in our name.
3. As a Forerunner He bids His people welcome whenthey come, and presents
them before His Father, and assigns them their position in the new Jerusalem.
It is enough to insure to us no ordinary place in the affectionand regardof the
unfallen, to find that we are ushered in and welcomedthere as friends of
Jesus;to sustaina right relation t- Jesus is to stand right with all the upper
universe of God. Above all, what a gracious receptionwill it insure to us from
God the Father! None so dear to God as Jesus, and next to Jesus none so dear
to Him as those who are His.

127. (Thee. Main, D. D.)
Christ our Forerunner within the veil
John Paul.
The expression, "Forerunner," here made use of by the apostle, is a military
one, and refers to the custom which obtains in days of warfare, ofthe victor in
a hard-fought battle despatching a messengerto the seatof government with
the news of the successfulvalour which the army had displayed, that at head-
quarters the welcome intelligence might be proclaimed, and purposes formed,
and plans executed, and honours awarded, that might be meet and congruous
with the happy results which had been achieved. No doubt, on such an
occasion, a forerunner is generallyinferior to those who come after him,
under whose skilful management tee victorious prowess has beenput forth;
and he is so because he is a forerunner, and nothing more. Thus restricted,
however, the term has no meaning when applied to Jesus Christ; for though
He be the Forerunner of His people, yet the splendour of His characterin this
respectis to be traced to the circumstance that He is much more. Upon His
shoulders was laid the conducting of that matter, on accountof which He is
now entered as a Precursorwithin the veil. He fought the battle; He slew the
enmity; and He was Himself the Forerunner, because ofthe greatnessofthat
which He had accomplished, and because it was not fit either that the
enunciation, or the following of it up, should be committed to another.
I. CHRIST IS OUR FORERUNNERENTEREDIN WITHIN THE VEIL. We
have severalnotices given to us in Scripture that the scheme of human
redemption did ever excite greatinterest among the heavenly inhabitants —
that it is a subject on which their curiosity is awakened, and their emotions
roused, and their inquiries set on foot — that its commencement, its progress,
its consummation, are apprehended as important, and felt as attractive, and
worthy of the most solicitous investigation. Now, this desire was gratified on
Christ's visible departure out of the world, in the form of a literal ascent — on
His entrance within the veil as the Forerunner of His people; and this is the
first view that we may take of His characterin this respect. He went into

128. heaven proclaiming what He had done upon earth — that He had finished
transgression— that He had made an end of sin — that He had brought in an
everlasting righteousness — that He had sealedup the vision and the
prophecy which did centre in Him — that, having sustainedthe pressure of
avenging justice, He opened up a medium of access, a door evento the most
rebellious — that, by virtue of His blood, He had obtained remission for
sinners, paid the price of redemption for those who were captives, made
reconciliationfor enemies — that, in harmony with God's attributes, and even
while He did conserve the sacrednessofHis law, He had redeemed, from the
powerof all who did hate her, the Church whom He had eternally chosen —
that he had delivered her from the dominion of sin, from the final dominion of
death, and made that which was the fruit and punishment of transgressionthe
door through which she enters on the sanctuary of immortality. Such is the
intelligence with which Christ, as our Forerunner, has entered into that within
the veil. And the very act of His going up did presuppose and ratify to them
the most important truths, that He led captivity captive, just because He had
ascendedup on high. But again, our Lord has entered as a Forerunner within
the veil, and there Be ever liveth. Now, there is a threefold life which Christ
lives above. There is a life which He has as the Eternal Son of God, the life
which belongs to His Divine nature; for as the Fatherhath life in Himself, so
hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself — given it to Him by eternal
generation— given it to Him by communicating all His own attributes. There
is also a life which belongs to Him, and which He doth live for Himself, in
consequence ofHis having become man — a life of glory inconceivable in His
nature as man. But, over and above these two different kinds of life which the
Lord Jesus Christ doth enjoy, and which shall never come to an end, there is a
life which He leads as Mediatorin heaven, and in respectof which it is that He
is a Forerunner within the veil. Though removed beyond the cognisanceofthe
senses,He is still carrying on His greatwork in heaven, and is there the
Prophet, Priest, and King of His Church as really and as effectivelyas when
He dwelt upon earth. He died on our account, He liveth still on our account,
and is entrusted with all powerfor the service of His Church; and though this
life differs not essentiallyfrom that life of glory in His human nature which
He liveth for Himself, it yet so far differs from it that it shall one day have an
end. He will throughout eternity enjoy the life which He possessesas a Divine

129. Being, He will throughout eternity e-joy the life which He possessesin His
glorified human nature; but His life as Mediator, His life as a Forerunner, He
shall cease to have when the work of His mediation shall have been finished,
when the electshall all have been gatheredinto the fold of the Good Shepherd,
and the kingdom delivered up to God, even the Father. And what is it that, in
this view of His characteras a Forerunner, He is not fitted to procure? Are we
not to trace to it all the gifts which are bestowedon the Church in general, for
common edification, and on eachmember of it singly, for His particular
benefit?
II. LESSONS in which this greattruth is fitted to instruct us: —
1. This view of Christ's characteris a proof of the perfection of His
atonement. Can it for one moment be imagined that He should in this manner
have been takenup, had there been any defectin His redeeming work, bad it
come short in anything which the fitness of a righteous Government could
require.
2. A forerunner, one who goes before, suggeststhe idea of some who are to
follow after.
(John Paul.)
The Forerunner
C. Stanford, D. D.
The forerunner of the ancient ship was the Anehorarius, the man who had
charge of the anchor, and who carried it within the harbour, when there was
not yet watersufficient to float the ship into it.
(C. Stanford, D. D.)
Christ going before to heaven
W. Burkitt, M. A.

130. 1. Is Christ gone before to heaven? Then let us be willing to follow Him in the
way of obedience, and in the way of suffering, as well as to meet Him in the
end.
2. To make haste after Him. Did He fly as an eagle towards heaven, and shall
we creep like a snail? Is not the bosom of Christ more desirable than the arms
of our dearestfriends? Shall we not enjoy all comforts in the enjoyment of our
Comforter?
3. Let our hearts at presentbe with Him. Oh[ where should our hearts be, but
where our Head is?
(W. Burkitt, M. A.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(20) Whither the forerunner.—Rather, Whither, as forerunner, Jesus entered
for us, having become High Priestafter the order of Melchizedek for ever.
The Jewishhigh priest entered the Holiest Place by himself—a representative
but not a leader. Jesus has entered the true sanctuary(Hebrews 9:24) that He
may give His people entrance there (Hebrews 10:19;John 14:2-3). With this
renewedmention of the greathigh-priestly act (Hebrews 4:14), the writer
returns to the words of Scripture on which he was about to dwell (Hebrews
5:10), when the painful thought of the unpreparedness of his readers for
higher Christian teaching forced itself upon his mind. In this verse the order
of the words taken from the Psalm is changed;in the lastwords “for ever” is
declaredwith unequalled impressiveness the permanence of our Christian
hope.
BensonCommentary

131. Hebrews 6:20. Whither the forerunner — Προδρομος, a forerunner, is one
who goes before to do some service for another who is to follow: in which
sense also the Latin word ante-cursoris used. A forerunner uses to be less in
dignity than those that are to follow him: but it is not so here; for Christ, who
is gone before us, is infinitely superior to us; is for us entered — Namely, for
our good. 1st, To prepare a place for us, John 14:2. 2d, To make continual
intercessionfor us. 3d, To make us partakers ofhis own glory, John 17:24;
Revelation3:21. 4th, To take possessionofheaven for us, John 14:3. What an
honour is it to believers to have so glorious a forerunner now appearing in the
presence ofGod for them! Made a High-Priest for ever — Christ ascendedto
heaven, 1st, To open it to us by the sacrifice ofhimself, and to plant our hope
of eternal life there as an anchor of the soul. 2d, Because having opened
heaven, he remains there as the High-Priest of that holy place, to introduce all
believers into the presence ofGod. This shows in what sense Jesus is a High-
Priestfor ever. He is so, not by offering sacrifice forever in behalf of his
people, but by interceding for them always, Romans 8:34;and by introducing
them into the presence of God by the merit of the one sacrifice of himself,
which he offeredto God without spot.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
6:11-20 The hope here meant, is a sure looking for goodthings promised,
through those promises, with love, desire, and valuing of them. Hope has its
degrees, as faith also. The promise of blessedness Godhas made to believers,
is from God's eternalpurpose, settledbetweenthe eternal Father, Son, and
Spirit. These promises of God may safely be depended upon; for here we have
two things which cannotchange, the counseland the oath of God, in which it
is not possible for God to lie; it would be contrary to his nature as wellas to
his will. And as He cannotlie; the destruction of the unbeliever, and the
salvationof the believer, are alike certain. Here observe, those to whom God
has given full securityof happiness, have a title to the promises by inheritance.
The consolationsofGod are strong enough to support his people under their
heaviesttrials. Here is a refuge for all sinners who flee to the mercy of God,
through the redemption of Christ, according to the covenant of grace, laying
aside all other confidences. We are in this world as a ship at sea, tossedup and
down, and in danger of being castaway. We need an anchor to keepus sure

132. and steady. Gospelhope is our anchor in the storms of this world. It is sure
and stedfast, or it could not keepus so. The free grace of God, the merits and
mediation of Christ, and the powerful influences of his Spirit, are the grounds
of this hope, and so it is a stedfasthope. Christ is the objectand ground of the
believer's hope. Let us therefore set our affections on things above, and wait
patiently for his appearance, whenwe shall certainly appear with him in
glory.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Whither - To which most holy place - heaven.
The forerunner - The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New
Testament. A "forerunner" - πρόδρομος prodromos - is one who goes before
others to prepare the way. The word is applied to light troops sent forward as
scouts;Diod. Sic. 17, 17;compare "Wisdom of Solomon" (apoc)12:8. "Thou
didst send wasps, forerunners of thy host, to destroy them by little and little."
The meaning here is, that Jesus wentfirst into the heavenly sanctuary. He led
the way. He has gone there on our account, to prepare a place for us; John
14:3. Having such a friend and advocate there, we should be firm in the hope
of eternal life, and amidst the storms and tempests around us, we should be
calm.
Made an high priest forever - see the notes on Hebrews 5:6, Hebrews 5:10. To
illustrate this fact, was the objectfor which this discussionwas introduced,
and which had been interrupted by the remarks occurring in this chapter on
the dangerof apostasy. Having warned them of this danger, and exhorted
them to go on to make the highest attainments possible in the divine life, the
apostle resumes the discussionrespecting Melchizedek, andmakes the
remarks which he intended to make respecting this remarkable man; see
Hebrews 5:11.
Remarks
1. We should aim at perfectionin order that we may have evidence of piety;
Hebrews 6:1. No man can be a Christian who does not do this, or who does
not desire to be perfectas God is perfect. No one can be a Christian who is

133. "satisfied" or"contented" to remain in sin; or who would not "prefer" to be
made at once as holy as an angel - as the Lord Jesus - as God.
2. We should aim at perfectionin order to make great attainments; Hebrews
6:1. No man makes any greatadvance in anything, who does not sethis
standard high. Men usually accomplishabout what they expectto accomplish,
If a man expects to be a quack physician, he becomes such; if he is satisfiedto
be a fourth-rate lawyer, he becomes such;if he is willing to be an indifferent
mechanic, he advances no higher; if he has no intention or expectationof
being a firstrate farmer, he will never become one. If he sincerelyaims,
however, to excel, he usually accomplishes his object. And it is so in religion. If
a man does not intend to be an eminent Christian, he may be certainhe never
will be. Religionis not produced by chance - any more than fine fruit is, or
than a goodharvest is. One of the principal reasons whyPresident Edwards
became so eminent a Christian, was, that in early life he adopted the following
resolution, to which he appears always to have adhered, that "onthe
supposition that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any
one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects ofa right
stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true lustre, and appearing
excellentand lovely, from whateverpart, and under whatevercharacter
viewed: Resolved, To actjust as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be
that one, who should live in my time." Life, by S. E. Dwight, D. D., p. 72.
3. We should aim to acquire as much "knowledge"ofreligious truth as we
possibly can; Hebrews 6:1-2. True piety is "principle." It is not fancy, or
dreaming, or visions, or enthusiasm. It is basedon knowledge,and does not go
"beyond" that. No man has any more religion than he has "knowledge" ofthe
way of salvation. He cannot force his religion to overstepthe bounds of his
knowledge;for "ignorance" contributes nothing to devotion. There may be
knowledge where there is no piety; but there can be no true religion where
there is no knowledge.If, therefore, a Christian wishes to make advances, he
must gain a knowledge ofthe truth. He must understand the greatdoctrines
of his religion. And in like manner, if we wish the next generationto be
intelligent and solid Christians, we must train them up to "understand" the
Bible.

134. 4. The consequencesofthe judgment will be eternal; Hebrews 6:2. No truth is
more solemn than this. It is this which makes the prospectof the judgment so
awful. If the consequences ofthe sentence were to continue for a few years, or
ages, orcenturies only, it would be of much less importance. But who can
abide the thought of "eternaljudgment?" Of an "eternalsentence?"Here the
most fearful and solemn sentence is for a short period. The sentence will soon
expire; or it is mitigated by the hope of a change. Painhere is brief. Disgrace,
and sorrow, and heaviness of heart, and all the woes that man can inflict, soon
come to an end. There is an outer limit of suffering, and no severityof a
sentence, no ingenuity of man, can prolong it far. The man disgraced, and
whose life is a burden, will soondie. On the cheeks ofthe solitary prisoner,
doomed to the dungeon for life, a "mortal paleness"will soonsettle down, and
the comforts of an approaching release by death may soothe the anguish of his
sad heart.
The rack of torture cheats itselfof its own purpose, and the exhaustedsufferer
is released. "The excess (ofgrief,) makes it soonmortal." But in the world of
future woe the sentence will never expire; and death will never come to relieve
the sufferer. I may ask, then, of my reader, Are you prepared for the
"eternal" sentence?Are you ready to hear a doom pronounced which can
never be changed? Would you be willing to have God judge you just as you
are, and pronounce such a sentence as oughtto be pronounced now, and have
the assurancethat it would be eternal? You seek worldlyhonor. Would you be
willing to be doomed "always" to seek that? You aspire after wealth. Would
you be willing to be doomed to aspire after that "always?" Youseek pleasure
- in the frivolous and giddy world. Would you be willing to be doomed
"always" to seek afterthat? You have no religion; perhaps desire to have
none. Yet would you be willing to be doomed to be always without religion?
You are a stranger to the God that made you. Would you be willing to be
sentencedto be "always" a strangerto God? You indulge in passion, pride,
envy, sensuality. Would you be willing to be sentencedalways to the raging of
these passions and lusts? How few are they who would be willing to have an
"eternal" sentence passedonthem, or to be doomed to pursue their present
employments, or to cherishtheir present opinions for ever! How few who

135. would "dare" to meet a sentence which should be in strict accordance with
what was "just," and which was never to change!
5. With the righteous it should be matter of rejoicing that the judgment is to
be eternal; Hebrews 6:2. They candesire no change of the sentence whichwill
assignthem to heaven; and it will be no small part of the joy of the heavenly
world, that the results of the judgment will be everlasting. There will be no
further trial; no reversing of the sentence;no withdrawing of the crown of
glory. The righteous are the only ones who have not reasonto dread a "just
eternal sentence;" and they will rejoice when the time shall come which will
fix their doom forever.
6. We should dread apostasyfrom the true religion; Hebrews 6:4. We should
habitually feelthat if we should deny our Lord, and rejecthis religion, there
would be no hope. The die would be cast;and we must then perish for ever.
By this solemn considerationGodintends to preserve his people, and it is a
considerationwhich has been so effectualthat there is not the leastreasonto
suppose that anyone who has ever had any true religion, has fallen awayand
perished. Many have been "almost" Christians, and have then turned back to
perdition Matthew 7:2, Matthew 7:23; Acts 26:28, but there is no reasonto
suppose that any who have been true Christians have thus apostatizedand
been lost. Yet Christians are not kept without watchfulness;they cannot be
kept without the most sincere and constantendeavors to preserve themselves
from failing.
7. If the sin of apostasyis so great, then every approachto it is dangerous;and
then every sin should be avoided. He that habitually indulges in sin "cannot"
be a Christian; and every sin which a sincere Christian commits should be
measuredby the guilt which "would" exist should it become final, and should
he wholly fall away. No man can indulge in sin and be safe;and no professed
Christian who finds himself disposedto indulge in sin, should cherish the
expectationof reaching heaven; Hebrews 6:4-6.
8. It is a matter of devout gratitude that God"has" kept all his true people
from apostasy;Hebrews 6:4-6. If it is true that no one who has been
regeneratedhas ever fallen away;if the means which God has used have been

136. effectualin a world so full of temptations, and when we have hearts so prone
to evil; and if it is the intention of God to keepall to eternal salvationwho are
truly converted, then it should be to us a subject of devout thankfulness and of
encouragement. In view of this, we should admire the wisdom of the plan
which thus secures salvation;we should look to him with the firm assurance
that he "will keep" what we have committed to him to the final day.
9. We should improve the privileges which we enjoy so as to receive a blessing
from God; Hebrews 6:7-8. It is desirable that a farm should be wellcultivated
so as not to be overrun with briars and thorns; desirable that it should
produce an abundant harvest, and not exhibit mere barrenness and
desolation. Yet, alas, there are many professing Christians who resemble such
a field of thorns, and such a scene of desolation. Theyproduce no fruits of
righteousness;they do nothing to extend the kingdom of the Redeemer!What
can such expectbut the "curse" of God? What can the end of such be but to
be "burned?"
continued...
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
20. The absence ofthe Greek article requires Alford's translation, "Where. As
forerunner for us (that is, in our behalf), entered Jesus" [andis now: this last
clause is implied in the 'where' of the Greek, whichimplies being IN a place:
'whither' is understood to 'entered,'taken out of 'where'; whither Jesus
entered, and where He is now]. The "for us" implies that it was not for
Himself, as God, He needed to enter there, but as our High Priest,
representing and introducing us, His followers, opening the way to us, by His
intercessionwith the Father, as the Aaronic high priest entered the Holiest
Place once a year to make propitiation for the people. The first-fruits of our
nature are ascended, and so the restis sanctified. Christ's ascensionis our
promotion: and whither the glory of the Head has preceded, thither the hope
of the body, too, is called. We ought to keepfestalday, since Christ has taken
up and set in the heavens the first-fruit of our lump, that is, the human flesh
[Chrysostom]. As John Baptist was Christ's forerunner on earth, so Christ is
ours in heaven.

137. Matthew Poole's Commentary
Whither the forerunner is for us entered: this heaven is actually possessedfor
us already by a harbinger, who came at his Father’s word to fit and prepare
us for it, and then again returned in our nature, and as our Head and
Representative he hath entered, made the wayopen, and paved the coastfor
us thither, and made it plain and safe;and having takenreal and full
possession, is making ready our mansions; and when he hath completed his
work in us, will come and take and carry us thither, and put us into the full
possessionofit in our persons, Hebrews 9:24 John 14:2-4.
Even Jesus, made an High Priestfor everafter the order of Melchisedec:he
describeth the forerunner to be God the Son incarnate, the Saviourof
believers, he that will keepthem safe for it, and setthem safe in it. Their
Jesus, who as to his office is the greatgospelHigh Priest, had fulfilled his type,
and put an end to it by his entering within the veil into the holy of holiest in
heaven, being constitutedby his Father a royal High Priest, superior to all
other orders and persons, a High Priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec, mentioned before, Hebrews 5:10, where the Spirit begun a
digression, and having here ended it, repeats the description of it again, as the
thing to be immediately handled and pursued, as he doth in the next chapter.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus,.... Christwas a runner;
he had a race to run, which lay in going about to heal diseases,in preaching
the Gospel, in obeying the law, and in suffering death for his people;which
race was run by him with greatswiftness, strength, and courage, with
patience, cheerfulness, andjoy, and is now ended; as appears from the
accomplishmentof salvation, from his entrance into heaven, and sessionatthe
right hand of God; from the glorificationof his human nature, and its
everlasting freedom from the dominion of death: and this race is run out, as a
"forerunner"; Christ is the most excellentrunner; there is none like him;
there is none that can come up to him; he has out ran and exceededallothers;
he has performed in the bestmanner; he has run out his race first, and has

138. entered into heavenfirst by his own blood; and he has clearedthe waythither,
and opened the gates ofheaven for his people; and is a guide and pattern for
them to follow: and he is the forerunner for them, as well as entered for them;
for he was born, and he lived, and died for them, for their goodand service;
and he is entered into heaven for them, as man and Mediator, and as their
high priest; where he represents their persons, appears and intercedes for
them, takes care oftheir affairs, and presents their services;prepares
mansions of glory for them, and takes possessionofheaven in their name, and
opens the way for them to follow him thither; all which gives great
encouragementto hope to enter now, where Jesus is:who is
made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec;see Hebrews 5:6.
This is repeatedhere, to lead on to what the apostle had to say concerning
Melchizedek in the following chapter.
Geneva Study Bible
{9} Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest
for everafter the order of Melchisedec.
(9) He repeats David's words, in which all those comparisons that he
mentioned before are signified, as he declares in all the next chapter.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Hebrews 6:20. Close ofthe digressionmade from v. 11 onwards, and apt
return to v. 10.
ὅπου]whither. Inexact, as Luke 9:57, John 8:21 f., and often, instead of the
ὅποι, which is never used in the N. T. (see Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 439);yet
more significant than the latter, since it contains, in addition to the notion of
having entered, the additional notion of remaining.

139. πρόδρομος]as harbinger. The expression, in the N. T. only here, characterizes
Christ as the first member in a series, thus glances atthe fact that those who
believe in Him shall attain to the MostHoly Place. Comp. John 14:2-3.
ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν] in our interest, or for our eternalwelfare, namely, to obtain
pardon for us (Hebrews 9:12), to representus in the presence ofGod
(Hebrews 9:24), and to open up for us an entrance into heaven itself (Hebrews
10:19 f.). ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν is to be construed, not with πρόδρομος (Heinrichs,
Böhme, Tholuck, Ebrard, and others), but (as already the Peshito)with
εἰσῆλθεν.
In that which follows the emphasis rests upon κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ
(Böhme, Delitzsch, Alford, Maier, Hofmann), which on that accountis
preposed; not upon εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα (Bleek, Woerner), which latter, on the
contrary, as an additional note of definition is derived only from the κατὰ τὴν
τάξιν Μελχις.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Hebrews 6:20. The holding-ground of the anchorof hope, the real presence of
God, is further described in the words ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν εἰσῆλθεν
Ἰησοῦς, “whither as forerunner for us entered Jesus”.ὅποι does not occurin
N.T. or LXX, ὅπου taking its place, as in English“where” often stands for
“whither”; see Matthew 8:19, Luke 9:57, Jam 3:4. So, too, occasionally, in
Attic; examples in Bleek. πρόδρομος as an adjective, “running forward with
headlong speed,” see Jebb’s note on Soph., Antig., 107;as a substantive
“scouts”or“advancedguard” of an army, Herodot., i. 60, and Wis 12:8,
ἀπέστειλάς τε προδρόμους τοῦ στρατοπέδου σου σφῆκας. The more general
meaning is found in Numbers 13:21, ἡμέραι ἔαρος, πρόδρομοι σταφυλῆς.
Isaiah28:4. The idea may be illustrated by Hebrews 2:10, Colossians 1:18, 1
Corinthians 15:23. ὑπὲρ ἡμῶνgoes better with πρόδρομος—whichrequires
further definition—than with εἰσῆλθεν, although Bleek, Weissand others
prefer to join it to the verb. Ἰησοῦς, the human name is used, because it is as

140. man and having passedthrough the whole human experience that Jesus
ascends as our forerunner. His superiority to the Levitical priest is disclosed
in the word πρόδρομος. Whenthe Levitical High Priestpassedwithin the veil
he went as the representative, not as the forerunner of the people. Hence
indeed the veil. In Christ the veil is abolished. He enters God’s presence as the
herald and guarantee of our entrance. The ground of this is given in the
concluding clause, κατὰ τὴντάξιν … αἰῶνα, “having become [becoming] an
High Priestfor ever after the order of Melchizedek”. Jesus carriesour hope
with Him to the realities which lie within the veil, because it is as our High
Priestwho has made atonement for sin that He is now at God’s right hand. By
His death He securedfor us power to enter, to follow where He has gone
before. The participle does not determine the precise point at which He
became High Priest, before or contemporaneouslywith His passing through
the veil.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
20. whither the forerunner is … entered] Lit. “where a forerunner entered…
Jesus;” or “where, as a forerunner” (or harbinger) “Jesus entered.”
for us] “on our behalf.” This explains the introduction of the remark. Christ’s
Ascensionis a pledge that our Hope will be fulfilled. He is gone to prepare a
place for us (John 14:2-3). His entrance into the regionbehind the veil proves
the reality of the hidden kingdom of glory into which our Hope has castits
anchor (Ahlfeld). This is evidently a prominent thought with the writer
(Hebrews 4:14, Hebrews 9:24).
made] Rather, “having become,” as the result of His earthly life.
after the order of Melchisedec]Byrepeating this quotation, as a sort of
refrain, the writer once more resumes the allusion of Hebrews 5:10, and
brings us face to face with the argument to which he evidently attached

141. extreme importance as the centraltopic of his epistle. In the dissertation
which follows there is nothing which less resembles StPaul’s manner of
“going off at a word” (as in Ephesians 5:12-15, &c.)The warning and
exhortation which ends at this verse, so far from being “a sudden transition”
(or “a digression”)“by which he is carriedfrom the main stream of his
argument” belongs essentiallyto his whole design. The disquisition on
Melchisedek—forwhichhe has prepared the way by previous allusions and
with the utmost deliberation—is prefaced by the same kind of solemn strain
as those which we find in Hebrews 2:1-3, Hebrews 3:2; Hebrews 3:12-14,
Hebrews 12:15-17. So far from being “hurried aside by the violence of his
feelings” into these appeals, they are strictly subordinated to his immediate
design, and enwoveninto the plan of the Epistle with consummate skill.
“Hurry” and “vehemence” mayoften describe the intensity and impetuosity
of St Paul’s fervent style which was the natural outcome of his impassioned
nature; but faultless rhetoric, sustained dignity, perfect smoothness and
elaborate eloquence are the very different characteristicsofthe manner of this
writer.
for ever] The words in the Greek come emphatically at the end, and as Dr
Kay says strike the keynote of the next chapter (Hebrews 7:3; Hebrews 7:16-
17; Hebrews 7:21; Hebrews 7:24-25;Hebrews 7:28).
Bengel's Gnomen
Hebrews 6:20. Πρόδρομος, forerunner) swift. A very significantword: a
forerunner has those who follow him. He is elsewhere calledthe first, the first
fruits, the first-begotten.—κατὰ,according to) is put at the beginning of the
clause for the sake ofemphasis.
—————
Vincent's Word Studies

142. Whither the forerunner is for us entered (ὅπου πρόδρομος ὑπὲρἡμῶν
ιἐσῆλθεν)
Ὅπου, strictly where, instead of ὄποι whither (not in N.T.), but more
significant as indicating an abiding there. Πρόδρομος forerunner, N.T.o. It
expresses anentirely new idea, lying completely outside of the Levitical
system. The Levitical high priest did not enter the sanctuary as a forerunner,
but only as the people's representative. He entered a place into which none
might follow him; in the people's stead, and not as their pioneer. The
peculiarity of the new economy is that Christ as high priest goes nowhere
where his people cannot follow him. He introduces man into full fellowship
with God. The A.V. entirely misses this point by rendering "the forerunner,"
as if the idea of a high priest being a forerunner were perfectly familiar. Rend.
whither as a forerunner Jesus entered. Comp. Hebrews 10:19.
Made a high priest (ἀρχιερεὺς γενόμενος)
Rend. having become a high priest, etc. Become, becausehis office must be
inaugurated by his suffering human life and his death.
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES
Hebrews 6:20 where Jesus has enteredas a forerunner for us, having become
a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (NASB:Lockman)
Greek:opou prodromos huper hemon eiselthen(3SAAI) Iesous, kata ten taxin
Melchisedek archiereusgenomenos(AMPMSN)eis ton aiona.
Amplified: Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner
having become a High Priestforever after the order (with the rank) of
Melchizedek. [Ps. 110:4.](Amplified Bible - Lockman)

143. Barclay:where Jesus has alreadyentered as a forerunner for us, when he
became a High Priestfor ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Westminster
Press)
KJV: Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high
priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
NLT: Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternalHigh
Priestin the order of Melchizedek. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: where Jesus has alreadyentered on our behalf, having become, as we
have seen, "High Priestfor ever after the order of Melchizedek". (Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: where a forerunner on behalf of us entered, Jesus, having become a
High Priestforever after the order of Melchisedec.(Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: whither a forerunner for us did enter—Jesus, afterthe order
of Melchisedek chiefpriest having become—to the age.
WHERE JESUS HAS ENTEREDAS A FORERUNNERFOR US: hopou…
Iesous eiselthen(3SAAI) prodromos huper hemon: (cp Heb 2:10,4:14)(Heb
2:10; John 14:2,3)(Heb 1:3; 4:14; 8:1; 9:12,24;12:2; Romans 8:34; Ephesians
1:3,20-23;1Peter3:22; 1John2:12)
Where (3699)(hopou) means strictly where and more significantly indicates
an abiding there.
Jesus (Iesous)would remind the Jewishreaderthat the Jehoshua ofthe Old
Testamentis the Jesus of the New Testamentand that it was the God of Israel
Who died on the Cross as an atonement for their sin.
Entered (1525)(eiserchomaifrom eis = into + erchomai= come) means to go
or come into or to enter into.
Forerunner (4274)(prodromos from protrécho = run ahead or before)
describes one who goes onahead to prepare the way. Prodromos was usedin
Greek to describe one who was sent before to take observations oract as spy
or a light-armed soldier soldier sentout aheadof a main force so as to gather

144. information about the enemy’s position, strength, or movements. The
prodromos was a scoutwho was sentout to explore an area and obtain
information (much like our modern word "pioneer"). In Paul's day
prodromos was the word used to describe the smaller boats that were sent into
the harbor by largerships that were unable to enter due to stormy conditions.
These smallerboats or prodomoi carried the anchor through the breakers
inside the harbor and dropped it there, securing the larger ship.
A forerunner is defined as one that precedes oris sent as an advance
messenger, thus presupposing that others will follow. In this sectionof
Hebrews 6:16-20 the writer dramatically pictures Jesus as not only the
believer’s Anchor but as the Runner Boatthat has takenour anchor into port
and securedit there, in the safety of the "harbor of heaven". Thus every
believer can now have complete assurance thathis or her "vessel" is going to
arrive successfullyinto the "home port'. Believers in factnow possesssucha
hope in the presence ofGod and as stated in Hebrews 4:16 (see note) should
come boldly before God's glorious throne of mercy and grace. This is why we
may have strong encouragement.
Prodromos is found only here in N.T.
William Barclay- Prodromos, usedto describe Jesus, is usually translated
“forerunner” and would have had a picturesque meaning for the people of
Jesus’day. The harbor of Alexandria was very difficult to approach. When
the greatcorn ships came into it, a little pilot boat was sent out to guide them
in. It went before them, and they followedit as it led them along the channel
to safe waters. Thatpilot boat was calledthe prodromos. In the Roman army
the prodomoi were the reconnaissancetroops. Theywent aheadof the main
body of the army to blaze the trail and ensure that it was safe for the rest of
the troops to follow. These two things illustrate what Jesus is saying about
himself in this passage. He goes first, to make it safe for those who follow. He
blazed the way to heaven and to God that we might follow in his steps.
(Hebrews Commentary) (Comment: the prodromos was the smaller boats sent
into the harbor by larger ships unable to enter due to the buffeting of the
weather. The smaller boats carried the anchorthrough the breakers inside the
harbor and dropped it there, securing the larger ship).

145. Marvin Vincent adds that prodromos " expressesanentirely new idea, lying
completely outside of the Levitical system. The Levitical high priest did not
enter the sanctuaryas a forerunner, but only as the people’s representative.
He entered a place into which none might follow him; in the people’s stead,
and not as their pioneer. The peculiarity of the new (COVENANT)economy is
that Christ as High Priestgoes nowhere where His people cannotfollow Him.
He introduces man into full fellowshipwith God. The A.V. entirely misses this
point by rendering “the forerunner,” as if the idea of a high priest being a
forerunner were perfectly familiar. (Word Studies in the NT)
Jesus has shownus the way, has gone on ahead, and is the Surety or
Guarantor (Hebrews 7:22-note) of our own entrance later. In point of fact,
our anchorof hope with its two chains of God's promise and oath has laid
hold of Jesus within the veil. It will hold fast. All we need to do is to be true to
him as he is to us. Let us hold fastthe confessionofour faith firm until the end
(Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 4:14 see notes Heb 3:6; 4:14).
Ryrie notes that forerunner was " A word used of a scout reconnoitering or of
a herald announcing the coming of a king; both concepts imply that others are
to follow. (The Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Translation:1995.
Moody Publishers)
That He is a “forerunner” sets Him apart from the Levitical high priest who
entered alone as the people waited outside. The Old Testamenthigh priest
could represent and intercede for the people within the Holy of Holies;but he
could not take the people in. Jesus, however, has gone before to open up the
way for His people to follow Him which makes Him is far different and much
better than the Old Testamenthigh priests.
Jesus as the perfect God-Manscoutedout the way for us… He alone is the
Way (John 14:6) back into the wonderful fellowshipAdam enjoyed in the
Garden before He fell. Adam's way to the Tree of Life was blockedby
cherubim with flaming swords (Ge 3:24). The cherubim were also woveninto
the veil guarding the approach to the presence of God in the Holy of Holies
(Ex 26:31)until our GreatHigh Priest scoutedout the Way for us (see note on
the "new and living way" in Hebrews 10:20). Now in Christ we have an

146. incredible (certain) HOPE… This is a sure & steadfastanchoring hope for
our souls and should provide strong encouragementto imitate those who
through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hope Heb 6:12). Glory!
Jon Coursonpresents an interesting picture of a "forerunner"…
It’s the big high-schoolgame. Betweenthe goalposts, the cheerleadershave
stretcheda paper banner that says something cleverlike, “Win!” And what
happens? The forerunner—the first guy out on the field—breaks through the
banner, and the restof the team follows behind him. Jesus is our Forerunner.
He’s the first one through the veil. And the whole team—you and I—get to
come charging in behind Him. (Courson, J: Jon Courson's Application
Commentary: NT. Nelson. 2004)
Jesus as our Forerunner recalls the earlier picture of Jesus as our "Pioneer"
(Hebrews 2:10-note) the Amplified Version translating it as follows…
For it was an actworthy [of God] and fitting [to the divine nature] that He,
for Whose sakeand by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing
many sons into glory, should make the Pioneerof their salvation perfect
[should bring to maturity the human experience necessaryto be perfectly
equipped for His office as High Priest] through suffering (Amplified Bible -
Lockman)
For us -(5228)(huper) indicates that an activity or event is in some entity’s
interest = for, in behalf of, for the sake ofsomeone or something. Huper thus
speaks ofChrist's substitutionary atonement. We all (Ro 5:12; Ro 3:10 see
note Ro 5:12; 3:10) oweda debt we could not pay (Ro 3:23 - note). He paid a
debt on our behalf which He did not owe!Amazing grace, how sweetthe
sound that saved wretches like us! Huper is thus a preposition conveying
"amazing grace" as the following representative uses gloriouslyexplain…
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for (huper) the
ungodly. (See note Romans 5:6) (For who? Amazing grace!)
But God demonstrates His own love towardus, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for (huper) us. (See note Romans 5:8) (When? Amazing
grace!)

147. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf (huper) , that we might
become the righteousness ofGod in Him. (2Corinthians 5:20) (Did what?
Amazing grace!)
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ
lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son
of God, Who loved me, and delivered Himself up for (huper) me. (See note
Galatians 2:20 )
(Christ) died for (huper) us, that whether we are awake orasleep, we may live
togetherwith Him. (1 Thessalonians 5:10)
(Christ) gave Himself for (huper) us, that He might redeem us from every
lawless deedand purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous
for gooddeeds. (See note Titus 2:14)
For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the
true one, but into heavenitself, now to appear in the presence ofGod for
(huper - on our behalf) us (see note Hebrews 9:24)
Wuest - The anchor of the believer’s soul, his hope of eternal life in his High
Priest, the Messiah, is fastenedsecurelyto a Rock within the veil of the Holy
of Holies in heaven. That Rock is Messiah, whomthe writer now speaks ofas
the forerunner. Here an entirely new idea is introduced, foreignto the ideas of
the Levitical economy. The Aaronic high priest did not enter into the Holy of
Holies as a forerunner, but only as the people’s representative. He entereda
place where the one in whose behalf he ministered, could not follow him. He
entered the Holy of Holies in the steadof the believer, not as one cutting a
pioneer path for him. The writer in Hebrews 10:19, 20, when exhorting the
unsaved professing Jew to place his faith in the Messiahas High Priest, urges
him to enter the Holy of Holies personally, a thing which the First Testament
believer could only do in his high priest. The Authorized Version misses the
point entirely, when it places the definite article before the word
“forerunner,” as if the idea of a high priest being a forerunner were perfectly
familiar to the Jewishrecipient of this letter. Again, the name Iesous, in the
English translation, Jesus, reminds the readerof the fact that the Jehoshua of

148. the Old Testamentis the Jesus ofthe New Testament, that it was the God of
Israelwho died on the Cross as an atonement for sin. (Hebrews Commentary)
HAVING BECOME A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER
OF MELCHISEDEK:archiereus genomenoseis ton aiona kata ten taxin
Melchisedek:(Heb 3:1; 5:6,10;7:1-21)
The writer quotes from Psalm110…
The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, "Thouart a priest
forever According to the order of Melchizedek."(Ps 110:4)(Comment: Like
Melchizedek, Christcombines the offices of priest and king. Note that Ps
110:4 is quoted three times -- see notes Heb 6:20; 7:17, 7:21 -- and expounded
upon in Hebrews 7 which demonstrates the eternal priesthood of Christ)
Become (1096)(ginomai) means cause to be ("gen"-erate), to come into
existence, to be formed. Christ the Eternal One had to "come into existence"
as High Priest in the sense that this office had to be inaugurated by His
suffering human life and His sinless death. The aorist tense speaks ofa past
completed action, accomplishedonce and forever at Calvary.
High priest (749) (archiereus from archí– denoting rank or degree + hiereús =
priest) was the principal member among the chief priests. The irony is that
the high priest Caiaphas was residing over the Sanhedrin during trial of
Jesus, the trial which would lead to His death and pave the wayfor His
eternal High Priesthood!
Forever(165)(aion) is actuallythe phrase "unto the ages"(eis ton aiona).
Wuest comments that "this High Priestis not in the line of Aaron, but in that
of Melchisedec.He is an eternal High Priest. His priesthood had no beginning
nor will it have an ending. This High Priest is the Rock of Salvationinto which
the anchorof the believer’s soul is fastened, which anchoris his faith in the
atonement his High Priest has offered. The high priest in Israelarrayed in his
gorgeous robes,would enter the sanctuary, wearing on his shoulders twelve
onyx stones upon which were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of
Israel, and upon his breastplate, twelve onyx stones with the names of the
tribes of Israelupon them. Thus he would carry upon the shoulders of his

149. strength and upon the heart of his love, the savedof Israelinto the presence of
God. Justso, this heavenly High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, carries
upon the shoulders of His omnipotence, and upon the heart of His infinite
love, those who place their faith in Him, into the presence ofGod. Thus does
the writer encourage the unsaved reader to put his faith in the New Testament
Sacrifice, the Messiah, rather than go back to the First Testamentsacrifices
which were set aside by God at the Cross. (Hebrews Commentary online)
Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, so now the writer addressesthe question that
would enter his Jewishreader's mind "How could He be the Forerunner into
the Holy of Holies if He was not of the tribe and lineage of Levi?" His answer
is you are correctthat Jesus not of the tribe of Levi but He is of the order of
Melchizedek, a greatpriest and king mentioned in Genesis 14:1. He had
begun to write about Melchizedek in Hebrews 5 (Hebrews 5:10 - note) but his
readers lackedsufficient maturity to comprehend what he was going to say,
and thus he digressedin Hebrews 6. Hebrews 7 picks up his explanation of the
priesthood of Melchizedek as it relates to Jesus.
The UBS Handbook has an interesting note on foreverwriting that…
Foreveris emphasized in the Greek by a change of order in the words quoted
from Psalm 110:4. However, the climax of Heb 6:15-20, a single sentence in
Greek, is reachedin the word Jesus. Few modern translations bring this out
as well as KJV “whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus….” The
adverb forevermay be emphasized as “and he will never cease to be a high
priest.” (The United Bible Societies'New TestamentHandbook Series)
Order (5010)(taxis from tásso = arrange in order) describes a setting in order,
hence an arrangement, a disposition. It was used to describe troops. It spoke
of an order or rank in a state or in society.
Melchizedek (3198)is literally "king of righteousness" one ofthe most
mysterious figures in the Bible, who reigned as king of Salem (which means
peace), orking of Jerusalemand is presented as being a prototype of Jesus
Christ, Who is the King of righteousness and peace. Melchizedekcombinedin
himself both kingly and priestly offices.

150. Believer's Study Bible writes that…
The priesthood of Melchizedek serves as a type of the priesthood of Christ in
at leastthree aspects:
(1) in the person of Melchizedek, as is also the case with Christ, the offices of
king and priest are combined (cf. Ge 14:18;Heb 7:1);
(2) Melchizedek represents a man ordained by God as a priest in his own
right, irrespective of genealogicalcredentials (cf. Heb 7:3), and the priesthood
of Christ is similar in that He is of the tribe of Judah rather than the priestly
tribe of Levi;
(3) the priesthood of Melchizedek both began and ended in himself, i.e., there
is no evidence of any priestly lineage in Melchizedek's family either prior to or
subsequent to Melchizedek, and the same, of course, is true regarding the
priesthood of Christ. Christ is indeed a High Priest"according to the order of
Melchizedek" (Heb 6:20). (Criswell, W A. Believer's Study Bible: New King
James Version. 1991. Thomas Nelson)
KJV Bible Commentary makes the point that "The warning passageends
where it began, speaking ofJesus as a priest according to the priesthood of
Melchizedek. It is the author’s hope that his readers would no longerbe
sluggishin hearing (see note Hebrews 5:11) but would be ready to grapple
with this new and difficult doctrine. (Dobson, E G, Charles Feinberg, E
Hindson, Woodrow Kroll, H L. Wilmington: KJV Bible Commentary:
Nelson)
Robertson- There he functions as our greathigh priest, better than Aaron for
he is “after the order of Melchizedek,”the point that now calls for elucidation
(Word Pictures in the New Testament)
Illustrations and Devotionals… (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries,
Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
><> ><> ><>
THE GOD OF HOPE - WE ALL need to abound in Hope. Hope is the artist
of the soul.

151. Faith fills us with joy and peace, whichbrim over in Hope. When Faith brings
from God's Word the Materials of anticipation and expectation, Hope
transfers the fair colours to her palette, and with a few deft dashes ofher
brush delineates the soul's immortal and unfading hope. Faith thus excites
Hope to do her fairest work, until presently the wails of our soul become
radiant with frescoes. Ourfaith rests on God's Word, and hope rests on faith,
and such hope cannotbe ashamed. It is the anchorof the soul, which enters
that which is within the veil, and links us to the shores of eternity (Hebrews
6:18, 19).
Faith rests on the promises of God. She does not calculate onfeeling, is
indifferent to emotion, but with both hands clings to some word of promise,
and looking into God's face, says;"Thou canstnot be unfaithful." When God
has promised aught to thee, it is as certainas if thou hadst it in hand. Faith
not only takes the Word of God, and rests her weighton it, but often when
hard-pressedgoes beyond the Bible back to God Himself, and argues that God
is faithful and cannotdeny Himself. BecauseGodis God, He must ever act
worthily of Himself.
It was thus that Mosesargued, when he was with Him in the Holy Mount into
do thus, would not be worthy of Thyself! (Nu 14:13-20). We may be assailed
with a hundred questions of doubt in the day, but must no more notice them
than a barking cur. A business man once saidthat when he is convincedof the
rightness of a certaincourse, he is sometimes assailedby doubts which arise
like the cloud-mist of the valley, or the marsh gas from the swamp; but when
thus tempted, he turns to the promises of God, often reading three or four
chapters of the Old Testament. This brings him in touch with the eternal
world, filling him with joy and peace and abounding hope in believing,
through the powerof the Holy Ghost. They shall not be ashamedthat hope in
Him!
PRAYER - Make me, O Lord, to know the Hope of Thy calling, the riches of
the glory of Thine inheritance in the saints, and the exceeding greatness of
Thy powertowards them that believe. Above all, grant me the spirit of
wisdom and revelationin the knowledge ofThyself AMEN. (F B Meyer. Our
Daily Walk)

152. ><> ><> ><>
Such A Hope - Two women. One a former co-workerI had knownfor 20
years. The other, the wife of a former student from my days as a school
teacher. Both dedicatedmoms of two young children. Both missionaries. Both
incredibly in love with Jesus Christ.
Then suddenly, within the space of a month—both were dead. The first,
Sharon Fasick,died in a car accident, attracting little attention though deeply
affecting family and friends. The second, RoniBowers, diedwith her daughter
Charity when their plane was shot down over the jungles of Peru—a situation
that thrust her story into the international spotlight.
Their deaths filled many people with inexpressible sorrow. But there was
something else—hope.Bothwomen's husbands had the confident expectation
that they would see their wives againin heaven. What happened after they
died demonstrates that the Christian faith works. Bothmen, Jeff Fasick and
Jim Bowers, have spokenaboutthe peace Godhas given them. They have
testified that this kind of hope has allowedthem to continue on in the midst of
the unspeakable pain.
Paul said that our present sufferings "are not worthy to be comparedwith the
glory which shall be revealed" (Romans 8:18). Such a hope comes only from
Christ. —Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatevermy lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul." —Spafford

153. The hope of heaven is God's solution for sorrow
><> ><> ><>
The Son Will Shine Again - A newsboy, thinly clad and drenched by the
soaking rain, stood shivering in a doorwayone cold day in November. To geta
little warmth, he would hold one bare foot againsthis leg for a moment and
then the other. Every few minutes he would cry out, "Morning paper!
Morning paper!" A man who was well protectedby his coatand umbrella
stopped to buy the early edition. Noting the boy's discomfort, he said, "This
kind of weatheris pretty hard on you, isn't it?" Looking up with a smile, the
youngster replied, "I don't mind too much, Mister. The sun will shine again."
Chilling winds of adversity and gray skies ofa sinful environment easily
discourage us. But we can count on better days because we know Godis
working in our lives. This hope is calledan "anchorof the soul," and the Bible
says that it abides (1Cor 13:13)and does not disappoint (Ro 5:5). It promises
righteousness (Gal5:5), eternal life (Titus 1:2), and the return of Jesus (Titus
2:13). It is a "living hope," founded on the resurrectionof Jesus from the dead
(1Pet1:3).
When circumstances getout of control and pressures threatento overwhelm
us, we know that Jesus died for us, is working in us, and will never leave us.
We canhold fast to God's promises and patiently endure. The "anchorof
hope" will hold us firm. —D. J. De Haan (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC
Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
It is always darkestjust before dawn.
><> ><> ><>
A Fortified House- According to an article in The Wall StreetJournal, some
people in the US are building houses strongerthan ever before.

154. Hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes have causedbillions of dollars in property
damage in states acrossthe nation. So, at the urging of businesses,
government, and hard-pressedinsurance companies, some builders are
constructing fortress-like homes with windows that can withstand 130 mile-
per-hour winds, roof nails so strong they can only be cut off, and framing
material that can weatherthe tremendous forces facedby a supersonic jet. In
Bolingbrook, Illinois, a community damaged by a tornado in the 1990s, a
company is constructing such a “fortified” house in hopes that the idea will
catchon.
We who know the Lord Jesus realize that when it comes to building our
spiritual foundation, it must be strong and secure. In today’s Scripture, Christ
made it clearwhat that foundation must be when He referred to “these
sayings of Mine” (Mt 7:24), which included His teaching in the Sermon on the
Mount (Matt. 5-7).
When we receive by faith Christ’s words and His work on our behalf, our
spiritual lives are “founded on the Rock,” ChristJesus. —DavidC. Egner
(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
I do not stand on shifting sand
And fear the storm that rages;
But calm and sure, I stand secure
Upon the Rock ofAges. —Anon.
To survive the storms of life, be anchored to the Rock of Ages
><> ><> ><>

155. THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE - At the southern tip of Africa, a cape jutting
out into the oceanonce causedsailors greatanxiety. Many who attempted to
sail around it were lostin the swirling seas. Becauseadverse weather
conditions so often prevailed there, the regionwas named the Cape of Storms.
A Portuguese captaindetermined to find a safe route through those
treacherous waters so his countrymen could reachCathay and the riches of
the EastIndies in safety. He succeeded, and the area was renamed the Cape of
GoodHope.
We all face a greatstorm called death. But our Lord has already traveled
through it safelyand has provided a way for us to do the same. By His
crucifixion and resurrection, Christ abolishedeternal death for every believer
and has permanently establishedour fellowship with Him in heaven. Although
this "lastenemy," physical death, can touch us temporarily, its brief control
over our earthly body will end at the resurrection. The sting of death has been
removed!
Now all who know Christ as Savior can face life's final voyage with
confidence. Even though the sea may be rough, we will experience no terror as
we pass through the "cape of goodhope" and into heaven's harbor. The
MasterHelmsman Himself has assuredour safe passage.Henry G. Bosch
(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted
by permission. All rights reserved)
Think of just crossing a river,
Stepping out safe on that shore,
Sadness and suffering over,
Dwelling with Christ evermore!Anon
Christ has charted a safe course through the dark waters of death.

156. BARCLAY
God made more than one promise to Abraham. Genesis 12:7 tells us of the one
made when he calledhim out of Ur and sent him into the unknown and to the
promised land. Genesis 17:5-6 is the promise of many descendants who would
be blessedin him. Genesis 18:18 is a repetition of that promise. But the
promise which God swore with an oath to keepcomes in Genesis 22:16-18.
The real meaning of this first sentence is:"Godmade many a promise to
Abraham, and in the end he actually made one which he confirmed with an
oath." That promise was, as it were, doubly binding. It was God's word which
in itself made it sure, but in addition it was confirmed by an oath. Now that
promise was that all Abraham's descendants would be blessed;therefore it
was to the Christian Church, for it was the true Israel and the true seedof
Abraham. That blessing came true in Jesus Christ. Abraham certainly had to
exercise patience before he receivedthe promise. It was not till twenty-five
years after he had left Ur that his sonIsaac was born. He was old; Sarahwas
barren, the wandering was long; but Abraham never waveredfrom his hope
and trust in the promise of God.
In the ancient world the anchorwas the symbol of hope. Epictetus says:"A
ship should never depend on one anchoror a life on one hope." Pythagoras
said: "Wealthis a weak anchor;fame is still weaker. Whatthen are the
anchors which are strong? Wisdom, great-heartedness,courage--theseare the
anchors which no storm can shake."The writer to the Hebrews insists that
the Christian possesses the greatesthope in the world.
That hope, he says, is one which enters into the inner court beyond the veil. In
the Temple the most sacredof all places was the Holy of Holies. The veil was
what coveredit. Within the Holy of Holies there was held to abide the very
presence ofGod. Into that place only one man in all the world could go, and
he was the High Priest;and even he might enter that Holy Place ononly one
day of the year, the Day of Atonement.

157. Even then, it was laid down, he must not linger in it for it was a dangerous
and a terrible thing to enter into the presence ofthe living God. What the
writer to the Hebrews says is this: "Under the old Jewishreligion no one
might enter into the presence ofGod but the High Priestand he only on one
day of the year; but now Jesus Christ has openedthe way for every man at
every time."
The writer to the Hebrews uses a most illuminating word about Jesus. He says
that he entered the presence ofGod as our forerunner. The word is
prodromos (Greek #4274). It has three stagesofmeaning: (i) It means one
who rushes on. (ii) It means a pioneer. (iii) It means a scoutwho goes aheadto
see that it is safe for the body of the troops to follow. Jesus wentinto the
presence ofGod to make it safe for all men to follow.
Let us put it very simply in another way. Before Jesus came, Godwas the
distant strangerwhom only a very few might approachand that at peril of
their lives. But because of what Jesus was anddid, God has become the friend
of every man. Once men thought of him as barring the door; now they think
of the door to his presence as thrown wide open to all.
-Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR
The nearness ofheaven
The nearness ofheaven is suggestedby the epithet “ veil.” A veil is the
thinnest and frailestof all conceivable partitions. It is but a fine tissue, a
delicate fabric of embroidery. It waves in the wind; the touch of a child may
stir it; an accidentmay rend it; the silent action of time will moulder it away.
A mere cord breaking, a mere” socketofsilver “ starting from its place would
have opened the veil of the temple. It was lifted up by the priest “ once in the
circuit of a year”;and at the crucifixion it was parted by an invisible hand.

158. The veil that conceals heavenis only our embodied existence, and though
fearfully and wonderfully made, it is only wrought out of our frail mortality.
So slight is it that the puncture of a thorn, the touch of an insect’s sting, the
breath of an infected atmosphere, may make it shake and fall. In a bound, in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, in the throb of a pulse, in the flash of a
thought, we may start into disembodied spirits, glide unabashed into the
company of greatand mighty angels, pass into the light and amazement of
eternity, know the great seer, t, gaze upon splendours which flesh and blood
could not sustain, and which no words lawful for man to utter could describe!
(C. Stanford, D. D.)
The Forerunner is for us entered
The Forerunner
I. There is A PLACE referred to, here. “Within the veil “ is heaven, the shrine
and dwelling-place of Deity. This is the goalof the believer’s sanctified
ambition, the very consummation of his best and holiestdesires--to enter in
within the veil, to gaze on the unclouded glories of Jehovah’sface, anddwell
forever with Him.
II. There is THE PERSON who has entered within the veil, even Jesus, by
whom an entrance has been effected. To tell one of any one of my fellow-men,
who has passedfrom earth to heaven, does not that proclaim that a way has
been opened up into the holiest of all; that there is no impassable gulf, no
insuperable barrier in the way, but that an entrance may in like manner be
ministered to a greatmultitude? How much more so, that it is Jesus who has
entered in! For none ever loved us like Jesus;never heart glowedand yearned
like the heart of Jesus;and we may well feel assuredthat wherever He is, He
will never forgetus; and that He will be found just as willing to help us in
heaven as He showedHimself to be walling to help us on earth.

159. III. There is THE CHARACTER HE SUSTAINS in thus entering; it is as a
Forerunner for us. This characteris not personal, but official and
mediatorial; and therefore it exerts a pregnant influence upon all His people.
1. As a Forerunner He announces our future arrival in heaven. He makes it
known that in coming up from this dim and distant region, where for a season
He had dwelt, He comes as a pioneer on the march,--that His footsteps will be
followedby myriads of the ransomed, so that from that day forward all
heaven has been in an attitude of expectation.
2. As the Forerunner He takes possessionofheaven on our behalf; for He
enters in our nature and in our name.
3. As a Forerunner He bids His people welcome whenthey come, and presents
them before His Father, and assigns them their position in the new Jerusalem.
It is enough to insure to us no ordinary place in the affectionand regardof the
unfallen, to find that we are ushered in and welcomedthere as friends of
Jesus;to sustaina right relation t- Jesus is to stand right with all the upper
universe of God. Above all, what a gracious receptionwill it insure to us from
God the Father! None so dear to God as Jesus, and next to Jesus none so dear
to Him as those who are His. (Thee. Main, D. D.)
Christ our Forerunner within the veil
The expression, “Forerunner,” here made use of by the apostle, is a military
one, and refers to the custom which obtains in days of warfare, ofthe victor in
a hard-fought battle despatching a messengerto the seatof government with
the news of the successfulvalour which the army had displayed, that at head-
quarters the welcome intelligence might be proclaimed, and purposes formed,
and plans executed, and honours awarded, that might be meet and congruous
with the happy results which had been achieved. No doubt, on such an
occasion, a forerunner is generallyinferior to those who come after him,
under whose skilful management tee victorious prowess has beenput forth;
and he is so because he is a forerunner, and nothing more. Thus restricted,
however, the term has no meaning when applied to Jesus Christ; for though
He be the Forerunner of His people, yet the splendour of His characterin this
respectis to be traced to the circumstance that He is much more. Upon His

160. shoulders was laid the conducting of that matter, on accountof which He is
now entered as a Precursorwithin the veil. He fought the battle; He slew the
enmity; and He was Himself the Forerunner, because ofthe greatnessofthat
which He had accomplished, and because it was not fit either that the
enunciation, or the following of it up, should be committed to another.
I. CHRIST IS OUR FORERUNNERENTEREDIN WITHIN THE VEIL. We
have severalnotices given to us in Scripture that the scheme of human
redemption did ever excite greatinterest among the heavenly inhabitants--
that it is a subject on which their curiosity is awakened, and their emotions
roused, and their inquiries set on foot--that its commencement, its progress,
its consummation, are apprehended as important, and felt as attractive, and
worthy of the most solicitous investigation. Now, this desire was gratified on
Christ’s visible departure out of the world, in the form of a literal ascent--on
His entrance within the veil as the Forerunner of His people; and this is the
first view that we may take of His characterin this respect. He went into
heaven proclaiming what He had done upon earth--that He had finished
transgression--thatHe had made an end of sin--that He had brought in an
everlasting righteousness--thatHe had sealedup the vision and the prophecy
which did centre in Him--that, having sustainedthe pressure of avenging
justice, He openedup a medium of access, a dooreven to the most rebellious--
that, by virtue of His blood, He had obtained remissionfor sinners, paid the
price of redemption for those who were captives, made reconciliationfor
enemies--that, in harmony with God’s attributes, and even while He did
conserve the sacrednessofHis law, He had redeemed, from the powerof all
who did hate her, the Church whom He had eternally chosen--thathe had
delivered her from the dominion of sin, from the final dominion of death, and
made that which was the fruit and punishment of transgressionthe door
through which she enters on the sanctuary of immortality. Such is the
intelligence with which Christ, as our Forerunner, has entered into that within
the veil. And the very act of His going up did presuppose and ratify to them
the most important truths, that He led captivity captive, just because He had
ascendedup on high. But again, our Lord has entered as a Forerunner within
the veil, and there Be ever liveth. Now, there is a threefold life which Christ

161. lives above. There is a life which He has as the Eternal Son of God, the life
which belongs to His Divine nature; for as the Fatherhath life in Himself, so
hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself--given it to Him by eternal
generation--givenit to Him by communicating all His ownattributes. There is
also a life which belongs to Him, and which He doth live for Himself, in
consequence ofHis having become man--a life of glory inconceivable in His
nature as man. But, over and above these two different kinds of life which the
Lord Jesus Christ doth enjoy, and which shall never come to an end, there is a
life which He leads as Mediatorin heaven, and in respectof which it is that He
is a Forerunner within the veil. Though removed beyond the cognisanceofthe
senses,He is still carrying on His greatwork in heaven, and is there the
Prophet, Priest, and King of His Church as really and as effectivelyas when
He dwelt upon earth. He died on our account, He liveth still on our account,
and is entrusted with all powerfor the service of His Church; and though this
life differs not essentiallyfrom that life of glory in His human nature which
He liveth for Himself, it yet so far differs from it that it shall one day have an
end. He will throughout eternity enjoy the life which He possessesas a Divine
Being, He will throughout eternity e-joy the life which He possessesin His
glorified human nature; but His life as Mediator, His life as a Forerunner, He
shall cease to have when the work of His mediation shall have been finished,
when the electshall all have been gatheredinto the fold of the Good Shepherd,
and the kingdom delivered up to God, even the Father. And what is it that, in
this view of His characteras a Forerunner, He is not fitted to procure? Are we
not to trace to it all the gifts which are bestowedon the Church in general, for
common edification, and on each member of it singly, for His particular
benefit?
II. LESSONS in which this greattruth is fitted to instruct us:
1. This view of Christ’s characteris a proof of the perfection of His
atonement. Can it for one moment be imagined that He should in this manner
have been takenup, had there been any defectin His redeeming work, bad it
come short in anything which the fitness of a righteous Government could
require.

162. 2. A forerunner, one who goes before, suggeststhe idea of some who are to
follow after. (John Paul.)
The Forerunner
The forerunner of the ancient ship was the Anehorarius, the man who had
charge of the anchor, and who carried it within the harbour, when there was
not yet watersufficient to float the ship into it. (C. Stanford, D. D.)
Christ going before to heaven
1. Is Christ gone before to heaven? Then let us be willing to follow Him in the
way of obedience, and in the way of suffering, as well as to meet Him in the
end.
2. To make haste after Him. Did He fly as an eagle towards heaven, and shall
we creep like a snail? Is not the bosom of Christ more desirable than the arms
of our dearestfriends? Shall we not enjoy all comforts in the enjoyment of our
Comforter?
3. Let our hearts at presentbe with Him. Oh[ where should our hearts be, but
where our Head is? (W. Burkitt, M. A.)
Our Forerunner
I. Though parted from us, and takenup into heaven, we contemplate JESUS
CHRIST AS THE HEAD OF THE GREAT SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM--AS
THE ORIGINAL AND FINAL PRIEST--AND AS THE ALONE
MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN.
II. WE ARE TO CONTEMPLATE JESUSIN HIS REPRESENTATIVE
CAPACITY. He is a public person. He is a federal head of all mankind.
III. CHRIST’S PREPARATIVE RELATION. A representative takes the
position of those who send him, and thereby excludes all others from the same

163. place. It is not so with Christ; for He sustains an endearing relation to us, by
virtue of which we are at the last to be with Him. This is indicated by the term
“forerunner.” His presence onhigh is not to the exclusionof His people, but as
a preparation and intimation of their final receptionthere. He is “the first-
born among many brethren;” and “He is not ashamedto callthem brethren.”
(R. M. Wilcox.)
BOB DEFFINBAUGH
Standing on the Promises (Hebrews 6:13-20)
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9 But in your case, dearfriends, even though we speak like this, we are
convinced of better things relating to salvation. 10 For God is not unjust so as
to forget your work and the love you have demonstratedfor his name, in
having servedand continuing to serve the saints. 11 But we passionatelywant
eachof you to demonstrate the same eagernessforthe fulfillment of your hope
until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who
through faith and perseverance inherit the promises. 13 Now when God made
his promise to Abraham, since he could swearby no one greater, he swore by
himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your
descendants abundantly.” 15 And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the

165. promise. 16 For people swearby something greaterthan themselves, and the
oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. 17 In the same way God
wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his
purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, 18 so that we
who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragementto hold fast to
the hope setbefore us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible
for Godto lie. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and
steadfast, whichreaches inside behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus our
forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the
order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:9-20).1
Introduction
It seems as though I have heard a lot of promises lately. Oh, yes, it is an
electionyear isn’t it? I hope that all of us have figured out that almost all of
the promises we hear from political candidates (whatever their political party)
are empty words. In many instances the candidates promise different things to
different people, knowing that they cannot deliver. In a few instances, the
candidates may actually think that they candeliver, but chances are they will
not.
This messageis about the kind of promises you can count on, promises you
can “take to the bank,” so to speak. The particular promises we are dealing
with here in this lessonare those which God has swornto uphold as
unchanging.
Our Text in Context
Hebrews 6:13-20 serves as the conclusionto a digressionwhich began in
chapter 5 at verse 11. The author has presented a powerful demonstration of
the sufficiencyof Godthe Son in chapters 1 and 2, and then drew our
attention to the deficiency of men in chapters 3 and 4. He did so by means of
the example of the first generationof Israelites to leave Egypt, and by the
lessons the author of Psalm 95 drew from their failures. He then proceeds to
show how the Sonis the solution to our dilemma by means of becoming our
GreatHigh Priest, a priest after the order of Melchizedek.

166. A digressionis required by the condition of the original recipients of this
epistle. They were not accustomedto teaching beyond a very elementary level,
and thus teaching about Melchizedek was going to be a real stretchfor all of
them. And so the author’s analysis of the situation is recordedin 5:11-14:the
readers of Hebrews are used to “Dairy Queen” teaching, rather than “Steak
and Ale” teaching. Because ofthis, the author lays out his approach, which is
to leave behind the elementaryteachings and to press on to teachthose things
which lead to maturity (6:1-3).
Hebrews 6:4-8 is the “thorny” portion of this digression, with various
interpretations, as we have previously noted. I’m inclined (at this moment) to
see this paragraph as referring to those who have come close to faith and have
even enjoyed some of the benefits of associationwith the gospeland the
Christian community, but who have never truly come to faith. And in the end,
these are the folks who more actively rejectand oppose the gospel. Thus at
some point (known only to God), their fate is to be forevercondemned,
without a further opportunity for repentance.2 I would differ slightly with
those (Calvinists) who hold to this view in that I see these condemned folks as
the source offalse teaching in the church which sought to turn others back to
Judaism, and thus to join them in “falling away” from the faith.
Having issueda solemn warning to those outside the faith, the author is quick
in 6:9-12 to reassure his readers that he is assuredof better things concerning
their salvation. In particular, their lives have demonstratedservice to the
saints, manifesting the love which should characterize those who are followers
of Jesus:
“Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for
one another” (John 13:35).
This manifestation of love has continued to the present, and the author hopes
that it will continue. Thus he urges them to persevere in the faith with all
diligence, so that they may realize the full assuranceoftheir hope, up to the
very end (6:11). This will remedy the problem of sluggishness andwill be
evident as they imitate others (such as Abraham) in patiently enduring to the
end, and thus inheriting God’s promises (6:12).

167. Hebrews 6:13-20 is the conclusionof the author’s digression. It presents God’s
promises (particularly those sealedwith an oath) as the basis for our hope and
perseverance.I believe it also presents a greaterassuranceofhope as the
result of faithful endurance in the tests and trials of life. As the author comes
to the end of this section, he very neatly returns to the subject of Melchizedek,
his point of departure in 5:11.
The Importance of our Text
Our text is important for severalreasons.First, our text puts the whole issue
of perseverance into its proper perspective. Overall, the purpose of the author
is to undergird the Hebrew Christians’ assurance and confidence in their
confessionoffaith in Christ. Hebrews 5:11—6:20 is a bit of a digression, and
much of this sectionemphasizes the believers’ responsibility to “be diligent to
enter rest” (5:11), to “hold fasttheir confession” (5:14), and to “draw near to
Jesus . . . to receive mercy and grace in their time of need” (5:16). And let us
not overlook the author’s strong warning regarding falling awayin 6:4-8.
One might wrongly conclude that the author is telling the readerthat the
believer’s endurance is totally their own doing. This would be turning from
grace to works, the very thing the author strongly opposes. The concluding
verses of this section– our text – give us the proper perspective:our security
and our endurance are rootedin God’s changelesspromises (covenants).
These promises are fulfilled by the person and work of Jesus as our Great
High Priest. It is God’s faithfulness that prompts the believer to cling to Him.
Our trust is in God, not in our efforts.
Second, our text is the “onramp”3 back to the subject of Melchizedek, and
the superior high priestly ministry of our Lord. It was the author’s teaching
concerning the relationship of our Lord to Melchizedek that necessitatedthe
digressionof 5:11—6:20. But the author is determined to dealwith this meaty
topic (6:1-3), and these concluding verses of his digressiontake us right back
to where he left off in 5:10. With this transition, we will come to the major
emphasis of the Book of Hebrews – the high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ.
Questions to Answer

168. I believe there are severalquestions that must be answeredin order to
understand our text. Let me set them out here to be answeredas we proceed
in our study.
1. Wh y does God’s oath come so late in Abraham’s life (Genesis 22)?
2. Why does God need to swearatall, when He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19),
and we are commanded not to (Matthew 5:33-37;James 5:12)?
3. What are the two unchangeable things in which God cannotlie?
4. What is our hope, and why is it an anchorfor our soul?
The Key to our Text
Hebrews 6:11-12
11 But we passionatelywanteachof you to demonstrate the same eagerness
for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be
sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseveranceinherit
the promises.
The author desires for his readers to continue to manifest the same eagerness
and diligence they have demonstrated in the pursuit of their hope to the very
end (see 6:10). In so doing, they will be imitators of those, like Abraham
(coming up in verses 13ff.)and others who will be named in chapter 11. The
ones who have demonstratedfaith and patient endurance are those who
inherit4 the promises. In this sense, hope is not only the basis for
perseverance;it is also the result of perseverance. I believe we can find this
sequence elsewhere in Scripture. For example, consider these words in
Romans 5:
1 Therefore, since we have been declaredrighteous by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have also
obtained accessby faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in
the hope of God’s glory. 3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance, character, and
character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has
been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6

169. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a goodperson
perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) 8 But God demonstrates his own
love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:1-
8).
Christians rejoice in the hope of seeing God’s glory (see Romans 8:18-25), and
they do so in the midst of trials and tribulations. How canthis be? Paul tells us
that God uses suffering to enhance our hope and our endurance. When we
endure suffering by faith, we experience God’s sustaining strength. We
discoverthat suffering actually strengthens our faith because Godis faithful
to sustain us. Successfulsuffering gives us greaterconfidence in God, and thus
it produces hope by assuring us that, with God’s enablement, we will endure
to the end and thus experience the full revelation of God’s glory in the future.
What the author of Hebrews is going to do in the verses which follow (6:13-20)
is to show how God’s covenantpromises undergird and strengthenour hope,
which then becomes the basis for perseveranceand endurance in the midst of
adversity. He will show that as we persevere Godprovides further confidence
in His promises, which enhances our hope. All of this is God’s way of showing
us that His promises are the basis for our perseverance. Thus, it really is all
about God, and not about our performance.
The Example of Abraham
Genesis 22:15-18
Hebrews 6:13-18
15 The Lord’s angelcalledto Abraham a secondtime from heaven16 and
said, “‘I solemnly swearby my ownname,’ decrees the Lord, ‘that because
you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will
indeed bless you, and I will greatlymultiply your descendants so that they will
be as countless as the stars in the skyor the grains of sand on the seashore.
Your descendants will take possessionofthe strongholds of their enemies. 18
Becauseyou have obeyedme, all the nations of the earth will pronounce

170. blessings on one another using the name of your descendants’” (Genesis
22:15-18, emphasis mine).
13 Now when Godmade his promise to Abraham, since he could swearby no
one greater, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly
and multiply your descendants abundantly.” 15 And so by persevering,
Abraham inherited the promise. 16 For people swearby something greater
than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. 17
In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the
promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an
oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong
encouragementto hold fast to the hope setbefore us through two
unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:13-18).
Let’s begin with the accountin Genesis. The promise which God affirmed by
His oath is found in Genesis 22. It comes immediately after Abraham’s
greatesttestof faith – his willingness, if necessary, to sacrifice his sonIsaac in
obedience to God’s command. This was now Abraham’s only heir, the one
through whom God’s covenantblessings would be fulfilled. And now God
commands Abraham to offer this son up as a sacrifice. We know from
Hebrews 11:19 that Abraham did so in faith, believing that if he did so God
would raise Isaac from the dead.
The promise that God made in Genesis 22 was not something new. It had been
made at various times and occasions during those years before and after
Isaac’s birth. It was initially given in Genesis 12:1-3, as the basis for leaving
both home and family and seeking the PromisedLand. It was repeatedin
chapter 13 after Abram and Lot separated(13:14-17). In chapter 15, God
assuredAbram that the promised seedwould not be the child of one of his
servants, but his own offspring. We are then told that Abram believed God,
and it was reckonedto him as righteousness (15:6). In response to Abram’s
faith, God sealedthis promise by making it a covenantwith him (15:7-21). In
chapter 17, God affirmed his covenant with Abram and gave him the signof
circumcision. He also clarified that the promised son would not only come
through Abram, but that the mother of that descendantwould be Sarai. God

171. even gave Abram the name of that child – Isaac. In chapter 18, the Lord
specifiedthat Isaac would be born at the same time the following year.
Over time and by repetition, God became more and specific about His
covenantwith Abraham, and further assuranceswere also given. Moses
makes it clearthat the assurance is basedupon God’s characterand His
covenant, and not upon Abraham’s perfect performance. Severallapses in
Abraham’s faith are recordedin the period betweenthe initial promise and
the offering of Isaac. In Genesis 12, shortlyafter the first recording of the
Abrahamic Covenant(12:1-3), Abram leaves the PromisedLand and sojourns
in Egypt because ofa famine. To protecthimself, Abram passes offSarai as
his sister, resulting in her being added, for a time, to the Pharaoh’s harem. It
was only God’s divine intervention that sparedAbram’s life and Sarai’s
virtue (12:10-20).
There were further failures as well. One was when Abram, at his wife’s
suggestion, took Hagar(Sarai’s handmaid) as his concubine and produced an
offspring (Ishmael) through her (Genesis 16). And then in Genesis 20, we find
Abraham repeating his same deception of passing off Sarah as his sister –
resulting in her being temporarily added to Abimelech’s harem. And lest we
think that he only did this on these two occasions,Abraham’s confessionto
Abimelech seems to indicate that this kind of deception was their usual
practice:
11 Abraham replied, “BecauseIthought, ‘Surely no one fears God in this
place. They will kill me because ofmy wife.’12 What’s more, she is indeed my
sister, my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter. She became my
wife. 13 When God made me wander from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This
is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: Every place we go, say about
me, “He is my brother”’” (Genesis 20:11-13, emphasis mine).
My point in emphasizing Abraham’s failures is to show that God was faithful
to fulfill His promises to Abraham, even though this man’s faith was not
without its failures. The birth of Isaac was God’s doing, for which Abraham
can receive little credit. Abraham’s faith sometimes failed, but God’s
promises to Abraham were certain.

172. Why Did God Swearto Abraham Later, Ratherthan Sooner?
So we return to the question I raised earlier:“Why does God now affirm his
covenantwith Abraham by swearing an oath after the greatesttestof his
faith?” Shouldn’t God have given an oath before this test, rather than after it?
Let’s considersome important factors in the answerto this question.
First, hope is the basis for endurance.Hope inspires and encourages
endurance. We’ve seenthis already in verses 11 and 12, as well as from
Romans 5:1-8. We see this also in Romans 8:
24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seenis not hope, because who
hopes for what he sees? 25 Butif we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly
wait for it with endurance (Romans 8:24-25).
Second, hope is also a reward for perseveranceand trusting in God’s
promises. A more certain hope is the fruit of (or reward for) endurance. God’s
promises were the reasonwhy Abraham left his homeland and family and set
out for a new country. God’s promises assuredAbraham in those years that
he and Sarah were growing older and thus even less able to bear children.
God’s promises inspired Abraham’s faith and thus his endurance. But the
reward for having endured for more than 25 years was an even greater
promise, a promise confirmed by an oath, a promise that assuredAbraham of
God’s commitment to bring His previous promises to fulfillment. This time
the promise of God was confirmed with an oath, an even greaterguarantee
than that which he had receivedearlier. And thus, Abraham had an even
greaterhope setbefore him.
Third, God’s oath was His confirmation of His promises. In our text, we are
told that men swearin order to confirm their statements and to remove any
doubt about them. In order to give confirmation of their words, men must
swearby something greaterthan themselves (verse 16). Thus, when men
swearto tell the truth in a court of law, they swearwith their hand on the
Bible. Since God is greaterthan anyone or anything else, He can only swear
by Himself (verse 13). God swears to remove any doubt as to the certainty of
His promises being fulfilled.

173. Fourth, God’s oath assuredAbraham because he had not yet seenthe
complete fulfillment of God’s covenantpromises, nor would he before his
death.
13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw
them in the distance and welcomedthem and acknowledgedthat they were
strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14 For those who speak in such a way
make it clearthat they are seeking a homeland. 15 In fact, if they had been
thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to
return. . . . 39 And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not
receive what was promised. 40 For God had provided something better for us,
so that they would be made perfect togetherwith us (Hebrews 11:13-15, 39-
40).
Abraham was promised the land of Canaan, but he had to purchase a portion
of that land for a burial place. Abraham was promised descendants that were
as numerous as the sand of the sea, oras the stars in the heavens, and yet at
this point in time he had but one son, Isaac. Abraham was promised that his
seedwould become a source of blessing for all nations, but this promise was
not fulfilled as yet either. As the time of his death drew ever more near, God
knew that Abraham would benefit greatlyfrom a further confirmation of His
covenantpromises. This further confirmation came after the offering of Isaac,
by means of God’s promise being confirmed by an oath.
Fifth, the confirmation of God’s promises to Abraham was not just for
Abraham’s benefit, but for his descendants as well. His oathgives strong
encouragementto the heirs of promise:
17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of
the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an
oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong
encouragementto hold fast to the hope setbefore us through two
unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:17-18,
emphasis mine).
His descendants wouldinclude Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David, but they
would also include those Gentiles like us who share Abraham’s faith in God:

174. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit
the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that
comes by faith. 14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the
promise is nullified. 15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no
law there is no transgressioneither. 16 For this reasonit is by faith so that it
may be by grace, withthe result that the promise may be certain to all the
descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who
have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (Romans 4:13-16,
emphasis mine).
Sixth, the confirmation of God’s promise to Abraham made it clear that this
covenantwas unconditional, and thus unchangeable.
17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of
the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an
oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong
encouragementto hold fast to the hope setbefore us through two
unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:17-18,
emphasis mine).
It is important to recognize that not all of God’s promises are unconditional
(or unchangeable). Consider, for example this text in Jeremiah:
7 There are times, Jeremiah, when I threaten to uproot, tear down, and
destroy a nation or kingdom. 8 But if that nation I threatenedstops doing
wrong, I will cancelthe destruction I intended to do to it. 9 And there are
times when I promise to build up and establisha nation or kingdom. 10 But if
that nation does what displeases me and does not obey me, then I will cancel
the goodI promised to do to it (Jeremiah18:7-10, emphasis mine)
Some prophecies, for example, are warnings that canbe avoided by
repentance. Forexample, there was the warning that Jonah proclaimed to the
Ninevites:
When Jonah beganto enter the city one day’s walk, he announced, “At the
end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4)
The king of Nineveh calledfor repentance in case Godmight be merciful:

175. 7 He issued a proclamation and said, “In Nineveh, by the decree of the king
and his nobles: No human or animal, cattle or sheep, is to taste anything; they
must not eatand they must not drink water. 8 Every person and animal must
put on sackclothand must cry earnestlyto God, and everyone must turn from
their evil way of living and from the violence that they do. 9 Who knows?
Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from
his fierce angerso that we might not die” (Jonah 3:7-9, emphasis mine).
As the king of Nineveh hoped, and as Jonah assumed, God was merciful and
compassionate, andthus in response to Nineveh’s repentance, He suspended
the judgment5 Jonah proclaimed was coming in forty days. This greatly
angeredJonah, who did not share God’s compassion towardsinners:
1 This displeasedJonahterribly and he became very angry. 2 He prayed to
the Lord and said, “Oh, Lord, this is just what I thought would happen when
I was in my owncountry. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to
escape to Tarshish!– because I knew that you are gracious and
compassionate, slow to angerand abounding in mercy, and one who relents
concerning threatened judgment. 3 So now, Lord, kill me instead, because I
would rather die than live!” (Jonah4:1-3, emphasis mine)
As Jeremiah indicated, the impending judgment that God threatened was
stayed, because He had indicated that repentance may forestalldivine
judgment. Daniel understood this as well, and this is why he appealedto
Nebuchadnezzarto repent, in order to avoid (or at leastforestall)God’s
judgment:
24 This is the interpretation, O king! It is the decisionof the Most High that
this has happened to my lord the king. 25 You will be driven from human
society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like
oxen, and you will become damp with the dew of the sky. Sevenperiods of
time will pass by for you, before you understand that the Most High is ruler
over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes. 26 They said to
leave the taprootof the tree, for your kingdom will be restoredto you when
you come to understand that heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, may my
advice be pleasing to you. Break awayfrom your sins by doing what is right,

176. and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps your
prosperity will be prolonged” (Daniel4:24-27, emphasis mine).
When God confirmed His covenantwith Abraham with an oath, He was
indicating to him that this was a covenantthat was unconditional. This was
done so that Abraham (and his descendants)would be assuredthat His
promises to him would most certainly be fulfilled. Nothing would prevent His
covenantpromises from being fulfilled.
Let me illustrate how this works. In Genesis 15, Godentered into His
covenantwith Abraham, making some very specific commitments regarding
the exodus, which He sealedby a formal covenant-making process:
9 The Lord said to him, “Take forme a heifer, a goat, and a ram, eachthree
years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 10 So Abram took all these
for him and then cut them in two and placed eachhalf opposite the other, but
he did not cut the birds in half. 11 When birds of prey came down on the
carcasses,Abram drove them away. 12 When the sun went down, Abram fell
sound asleep, and greatterror overwhelmedhim. 13 Then the Lord said to
Abram, “Know for certainthat your descendants will be strangers in a
foreign country. They will be enslavedand oppressedfor four hundred years.
14 But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. Afterward
they will come out with many possessions. 15 Butas for you, you will go to
your ancestors in peace and be buried at a goodold age. 16 In the fourth
generationyour descendants will return here, for the sin of the Amorites has
not yet reachedits limit.” 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a
smoking firepot with a flaming torch passedbetweenthe animal parts. 18
That day the Lord made a covenantwith Abram: “To your descendants I give
this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River – 19
the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites,
Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites,Girgashites, and Jebusites”(Genesis
15:9-21).
When the Israelites sinned in worshipping the golden calf, God threatened to
wipe out the nation and to start a new nation through Moses. Butlook at the
basis on which Moses intercedesforthe Israelites:

177. 10 So now, leave me alone so that my angercan burn againstthem and I can
destroy them, and I will make from you a greatnation.” 11 But Moses sought
the favor of the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your angerburn
againstyour people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with
greatpower and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘For
evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from
the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil
againstyour people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israelyour servants,
to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your
descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spokenabout
I will give to your descendants, andthey will inherit it forever.’” 14 Then the
Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people (Exodus
32:10-14, emphasis mine).
Moses did not promise God that the Israelites would try harder and do better.
In truth, they persistedin their unbelief and rebellion, so that this generation
would die in the wilderness, and the secondgenerationwouldpossessthe
PromisedLand under Joshua. Mosesintercededwith Godon the basis of His
(Abrahamic) covenant promises, His character, and His glory. The
unchangeablenessofthis covenantgave Moses the courage to boldly intercede
for the Israelites.
The author tells us, his readers, that God gave us strong encouragementby
two specific matters in which He could not lie:
17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of
the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an
oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong
encouragementto hold fast to the hope setbefore us through two
unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:17-18,
emphasis mine).
So just what are these “two unchangeable things”? Scholars do not all agree
on this matter, so I will just tell you my opinion as to what these “two
unchangeable things” are. I believe these two things are matters in which God
has confirmed His promise with an oath, matters which are found nearby in

178. Hebrews. And these would be the two promises which were confirmed by an
oath:
Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swearby no one
greater, he swore by himself . . . (Hebrews 6:13)
20 And since this was not done without a sworn affirmation – for the others
have become priests without a sworn affirmation, 21 but Jesus did so with a
swornaffirmation by the one who said to him, “The Lord has sworn and will
not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever’” – 22 accordinglyJesus has
become the guarantee of a better covenant(Hebrews 7:20-22).
Thus, I believe that the two unchangeable things which the author of Hebrews
has in mind are the Abrahamic Covenant (chapter 6), and His oath by which
He appointed the Lord Jesus a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek
(chapter 7). These two covenantpromises are the basis for our salvation,
sanctification, and eternal security. How much more secure couldour
salvationbe?
It is fascinating to me how our author describes the security of those who put
their trust in Christ for salvation:
So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for Godto lie, we
who have takenrefuge would have strong encouragementto take hold of the
hope set before us (Hebrews 6:18, NASB95;emphasis mine).
Why does the author use these words to describe our trust in Christ
(confessionoffaith) for salvation? I believe that this man is so saturatedwith
the Old Testamentthat he virtually drips with Old Testamentwords and
imagery. No wonder scholars can’tagree among themselves as to how often
the author refers (or alludes) to the Old Testament(though they all agree it is
very often).
These words reminded me of severalOld Testamenttexts:
12 “Whoeverstrikes someone so that he dies must surely be put to death. 13
But if he does not do it with premeditation, but it happens by accident, then I
will appoint for you a place where he may flee. 14 But if a man willfully

179. attacks his neighbor to kill him cunningly, you will take him even from my
altar that he may die” (Exodus 21:12-14, emphasis mine).
6 Now from these towns that you will give to the Levites you must selectsix
towns of refuge to which a personwho has killed someone may flee. And you
must give them forty-two other towns. 7 “So the total of the towns you will
give the Levites is forty-eight. You must give these togetherwith their grazing
lands. 8 The towns you will give must be from the possessionofthe Israelites.
From the largertribes you must give more; and from the smaller tribes fewer.
Eachmust contribute some of its owntowns to the Levites in proportion to the
inheritance allocatedto each. 9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:10 “Speak to
the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross overthe Jordan River into the
land of Canaan, 11 you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for
you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee. 12
And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avengerin order that
the killer may not die until he has stoodtrial before the community. 13 These
towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge. 14 “You must give
three towns on this side of the Jordan, and you must give three towns in the
land of Canaan;they must be towns of refuge. 15 These six towns will be
places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the foreigner, and for the settler
among them, so that anyone who kills any personaccidentally may flee there.
16 “But if he hits someone with an iron tool so that he dies, he is a murderer.
The murderer must surely be put to death (Numbers 35:6-16, emphasis mine).
49 All of Adonijah’s guests panicked;they jumped up and rushed off their
separate ways. 50 Adonijah fearedSolomon, so he gotup and went and
grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Solomonwas told, “Look, Adonijah
fears you; see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King
Solomonsolemnly promise me today that he will not kill his servant with the
sword’” (1 Kings 1:49-51, emphasis mine).
We know that God establishedcities of refuge where a man who
unintentionally killed another could flee to avoid being killed by an avenger. If
a man were found to be guilty of murder, he would not be protectedand
would be killed by the avenger. But if he was found innocent, he could flee to
one of the six Levite cities of refuge. In order to be protected, the man must

180. stay in the city of refuge and not go outside it, or the avengercould kill him.
He must stayin the city until the death of the current high priest,6 then he
could go outside the city. It appears from Exodus 21 that there was a custom
whereby a guilty man would flee to the altar and graspits horns as a plea for
protection. If the one who did so was found not guilty of murder, then he
could flee to one of the cities of refuge.
I believe the author of Hebrews is using this Old Testamentimagery to
portray the safety and securityChrist alone offers as the Great High Priest. It
is to Him that the Christian can flee for safety. The believer grasps Him by
faith, just as the manslayer grabbed the horns of the altar. In Christ, the
believer finds safety, as the manslayer found safetyin the city of refuge. What
a picture of the safetyand security of the saint. And, incidentally, since our
High Priestlives forever, we find refuge and safety in Him forever.
Jesus:An Anchor for the Soul
Hebrews 6:19-20
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which
reaches inside behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus our forerunner entered on
our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek
(Hebrews 6:19-20).
The author changes to different imagery to describe the safetyand security of
the Christian. Becauseourhope is secure in Christ, due to God’s oath and His
character, we need only to cling to Him as our GreatHigh Priest, whose
substitutionary death on the cross of Calvary paid the penalty for our sins,
and whose mediatory high priestly ministry at the Father’s right hand gives
us accessto draw near for help in our time of need.
The imagery of an anchor should come as no surprise to the reader of this
epistle. It no doubt is used because ofwhat we have already read in chapter 2:
Therefore we must pay closerattentionto what we have heard, so that we do
not drift away(Hebrews 2:1, emphasis mine).

181. It is not difficult to see how an anchor prevents drifting. A certain hope in
God’s covenant promises made to Abraham and his descendants, guaranteed
by God’s oath, is the anchor for our souls. As it is unchangeable, so it is
immovable. We shall not drift if we cling to Christ. And these unchangeable
promises are found in the Scriptures, Old Testamentand New. Thus, we dare
not neglectGod’s final Word, revealedin the personof His Son (2:1-4).
Incidentally, these promises which are the basis of our hope and of our
endurance, are a prominent theme in the Book ofHebrews. Some form of the
word “promise” occurs 17 times in Hebrews, more frequently than in any
other book of the Bible.7
Switching imagery once again, the author now moves to the holy of holies and
the veil separating it from the holy place. I am convincedthat the author
intends for us to see much more than what lies on the surface, but I’m inclined
to think that he is whetting our appetite for what he is going to say in chapters
9 and 10. For now, I believe that he is indicating to the reader that Jesus, the
objectof our hope, has entered into the holy of holies as our forerunner.
There He made atonement for our sins once for all as our GreatHigh Priest, a
Priestafter the order of Melchizedek who lives forever. As Guthrie indicates,8
this serves as an “on ramp” to chapter 7.
Conclusion
Our text has been about God’s promises, so let’s conclude by focusing on
some of the truths we have seenand what impact these have on us.
First, we find that God’s promises are the basis for our faith.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convincedof what we do
not see (Hebrews 11:1).
Those things that we hope for, yet do not see, are things regarding which God
has given His promise. And these things not seenare the things which are
spokenin God’s Word. No wonder the author of Hebrews places so much
emphasis on the Word of God, and on the attention we must pay to what it
says.

182. Second, God’s promises are the basis of our hope, and thus the assurance
which encourages us to persevere in times of adversity.
17 In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of
the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an
oath, 18 so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong
encouragementto hold fast to the hope setbefore us through two
unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:17-18).
By faith, even though Sarahherself was barren and he was too old, he
receivedthe ability to procreate, because he regardedthe one who had given
the promise to be trustworthy (Hebrews 11:11).
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offeredup Isaac. He had received
the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son. 18 God had told him,
“Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name” (Hebrews 11:17-18).
24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refusedto be calledthe son of Pharaoh’s
daughter, 25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to
enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. 26 He regardedabuse suffered for Christ to be
greaterwealththan the treasures ofEgypt, for his eyes were fixed on the
reward (Hebrews 11:24-16).
1 From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of
God’s chosenones and the knowledge ofthe truth that is in keeping with
godliness, 2 in hope of eternallife, which God, who does not lie, promised
before the ages began(Titus 1:1-2).
Third, promises are given when their fulfillment will come after a period of
delay.Promises are givento those who must wait, those who do not expect or
demand that God give them freedom from tests and trials, or provide them
with prosperity now. A promise implies a delay; otherwise, a promise is not
necessary.
But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new
earth, in which righteousnesstruly resides (2 Peter3:13).

183. Fourth, God’s covenantpromises (specificallythe Abrahamic Covenantand
the covenantregarding a priest after the order of Melchizedek)are fulfilled in
the Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a
covenanthas been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one
can setit aside or add anything to it. 16 Now the promises were spokento
Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, “and to the
descendants,” referring to many, but “and to your descendant,” referring to
one, who is Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: The law that came four
hundred thirty years later does not cancela covenantpreviously ratified by
God, so as to invalidate the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is basedon the
law, it is no longerbased on the promise, but God graciouslygave it to
Abraham through the promise. 19 Why then was the law given? It was added
because oftransgressions, until the arrival of the descendantto whom the
promise had been made. It was administered through angels by an
intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary is not for one party alone, but God is
one. 21 Is the law therefore opposedto the promises of God? Absolutely not!
For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would
certainly have come by the law. 22 But the scripture imprisoned everything
and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given – because of the
faithfulness of Jesus Christ – to those who believe (Galatians 3:15-22,
emphasis mine).
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcisedon behalf of
God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers (Romans 15:8).
Fifth, if God’s covenantpromises are fulfilled in Christ, and these are the
basis for our faith, hope, and endurance, then to rejectChrist is to rejectfaith,
hope, and endurance. Once we come to realize that Jesus Christ is the
fulfillment of God’s promises in the Old Testament, and our only basis for the
hope of salvation, then to reject Him is a most serious and most deadly sin.
Sixth, our confidence and assurance are grounded (anchored)in the promises
of God and His faithfulness to fulfill them, not in our performance. It is not all
about us; it is all about Jesus. He has accomplishedthe cleansing of our sins,

184. once for all. He is the GreatHigh Priestto whom we must draw near for help
in time of need. The author of Hebrews is not seeking to getus to work
harder, but to draw near to the Savior and cling to Him, looking to Him for
help in our weakness.
Seventh, we can count on God’s promises because He canbe trusted. His
promises are our certainground for faith and endurance.
19 For the Sonof God, Jesus Christ, the one who was proclaimedamong you
by us – by me and Silvanus and Timothy – was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has
always been “Yes” in him. 20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in
him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to
God (2 Corinthians 1:19-20).
Eighth, God’s promises are the basis and the incentive for cleansing ourselves
from sin and its defilement:
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves
from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish
holiness out of reverence for God (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Through these things he has bestowedon us his precious and most
magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may
become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption
that is produced by evil desire (2 Peter1:4).
Ninth, the promises of God and the hope they produce are an opportunity for
us to proclaim the gospel.
Now this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life (1 John 2:25).
But setChrist apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an
answerto anyone who asks aboutthe hope you possess(1 Peter3:15).
Tenth, Gentiles believers become full heirs of the promises of God.
13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit
the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that
comes by faith. 14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the

185. promise is nullified. 15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no
law there is no transgressioneither. 16 For this reasonit is by faith so that it
may be by grace, withthe result that the promise may be certain to all the
descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who
have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I
have made you the father of many nations”). He is our father in the presence
of God whom he believed – the Godwho makes the dead alive and summons
the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. 18 Against hope
Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became thefather of many
nations according to the pronouncement, “so will your descendants be.” 19
Without being weak in faith, he consideredhis own body as dead (because he
was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He
did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthenedin
faith, giving glory to God. 21 He was fully convincedthat what God promised
he was also able to do (Romans 4:13-21).
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs
according to the promise (Galatians 3:29).
5 Now this secretwas notdisclosedto people in former generations as it has
now been revealedto his holy apostles andprophets by the Spirit, 6 namely,
that through the gospelthe Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the
body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:5-6).
Eleventh, it is the promises of God which are certain, and it is these promises
which will sustain us in the difficult days ahead.In the past few weeks, we have
seenour country enter into a kind of financial meltdown. We may have falsely
sought security in the very things which are now being removed or reduced.
God’s promises are the one thing we can count on, because His promises are
sure, and He is a God who always keeps His promises.
My friend, if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, I urge you to do so today.
In fulfillment of His Old Testamentpromise to Abraham, God sentJesus to
take on humanity (without surrendering any of His deity) and to serve as our
GreatHigh Priest by suffering the punishment for our sins. He now sits at the
Father’s right hand in heavento mediate on our behalf and to help us in our

186. time of need. There is no other solution for our sin, and its eternal punishment
(hell). There is no other anchor for the soul than Jesus Christ. Trust in Him.
1 Copyright © 2008 by RobertL. Deffinbaugh. This is the edited manuscript
of Lesson15 in the series, Nearto the Heart of God – A Study of the Book of
Hebrews, prepared by RobertL. Deffinbaugh on October19, 2008. Anyone is
at liberty to use this lessonfor educationalpurposes only, with or without
credit
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible.
The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also knownas THE NET BIBLE, is a
completely new translationof the Bible, not a revision or an update of a
previous English version. It was completedby more than twenty biblical
scholars who workeddirectly from the best currently available Hebrew,
Aramaic, and Greek texts. The translationproject originally startedas an
attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic
distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). Anyone anywhere in
the world with an Internet connectionwill be able to use and print out the
NET Bible without costfor personal study. In addition, anyone who wants to
share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away
free to others. It is available on the Internet at: net.bible.org.
2 See Mark 3:28-30.
3 See George H. Guthrie, Hebrews – The NIV Application Commentary
(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), p. 240.
4 We know from Hebrews 11:13-15, 39-40 thatthese Old Testamentsaints
died without receiving all that God had promised. They believed, by faith, in
what they could not see, but in what God had promised. Thus, they still await
the full inheritance of the promised blessings.
5 Incidentally, this is a very important point to bear in mind when speaking
with those who say that God “changes his mind.” It may appear that way, but
Jonahknew better. He knew that warnings of coming judgment may be given

187. in order to prompt men and women to repent, thus avoiding that judgment,
just as God said in Jeremiah18.
6 Numbers 35:25, 28.
7 It occurs 11 times in Acts and Romans and 10 times in Deuteronomyand
Galatians.
8 Guthrie, p. 240. See fn. 3 above.
Promise Oath and Hope
Series:Hebrews
Sermon by J. Ligon Duncan on Sep23, 1998
Hebrews 6:13-20
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188. Turn with me in your Bibles to Hebrews 6. If I can take your attention back
to Hebrews 5 for a few moments and remind you that beginning in Hebrews
5:11, after a sectionin which the author of Hebrews has thought about the
idea of Christ as our High Priestand specificallyChrist as a High Priest
according to the order of Melchizedek, he’s concludedwith that thought in
Hebrews 5:10. You’re expecting him to jump right into it in Hebrews 5:11
and he stops and he issues a warning.
If you will scanfrom Hebrews 5:11 down to verse 14, you’ll see that the first
thing that he is concernedabout is the apparent spiritual immaturity of this
particular congregation. Basically, he says they have been taught the basics of
the faith, they have been taught those foundational truths of the faith, but they
haven’t graspedthem to the point that they are really ready to move on. And
so it’s almostas if they need to go back and have those things rehearsedagain.
So he’s concernedabout what he calls a dullness of hearing. He’s not
referring to an intellectual problem. He’s not saying, ‘You folks are stupid in
the congregationofthe Hebrews.’ He’s saying that there’s a spiritual dullness
which concerns him and some of the members of this congregation. And then
he goes on to sayin verses 1-3 of chapter 6, having given that admonition, that
warning, he goes onto exhort them to spiritual growth. So having warned
them about spiritual immaturity, he calls them to grow towards spiritual
maturity. But then againwhen you get to verse 4 of Hebrews 6, he’s back to a
warning again. And in Hebrews 6:4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, he issues a very, very stern
warning againstfalling away from our original confessionoffaith and trust in
the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a frightening warning and it’s parallelto the warning that you will see in
Hebrews 10, when we getthere. But after that warning if you’ll look againat
verse 9, 10, 11, and 12, he concludes that sectionof admonition and warning
by a word of encouragement. He encouragesthe Christians in this
congregationthat he thinks better of them, that he is encouragednotto think
the worstabout their situation. And so having gone through this long section
of warning, we come to Hebrews 6:13-20. In this passage, having spokenin
the previous verses, 9-12, aboutevidences ofthe grace ofGod in the lives of
these people, He now begins to speak about the ground of their assurance. So
let’s look at this passagetogetherin Hebrews 6:13 to the end.

189. Hebrews 6:13-20
Father, we thank You againfor the privilege of learning from Your word.
Open our eyes that we might understand it, and apply its truth to our hearts
in our own specialcircumstancesby the work of Your Holy Spirit. We ask it
in Jesus’name. Amen.
In this passage, the author of Hebrews wants to explain to us what the
ultimate grounds of Christian assurance are. He has issued two warnings, a
setof warnings, to this congregationaboutthe possibility of falling awayfrom
their original confessionin Christ. His purpose, as we said lastweek and the
week before, was not to unsettle their assurance ofsalvation, but he knows
that his warning was so straightforward, so blunt, so serious that there will be
many Christians who are perhaps inappropriately disturbed about their own
security in Christ. And so he hastily says in verses 9-12, “Friends I see
evidences of God’s grace in your life.” And look at some of the specific
evidences that he mentions. ForGod is not unjust so as to forgetyour work
and your love which you have showntoward His name in having ministered
and in still ministering to the saints. So in verse 10 he says, “Ican see from
the wayyou love one another, from the way you work for one another, for the
way you minister to one anotherthat God is at work in your lives.” And again
he goes on then to express his desires for the congregation. We desire that
eachone of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of
hope until the end. So he makes it clearthat he sees evidences ofGod’s grace
in the lives of some of these Christians, and that his desire is for all of them to
attain a full assurance ofhope.
So in verses 9-12 he talks about outward evidences ofGod’s grace in their
lives. But it’s very important to understand that their assurance is not to be
basedupon those outward evidences. Thosethings evidence the work of God
in their lives, but there is a surer ground for why they ought to be secure in
their professionof the Lord. And that is what he is talking about in this
passage.
Donald Guthrie says this about verses 13-20. And I’ve got this quote in front
of you in the outline, I think, and you may want to look at it: “This section

190. acts as a prelude to the expositionof the Melchizedek thing.” Did you notice
in the very lastverse of the passage we justread he comes back to the theme
of Melchizedek which he had left in Hebrews 5:10. Finally, when we get to
Hebrews 7:1, he’s going to start the subject that you thought he was going to
start in Hebrews 5:11. This sectionis an introduction, a re-introduction to the
theme of Christ as a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Guthrie
goes onto say:“What the writer is concernedto show is (l) the solemnity of
God’s promises; (2) His unchangeable characterand, therefore, (3) the
absolute certainty of His word. This is really an explanation of the basis of the
Christian’s full assuranceofhope. Having given these stern warnings, now he
is going to explain on what basis a Christian may rightly have full assurance
of the hope of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I. God swore a promise to Abraham and Abraham receivedthe promise.
Now I’d like to point your attention to two or three things. First, in verses 13-
15, the author of Hebrews begins this sectionexplaining the basis of our hope
by going to the story of God’s assuring of Abraham in Genesis 22. Now you
may want to turn back to Genesis 22 and keep your finger there for a moment
because I want you to look at this passageclosely. Noticethat verse 14 here
in chapter 6 is a direct quote from Genesis 22. And verse 13 is a direct
allusion to a verse in Genesis 22. So clearlyGenesis22 is on the mind of the
author of Hebrews as he begins to explain to us the basis of Christian
assurance.
And what’s significantabout that? What happened in Genesis 22? The
offering of Isaac at Mt. Moriah and the substituting of the ram insteadof the
sacrifice ofIsaac. Okay, so it’s a very significant point in the life of Abraham
and in the life of people of God. Verses 13 and 14 in Hebrews 6 are based
upon a reference to Genesis 22:16 and 17. Look at those verses in Genesis 22.
There we read in verse 15: “The angelof the Lord calledto Abraham a second
time from heaven, and said, ‘By myself I have sworn,’declares the Lord,
‘because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only
son, indeed I will greatlybless you and I will greatly multiply your seedas the
stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashoreand your seed
shall possessthe gate of their enemies.’” But do you hear the echo of those

191. verses? WhenGod made the promise to Abraham, ‘since He could swearby
no one greater, He swore by Myselfsaying I will surely bless you and I will
surely multiply you.’ That is the passagethatthe author of Hebrews goes to
in Hebrews 6:13-15. Here we see a reiterationof the covenantpromise that
God had given to Abraham in Genesis 12, in Genesis 15, and in Genesis 17.
Why is it reiterated here? Becausethis is a tremendously significant point in
the life of Abraham in terms of reflecting and evidencing his trust in God.
Abraham as the father of the faithful, we are told, had believed God’s
promises to him despite all the evidences to the contrary drawn from his own
circumstances. He was old, his wife was past the child-bearing years, and yet
Abraham believed that God was going to give him not only a son, but
descendants that would be as the stars of the sky or as the sand on the
seashore. Abraham believed the Lord’s promises made to him in Genesis 12
and 15. And so, when the Lord came to him after he had finally had his own
son Isaac, andsaid to him, “Abraham, take your son, your only son, Isaac,
who you love and go to the land of Moriahand offer him as a sacrifice.”
Abram believed the Lord would still fulfill His promise to him. So he
obediently went to make the sacrifice and yet the Lord as we know in His
grace spares Isaac, provides a substitute and teaches Abraham a very, very
important lesson.
And it is in that context that the Lord speaks these words to Abraham.
“Abraham, I swearto you that I will bless you and I will multiply to you.”
Now that promise there in Genesis 22:17 is not new. The language is almost
the same as Genesis 12, and we could go to other passages where it is similar
to as well. But what’s new there? The swearing, the oath that God gives is
new. Abraham has almost sacrificedhis son, and the angel of the Lord cries
out and says what? “Abraham, Abraham, touch not the lad.” And so
Abraham with the knife in his hand, puts the knife down, sees the ram in the
thicket and the ram is offered insteadof Isaac as a substitute. Now the Angel
of the Lord comes againin Genesis 22:15, andsays to Abraham. “Abraham, I
swearto you that I will bless you and I will multiply you.” So the quote here
in Hebrews 6 comes from the contextof this greatevent and imagine how
much of a reinforcing effect this would have had on Abraham’s faith.
Abraham has originally been commanded by God to sacrifice his son, the

192. hope of the covenant. Then God has provided a ram in the thicket bush and
spokento him in the form of the angel of the covenant, saying, ‘Abraham
don’t touch your son. Don’t lay a finger on him. Spare him. I have a
substitute.’ And then the Lord comes againin the form of the angelof the
covenantand says to Abraham, ‘I swearto you that I will fulfill the promise.’
Image the impact on Abraham of hearing the angelof the Lord who had just
cried out to spare his only son, Isaac. And now he is swearing, he is
reinforcing the covenant promise that Godmade to him all the wayback in
Genesis 12, by an oath. Abraham’s obedience and patience had been tested
through the greatexperience of Genesis 22. His faith had proved sound and
so he obtained the promise. He was made a greatnation. Isaac was spared
and was the line, the seedof the line of promise.
And think how significant recounting this story would have been to the
congregationof the Hebrews. He goes back and he goes to this greatfigure of
the faith, Abraham. And he says, ‘Look at how he believed despite the
evidence to the contrary and he obeyed when he didn’t understand what the
Lord was doing in his life, and he was patient knowing that the Lord would
provide.’
In fact, if you were to turn over to Hebrews 11:19, the author of Hebrews
there is going to tell you that when Abraham went to Mt. Moriah, he was so
convinced that God was going to be faithful to His promise that he assumed
that after he sacrificedIsaac that God was going to raise him from the dead.
It’s not just that Abraham expecteda substitute to be given. Abraham was so
convinced that God was going to do His will that he was prepared for God to
raise Isaac from the dead. And so the author of Hebrews picks this story to
show to the people that God is faithful to His covenantpromises. And He is
ready to back those covenantpromises up even to the point of making an oath.
God swore a promise to Abraham and Abraham receivedthat promise.
The author of Hebrews wants this congregationto know that it is not an
uncertain thing to bet the bank on God. It is not an uncertain thing to place
all your trust in God. It is not an uncertain thing to trust in God your life, the
most precious things that you have. There is nothing uncertain about that

193. and God knows how frail we are and so he is ready even to swearthose
promises to us. And so the author of Hebrews points this to us.
Now let me saysomething about Abraham’s obedience. It may seemhere as if
we are saying that Abraham by his obedience merited God’s response, and
merited assurance. Butlisten to what Thomas Brooks says. “Thoughno man
merits assurance by his obedience, yet God usually crowns obedience with
assurance.” Do youhear what he’s saying there? He’s saying God is not
obliged to give us assurance becausewe are obedient. And we don’t earn
assurance ofour salvation because ofour obedience, but there is this
intertwining of assurance and obedience, suchthat when we are faithful, when
we believe and when we are obedient in our faith, the Lord usually crowns
that faithfulness with an assurance ofthe hope in us. That’s important to see
because in this passageit’s going to be made clearby the author of Hebrews
that one of the reasons that God swears His oath and promise is to reinforce
the people’s failing and weak trust in His word. It’s not because Godis
untruthful, it’s because people are weak in their trust in Him that He adds
this oath of confirmation. But in Abraham’s case whenwas it that God swore
this oath? Was it at a point in Abraham’s life when he was disobedient? No.
This was his supreme act of obedience, and it was because Godwas pleased
with Abraham’s faith that He gives to him this extra dose, this extra
confirmation of assurance.
So there are a number of things that we can learn from this passage. Having
issuedstern warnings, the author of Hebrews first speaks aboutthe evidences
that accompanyassurance,and then He talks about the basis of assurance.
That’s what He’s talking about here in Hebrews 13-18. And it is clearthat
God’s concernfor Abraham was that he be assuredthat God was going to be
faithful to His promises. And so He gives him promises, He gives him a
covenant, He gives him oath, He piles on reasons forAbraham to trust Him.
And, of course, that’s because Godis concernedfor all His people to have
assurance ofthe hope that is in them. That’s explicit in the very next verses.
Notice verse 17, “In the same way God desiring even more to show to the heirs
of the promise the unchangeableness ofHis purpose.” So His concernis for
all of the heirs of the promise to be assuredwith their salvation. And so He

194. interposes with a note. He piles on reasons forthe people of God to trust the
promises that He’s made to them in the word. The first thing that we see here
in this passageis God swearing a promise to Abraham and Abraham
receiving that promise. The author of Hebrews has shownyou that picture in
order to assure you that that is how God has faithfully dealt with the people of
God in the past, and you may expectHim to deal with you in the same faithful
way. Why? Because youare children of Abraham and you are the recipients
of the promises of Abraham in Christ. Now we’ll getto that part later. But
he wants you to be assuredof these promises that the Lord has made to you.
II. Why the heirs of promise canrest assured.
Then in verses 16-18 he looks more explicitly at this two-fold ground of the
Christian hope. Why is that heirs of the promise canrest assured? Because
of the promise and because ofthe oath. Look at the passage here in verses 16-
18. He begins by basicallygiving an illustration. He says, “Formen swearby
one greaterthan themselves and with them an oath given as confirmation is
an end of every dispute.” And so by mentioning human oaths, the author of
Hebrews is trying to remind us of the superiority of a divine oath. The
Author of Hebrews knows that human oaths are given and takenbecause we
are not perfect, and because we have a tendency to tell falsehoods. And
sometimes we even have to have legalsanctions when oaths are broken
because human beings have a tendency to be false when it is not to their
advantage. So the author of Hebrews by bringing up the subjectof human
oaths, is reminding you implicitly of the superiority of an oath given by God.
For instance, there are two ways in which you will see this superiority. First,
human oaths are takenpreciselybecause ofour characterflaws. Human
oaths are takenbecause we can’t implicitly trust one another. And so legal
authorities make us take an oath because we know whenwe take those oaths,
there may be consequencesif we are unfaithful in what we say under that
oath. So the oath is there because of human characterflaws. But God does
not take this oath because He is untrustworthy. God takes this oath because
our faith is weak. Isn’tthat incredible. God condescends to take an oath not
because there is something lacking in Him, but because there is something
lacking in us. God, whose fault it is not that we do not trust in Him, yet is

195. willing to go the extra mile preciselybecause He loves His people and He takes
this oath on top of His promise.
But there is a secondwaythat a divine oath is superior to a human oath. And
that is in a human oath. The very origin of oath taking in the world is men
standing before the highest legaltribunals of their land acknowledging that
there is something transcendentto which we are all accountable. And though
we may lie to one another and though we may lie to civil authorities, yet
taking an oath is a recognitionthat there is a transcendentpower in the
universe to which we are all accountable and which will call us to account. So
when a human takes an oath, for instance in the United States, and says
something to the effect that we ‘swearto tell the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth so help me God,’ that language is acknowledging a
transcendentorder to which we are all accountable.
Now God can’t call upon a transcendentorder higher than Himself, and so
the very mention of a human oath reminds us that because nothing transcends
God, God pledges Himself in this oath. He commits Himself in this oath, in
this pledge to Abraham and to the heirs of the promise. Then He begins to
talk about the divine oath in Hebrews 6:17. This divine oath is given because
of the weakness offaith in the heirs of the promise, and it is given to them in
order to do two things.
First of all note that it is given to assure them of the promise. Look at the
phrase. God desiring even more to show to the heirs a promise so that He is
desiring to convince believers of the security that they have in His promise.
You see how important this is to God. You see how ready He is to go the extra
mile in order that we might have a full assurance ofthe hope that is in us.
And secondly, He does this in order to convince them of the inviability of His
promises. Notice the phrase, “The unchangeablenessofHis purpose.” In
order to convince them of the unchangeablenessofHis purpose He interposes
with an oath. And by these two unchangeable things, the oath and the
promise, our hope rests on solid ground. Look at verse 18. “Bytwo
unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have

196. takenrefuge would have strong encouragementto take hold of the hope that is
setbefore us.”
Listen to what Donald Guthrie says:“This is the sheetanchorof the
Christian’s conviction. He knows his assurance depends not on the stability
or strength of his own faith, but on the absolute trustworthiness of God’s
word.” If our assurance is built upon only our confidence in our faith, I
promise you that your assurancewill fluctuate. Because ifyou’re honest with
yourself, you will see the weaknessofyour faith from time to time. Sometimes
by God’s grace we are strong in faith, and we’re enabledto believe in hope
againsthope. But other times our faith trembles. So if our assuranceis
founded on our faith, our assuranceis going to be up and down and up and
down. But if our assurance is founded on God’s promise and evidenced by the
works of grace that the spirit is doing in our lives, if it’s founded on God’s
promise, then it’s solid, then it’s constant, then it’s steady. And that’s what
God wants these Hebrews to have. He wants these Hebrew Christians to be
steady. He wants them to be strong in the assurance ofthe hope which is in
them. So here we see the true ground of assurance. God’s promise, God’s
covenant, God’s oath, that’s where our trust is.
Now is that where your trust is tonight? Are you trusting in your faith, or are
you placing your faith in Christ? Is Christ the ground of your hope? Are the
promises of God the ground of your hope? The promises of the covenant
given us in Abraham repeatedto us in the gospel, is that where your hope is?
Or are you trusting in yourself? If you’re trusting in yourself, you’re in
trouble. If you’re trusting in Christ and the gospel, you’re in sure hands.
That is the sure foundation. By the way, let me just say in passing, we see
here an example of a lawful oath. From the time of the Reformationthere
have been many Christians who believed on the basis of what Jesus saidin
Matthew 5:34 that no Christian ought to take an oath. You may have met
some Christian who said to you that because oftheir consciences theydid not
believe that they ought to take a legaloath and they would quote Jesus’words.
Take no oathat all or make no oath at all. And yet this passageindicates that
God takes anoath and human oaths are mentioned in passing without
condemnation of the practice of taking a human oath. And so if you’ll pick up
your hymnal and turn with me againto the back of the hymnal to our

197. Confession. You’ll find this on page 861. I’d like you to look at these words in
the chapteron lawful oaths and vows. Our Confessionsummarizes what I
think the author of Hebrews is saying precisely. FromThe Westminster
Confession, chapter22, section2:“The name of God only is that by which
men ought to swear, and therein it is to be used with all holy fear and
reverence. Therefore,to swearvainly, or rashly, by that glorious and
dreadful Name; or, to swearatall by another thing, is sinful, and to be
abhorred. Yet as in matters of weight and moment, an oath is warranted by
the word of God, under the New Testamentas wellas under the Old; so a
lawful oath, being imposed by lawful authority, in such matters, ought to be
taken.”
Now you may be wondering, why in the world would a ConfessionofFaith
have a chapter on lawful oaths. It’s because hundreds and hundreds and
thousands of Christians from the 17th century on, didn’t think that it was
lawful to take oaths. And the reformers were saying ‘No, it is lawful to take
an oath,’ and they in fact referencedpassageslike this in Hebrews:6. So
Jesus’words are not an absolute prohibition on oaths of any kind. Jesus’
words again, so often as He does, is appointing to what our motivation is in
taking the oath. At any rate, that’s just something in passing that you get for
no extra charge as you work through Hebrews 6:16-18.
III. The Christian hope stabilizes the soul.
One last thing as we close. As you look at verses 19 and 20, you see the author
of Hebrews giving you the pastoralapplication of all this teaching that he has
laid out before you in verses 13-18. And here you see that Christian hope
stabilizes the soul. In verse 19 he says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the
soul.” In other words, this kind of strong hope based on God’s word, God’s
promise, God’s covenant, God’s oath, it steadies the heart, it steadies the soul.
That kind of hope steadies you in the walk of faith.
And he goes on to sayin verse 19 that it is a hope which enters the veil. And
it’s a very interesting thing here. He says we have this hope as an anchor of
the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast, and one which enters within the veil.
And so we shift metaphors. One minute we’re on a shift in a stormy sea and

198. we’ve dropped anchor. We’re trying to staystable so that we’re not dashed
againstsome sort of a reef or rocks somewhereand then suddenly we’re in the
holy of holies. And you almost have this picture of this anchor being pitched
inside the tent curtain into the holy of holies. And it’s not a bad picture that
you are tethered to a hope which has entered and anchored itself within the
veil.
But then he goes onto saysomething even more encouraging. Look athis
words in verse 20. “Where Jesus has enteredas a forerunner for us.” Now the
encouraging wordthere is “forerunner” and then the total phrase
“forerunner for us.” If Jesus is a forerunner, then someone is following. If
Jesus is a forerunner for us, then you are following. That’s what is so
encouraging. He is saying Jesus is already there. He’s already in the heavenly
holy of holies. He’s already in the presence of the Father. If you’re united to
Him by faith, here’s your hope. He’s already there, but He’s there as your
forerunner, preparing the way. You’re His follower. If He’s the forerunner,
He can’t be the forerunner unless you’re there with Him, too. And so we have
a sure hope the author of Hebrews says our hope must focus on the promises
of God given to us in the Covenant, given to us in the gospel, and based on the
priesthood of Christ.
And then, of course, he gives that last, that final phrase, ‘having become a
high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” And then he’ll
spend chapter 7 explaining to you what in the world he means by that. May
the Lord bless His words. Let’s look to Him in prayer.
Father, we do thank you for the truth of Your word. Even in hard passagesin
which Your faithful authors writing the very words inspired by the spirit
telling us difficult and deep things. We know that they are meant for our
spiritual edification. We pray that you would strengthen our assurance, that
we might be free to serve with all our heart and all our soul and all our might.
We ask these things in Jesus’name. Amen.

199. ROBERT RAYBURN
STUDIES IN HEBREWS No. 12
Hebrews 6:13-20
August 18, 2002
In the sectionof this sermon we consideredlastLord's Day evening, the
author gave warning of the dire consequencesofturning awayfrom God and,
once more, exhorted his hearers to press on to the end in the faith of Jesus
Christ.
Now, he is going to commend to them that persevering faith with an
illustration. Like any goodsermon, this preachermixes togetherbiblical
exposition, illustration, and application. Characteristically, he anticipates in
these next verses, anargument he is going to elaborate lateron. The example
of the faithful men and women who have gone on before us and whose sturdy
faithfulness to Christ should be a lessonfor us will, of course, be enlargedin
the famous "Hall of the Heroes of Faith" in chapter 11. He said in v. 12 that
he wanted them "to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what
has been promised." Well, now, he sets before them the example of such a
person for their imitation.
v.14 Abraham, to whom all Jews look as their father. In 2:16 these Jewish
Christians were already describedas "Abraham's descendants."
v.15 The point is simply that one must wait for the promise of God to be
fulfilled, but that, howeverlong one must wait, one will never be disappointed
who counts on God to keephis promises. That is what Abraham did and he
receivedwhat was promised. In this case he receivedthe sonwho had been
promised to him, Isaac, a son and an heir through whom God's promise to
make a greatpeople out of Abraham could be realized. However, the promise
was not fully fulfilled with the birth of Isaac. Whatfollows is from Gen. 22
and that incident came after both the birth of Isaac and the trial of
Abraham's faith when God ordered him to sacrifice his son. What I mean is

200. that when we read "Abraham receivedwhat was promised," we are probably
not to think simply of Sarahbearing him a son, but, once again, of what
Abraham inherits in the world to come. That is the way the phrase is used
elsewhere in Hebrews. The focus is always on the inheritance of the saints in
heaven, not what they obtain here in this world. And, what is more, it is the
way the idea is used here in the preacher's exhortation in v. 12. He is most
assuredlynot telling them that if they hold fast to Christ they will get
something here in this world for their pains. He is telling them that if they
hold fast to Christ they will inherit in the world to come. That is why, in v. 11,
he urges them to press on to the end. It is only at the end that one obtains this
promise. Later he is going to be explicit and emphatic on this point: they do
not inherit until the world to come and there only if they have held fast to the
end in loyalty to Christ. And of course, that is the promise that the author
draws specialattention to in v. 14. The birth of Isaac and the receiving of him
back from the dead, as it were, were both pledges of the promise that he
would be a father of a great nation, a promise Abraham did not see realized in
this world.
v.17 "heirs" is a reference to all the believing people of God, OT and NT, as
the contextmakes clear. So, what happened back there in Genesis 22 was for
"us" as well as for earliergenerations of God's people.
v.18 The reference to the oath is a reference to Gen. 22:16 where God tells
Abraham, after he showed himself willing to sacrifice Isaac, "Iswearby
myself, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your
only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as
the stars in the sky…"
v.19 In other words, we are fixed to an immovable objectand that immovable
objectis the throne of God itself. [Bruce, 131]
v.20 The reference to the "inner sanctuary" - the innermost chamber of the
tabernacle and temple, that is, the most holy place - anticipates the argument
of 9:6-14 and the distinction the author there makes betweenthe ineffectual
sacrifices ofthe Levitical system and the power of Christ's sacrifice to save to
the uttermost. Christ entered that most holy place, as we will read in 8:2, not

201. in the temple that is a copy, the earthly temple, but in the heavenly one, the
true sanctuary. There the offering was made for our sins - in the sense that the
sacrifice Christ made was offeredto God, as it were laid directly at the feet of
the Living God himself - and there our perfect high priest still offers
intercessionfor us.
Once again, you getthe futuristic note. Jesus wentbefore us into the
sanctuary. We will follow him in due time.
______________________________________
This sectionanticipates severalothersections that are soonto come besides
chapter 11 and its record of the exemplars of faith. The end of v. 20
anticipates the development of the fact that Christ is a priest after the order of
Melchizedek that immediately follows in chapter 7. And, the notion of the
oath that confirms the promise and of Christ entering the heavenly sanctuary
before us anticipates the presentationof Christ as the "guarantee" ofthe new
covenantthat we find in 7:22ff. That idea is prominent and important in
Hebrews.
The verb translated"confirmed" in 6:17 is the verb often translated"to
mediate" and its noun form is the word "mediator" that occurs in Hebrews
and severalother places in the NT. For example, in 8:6, the NIV's translation
reads that [Jesus]is the mediator of a better covenant. However, in Hebrews,
as the scholarshipgenerallyrecognizes, this word group has the meaning of
"confirm" or "guarantee."One proof of that is the statementin 7:22 where,
in a similar context, Jesus is called"the guarantee" ofthe better covenant and
there the word used is a different word that means specifically"guarantee"or
"guarantor." 8:6 looks back to 7:22 and it is generallyacceptedthat in the
usage of this author "mediator" and "guarantor" are synonyms. As one
scholarsums up the import of this language, "Withhis life, death and
ascensionJesus has given us the assurance…thatthe beginning of the saving
work of God will necessarilybe followedup by its completion." [Preisker,
TDNT, ii, 329]Jesus, by his saving work, has guaranteedto us that if we hold
fast to him we shall surely be with him foreverin heaven.

202. Now there are some important consequencesthat flow from this way of
speaking about Jesus.
1. Obviously speaking of Jesus as the "guarantor" ofthe new covenantcannot
be easily squared with the all-too-commonidea that the new covenant is now
with us already, that we live in the new covenant in distinction from the OT
saints who lived in the old covenant. According to this author, the new
covenanthas been promised, it has not been fulfilled. You don't need a
guarantee or guarantorfor something you already have. This is one of many
ways in which the actual argument of Hebrews - in distinction from
assumptions people make about its argument - demonstrates that the great
distinction this author is interested in making is not betweenthe pre-Christian
and Christian epochs, betweenthe Mosaic administration and that introduced
by Christ and his apostles, orsome unmentioned superiority of our present
spiritual situation to that which prevailed in the days before the incarnation,
but is rather the distinction betweenthis world and the next and the
respective fates in that next world of those who do not truly believe in Christ
and those who hold firmly to him to the end of their lives. This preacher's
perspective is future-driven. He is not concernedin this sermon with what one
gets from Christ in this world but rather with what one inherits in the next if
he or she is and remains a faithful followerof Christ.
2. Second, there is the very practicalacknowledgementthat the Christian life
must be lived by means of trusting in what one cannotsee. That point, of
course, is going to be made more explicit later when the example of Abraham
is expanded into an entire chapter of examples of those who, by faith, obtained
what was promised. Indeed, that chapter 11, you remember, begins with the
summary statement: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see."
Now, there are many ways to apply this truth about the nature of faith as the
evidence of things not seen, but I want to apply it, this evening, to the
sacraments. I look for opportunities to talk about the Lord's Supper because,
of course, and very happily it has become a largerpart of our life over the
past number of years. That is right. But, every now and then we have to step
back to considerwhat we do every Sunday lest we lose an active sense ofwhat

203. we are doing and what blessings there are to be soughtin what we do. And
this is all the more true regarding the sacraments becausethere are many
ways in which American evangelicalismhas createda spiritual culture in
which the sacraments do not find a natural place. It is very interesting that in
the new seeker-friendlychurches, the mega-churches built in the recentpast,
sacramentalworshiphas almostno place. It canbe omitted with no sense of
appreciable loss. But surely that is not right. God gave us these sacraments.
He made them important. But it must be clearto us what that importance is
or we will not fully appreciate the benefit there is for us in baptism and the
Lord's Supper. Hence the need to speak of them from time to time.
In fact, though neither baptism nor the Lord's Supper is mentioned here in
Hebrews 6, I often turn people to this passage to explain to them what
sacraments are and how they work. I don't mean to suggest, ofcourse, that
this is a complete explanation. The sacraments, being signs and seals of the
covenantof grace, work in all the ways God's grace works in and for us. But,
one very important way of their working, has to do with this principle of
vouching for or confirming, which God did in another way by swearing an
oath to Abraham. In other words, the oath God swore had the same effectand
was offeredfor the same reasonthat circumcisionand baptism, Passoverand
the Lord's Supper have been given to us. That is, they are designedto
encourage us, to make us more sure of the promises of God, to make his
purpose more clearto us - all the things that we are told here were servedby
God's swearing to Abraham.
Now, think about this. God had made a promise to Abraham. It could well be
argued that a promise from God settles the matter, it leaves the future beyond
dispute. Abraham certainly had no right to doubt a promise he had received
from the living God himself. If God had said, "I made a promise to you
before. My word never falls. It endures forever. It needs no confirmation. In
fact, I shouldn't even have to repeatit. I said it once. That is all that you
should need," I say, if God had spokenthat way, we would have acceptedthe
force of that logic. Who are we, after all, to doubt a word from Godhimself?
But, in an act of wonderful condescension, Godstoopeddown to meet
Abraham in his weakness. Godknows how difficult it is for us to believe what

204. we have been promised. After all, not only are those promises a long time in
coming, many of them run counter to all the evidence of our eyes. In
Abraham's case, the promise of a son was made when Sarah was alreadypast
her childbearing years, but then, to make matters much worse, years were to
pass before a son was born to them. And, of course, allhe ever saw with his
own eyes was the one son; he never saw the greatpeople that was to come
from him. And, as we read in Hebrews 11, he only saw the heavenly country
from afar, by faith; he only eventually owned one small parcelof the
PromisedLand, a burial plot, much less did he possessthe heavenly country
of which Canaanwas the pledge. It is not easy, as the years pass, to believe
things that one does not see;and, for us, it is not easyto continue to believe
when we have not seenit, our fathers have not seenit, our distant ancestors
have not seenit.
God knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. And so, for the sake of
Abraham's faith, he swore an oath, so that Abraham could rest his confidence
on two things: the promise of the God who does not and cannot lie and the
oath that God swore onhis own name because there is no greatername by
which he might swear. And we have still more to encourage us and to confirm
us in faith. We have God's promise and his oath, as Abraham did, for that
swearing was for "us" as well as for him, as we read in vv. 17-18, and we also
have Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection as a guarantee.
But, even with that, we struggle to believe as surely as we should. You know it
and I know it. We do not live in the strong, present confidence of our heavenly
reward nearly as much as we should. We do not make our decisions, we do not
endure our trials, we do not resistour temptations, we do not rejoice in our
salvationnearly so well as we would if the confidence of our unseen
inheritance was coursing through our souls. Why, many of us have had
experiences ofwhat glorious joy and peace and strength we have and in which
we can live, when, in a moment or for a time, the truth of God's promise was
made a living powerin our hearts. I remember such moments in my life and
will remember them until my dying day. I remember how I wished I could
always think and feeland live as I lived then. I remember what a delicious
pleasure it was to serve the Lord when the joy of salvationwas flooding my
own heart. Experiences like that are from God and amount to the same sortof

205. help that he gave Abraham when he swore an oath. In many different ways
God acts to confirm our faith in his Word and promise. You remember ways
in which God showedhimself to you, proved himself to you, made you as sure
of the gospelas you are sure of your own existence. And those are great days,
greatexperiences, and we are right to thank God for them all our lives. If only
it could always be like that.
But it is not always so;it is not often so. And God knows this. He has
determined that our lives should not be lived by sight but by faith. And caring
for us and loving us as he does, he acts also in more ordinary and customary
ways to strengthen and encourage ourfaith and assure us of the certainty of
his promises, those ancientpromises the fulfillment of which we still cannot
see. And so he has added to his Word, his promise, these additional
encouragements thatwe know as the sacraments:baptism and the Lord's
Supper. It is, I think, a wonderful way to think about these rites that we
practice in the church. There are other ways to think about them, as I said,
other ways they serve us and bless us and help us, but this is an important way
to think about them and this is an important part of their function: the
encouragementoffaith and the confirmation of our assurance.
In 1589, in an immortal series ofsermons preachedat St. Giles Kirk in
Edinburgh, RobertBruce, the ScottishReformationpastor, explained to his
congregationwhat the sacraments were for and how they worked. These were
people, of course, who had been taught a virtually magicalview of the
sacraments. The teaching of the medieval church, which had prevailed in the
ScottishChurch until just a few years before, was that grace was imparted
physically through the bread which had become the actual physical body of
Christ - the ordinary churchgoerdid not receive the wine, which had become
the actualblood of Christ - by a miracle that took place at the altar every time
the mass was said. Faith in this system of religious thought and practice was
little more than the lack of any active disagreementwith the church and its
doctrine. It was not a living daily communion with Jesus Christbased upon
his promises offeredin the gospel. It was not the active commitment of the
heart to Jesus as one's Lord and Savior. It was merely a willingness to observe
the round of ceremonies required. This is what makes Hebrews so relevant to
the RomanCatholic issue. The religious situation envisagedand spoken

206. againstin Hebrews is, for most purposes, the same spiritual situation created
by Roman Catholic theologyand worship. And, of course, very often in
normal Protestantworshipalso.
So, it was necessaryfor Robert Bruce to replace the view of the sacraments
that still prevailed in many minds. To go back to the Bible and build a view of
the purpose and the working of the Lord's Supper and Baptism from the
ground up. And Bruce was a master at doing this: he had a knack for putting
things simply. After pointing out the errors in the old view of the sacraments
that these people had grown up with, he came to this practicalquestion: what
are the sacraments for? If you look at the Bible, one becomes a Christian by
faith in Christ and remains a Christian by living a life of faith. It is the Word
of God, the Gospel, by which we come to know Jesus and believe in him. So
what do the sacraments do that the Word, the Gospeldo not do? An obvious
and important question. There is nothing in the Lord's Supper, for example,
that isn't already and more completelyin the Gospel. The message ofChrist's
death, his love, his resurrection, his coming again, his being with us in the
world, his promise to nourish and sustain us. All of that is depicted in the
Lord's Supper, but it is much more comprehensively explained and promised
to us in the Gospel. These are the very things that we are promised if only we
will believe in Jesus Christ. So what do we need the Lord's Supper for? Here
is Robert Bruce:
"Why then is the sacramentappointed? Notthat you may getany new thing,
but that you may get the same thing better than you had it in the Word. The
sacrament is appointed that we may geta better hold of Christ than we gotin
the simple Word…. That Christ may have more room in which to reside in
our narrow hearts than He could have by the hearing of the simple Word, and
that we may possesshim more fully, is a better thing.
The sacraments…serve to sealup and confirm the truth that is in the Word.
… Although you believed the evidence before, yet by the seals, youbelieve it
better. … for the more the outward senses are awakened, the more is the
inward heart and mind persuaded to believe.

207. Now the Sacramentawakens allthe outward senses, suchas the eye, the hand,
and all the rest. When the outward senses are moved, without doubt the Holy
Spirit concurs, moving the heart all the more. … The Word is appointed to
work belief, and the Sacramentis appointed to confirm you in this belief…"
[The Mystery of the Lord's Supper, 64-65]
In other words, Bruce says the sacraments work to the same purpose as that
oath that God swore to Abraham. Abraham already had the Word of God, his
promise, but so that Abraham might be more sure of that Word, have a better
graspof it, God added the oath. The same point is made when the Bible calls
the sacraments "seals,"forseals do just that. They confirm. They add no new
information; they don't change what is on the page; they confirm it and
encourage interestedparties to believe it and trust it. And the same point is
made when the Bible calls the sacraments "signs."A sign is just a picture of
something, a representation, and what it represents is the gospelof salvation
in Christ, and it is given to us so that we cansee it, at leasta little, see it and be
the more encouragedto believe it.
We acceptthe need for such encouragements, suchconfirmations, all the time
in life. It is not enough for a man to propose marriage to a woman. He gives
her a ring at the same time; something for her to wearon her hand, something
to declare publicly his intention and her assent. It is not enough simply to
speak your love. You also embrace, because thatmore physical, outward,
sensible communication confirms and makes us feel the force of what was in
those words that were spoken. It is not enough to be calledto the witness
stand, but you must swearpublicly before the court, still in some places with
your hand on a Bible, that you will tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
So, next Lord's Daymorning, when you come to the Lord's Table, and when
you take the bread and then the wine, remember the kindness that God is
showing you. Remember the vow he made to Abraham and why he made it.
Remember that he is encouraging your faith, seeking to assure you of what
you have been promised in the gospelof God. Take the bread and the wine
with that understanding, that God is once againconfirming his promises to
you. The sacraments don't, to be sure, make the Christian life any less a
matter of faith; we must believe what we can't see evenin the Lord's Supper,

208. just as Abraham had to believe the vow just as he had to believe God's
promise in the first place. But God knows our frame and knows what will help
us believe, what will assure us that we cancount on his promises absolutely.
And he has given us baptism and the Lord's Supper for that purpose and we
should prize those rites for the reasonfor which they have been given and
seek from them that confirmation of faith we are always needing more of. And
when you need reminding what the sacraments are for or want to help
another understand and appreciate baptism and the Lord's Supper, turn to
Hebrews 6:13-20, and read again what God does "so that we may be greatly
encouraged."
Hebrews 6:13-20
(The following text is taken from a sermonpreached by Gil Rugh in 1978.)
Verse 13 ties directly to what the writer has just said in verse 12. He begins
'For when God made the promise....'They are inheriting the promise 'through
faith and patience'(verse 12).
What is the proof that a promise is being inherited? The writer uses an
illustration from the pastto prove his point. He says that when God made the
promise '...to Abraham, since He could swearby no one greater, He swore by
Himself, saying 'I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply you.' And
thus, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.' Two aspects ofGod's
promises are brought out in this passage:(1.) God's promises are firm and

209. reliable. (2.) Those who believe God's promises will experience the fulfillment
of those promises.
The promise that the writer refers to is from Genesis 12, where God promised
Abraham that He would make him a greatnation and greatlymultiply his
descendents. This same promise is repeatedin Genesis 15, 17, and in chapter
22 as an oath from God. God swearsby Himself in Genesis 22:16-18'... By
Myself I have sworn,'declares the Lord, 'because you have done this thing,
and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you,
and I will multiply your seedas the stars of the heavens, and as the sand
which is on the seashore;and your seedshall possess the gate of their enemies
And in your seedall the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because youhave
obeyed My voice.'God makes a promise, then takes an oath that He will fulfill
that promise.
VERSES 14,15
The writer continues to quote from Genesis 22 in verses 14-15;'saying, I will
surely bless you, and I will surely multiply you.' And thus, having patiently
waited, he obtained the promise.' Abraham serves as a perfect example of
God promising something to someone who believes it, and as a result that
person realizes the fulfillment of God's promise. In this situation, the focal
point is the birth of Isaac.
Some have said that this is a contradictionto Hebrews 11:13 which states, 'All
these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seenthem and
having welcomedthem from a distance, and having confessedthat they were
strangers and exiles on the earth.' But as always, these 'contradictions'are
only misinterpretations. Godis the author of the Bible, from beginning to end,
and He does not contradictHimself. Hebrews 11:13 is referring to the fact
that Abraham died before he saw one of his decedents (Jesus Christ) bring
blessing to all the nations of the earth. But he did see the fulfillment of the
birth of Isaac, who was his heir and through whom his descendants would be
multiplied, and that is the focalpoint of Hebrews 6:14,15.
Abraham was almost 100 years old when Sarah became pregnant with Isaac.
Now, most of us would probably laugh out loud if we were told that we would

210. have a son when we were 100 years old, but Abraham did not doubt. Instead,
'...with respectto the promise of God, he did not waverin unbelief, but grew
strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assuredthat what He had
promised, He was able also to perform' (Romans 4:21-22). This is probably
the clearestdefinition of faith that we have in the Bible. Abraham was 'fully
assured'that God would do what He promised. Abraham, after considering
his age, and the inability of Sarah to bear children, was still completely
convinced that God would do what He promised.
Another point that must be made is the patience of Abraham in waiting for
this promise to be fulfilled. We know that Abraham was 100 years old when
Isaac was born. But how old was he when God first promised him that he
would have an heir? According to Genesis 12:4, he was 75!Abraham waited
25 years before the promise of God was realized. Mostof us become impatient
when we do not see fulfillment of our prayers within a week. But Abraham
did not waiver in his belief for a quarter of a century. We need to live like
Abraham today as well. Often, when things do not go the way we want them
to go, we say'I know God says this, BUT... .' We must remember that God's
promises are sure and He will fulfill them in His time, not in our time.
VERSE 16
Verse 16 gives us the explanation of what an oath is. The writer says, 'For men
swearby one greaterthan themselves, and with them an oath, given as
confirmation, is an end of every dispute.' On the human level, an oath is the
final, binding word. What God does is accommodate Himselfto our
understanding to demonstrate that His word is firm and final.
VERSE 17
The writer illustrates the fact that God comes downto our level in verse 17;
'In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise
the unchangeablenessofHis purpose, interposed with an oath....'Notice that
two unchangeable things are emphasized in verse 17:'the promise,' and the
'oath.' God added an unchangeable oathto an unchangeable promise to
demonstrate to man that His promises are final. He not only promises us that

211. He will do something, but then He makes an oath that He will follow through
on His promise.
For whom does God do this? '...to show the heirs of the promise... .' The proof
of God's fulfillment of His promises is given to believers. Why do we need it?
Becausesometimes we getshakenin our faith. We need to be reassuredthat
God always does what He says He will do.
VERSE 18
The writer continues to illustrate God's faithfulness in verse 18;'in order that
by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may
have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the
hope set before us.' One will note the stress on the fact that it is 'impossible for
God to lie.' He cannotlie regarding His promises, and He cannot lie regarding
His oath.
Why does He want us to know that He cannotlie? 'In order that...we may
have strong encouragement.'Godwants us to be so sure about His promises
that we will be encouraged. This is why He made both a promise and an oath.
The word that is used for 'encouragement'is 'paracoleo'meaning 'to give aid
or encouragement, orstrength.' God gives those, who believe His promises,
the strength and aid that they need to continue with their lives.
The writer demonstrates how safe and sure we are in Christ by illustrating
that He is our hope and the One to whom we 'fled for refuge.'This expression
is the same as that which is used in Deuteronomy4:42 to describe two cities to
which people who were wrongly accusedofmurder could flee for safety. The
'hope' and safety we have as believers, is the salvationthat has been provided
for us through Jesus Christ. We are forgiven, cleansed, and guaranteedthat
we will spend eternity in the presence of God because we have believed in the
person and work of Jesus Christ.
VERSE 19
The writer elaborates onthis hope in verse 19. He says, 'This hope we have as
an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfastand one which enters
within the veil.' The emphasis changes to illustrate the security we have in our

212. place of safety. We are not only safe, but secure as well. We have come to a
place of safety, but we are secure because we will never lose our safety. How
do we know that? God has made a promise and an oath that we will spend
eternity in His presence. This factis proved by the fact that the term 'sure and
steadfast'means 'that which is unbending or unwavering.' It is immovable
and confirmed for eternity. In order to be 'steadfast'and hold a vesselsteady,
an anchor must be tied to something immovable outside of the ship itself. A
believer, like a sailing vessel, has an unbreakable, immovable anchortied to
his soulthat gives him stability and security for his life - Jesus Christ. What
an encouragement!
Where is this anchor secured? The writer says '...within the veil.' Now, for the
Jew, this phrase conjures up pictures of the Tabernacle, ortemple, with the
outer court, the Holy Place, andthen there is the Holy of Holies within the
veil, where the very presence of God was manifested. What the writer is
telling us is that our hope, our anchor, is securedin the presence ofGod
because Jesushas already gone and sat down at the right hand of God. This is
the same idea that is repeatedtime and again in Ephesians:we have been
seatedwith Christ in the heavenlies.
2 Corinthians 1:20 underscores the finality of the promises of God; 'For as
many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by
Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.' Every promise from God
through Christ is 'Yes.'They are eternally sure and firm. This is our 'Amen' -
'so be it.'
Paul continues in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 'Now He who establishes us with you
in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealedus and gave us the Spirit in
our hearts as a pledge.' God promised us that all who would believe in His Son
for forgiveness wouldhave that promise guaranteedby sealing us with the
Holy Spirit. This a parallel with the oath in Hebrews 6. First He makes a
promise, then He seals that promise by sealing us with the Holy Spirit.
As we are told in Ephesians 1, 1 John 1 and 1 John 3, that we are to live in
light of the hope which we have. What is that hope? We anticipate at any
moment that we could be face to face with our Savior. And when we are face

213. to face with our Lord, we will be like Him, and we will be with Him. This is to
be the all encompassing focus in our lives!
Titus 2:11-13 says, 'Forthe grace of God has appeared, bringing salvationto
all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live
sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessedhope
and the appearing of the glory of our greatGod and Savior, Christ Jesus.'As
believers, our hope is tied to the moment that we believed in the person and
work of Jesus Christ, and it continues into the present as wellas the future
when we will come to the full realization of our salvation.
Romans 5:1-5 illustrates our hope as well. Paul says that we enter the refuge
of God the moment we believe in His Sonfor salvation(vs. 1). This hope is
sealedby the Holy Spirit (vs. 5). It is a present reality as well as a future
reality. We will not be disappointed because Godhas given us a promise.
VERSE 20
The writer illustrates the truth that Christ has entered God's presence before
us, and we will realize the full assurance ofHis hope when we follow Him;
'where Jesus has enteredas a forerunner for us, having become a high priest
forever according to the order of Melchizedek.'The writer is bringing us right
back to where we left off in 5:10. Remember, he wanted to tell the Hebrews
about Melchizedek then, but the Hebrews were sluggishand could not
understand what the writer was trying to tell them. Some of them had not
even responded to the ministry of Christ in His sacrifice, therefore how could
they have understood Christ's future ministry as our high priest?
Chapter 7 details the Melchizedekianpriesthoodof Christ. Verse 25 says,
'Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to Godthrough
Him, since He always lives to make intercessionfor them.' Christ's present
ministry in the presence ofGod is a guarantee that a believer is eternally
secure.
The point is this: just as Abraham had God's promise, believed God's
promise, and came to realize the fulfillment of that promise, we also have a
promise from God. The promise is that those who come to believe in His Son,

214. Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins, will be cleansedand securedfor
eternity, as Christ's present ministry as our high priest proves. God has
promised us this, and has guaranteedthis promise by sealing those who
believe with the Holy Spirit.
Are you eternally secure? Have you come to the point in your life where you
recognizedyour sinfulness before God? Have you ever placedyour faith in the
person and work of Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness ofyour sins? If you
have, you are eternally sealedand secure, and you will spend eternity in God's
presence. If you have not, you are destined for an eternity in a very horrible
hell, apart from the presence of God. Where do you stand? Make sure of your
eternal destination today!
Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, © Lockman
Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963,1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,1975, 1977. All
quotations used by permission.
INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITYCHURCH
1000 South84th St., Lincoln, NE 68510-4499
Phone: 402-483-4541 ·Fax: 402-483-6716
Web site: www.ihcc.org ·E-Mail: ihcc@ihcc.org
© Indian Hills Community Church
Volume 54 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 1
THE FORERUNNER NO. 3102

215. A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1908 DELIVERED
BY C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE,
NEWINGTON, ON THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 16, 1874.
“Where the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.”Hebrews 6:20.
THE Jewishhigh priest went within the veil once a year and representedthe
people there, but he was never their forerunner, for no one followedhim into
the most holy place. His entrance within the veil did not admit anotherhuman
being—and when he came forth, the veil againconcealedthe secretglories of
the most holy place even from him for another year and from all others at all
times—so that neither Aaron, nor any other high priest of his line could ever
be called a forerunner within the veil. This is one of the many instances in
which our Lord Jesus Christ, as the great anti-type, far excels all the types.
They do, as it were, representthe hem of His garment, but the glorious
majesty and fullness of His high priestly office, they are not able to set forth.
Moreover, this title of forerunner is peculiar to the passagebefore us. The fact
that Christ is the Forerunner of His people may be found in other words in
the Scriptures and againand againin this epistle. But it is only here that we
have the exactexpressionthat Jesus Christ within the veil has gone to be the
forerunner of His people. Now, what is peculiar and unique usually excites
curiosity and attention. And if it is something peculiar and unique with regard
to our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Himself peculiar and unique, we should look
at it as closelyas we can and bend our whole minds and hearts to the
considerationof it. I. I am going to speak, first, upon THE NAME WHICH
IS USED CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST AS THE FORERUNNER.Our
Lord is sometimes spokenof as the Master, the Messiah, the Son of Man and
so on, but here He is simply calledJesus. “Where the Forerunner is for us
entered, even Jesus.” I do not pretend to know why this title was selected, but
at leastit may be suggestedthat Jesus is the name which His enemies
despise—JesusofNazareth, “the Nazarene,” as His fiercestfoes cry to this

216. day. About the name, Christ, there is always a measure of respect, for even
those who do not believe Him to be the Christ, yet look for a Christ, a
divinely-anointed one, a Messiahsentfrom God. But, “Jesus,”is the personal
name of Him who was born at Bethlehem, the Son of Mary, to whom the angel
said before His birth, “You shall call His name JESUS.” Itis “the Nazarene”
who is “the forerunner, even Jesus,” andit is that name of Jesus that has
causedHis enemies to gnash their teeth and speak and actagainstHim, even
as Paul confessedto King Agrippa, “I verily thought with myself, that I ought
to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus ofNazareth.” It is by that
name which His enemies abhor that He is known within the veil! They speak
of Him there as the Savior, the Joshua, the Jehovah-Jesus ofHis people—and
by that name we know Him as our forerunner. Moreover, Jesus is not only
the name which is hated by His foes, but it is the name which is dearestto His
friends. How charming is its very sound! You know how our hymn writers
have delighted to dwell upon it. Dr. Doddridge wrote— “Jesus, I love Your
charming name, ‘Tis music to my ear. Gladly would I sound it out so loud
That earth and heaven could hear!” And Charles Wesleysang— “Jesus, the
name that charms our fears, Thatbids our sorrows cease ‘Tis music in the
sinner’s ears,
2 The Forerunner Sermon #3102
2 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. Volume 54
‘Tis life, and health, and peace! Jesus, the name high over all, In hell, or
earth, or sky, Angels and men before it fall And devils fear, and fly.” Out
of all our Savior’s names—and they are all precious to us and, at certaintimes
eachone has its own peculiar charm—there is not one which rings with such
sweetmusic as this blessedname, “Jesus.”I suppose the reasonof this is that
it answers to our own name, the name of sinner. That name needs, to cover it,
the names of Him who saves His people from their sins. The sound of this
confession, “Ihave sinned,” is like that of a funeral knell. But the music of the
sentence, “Jesus savesme,” is like that of a marriage peal! And, as long as I
am a sinner, the name of Jesus will always be full of melody to my soul. To the
Old Testamentsaints, it was comforting to read of Him who was to be born—
“His name shall be calledWonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The

217. Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”—andwe still delight to repeat those
majestic sounds. But in our quiet and calm moments, and especiallyin times
of despondency and depressionof spirit, the music of the harp sounds most
sweetlywhen this is the note which the minstrel evokes from it, “Jesus,Jesus,
Jesus.” And it is very pleasantto me to think that this is the name that we
shall remember besteven in heaven. He has gone there, as Jesus, to be our
forerunner, so Dr. Watts was right when he sang— “Jesus, the Lord, their
harps employs— Jesus, my love, they sing! Jesus, the life of both our joys,
Sounds sweetfrom every string.” II. Now I want to show you IN WHAT
SENSE JESUS IS OUR FORERUNNER. The word used here means a
person running before—a herald, a guide, one who precedes. Suchterms
would correctly interpret the Greek word used here, so it means, first, one
who goes before to proclaim, or to declare. A battle has been fought and the
victory won. A swift young man, out of the ranks of the victors, runs with all
speedto the city, rushes through the gate into the marketplace, andproclaims
to the assembledpeople the welcome news, “Ourcountry is victorious!Our
commander is crownedwith laurels.” That young man is the forerunner of the
victorious host. The whole army will be back, by and by, the conquering
legions will come marching through the streets and all eyes will gaze with
admiration upon the returning heroes—butthis is the first man to arrive from
the field of conflict to report the victory! In that sense, JesusChristwas the
forerunner to report in heavenHis own greatvictory. He did much more than
that, as you wellknow, for He fought the fight alone and of the people there
were none with Him. He was the first to report in heaven His ownvictory. On
the cross He had met Satanand all the powers of darkness—andthere had He
fought and overcome them and shouted the victor’s cry—“It is finished!”
Who shall report the victory in heaven? Shall some swift winged angel, one of
the many that had hovered round the cross and wondered what it all could
mean, fly like a flame of fire, pass through the gates of pearl and say, “He has
done it”? No, Jesus must Himself be the first to proclaim His own victory and
the eternalsafety of all for whom He died! They tell out this goodnews
through the streets ofHeaven to this day, but He it was who first certified it!
When He ascendedup on high leading captivity captive; when He entered
within the veil, and stoodbefore His Father, the first begottenfrom the dead;
when He declaredby His majestic presence that all was finished; when He

218. proclaimed the justification of all His elect—inthat proclamationHe was our
Forerunner—the first to proclaim that glorious truth of God, “It is finished!”
A secondmeaning of the word, forerunner, will be found in this sense of
possessing, forChrist has gone to heaven not merely to proclaim that His
people are saved, but to possessheavenon their behalf. Representatively, He
has takenpossessionofthe heavenly places in the name of those for whom He
died. Christ had paid the purchase price of our eternalinheritance. We as yet
have not enteredupon possessionof it, but He has and He has taken
possessionofit in our names. All the electare summed up in Him who is their
covenanthead—and He being there, they are all there in Him; as the
burgesses ofa town sit in the House of Commons representedby their
member, so we sit in the heavenly places representedby our Leader who sits
there in our name. He has takenseizin, as they used to sayof old— taken
possessionofall the glory of heaven in the name of His people! Why is heaven
mine tonight?
Sermon #3102 The Forerunner3
Volume 54 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 3
Becauseit is His—and all that is His is mine! Why is eternal life yours,
beloved? Why, because “yourlife is hid with Christ in God” and He has in
heaven for you, eternallife, and all its accompaniments of joy and
blessedness!And He is sitting there enjoying them because theyare His and
yours. You are one with Him, so He is your forerunner in that sense. Christ
is also our Forerunner in the sense of preceding us. The forerunner goes first
and others must come afterwards. He is not a forerunner if there are not some
to run behind him. When John the Baptist came, he was the forerunner of
Christ. If Christ had not come after him, John the Baptistwould have come
for nothing. As Jesus is the forerunner to heaven, rest assuredthat those for
whom He is the forerunner will in due time follow Him there. The leastpledge
of the glories of the saints in heavenis the glory of Christ there. The surest
proof that they shall be there is that HE is there, for where He is, there must
also His people be. I delight to think of Jesus Christ as our forerunner because

219. I feel sure that the mighty grace whichworkedso effectually in Him, and
made Him run before, will also work in all His people and make them run
behind till they enter into the same restthat He now enjoys! And once again,
Christ is our forerunner within the veil in the sense that He has gone there to
prepare a place for us. I do not know what was neededto make heaven ready
for us, but whateverwas needed once is not needednow, for heaven has been
ready for us ever since Christ went to prepare it. We have sometimes arrived
at a house when we were not expected—ourfriends have been glad to see us,
but we could hear the bustle of preparations and we almost wishedthat we
had not gone, so to put them into such a flutter in getting ready for us. But no
unexpected guestshall ever awaitat heaven’s gate!They are watching and
waiting for us. They know just when we shall get there and Christ has gone to
make everything ready for His long expected and greatly loved ones. “I go to
prepare a place for you,” said Christ to His disciples—andthat place He has
prepared. We have not to go into an undiscovered country, for however
glorious the new world might be, the first man to enter it would tread its soil
with trembling feet, for he would not know what he might find there. It was a
brave thing to be a Columbus to discovera new world, but it is a happier
thing to go to a country that has been discoveredmany hundreds of years,
where civilization has provided for the supply of all our needs. Christ was the
Columbus of heaven and He has made it ready for us who are to follow Him
there when our turn shall come to immigrate to the better land! III. Now I
want to answerthis question, INTO WHAT IS CHRIST OUR
FORERUNNER?He is our forerunner within the veil. Where is that? Well,
first, it is where all our hope is fixed. Our hope is fixed on things invisible,
mysterious, spiritual, sublime, immutable, divine—which are where Christ is.
Paul tells us that the anchorof our soul is “within the veil, where the
forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.” Within the veil is, also, the place of
the greatestpossible nearnessto God. Under the old dispensation, it was an
awfully solemn thing for a man to be allowedto enter within the veil. Anyone
who ventured in there uncalled would have been instantly destroyed. To stand
within the veil was a joyous, blissful privilege, yet it involved enormous
responsibility. But you and I, beloved, stand there in the closestpossible
nearness to God because Christ has gone there as our forerunner. He is not
merely our forerunner so that we may enter there in 20 or 30 years’ time, or

220. wheneverwe die, but that we may now boldly enter into the heavenlies where
He has gone!Where He is, we are bound to go. Well then, as Christ is there, at
His Father’s side— “The man of love, the crucified”— let us not fear to enter
where we have the right to go!It is very sadthat when some of us pray, we do
not dare to enter within the veil. Even the outer court seems to be too holy a
place for us! If we do venture into the court of the priest, we are all in a
tremble. But, brothers and sisters, we are permitted to enter into that which is
within the veil, for Jesus is there and He bids us come to Him—therefore let
us come boldly. There is a measure of holy familiarity which the devout man
may enjoy in the presence ofGod. It is a blessedprivilege to know God as
your Father and to be as bold with Him as a child is with a father—with the
boldness of a love which does not dare because it deserves, but dares because
God loves and which, while it humbles itself into the very dust, yet grasps the
feet of God even there, clings to Him and delights in its nearness to Him! Is it
not a cause ofuntold joy to us that Jesus Christis within
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4 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. Volume 54
the veil now as our forerunner, that we may daily go where He always is? This
is the right position for a child of God in prayer! He must not stand at the foot
of Sinai. He must not stand in any unclean place, but he must go where the
blood has been sprinkled on the mercy seat—broughtnear by the precious
blood of Jesus! Let us also remember that this place of nearness to God, into
which Christ has gone, will mean nearness to God in a higher sense, by and
by. You cannot conceive ofanybody being nearer to God than Christ is
“within the veil.” In that nearness He is our forerunner if we are truly in Him
by faith. Is not that a wonderful thought? We might have thought that in that
wondrous nearness to God which the Mediatorenjoys, He would be alone, for
He is so very near, but it is not so. He has Himself said, “To Him that
overcomes willI grant to sit with Me on My throne, even as I also overcame
and am set down with My Fatheron His throne.” It is not only true that we
are to behold Christ’s glory, but even while on earth He said, “Father, I will
that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, that they
may behold My glory”—as if they would never fully see that glory till they

221. were with Him where He is. To whateverheights of glory He has gone—to
whateverraptures of joy He has ascended, He has gone there as the
forerunner of His people! I may seemto be uttering truisms, but I cannot
help it. These are the sort of truths of God upon which one cannot give
allegories,illustrations, or fine sentences.The truths themselves are so
glorious that it would be like painting the lily and gilding it with pure gold to
try to adorn it. We must not attempt it, but just leave the truths as they are
for the Spirit of God to apply them to your souls—andso I mean to do after I
have mentioned a few practical inferences from the truth which I have been
trying to setbefore you. The first is, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
this—let us eachone endeavorby faith to realize our nearness with Christ. He
has enteredwithin the veil, but He has entered as our forerunner. Remember
that although you are imperfect, feeble, sorrowing, yet you are one with Jesus
Christ! You believe that as a doctrine, but I want you to realize it now as a
fact. If you had a rich friend who had given you an equal share with himself of
all that he possessed, evenif you had not entered upon the possessionofit, you
would think, “I have not to depend upon charity for my daily bread, for my
rich friend has made me as rich as he is, himself.” Now, whateverjoy that
might give you, it ought to give you far more to think that you are one with
Christ and that Christ is one with you! When you suffer, Christ is suffering in
one of the members of His mystical body. And when He rejoices, it is His
desire that His joy may be in you, that your joy may be full. He has married
you and He means you to take His riches as wellas Himself and to reckonthat
all He is and all He has is yours. If the Holy Spirit would cause you to realize
this, it would make your soul leap within you and bless the Lord and magnify
His holy name! “I am my Beloved’s and my Belovedis mine.” No, more, I am
a member of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. Our interests are one, for
we are one and Christ up there, in the heavenlies, is but myself there, for I am
in Him and I shall soonbe actually and literally where He is, as I now am in
the personof Him who is there as my representative and forerunner. That is
the first practical thought. And the secondis this—is He your forerunner,
beloved? Then, run after Him. There can be no forerunner, as I have said
before, unless somebodyfollows. Jesus is our forerunner, so let us be His
after-runners. “Ah,” says one, “but He is so different from us.” The beauty of
it is that He is not different from us, for He was a man like ourselves.

222. “Forasmuchthen, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also
Himself likewise took part of the same.” Thoughin Him was no sin, yet in all
other respects He was just such as we are—andit costHim as much to run as
it will costus to run—yes, more, for His race was more arduous than ours is.
“You have not yet resistedunto blood, striving againstsin,” therefore
“considerHim that endured such contradiction of sinners againstHimself, lest
you be weariedand faint in your minds.” Your road may be full of crosses,
but they are not such crossesas the one He carried. You have suffered
bereavements. Yes, and “Jesus wept.” You have to endure poverty; and He
had not where to lay His head. You are often despised;and He is still
“despisedand rejectedof men.” You are slandered. But as they calledthe
Masterof the house, Beelzebub, what wonder is it that they speak ill of those
who are the members of His household? Jesus Christ ran the very race that
you have to run and He ran it perfectly! And that same powerwhich worked
in Him to run until He enteredwithin the veil, and so passedthe goal, will
help you to run till you reach
Sermon #3102 The Forerunner5
Volume 54 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 5
the same spot. If He is your forerunner and He has run the race, it is essential
that you should run it, too, and should also win the prize. Courage, brothers
and sisters—nothing is too hard for our poor manhood to accomplishthrough
the powerof the ever-blessedSpirit! As Christ has conquered, so canwe. Sin’s
assaults canbe repelled, for Christ repelled them. The Holy Spirit canlift up
“poorhuman nature”—as we callit—into something nobler and better,
transforming it into the likeness ofthe human nature of the Christ of God, till
in that human nature, purity and holiness shall dwell even to perfection!
Follow, brothers and sisters, the mighty runner who has gone before you
within the veil! And the best way to follow Him is to put your feetinto His
footprints. It may seemas if you might getto the goaleither this way or that,
but the best Christian is he who does not wish for any other path than that
which his Mastertrod. I would like—oh, that I might realize it—to “follow the

223. Lamb wherever He goes.”Notto say, “This is not essential, and that might be
dispensed with,” but, like the Master, Himself, to say, “Thus it becomes us to
fulfill all righteousness.” Goodwriting, I think, depends very much upon the
little letters. If you want to read a man’s letter easilyat the first glance, he
must write legibly, and mind his Ps and Qs, and all the other letters of the
alphabet, especiallythose that are nearly alike, such as C and E, or I and L. O
Christian, there may be very little difference, to the eye of man, betweenthis
letter and that of the believer’s alphabet, but you will do best if you follow
your Masterexactlyin all points! No hurt comes of doing that, but greathurt
comes of even the leastlaxity. Follow closelyyour greatforerunner! Follow at
His heels, as a dog follows his master. Just as Christ ran, so may the Holy
Spirit help you to run with endurance the race setbefore you, “looking unto
Jesus.” The next thing I have to sayis this—let us love our Lord intensely.
He has gone to heaven, but He has not gone there for Himself alone. He has
got so into the habit of sharing with His people all that He has that He has not
left off that habit now that He has gotinto glory! He says, “I am here for My
people. I was on the cross for them and I am on the throne for them.” It is
marvelous that even the reward that is given to Him, He shares with His own
beloved ones;for there is nothing that He has that He keeps to Himself! It was
a blessedmarriage day for us, His people, when He took us to be His—for
with all His heavenly gifts He did us endow and now He has nothing but what
He holds in common with His people. We are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs
with Christ.” Then must we not love Him much who has loved us so much
that He has given us Himself and all He has? Come, my cold heart, if there is
anything that can warm you, surely it is the thought of such true, fond,
constant, faithful love as this! Indulge a moment’s thought now. Indulge it
quietly. Let your soul picture Him. Come to His feet and kiss them. And if you
have an alabasterbox of precious ointment, break it open and anoint Him,
and fill the house with the perfume of your offering of love and gratitude.
Last of all, since Christ has gone to heavento be our forerunner, let us trust
Him. We could have trusted Him, I hope, while He was running His race, so
surely we can trust Him now that He has won it. The saints of God who lived
before Christ came to dwell upon the earth, trusted Him before He startedto
run. His apostles and other disciples, in their poor feeble way, trusted Him
while He was running—so shall not we trust Him now that the race is finished

224. and He has gone into glory on our behalf? If a man says, “I will do a thing,” if
he is a truthful man and he cando what he says, we depend upon him. But
when he has done it, it would be a shame not to depend upon him. If Christ
came here tonight, never having died, and He said to us, “You poor lostones, I
mean to save you,” ought we not to believe Him? If He said, “Dearchildren of
Mine, I mean to come and run a race and win it for you,” would we not say,
“Lord Jesus, we trust You”? Well, He is not here in bodily presence—He is up
yonder. Do you not see Him with the crown upon His head? There He sits in
glory—innumerable angels are bowing before Him and cherubim and
seraphim are praising Him day without night—and the redeemed from
among men are singing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us.” Can you
not trust Him, sinner? “He is able to save them to the uttermost, that come
unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercessionfor them.” Can
you not trust Him? He is within the veil, pleading for us, and pleading for all
who come unto God by Him—and setting His people the example of coming
there to plead, too. As He is there, canwe not all trust Him? The dying thief
trusted Him when His hands were nailed to the cross. Canwe not trust Him
now that His hand grasps the scepterof sovereignty? The dying thief trusted
Him when men ridiculed Him and thrust out their tongues, and railed at
Him—can we not trust
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6 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. Volume 54
Him now that heavenand earth are full of the majesty of His glory? Surely we
must! Jesus, Master, if we never have relied upon You before, grant us the
grace to do so now! And as for those of us who have depended on You these
many years, You dear, tried, precious, faithful Lover of our souls, surely we
have done with doubting! We are in Your bosom—no, more—we are inside
Your very heart and, therefore, we must be safe!Who canharm us there?
You did say, “My sheephear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:
and I give unto them eternallife; and they shall never perish.” With this
assurance letus go our way, resolving to follow our forerunner till we get
where He is, “within the veil,” and then foreverto follow Him “whereverHe
goes.”Amen.

225. EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON:HEBREWS 9:24-28;10.
Hebrews 9:24. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figure of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appearin the
presence ofGod for us. He has gone within the veil—not the veil of “blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work,” but within the
veil that hides “heavenitself” from our eyes. And there He is—“in the
presence ofGod for us.” 25, 26. Noryet that He should offer Himself often,
as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others;
for then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but
now once in the end of the world has He appearedto put awaysin by the
sacrifice ofHimself. The high priest brought the blood of the animals that
were slain for a sin-offering, and hence he came often. He could not bring his
own blood, or he would only have come once, but our Savior has come only
once, “to put awaysin by the sacrifice ofHimself.” [See Sermons #759,
Volume 13—JESUS PUTTING AWAY SIN; #911, Volume 16—THE
PUTTING AWAY OF SIN and #2283, Volume 38—CHRIST’SONE
SACRIFICE FOR SIN—Read/downloadthe entire sermons, free of charge, at
http://www.spurgeongems.org.] 27, 28. And as it is appointed unto men once
to die, that after this the judgment: so Christ was once offeredto bear the sins
of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the secondtime
without sin unto salvation. He had to suffer because ofsin once, but He will
never again have to do that! His sacrifice will never need to be repeated and
never can be repeated. Hebrews 10:1, 2. For the law having a shadow of good
things to come, and not the very image of the things, cannever with those
sacrifices whichthey offeredyear by year continually make the comers
thereunto perfect. Forthen would they not have ceasedto be offered? If the
sacrifice had really put awaysin, surely it would never have needed to be
offered again. If one sacrifice had put awaythe guilt of Israel, there would
have been no need to bring another. 2. Becausethatthe worshipers once
purged should have had no more conscience ofsins. Once cleansedfrom sin,
we are cleansedfrom sin—the greatdeed is done once and for all. 3-5. But in

226. those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. Forit is
not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats shouldtake awaysins.
Therefore when He came into the world. You know who that is, there is but
one great, “HE,” to us—our blessedLord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the true
High Priest! 5. He said, Sacrifice and offering You would not, but a body
have You prepared Me. By the work of the Holy Spirit within the Virgin
Mary, the blessedbody of Christ was “prepared” so that He might be God
and man in one personand so might bring an offering acceptable unto God.
6-9. In burnt offerings and sacrifices forsin You have had no pleasure. Then
said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me), to do Your
will, O God. Above when He said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings
and offering for sin You would not, neither had pleasure therein; which are
offered by the law; then saidHe, Lo, I come to do Your will, O God. He takes
awaythe first, that He may establish the second. [See Sermon#2698, Volume
46—THE FIRST AND THE SECOND— Read/downloadthe entire sermon,
free of charge, at http://www.spurgeongems.org.]ThatHe may bring in the
real sacrifice ofwhich the others were but types and prefigurations. 10. By
that will. The will which Christ fulfilled in life and in death—“By that will.”
10. We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once.
[See Sermon #1527, Volume 26—PERFECTSANCTIFICATION—
Read/downloadthe entire sermon, free of charge, at
Sermon #3102 The Forerunner7
Volume 54 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. 7
http://www.spurgeongems.org.]Only one sacrifice was required. The keyword
here is that little word, “once.”Let it not only sound in your ears, but be
written in your hearts! Jesus Christdied once. He brought His Sacrifice once.
He put awayour sins once. 11, 12. And every priest stands daily ministering
and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,whichcan never take awaysins:
but this man, after He had offered one sacrifice forsins forever, sat down at
the right hand of God. Christ stands no longer to minister as a sacrificing
priest. He is sitting down at the right hand of God. That is the posture of one

227. whose work is done and who is taking his rest—“He satdown at the right
hand of God.” [See Sermon #91, Volume 2—CHRIST EXALTED—
Read/downloadthe entire sermon, free of charge, at
http://www.spurgeongems.org.] 13-18. Fromhenceforth expecting till His
enemies be made His footstool. Forby one offering He has perfectedforever
them that are sanctified. Whereofthe Holy Spirit also is a witness to us: for
after that He had said before, This is the covenantthat I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord, I will put My laws into their hearts, and in
their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no
more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Sin
itself being no longerimputed to any believer in Christ, there is neither the
occasionnor the need for the offering of another sacrifice forsin. Christ’s one
sacrifice has foreverput awaythe sins of all who believe in Him! 19-22.
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiestby the blood of
Jesus, by a new and living way, which He has consecratedfor us, through the
veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God;
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance offaith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience,and our bodies washedwith pure water.
The Jew could not personally go up to the mercy seat. He had to go there
through his representative, the high priest, and we have Christ as our “high
priest over the house of God,” so we come to God through Him. The Israelite
could not pass through the veil which hid from public gaze the glory of the
Shekinah, and Jesus Christ’s humanity was a veil which somewhatconcealed
the glory of His deity. But the flesh of Christ having been crucified, the veil
has been torn and now we may come right up to the Throne of God without
trembling. No, we may come even with holy boldness and familiarity and
speak to Godwithout alarm. Having such a privilege as this, let us not neglect
it. It was denied to prophets and kings in the olden time, but now that it is
vouchsafedto us, let us avail ourselves ofit and constantly, “letus draw near”
unto God “with a true heart in full assurance offaith.” 23. Let us hold fast
the profession[See Sermon#1897,Volume 32—HOLDING FAST OUR
PROFESSION—Read/downloadthe entire sermon, free of charge, at
http://www.spurgeongems.org.]ofour faith without wavering, (for He is
faithful that promised). As He is faithful, let us also be faithful and hold, as
with a death grip, the faith which has been revealed to us and workedwithin

228. us by the Holy Spirit. Yes, and the professionof that faith, too, never being
ashamedto acknowledgethat we are followers ofthe Nazarene. And let us
while we are thus faithful, ourselves, endeavorto strengthen others. 24. And
let us considerone another to provoke into love and to goodworks. The Greek
is “to stir eachother up to a fit of love. There is no fear that we shall ever go
too far in our love to God! Though it would castus into a state of blessed
excitement, yet would it be healthy for us to so live and to so work. 25. Not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. For
Christian fellowship is helpful to us, and we are helpful to others by it. A
Christian is not meant to be a solitary being. Sheepare gregarious and so are
the sheepof the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not be solitary pilgrims along the
road to heaven, but join that glorious host of God’s electwho march beneath
the guidance of our greatMaster. 25. But exhorting one another: and so
much the more, as you see the day approaching. Does not every day bring us
nearer to the coming of the Lord? Are there not many signs that these are the
last days? Well then, so much the more let us stir eachother up to love and to
goodworks! 26, 27. For if we sin willfully after that we have receivedthe
knowledge ofthe truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the
adversaries. Here the truth of God taught is that if a Christian apostatizes—if
he renounces his faith and goes back to the world, it is impossible to reclaim
him. A backslidermay be restored, but
8 The Forerunner Sermon #3102
8 Tell someone todayhow much you love Jesus Christ. Volume 54
anyone who should willfully, after receiving the truth, rejectit, has rejected
the only Savior. He has rejectedthe only regenerationand, consequently, he is
without the pale of the possibilities of restoration. The question is, “Will any
true child of God so apostatize?” Thatquestion is answeredin this very
chapter, but the truth here taught is that if he does, he goes into a state of
absolute hopelessness. 28, 29. He that despisedMoses’law died without
mercy under two or three witnesses:of how much sorerpunishment. Can
there be any sorerpunishment than to die without mercy? Yes, there is, for
there is eternal punishment—“of how much sorerpunishment”— 29-31.

229. Suppose you, shall he be thought worthy who has trodden underfoot the Son
of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewithHe was
sanctified, an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For
we know Him who has said, Vengeance belongs unto Me, I will recompense,
says the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God! [See Sermon #682, Volume 12—
FUTURE PUNISHMENT A FEARFUL THING—Read/downloadthe entire
sermon, free of charge, at http://www.spurgeongems.org.]With what terrible
sentences does Paulhedge up the wayof the believer! Leave that wayand
there is nothing for you but destruction. Rejectyour Savior, give up your hope
in Him and there cannot be another name by which you canbe saved, or
another sacrifice by which you can be cleansedfrom sin. 32, 33. But call to
remembrance the former days, in which after you were illuminated, you
endured a greatfight of afflictions; partly, while you were made a spectacle
both by reproaches and afflictions. Made a spectacleto be mockedat in the
theater of the world. 33-35. And partly, while you became companions of
them that were so used. For you had compassionofme in my bonds, and took
joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in
heaven a better and an enduring substance. Castnotawaytherefore, your
confidence, [See Sermon#1263, Volume 21—HOLD FAST YOUR SHIELD—
Read/downloadthe entire sermon, free of charge, at
http://www.spurgeongems.org.]which has greatrecompense of reward. You
must push on! You have already defied the foe—to turn back is certain
destruction, for you have no armor for your back. 36. For you have need of
patience. Or, endurance— 36. That, after you have done the will of God, you
might receive the promise. To hold on, to continue to do God’s will—this is
the task. To start and to make a spurt now and then, is easyenough—but to
keepon is trying to every spiritual muscle. And only God canenable you to do
so. 37, 38. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will
not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back, My soul
shall have no pleasure in him. If there is a drawing back from faith, God can
have no pleasure in us. But shall we draw back? That is the question! And
here is the answer. 39. Butwe are not of them who draw back unto perdition.
We who have believed in Jesus. We who have sincerelycommitted ourselves to
His care. We who have been born againof the Holy Spirit, we in whom there

230. is the realwork of grace whichGod has pledged to carry on—“we are not of
them who draw back unto perdition.” 39. But of them that believe to the
saving of the soul. What a blessedtruth of God is this! O Christian, as you see
the dangerthat lies before you if you did prove to be an apostate, bless that
sovereigngrace whichwill not allow you so to do, even as Paul wrote to the
Philippians, “Being confident of this very thing, that He which has begun a
goodwork in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Adapted from The C. H. SpurgeonCollection, Version1.0, Ages Software.
PLEASE PRAY THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL USE THIS SERMON TO
BRING MANY TO A SAVING KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST!
By the grace ofGod, for all 63 volumes of C. H. Spurgeon sermons in Modern
English, and 574 Spanish translations, visit: www.spurgeongems.org
Hebrews 6: 13-20 "Don'tGive Up Hope, God Is With Us"
(PastorDrew Worthen, Calvary Chapel Port Charlotte, Fl.)
Our writer has been encouraging these people, as the Holy Spirit is doing with
us today, to considerour salvation and how God desires for us to go forward
despite the many obstacleswhichwould hinder our service unto the Lord or
would tempt us to simply lay down and give up.

231. And as we ended last week we saw how we are to view our walk and the kind
of attitude we must have to accomplishGod's will in our lives, and the lives of
others, as we are faithful to be used of God.
HEB 6:11 "We want eachof you to show this same diligence to the very end,
in order to make your hope sure.
12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith
and patience inherit what has been promised."
Our patience can only be derived from the faith and trust we place in our
Savior. To try and be patient with what God may be trying to accomplishin
our lives, without trusting Him, is like trying to play a song on the piano
having thrown the sheet music in the garbage. And we end up making it up as
we go and then claim it's of God. Something's wrong with that tune.
God wants us to be able to sing a new song;His song according to His will.
That new song is our new life in Christ. And for us to sing His praises He must
be trusted in all things for the song to be heard and for the notes to be sweet
as the world tastes and sees the love of Christ in us.
With trusting Christ comes the perseverancewe will need from Him to
continue to fight the goodfight. Thus what we ended with lastweek in verses
11-12 are designedto help take our focus off of selfand place it squarely on
our God who gives us hope. With hope we will continue on the path. When
our eyes are takenoff of Christ hope fades and the path seems hard because
we find ourselves walking it in our ownstrength.
But our writer wants us to understand that it's not as though others haven't
had a hard path to follow and yet by God's grace, as they trusted the Lord,
they were able to persevere to the end as they were patient to trust God,
because they knew God is faithful. His point is that the same God who gave
grace and strength to one servant is the same Godwho gives grace and
strength to all of His servants.
HEB 6:13 "When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one
greaterfor him to swearby, he swore by himself,

232. 14 saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." (Gen.
22:17)
15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham receivedwhat was promised."
Our writer goes to back to a figure in history whom all Jews knew ofand
honored as the father of their nation. He was the stellarexample of what it
was to trust God in all things and to persevere to the end. But the focus here
in our text is not really on Abraham as much as it is on God who made a
promise to Abraham.
And what is interesting about this is the wayGod made this promise. He
swore with an oath. Now, the reasonthis is so interesting is that God doesn't
have to swearby oath to anything He does. His word is perfect, all His ways
are just. And we'll see in a moment why He does this.
But first notice the wayin which this oath is made. He swears by Himself. An
oath or a vow is always made by calling upon someone higher in authority or
power. The ancient pagans would enter into agreements with one another, and
to bind their agreementthey would call upon their gods as witnesses to their
word and thus they were obligatedto keeptheir word lesttheir gods would
punish them for going back on their word.
The Israelites would do the same in many cases as theycalled upon the Godof
heaven to witness their transaction. But who does God callupon, higher than
Himself, when He enters into a promise with an oath? No one. He can only
swearby Himself, which is one of the reasons He's not obligatedto make any
oaths.
And yet He does. Now let's look quickly at the promise He made to Abraham.
HEB 6:14 saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." If
we were to go back to the place where God originally spoke this promise to
Abraham we would find it in Gen.22:16.
This promise was given right after Abraham was about to slay his son Isaac at
the command of God. We read in GEN 22:16 and said, "I swearby myself,
declares the LORD, that because youhave done this and have not withheld
your son, your only son,

233. 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars
in the skyand as the sand on the seashore.Your descendants will take
possessionofthe cities of their enemies,
18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because
you have obeyedme."
But remember the point of this quote in our text in Hebrews. It's in
connectionto faith and patience in the promises we receive from God. And
this is why we read in HEB 6:15 "And so after waiting patiently, Abraham
receivedwhat was promised."
Keep in mind that when our writer speaks ofthe patience of Abraham he
wasn't talking about being patient for a few weeks, but to the very end.
According to Gen.17:17 Abraham was 100 years old when God made the
promise that he would have a child to his wife Sarah who was 90 years old. Of
course that child was Isaac.
We know that Abraham, according to Gen.25:7, died when he was 175 years
old. Abraham's perseverance was no small thing. For75 years he looked
forward to the fulfillment of the promise made to him by God. He stayed the
course. He perseveredto the end and yet we know that he personally did not
see the promise fulfilled, in one sense.
Yes, he did dwell in the promised land and yes he did see his son born, but the
seedof Abraham who would ultimately be a blessing to all nations didn't come
in his lifetime, because the seedwould come in Christ. But Abraham knew
this, and he found that God really did fulfill His promise to him when he
finally went home to be with God.
HEB 11:8 "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later
receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know
where he was going.
9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a strangerin a foreign
country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of
the same promise.

234. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect
and builder is God."
Abraham had his eyes on the prize, which was not earthly, but heavenly. And
this is what God calls us to do; keepour eyes on the prize, who is Christ. God
has made a promise to Abraham and He confirmed it with an oath. That
promise wasn't just for Abraham, but also to his seed. You and I are the
spiritual seedof Abraham in Christ.
We have receivedthe promise just like Abraham who receivedit by faith, but
just like Abraham we should realize that the fulfillment of it is not in this
world but when we see Christ face to face.
And with that greathope always setbefore us we should find our patience and
perseverance in our Savior who is faithful to all of His promises to us.
Now our writer goes back to the conceptof oaths and their importance and
how they are used among men. He says in HEB 6:16 "Men swearby someone
greaterthan themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to
all argument."
What he's saying here is that an oath is used to confirm the truthfulness of
something without any doubt. It's supposedto completelysettle the matter.
And yet the reasonmen take oaths is preciselybecause their word many times
cannot be trusted. And so they call upon another witness to stand for them in
their word to hold them accountable.
And so what God is showing us is that because ofthe weaknessofour flesh He
will make a gesture towardus which will ensure the seriousnessand yet the
reliability of His word. And so He swears anoath. HEB 6:17 "BecauseGod
wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clearto the heirs
of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath."
Again, remember, God was not obligatedto do this. He doesn'thave to prove
anything about His nature and His reliability. The fact that He exists as the
eternal Creatoris sufficient proof that He is reliable.

235. By the way you'll notice in verse 17 that it speaks ofthe unchanging nature of
His purpose. In the NAS it reads "to show .... the unchangeablenessofHis
purpose." His purpose has always been the same from all of eternity. He
didn't decide one day to create a redemptive plan for mankind after man
sinned. The eternal counselof God has always included a plan to redeem
mankind. That has never changedwith God and never will. We can be certain
of our redemption in Christ.
This unchanging nature of His purpose is spokenof in a number of places. We
read in EPH 1:9 "And he made knownto us the mystery of his will according
to his goodpleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect
when the times will have reachedtheir fulfillment - to bring all things in
heaven and on earth togetherunder one head, even Christ."
That goodpleasure which God purposed in Christ suggeststhat since Christ is
God from all of eternity His purpose has existedfrom all of eternity. And as
Paul says in Eph.1:10, he put it into effect when the times reachedtheir
fulfillment - "to bring all things in heavenand on earth togetherunder one
head, even Christ."
We see this eternal plan of God in ACT 2:23 "This man was handed over to
you by God's setpurpose and foreknowledge;and you, with the help of
wickedmen, put him to death by nailing him to the cross."All of this was
determined by God from all of eternity.
Once againPaul points this out in TIT 1:1 "Paul, a servant of God and an
apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's electand the knowledge ofthe
truth that leads to godliness -
2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who
does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
3 and at his appointed seasonhe brought his word to light through the
preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,"
And so when God says that He will show men the unchangeablenessofHis
purpose, which is eternal in nature, "He interposed with an oath" as the NAS

236. puts it. The word interposedthere could also be translatedguaranteed. He
guaranteedwith an oath that He is true to fulfill His promises to us in Christ.
Arthur W. Pink makes the comment: "It was to Christ that the original
promise and oath were made. Hence, in Tit.1:2 we read, "In hope of eternal
life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began":as [the
elect](men) were not then in existence, the promise must have been made to
their Head (who is Christ). Concerning God's oath to Christ we read, "The
LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in
the order of Melchizedek." (PSA110:4 )
This oath which God declaredin Psalm110 is referring to the promise and
oath He made to the Son. And the whole point of this is to assure and
encourage these believers to trust that God isn't some fly by night Savior. He
has planned this out before any of them were even born.
His promises go back before this world was formed. His promises were made
to the Son who is eternaland who willingly chose to be our Saviorfrom
eternity past. And our writer lifts the hearts of his readers as he continues in
HEB 6:18 "Goddid this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is
impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to
us may be greatlyencouraged."
There are two unchangeable things which we know to be true of Godas it
relates to our passage.They've both been mentioned. They are His promise
and His oath. They are unchangeable. He cannotgo back on His word and
remain God. It's impossible for God to lie.
I've been in philosophical discussions withpeople who would suggestthat God
can't be God if there is anything that is impossible for Him to do. The
argument is not valid. Becausethe answerclearlyis that there are things
which are impossible for God to do. He cannot deny Himself. He cannot
change His nature or His attributes. He cannotlie. He cannotdo anything
which would violate any aspectof who He is.
And in saying that it is impossible for God to lie our writer then goes onto
say, if God has promised that He will save us and keepus and protect us, and

237. that He would drive this truth home with an oath, this should give us great
encouragement. Butonly for those who have "fled for refuge in laying hold of
the hope setbefore us" as the NAS puts it.
The imagery of one fleeing for refuge is not a coincidence as our writer is
addressing Jews. A Jew would have immediately understand this to coincide
with the cities of refuge God provided for Israel.
A.W. Pink says, "Those cities are spokenofin Num.35, Deut.19, Josh.20.
Those cities were built on high hills or mountains (Josh.20:7), that those
seeking asylum there, might have no difficulty in keeping them in sight. So,
the servants of Christ who hold Him up, are likened unto "a city which is set
upon a hill" (Mat.5:14)They were a refuge from "the avengerof blood"
(Josh.20:3)"flee from the wrath to come" (Mat.3:7)They had a causewayof
stones approaching them as a path to guide them (Deut.19:3):so in the Gospel
a way of approachis revealedunto Christ. Those who succeededin entering
these cities securedprotection and safety (Num.35:15): so Christ has declared
"him who comes unto Me I will in no way castout" (Joh.6:37)
The analogiesare abundant but Pink also makes it clearthere are many stark
contrasts. He say's, "let us not fail to note here the immeasurable superiority
of Christianity over Judaism as seenin the vast difference betweenthe refuge
under the law, and that made known in the Gospel. The cities of refuge were
only available for those who unintentionally killed a person. But we have been
conscious,deliberate, lifelong rebels againstGod; nevertheless Christ say's,
"Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest". .......
....... Again, the man-slayer in the city was safe, yet his very refuge was a
prison: it is the very opposite with the believer -- Christ openedfor Him the
prison-door and sethim at liberty (Isa.61:2), Christ makes free (Joh.8:36).
Again, in entering the city of refuge he turned awayfrom his inheritance, his
land, and cattle; but the one who lays hold of Christ obtains an inheritance
(1Pet.1:4). Forthe man-slayer to return to his inheritance meant death; for
the Christian, death means going to his inheritance."

238. But as with the man-slayer, Pink points out that he must personally get up
and go to the city as he recognizes his need for refuge. And this is what our
writer of Hebrews makes clearas well. Fleeing to Christ, not away, is where
we find encouragementas we lay hold of the hope set before us.
And this hope is something which will keepus rock steadyas we rest on it.
HEB 6:19 "We have this hope as an anchorfor the soul, firm and secure. It
enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,
20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become
a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
If we understand the hope we have in Christ, even when the storms come, our
hope doesn't have to be shaken, because ourhope, who is Christ, is an anchor
for the soul, firm and secure. We might get bounced around at times but when
the anchoris set deep there's no moving it.
This is the imagery the Holy Spirit wants us to understand. He's saying that
this should be our encouragement. Godis the One who has become our
anchor. He is the One who has promised with an oath that He will be for us
and no one can be againstus, because we are tied or united with Christ. He's
the anchorwho will not be moved.
It is this hope which is so united to the anchor (who is Christ) that it can
actually enter into the inner sanctuarywhere our anchor and hope are found.
This is what we read at the end of verse19..... "Itenters the inner sanctuary
behind the curtain,
20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become
a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Remember, only the High priest could enter the inner sanctuaryor the holy of
holies in Israelon the Day of atonement. Our writer is telling us that since the
curtain has been torn in two by Christ's death and since He has risen from the
dead we too can enter with Him.
In fact the imagery here is that He brings us along since we are tied to Him.
He goes before the Father as our representative. And we being tied to Him are

239. given the same privilege to come into the Father's presence since Christ has
made peace for us through His shed blood.
Our new relationship with God in Christ is one of peace and acceptance,and
the encouragementwe should gain from this is that this cannot be takenaway.
His unchangeable love for us is just that, unchangeable. Nothing canseparate
from the love of Christ.
And Jesus has become the forerunner for us having become a high priest
according to the order of Melchizedek. He went into the sanctuarybefore us
and He brings us along to be with Him forever. It's at this point in this letter
that our writer begins to resume where he left off in Heb.5:1-10, before he
took this detour to get the attention of these Hebrew Christians to get their
eyes back on Christ and to live in the encouragementand joy of their
salvationinstead of getting caught up in the cares ofthis life.
This is certainly an area every Christian in our age must come to grips with as
well, because quite honestly there are many ways in which we can be swayed
to look awayfrom our Savior as we're tempted to become like the church of
Laodecia found in Revelationwhich turned out to be lukewarm.
Their anchor was not firmly planted because their anchorwas something
other than Christ. As a result their hope had been effected. And as I said
earlier when your hope dims, the zeal does as well.
But even as Christ did with the church at Laodecia, He does with the church
at large today as well where He says, REV3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
and eatwith him, and he with me.
21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,
just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
This is our hope. This is our encouragement. This is the reasonfor us to
persevere with patience because Jesus is the One at the door saying, 'one more
step, I'm right here for you."

240. It's so important for all of us to see ourselves as ones who have, as an anchor,
Jesus Christ the faithful one, the One in whom we find all of our hope. David
put it this way in PSA130:7 "O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with
the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption."
They had gone in a way where their hope was misplaced. But the answeris
always the same. "Put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is
unfailing love and with him is full redemption."
Jesus is our High Priest forever. Foreverfor you and me in Christ starts
today. Our hope will never end, but our Lord wants us to take this hope to the
end of this world so that this world may see us as ones who have trusted Him,
and in so doing, see us as lights seton a hill to draw all men unto Himself as he
lives in and through us.
Abraham believed God and it was reckonedto Him as righteousness.But
Abraham's faith and hope followedGod and trusted Him for all things. This
is what the writer of Hebrews wants us to do as well.
Abraham knew where his strength came from and he knew wherever God
lead him was O.K. The apostle Paul also knew this same hope and he can
encourage us with these words found in ROM 15:13 "Maythe Godof hope fill
you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with
hope by the powerof the Holy Spirit."
RETURN TO CALVARY CHAPEL HOME PAGE
E-Mail PastorDrew:Calvarychapelpc@cyberstreet.com
What does Hebrews 6:20 mean? [⇑ See verse text ⇑]
The previous verses blended three distinct images into a single, powerful,
encouraging point. Christ's work on our behalf combines the principles of a
refuge, an anchor, and the Holiest of Holies of the Old Testamenttemple.
Mixed together, the messageis that Christ has gone aheadof us, as our

241. example and our High Priest, and anchored our hope. That anchor is not
affixed here, in our present circumstances, but in the ultimate source of truth
and holiness. Forthis reason, we can be confident in the promises of God
(Hebrews 6:18), and hold fast (Hebrews 3:6; 4:14), to a confident and growing
spiritual maturity, in both truth and love.
This verse uses the Greek term prodromos, translatedinto English as
"forerunner." This is similar to the reference in Hebrews 2:10, which used the
word archēgonto callJesus the "captain," or "author" or "founder," of our
salvation. This helps to blend the reference to an anchor with Christ's entry
into the inner sanctuary;sailors would often carry a ship's anchor to a more
secure point in order to attach the anchor as solidly as possible.
The final statementof this verse ties togetherthis gradual flow from warning
(Hebrews 5:11—6:8), to praise (Hebrews 6:9–12), to encouragement(Hebrews
6:13–19), and finally back to the original topic: the priesthood of Melchizedek.
Masterfully, the writer does this by referring to yet another promise of God,
and one already used in this book: that of Psalm110:4. This same promise
was previously applied to the priesthood of Christ (Hebrews 5:6), just prior to
the warnings of chapter 6, bringing the discussionfull-circle.
https://www.bibleref.com/Hebrews/6/Hebrews-6-20.html
Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?
<< Hebrews 6:19
Hebrews 7:1 >>

242. Hebrews 6:19-20
This word "forerunner" is the Greek prodromos, used in Scripture only this
one time. It means "scout," "guide," or"one sentbefore a king to prepare the
way." The Greeks also usedprodromos to mean "firstfruits."
In the story of Daniel Boone, he went first to scout out Kentucky, then later
took a party of thirty woodsmento improve the trail, and after that, even
more people followed. Boone was the forerunner, but so were those who went
with him to develop the route. That first small group was the firstfruits.
Spiritually, Christ has gone ahead, showing us the way, and we, as the
firstfruits, improve the trail so that others will somedaywalk it more easily.
The conceptof a forerunner runs throughout the Bible. We could say that
Adam was a forerunner, as well as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Johnthe
Baptist, and of course, Christ. Notice that eachof these forerunners had
followers—theirfirstfruits. Adam had Eve and their sons and daughters that
followedthem. Noahhad his wife and family. Abraham had Sarah and Lot,
and later were added Ishmael and Isaac, and then Jacoband his children.
Moses hadAaron and Miriam and then all the children of Israel. Elijah led to
Elisha. John the Baptist proclaimed the coming of Christ, who calledHis
disciples—us.
In other words, we have a part to play as well. It is not the leading role but a
supporting one. Nonetheless,it is a necessarypart. There is no call for a "big
head" here: Godcould have calledsomeone else orraised up stones, as John
the Baptistsays in Matthew 3:9. However, He did not; He called us
specifically(John 6:44). Therefore, we should not waste our opportunity.
Mike Ford

243. Blazing a Trail Through the Wilderness
RelatedTopics:Abraham | Abraham and Sarah | Adam | DanielBoone |
Elijah | Elijah and Elisha | Firstfruits | Forerunner | Guide | John the Baptist |
Moses |Noah| Prodromos | Scout
Hebrews 6:13-20
It has been said that the quality of a person's hope is the measure of any man.
Abraham's hope is the illustration here. By this estimation, he was a great
man because one cannotpossibly hope in anything greater!In Romans 4:18,
Paul says of Abraham, ". . . who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he
became the father of many nations." His hope was so strong that, in spite of
having no physical reasonto hope for descendants through Sarahbecause she
was beyond childbearing years, he nonetheless hoped to the end. When Isaac
was born, his hope was vindicated because he had placedhis hope in God.
The writer's hope for the Hebrews is for the better things that accompany
salvation. Betterthan what? The contextof the chapter shows he fearedthey
were falling away. He desires them to have the full assurance ofhope to the
end or, put another way, the full development of hope. Why? So that they will
overcome the lassitude he detects in them and begin carrying out their
Christian responsibilities.
He wanted them to be diligent and in earnestabout their responsibilities to
God in heaven all the way to the end—to be fully, spiritually, enthusiastically
energizedin going about their Father's business. They were on the verge of
aimlesslydrifting away. No longerwere they thinking much about the hope
that once burned in their minds and drove them on. Other interests and

244. concerns had pushed the thrilling excitement of our greathope aside in
mundane pursuits. Our minds must be systematicallyrefreshedwith study
and meditation on our hope, or we will fall into the same spiritual torpor the
Hebrews did. A movement, ideal, or visionary dream that does not inspire
hope will not grip the hearts of people to give themselves in sacrifice and
accomplishment.
The Hebrews were going through a hardship that is never fully explained.
Whateverit was, through it they had regressedfrom a higher spiritual level.
Oftentimes, we can do little but endure our hardships patiently. We simply
cannot change much in this world, and it does us well to acceptwhatwe
cannot change with hopeful resignation(Ecclesiastes 7:13-14). Patient
endurance is in itself a worthy work because it is at leastan exercise ofself-
control.
In America, government officials are sworninto their positions, promising to
uphold the office and the laws of the land. We become dismayed because over
time so many of them break their vows. Governments promise that their
money is good;banks, that their customers'savings are safe, stockbrokers,
that their counsel is sound; and insurance companies, that their policyholders
will receive their due. These assurancesfail all too often in bankruptcy or
fraud. After enduring a number of these failures or observing others
experience them, we become skeptical, perhaps even cynical.
Our hope, however, is in a Being and a government whose promises are
absolutely faithful because it is impossible for Him to lie. Our hopes do not lie
in our courage, intelligence,oreven the finest of human qualities but in God's
promises. He assures us in Hebrews 13:5, "I will never leave you nor forsake
you."
The dangerthe Hebrews facedis unknown, but whether or not we consciously
recognize it, we, like the Hebrews, are in danger. We may not be in a physical
danger—threatenedby religious martyrdom, imprisonment, disease,orgreat
loss of income—butwe face spiritual dangers. With its manifold temptations
and distractions, the world is constantlypressing in on us to turn us out of the
way. Our human nature inclines us not to see things from God's perspective.

245. Our pride seduces us. Our passions, tempers, and other weaknessestrip us up,
causing failure and despair. What does a person do when he realizes he is in
danger? Does he not make for safetyas quickly as he can?
That is preciselythe advice of Hebrews 6:18: ". . . 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 that is set before us." The author
may have had the Israelite cities of refuge in mind as he wrote this (Numbers
35). They were places of safetyfor those who killed another accidentally. Yet,
the killer's only hope was to get to a city of refuge before the avengerof blood
got to him! The refuge for those in the Hebrews'spiritual condition involves
hope. The Greek wordtranslated "setbefore" pictures hope lying before us
like some inviting treat for us to take.
These people were in danger of falling awaythrough their lethargic,
lukewarm, careless, and lazy reactionto life and what it dealt them, yet they
possessedthe greatesthope a human could possibly entertain! As time passed,
it had blurred in their minds almost to non-existence. They were forgetting it!
The author then describes hope as an anchor for our lives. Even as an anchor
keeps a ship from drifting onto the rocks, hope keeps us from idly drifting to
our spiritual destruction. Hope keeps us safe. It is a major stabilizing force for
the whole of life because it has hold of something that does not move despite
the tempests around us. Our hope is anchoredin Jesus Christ, who as High
Priesthas entered in our behalf into the heavenly Holy of Holies beyond the
veil. Though His blood justifies us, His life saves us. BecauseHe lives,
intercedes for us, and watches overour lives to bring us into the Father's
Kingdom, we have hope.
Hope motivates, and its primary function is to enable us to endure. We know
that our wonderful goalis sure because our hope is in God, who is absolute
and all-powerful. If we are to be saved, the means to fulfill this must come
from God. The relationship establishedthrough God's calling, Christ's
sacrifice, andour making of the New Covenantwith Him provides that
means. Now we must do all we can to fulfill our part of the relationship.

246. John W. Ritenbaugh
The Elements of Motivation (Part Three): Hope
RelatedTopics:Cities of Refuge | City of Refuge | Endurance | Enduring
Hardship | Enduring to the End | Faithfulness | Hope | Hope as Anchor | Hope
as Motivation | Hope, Continuous | Patience
Hebrews 6:20
The Greek wordfor "forerunner" is prodromos, which is somewhatakinto
archegos.Prodromos emphasizes the subject as a scout, one who goes ahead,
making sure that the way is safe. How many Westernmovies have we seen
where the greathero was the scout? He went ahead of the westward-bound
wagontrain to make sure no Indians were lurking on the trail up ahead. The
scoutwas ensuring that the wayforward was safe. That is the role that Christ
performed for us.
Considerthe Tabernacle orTemple. How often in a year's time did the high
priest ever go into the Holy of Holies? One time a year, on the Day of
Atonement. At the bottom of the hem of the high priest's robe were silver
bells, ordered to be sewnthere by God Himself. They were there primarily for
use on the one day the high priest went into the Holy of Holies. Nobody else
was allowedin there on the Day of Atonement, or any other day.
BecauseGodis so holy, so pure, so far above us, it is not goodfor an impure
human to be in His presence unless He permits it and turns the volume down,
so to speak. Everytime the high priest moved while in the MostHoly Place,
the bells tinkled, and so his fellow priests knew he was still alive. It is said the
high priest also tied a rope around his ankle just in case he died in the Holy of

247. Holies and his body had to be draggedout! Nevertheless,the bells were on the
garment so that the Levites would be assuredthat this sinful man, who was in
the presence ofGod, had been acceptedand allowedto live.
What Jesus Christ has done is similar but far more effective. Godhas
acceptedChrist's sacrifice ofHimself, and now Christ has entered into the
Holy of Holies. He is the scout—the prodromos—who wentaheadand made
sure that the way was safe for us.
We do not have to wait until the Day of Atonement to go into the presence of
God because our prodromos, Jesus Christ, our Forerunner, went there before
us, and God acceptedHim. Now, under His blood, we canfollow Him into the
Holy of Holies, into the very presence ofGod. But for us to be there, He had to
endure the sufferings that made Him perfectfor the job that has been given to
Him (Hebrews 2:10).
We are now in the same process. We are part of His spiritual Body, and to be
prepared to work under Him, we must go through a measure of suffering—an
intensity not equal to Christ's, but mercifully toned down—to perfectus.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Jesus our Forerunner
“Where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high
priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 6:20).
- Hebrews 6:19–20
Thousands of years ago, God calledout Abraham and promised to bless and
multiply his family. Though the promise of blessing should have been enough
for Abraham to believe, God knew that doubts would come, and so He later
swore an oath confirming the promise (Heb. 6:13–17). The promise and oath
were given to encourage the children of Abraham to hold fastto their hope (v.

248. 18). We who love Christ are the true children of Abraham and have these two
unchangeable things to motivate our perseverance.
Though the promise and oath offer us encouragement, they are, in the end,
not what steadies us in the midst of toil and tribulation. They only serve to
motivate us to hold onto “the sure and steadfastanchorof the soul,” or the
hope that enters into the heavenly place behind the curtain (v. 19).
Having warned us about falling awayfrom the new covenant, the author now
encouragesus by describing the hope that is the anchor of our souls. Such a
hope is not mere wishful thinking; rather, it is something that springs from
trust in God and His promises. It is the eagerexpectationthat the God who
has fulfilled His word in the past will certainly fulfill it in the future.
While this hope is true and sure, it is not true and sure in and of itself. Such
hope is only a sure anchor because it is a hope that enters into the holy place
where Jesus has gone as our forerunner. And not only has He gone in as our
forerunner, He has also become a high priest foreverafter the order of
Melchizedek (v. 20).
Our hope is a sure hope because it is grounded in our faithful and immutable
God. Our hope reminds us that our present and troubled existence will end,
and that we will dwell forever in the holiestplace where we will experience the
Lord face to face. It is an anchor because it leads us to the place where we will
be with God forever.
But we can only be takento this place because Jesus has gone before us. We
can only go there because Jesus has first offeredthe sacrifice that opens the
door. We can only go in because Christforever intercedes for us as a priest
after the order of Melchizedek. JohnOwenrightly reminds us that “even
heaven would be no safe place for us to fix the anchor of our trust and hope in
if Christ were not there.”
Coram Deo
During the next few weeks we willlook at how Christ, being in the order of
Melchizedek, benefits us. Suffice it to sayfor now that being in the order of
Melchizedek makes Jesusaneternal priest who always mediates betweenus

249. and the Father. This mediation enables us to dwell foreverin His presence.
Thank Christ Jesus for His mediatorial work.
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/jesus-our-forerunner/
Jesus, our Forerunner.
rogerupton / April 6, 2012
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the
inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered
on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of
Melchizedek”
(Hebrews 6:19-20).
With Easterjust a few days off, many will rightly renew a sense of focus on
the death of Jesus on the cross, anevent of paramount importance to the
Christian faith — indeed the whole world — for all time (Hebrews 2:9)! As we
remember his work and sacrifice onour behalf, we should also stress the
importance of his resurrection. In the Scriptures, when the sacrifice ofJesus is
discussed, it meant for us to understand that his sacrificialdeath also
encompasses his resurrection. The two are inextricably linked. Paul said that
the resurrectionvalidates Christ’s sacrifice onour behalf, as well as our faith
in him:
“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless andso is your
faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses aboutGod, for
we have testified about God that he raisedChrist from the dead. But he did
not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised,
then Christ has not been raisedeither. And if Christ has not been raised, your
faith is futile; you are still in your sins”
(1 Corinthians 15:14-17).

250. As we can see, the resurrectionof Jesus is very important! A death without a
resurrectionwould completelyinvalidate the very axis of what we believe as
Christians. Without the resurrection, Jesus would be just another man who
died. There would be nothing to separate him from other religious leaders,
zealots, and despots who’ve claimed messiahship, yet who all remain in their
tombs to this day. Likewise, without the resurrection, we would all be
adherents to the teachings and memories of a dead man.
The resurrectionof Jesus is the lynchpin of the Christian faith.
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 6:19-20 that Jesus was the forerunner of our
faith. In other words, he was the first Man to enter into the presence ofGod
via resurrectionfrom the dead. He paved the way. He blazed the trail. He did
this because ofhis resurrection. It’s interesting that the Greek word for
forerunner is prodromos. This word was generallyused of cavalry scouts who
would go before the rest of the army in order to make sure they arrived in the
right place at the right time, and free of danger. Jesus did this for us by his
resurrection. His resurrectionensures that we arrive at our final destination
with certainty.
I love to hike. Thankfully, people came before me and marked out the trail.
They removed brush, cut through rock, built stairs, and put up trail markers
so that I could arrive to my destination safely. This does not mean that I won’t
stumble, grow tired, or that parts of the trail may be strenuous. That much is
a given. If I were to go off the trail, the probability of getting lost, injured, or
killed significantly increases.
Jesus, through his resurrection, has cleared, paved, and blazed a trail of safety
for us.
Becausehe defeateddeath, so will we. Because he rose from the grave, so will
we. Becausehe ascendedto Heaven, so will we. Becausehe entered into the
presence ofthe Father, so will we! We may encounter the lastenemy (death),
but we will arrive safely to our enternal destination.

251. We canrest assured. The Forerunner has went on before us to clearthe path;
to show the way; to say to us, “Because Idid this, so will you.”
Resource:The Majority of ResurrectionPassages in the New Testament(from
Carm.org)
Jesus Christ, The Forerunner
JESUS CHRIST, THE FORERUNNER
Text: Book of Hebrews Chapter 6
We as believers who want to become Christians must understand the message
of the Book ofHebrews!
A believer is one that understands that salvationcan only come through the
work of Jesus Christ.
There is no salvationwithout being “Born Again” and being washedin the
“Bloodof Jesus”.
This is more than just knowing about Jesus!
This is accepting the facts of Jesus, the Son of God!
To be a Christian is to be like Jesus Christ!
To be a Christian is to do the things that Jesus did and what He still does!
In fact Jesus said:
Joh 5:19 ThenansweredJesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I sayunto
you, The Son can do nothing of himself, [but what he seeththe Fatherdo: for
what things soeverhe doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise].
It is a fact that Jesus, the Son of God said He did the things that His Father
did!

252. If we want to know where to begin to serve Our Lord and look like a
Christian then, whereverwe see Godworking we need to join in!
Ask Brother Buddy why he goes to Hope Children’s Home and you will find
out that he sees thatGod is working in this place and he wants to be a part of
that work.
This is where the heart of a Missionaryhas to begin!
Right here in this church, we can see places where Godis working. These are
the places we needto join in and be a part of!
This is what Jesus is teaching us all to do. See where God is working and be a
part of that work!
This Book ofHebrews makes it very clearto the early Jewishbelievers that
Christianity is “So Much Superior” to their own old religion of Judaism.
Remember they already knew God! They had acceptedthe Almighty God as
the Creator. Theyhad given Him many names such as Jehovah-Jireh, The
Lord who provides.
But, They had rejectedthe teaching of the Holy Spirit and totally rejectedthe
fact that Christ Jesus was truly the Messiah!
This Book ofHebrews is to teachus all that when Jesus came to this Earth it
was to begin a new order of worship and a new order of service which is now
calledChristianity because we are all to do the things that Jesus did!
We cannotbecome lazy after we are saved!
In Chapter 5 we saw the warning of becoming dull in hearing the Word of
God.
In this Chapter 6 we will see that there is a greatdanger of going back to the
old ways.
To those early Jewishbelievers they had learned the baby things of Judaism
and it was now time for them to “Grow up in Christ Jesus”!

253. No one can escape coming into this world as a baby! This is the only way to
get here!
BUT, Every parent wants to see that baby mature and become an adult!
God has that very same desire for all of us!
*****Ourtext:
Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, [let us go
on unto perfection;] not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works, and of faith toward God,
That word “therefore” means from what we have learned in the previous 5
chapters of the beginning of Christ.
In other words since we have this greatfoundation it is time to build upon it!
It is now time to prepare for that trip through the wilderness of this world
and on to that throne in Heaven!
We cannotspend our whole Christian life building on the foundation!
We must become mature Christians to be of any use to the Lord!
This writer list 6 foundational facts learned from the Old Testament:
1.) A repentance from dead works.
2.) Faith toward God.
3.) A doctrine of baptisms.
4.) The laying on of hands.
5.) The resurrectionof the dead.
6.) Eternal judgment.
Those deadworks were the works ofthe Laws of Moses!
No one could keepthose old laws and it was foolishto try to believe those laws
brought salvationwhen they had to continuously repent for breaking them.

254. The writer said this was baby stuff!
This is why all legalistare babes in Christ!
The Old Testamenttaught “faith toward God” so just to say you believe in
God doesn’t mean you have progressedin your walk with God.
This only shows you are a babe in Christ!
The Old Testamenthad rituals to present a faith by approaching God through
the sacrificesand not through the High Priest. The Old TestamentHigh Priest
really only presented the sacrifices as we have already studied!
That phrase “letus go” really means “let us move forward”.
If we are standing still in our relationship with God we are still going
backwards!
*****Heb6:2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of
resurrectionof the dead, and of eternaljudgment.
The Old Testament“doctrines ofof baptisms” “or washings” has nothing to
do with New TestamentBaptism!
This is only referring to the ritual washings of the Laws of Moses by the
priests!
Christian baptism is showing our new relationship with the death, the burial
and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There was an Old Testamentritual of “laying on of the hands”. When a man
brought an animal in to be sacrificed, he laid his hands on the head of that
animal which signified that he identified with that animal and that animal was
taking his place on that altar!
In the Church the laying on of the hands simply means we are all want to
share in a burden or blessing of one of our brothers or sisters or we all want to
share in one who is set apart for the ministry.
The laying on of hands in both The New and The Old Testaments have never
been about some power of God flowing from one personto another!

255. The “resurrectionof the dead” was taught in the Old Testamentbut now they
needed to realize the resurrectionof Jesus Christ as the the living eternal Son
of God.
All those that where resurrectedin the Old and the New Testamenthad to die
again!
Eternal judgment is taught throughout the Bible!
*****Heb6:3 And this will we do, if God permit.
Knowing all these things it is time to move on to the real meat of the Bible!
*****Heb6:4 Forit is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and
have tastedof the heavenly gift, and were made partakers ofthe Holy Ghost,
Heb 6:5 And have tastedthe goodword of God, and the powers of the world
to come,
Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;seeing
they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame.
Heb 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that comethoft upon it, and
bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receivethblessing
from God:
Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto
cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Heb 6:9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that
accompanysalvation, though we thus speak.
These verses have causedmany a readerof the Book ofHebrews to worry
unnecessarilyand have causedmany a babe in Christ much concern!
These verses are also miss-appliedby many a preacheras a means to frighten
those that are still babes!
It is verse nine that is the key to this passage!

256. We must not think that this Book of Hebrews was written to believers who
had losttheir salvation.
This is impossible!
The only thing we did in salvation was provide God a sinner to be saved.
It is by the Work of Jesus we are savedand in is by the Work of Jesus that
keeps us saved!
We cannotcause changes to this plan of God. It is His plan of salvation and we
cannot change His plan!
There are to many people who are not sure of their salvation and therefore
they have miserable lives.
This is another lessonwe should learn from this Book of Hebrews, HOW TO
AVOID THIS MISERY!
Rom 8:1 [There is therefore now no condemnationto them which are in
Christ Jesus], who walk not after the flesh, [but after the Spirit].
Rom 8:2 [For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death].
To believe you can lose you salvationmeans you have to throw this scripture
along with many others out of the Bible!
And also this one:
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? [It is God that
justifieth].
To believe you can lose you salvationafter being savedby the powerof God is
the same as saying Our God is a liar!
And Our God Has No Power!
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercessionfor us.

257. Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, orperil, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, Forthy sake we are killed all the day long; we are
accountedas sheepfor the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him
that loved us.
Rom 8:38 ForI am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Norheight, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What do we do with this entire passage thatwas inspired by the Holy Spirit to
the Apostle Paul?
There is absolutelynothing that can separate us from God, once we know Him
as our Savior!
Those that teachthat we canloose our salvationteach also that we canbe
restored!
This passagein the Book ofHebrews says that if salvationcould be lost it
certainly could never be restored!
So the Bible contradicts all the teachings of loosing your salvation!
The only thing we can do is be sure we understand where our salvation comes
from and that is by the Bloodof Jesus!
We need to listen to the Words of Jesus just as this Book ofHebrews tells us:
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greaterthan all; and [no man is
able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand].

258. When we are saved it is the gift of eternal life that comes with the promise.
It is not eternal if it canbe lost!
It is My God who has my salvationin His hands and I have no controlof it
anymore!
These believers in the Book of Hebrews are babes in Christ and God wants us
all to be “Teachers”!
It is impossible to enter into Heaven by any means exceptthrough the Lord
Jesus Christ.
It is Jesus that is the door to Salvation!
He is not just the door waybut He is the actual door!
Joh 10:7 Thensaid Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I sayunto you, I am
the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep
did not hear them.
Joh 10:9 [I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and
shall go in and out, and find pasture.
What we should believe from this passagein Hebrews is that it is about
rewards after salvationand not about salvationit self!
The Bible says:
1Co 3:11 Forother foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare
it, because it shall be revealedby fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work
of what sort it is.

259. 1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall
receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:but he
himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
To fall awayis to stumble. We will all stumble in our walk with Christ.! It is
not so much that we will stumble, but IT IS “will we getback up and repent
and go on serving the Lord with all our heart!
We must not ever quit on God because He will never quit on us!
*****Heb6:10 ForGod is not unrighteous to forgetyour work and labour of
love, which ye have shewedtoward his name, in that ye have ministered to the
saints, and do minister.
God promises in the Gospels that not even one cup of watergiven to some one
in His name will go unrewarded!
Every tract that is sent out, Every testimony that is given giving God the
Glory, Every offering made in His name, Every time you have tried to teach
others about the Bible and to a Preacher, everysermonthat is preached in
truth, God will not ever forget!
God is not unrighteous to forgetany goodwork that comes after our
salvation!
This would be a fault in a Righteous God and Our God has no faults!
God can see into our hearts and He knows the intent of everything we do! If
our hearts are sincere, we canbe sure a reward will be waiting in Heaven!
Anyone that is truly savedwill want to please Our Fatherin Heaven!
Every man woman and child that has been forgiven of their sin and adopted
into the family of God will have the kind of works that will accompanytheir
salvation.
The only work to do for salvationis to believe!

260. After salvationthere is a work for every one of us and it begins with serving
God’s people!
The Bible tells us:
1Th 1:3 Remembering without ceasing yourwork of faith, and labour of love,
and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our
Father;
1Th 1:4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your electionof God.
*****Heb6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same
diligence to the full assurance ofhope unto the end:
Heb 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers ofthem who through faith and
patience inherit the promises.
Even though God watches overeachand everyone of us and provides our
needs and will cause eachand every one of us to become mature Christians,
WE MUST DO OUR PART!
We must apply ourselves to the work God has given to eachof us!
“Diligence”means to have a constanteffort to accomplishthe work of God!
“Diligence”means Goddoes not have partime workers, we have a full time
job in the Lord!
The wages ofsin is death [But the wages ofour labor of love after salvation is
not only to inherit the promises of God but to be rewardedfor doing so]!
The Apostle Paul said:
2Ti 4:7 I have fought a goodfight, I have finished my course, I have kept the
faith:
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only,
[but unto all them also that love his appearing].

261. *****Heb6:13 Forwhen God made promise to Abraham, because he could
swearby no greater, he sware by himself,
Heb 6:14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will
multiply thee.
Heb 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
What was God’s great promise to Abraham?
Gen 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because
thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply
thy seedas the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea
shore;and thy seedshall possessthe gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 [And in thy seedshall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
because thou hast obeyedmy voice].
Mostof God’s promises do not depend on our characteror our motives but
they do depend more on our “faithfulness”!
Every saved child of God has even greaterpromises than Abraham!
The only thing that holds us all back is that we do not “diligently” apply
ourselves to maturing in our spiritual life!
When we ignore church fellowship, and we ignore our Bibles, and we forgetto
pray as we should we are never going to be mature Christians!
*****Heb6:16 Formen verily swearby the greater:and an oath for
confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Heb 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of
promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
God not only made this promise to Abraham but He also confirmed it with an
oath!

262. God not only did this for Abraham, God gave His oath to all the heirs of
Abraham’s promise!
Every Born Again child of God is included in the promise to Abraham!
The Bible says:
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs
according to the promise.
Our assuranceofsalvation is guaranteedby God’s promise and God’s oath!
*****Heb6:18 Thatby 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 setbefore us:
We cansee that the Book of Hebrews was not only written to encourage those
early Jewishbelievers but also to encourage everybeliever!
In the Old Testament, those that fled to the cities of refuge had hope that they
would not die!
We must all flee to Jesus Christ who is our eternal refuge!
He is our eternal High Priestbecause He is our eternalSavior!
BecauseHe is Eternalwe have eternal salvation!
Not one of Satan’s avengers norSatan himself can touch a child of God!
*****Heb6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high
priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
When Christ Jesus ascendedback to Heaven, He became our High Priest.
As High Priestbefore God, He has become as an anchorof a mighty ship.
BUT< Our spiritual anchoris different from any ship’s anchor:

263. Our anchor is anchoredin Heaven and that is upward and not downward!
Praise the Lord!
We are anchored not to stand still but to move forward! Praise the Lord!
Our anchor is a sure, it cannot break and it will hold! Praise the Lord!
And to top it all off, Our Savioris our Forerunner, who has gone ahead
before us so that one day we canfollow Him!
But we can now also go boldly before the throne of God because Our High
Priesthas passedinside the veil, into the throne room of God Himself!
If we will just anchor our selves to Our Savior, we will never drift into the
shallow waters of this world and be destroyed!
When our foundation is laid on the Rock ofour Salvationit is Eternal and it is
Permanent!
For our house to grow we must not ignore our spiritual growth!
We must be busy about the work of the Lord!