In Hebrews 5 the writer uttered a warning that the things he wrote to them were hard to understand because they had become “dull of hearing.” By this time they should have been able to teach others; they could not. They needed milk and were not able to eat solid food (Hebrews 5:11-12). He urged them to “leave the first principles of Christ” and “press on to perfection.”
Then he gave a grave warning. If after they had been enlightened and tasted the heavenly gift, partaken of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good Word of God and the power of the world to come, and then fell away, it would “be impossible to renew them unto repentance seeing they had crucified the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:6). Join to these words the words Peter uttered to another audience: “For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter state is become worse with them than the first. For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Peter 2:20-22). In both cases the problem was not whether God can forgive; the problem in both passages is that the one who knew and turned away from the truth was in danger of having placed himself where it was impossible for him to repent.
But the Hebrew writer did not say these Hebrews had reached that state. He assured them, “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak, for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love ye showed unto his name in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister. And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end; that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:9-12).
What better example of faith and patience could be given to the Hebrews who looked to Abraham the founder of their nation than Abraham himself? The writer said, “For when God made promise to Abraham, since he could swear by none greater, he sware by himself, saying, surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee. And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promises” (Hebrews 6:13-15). Abraham was an excellent example of persistence to these Hebrews, his descendants in the flesh. He gave them the example of leaving everything behind to answer the call of God who told him, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house unto the land that I shall show thee and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great: and be thou a blessing and I wlll bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse, and in thee shall the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham was 75 when he left Haran for Canaan. I do not know long he had remained in Haran after he had received God’s command to leave Ur. We know that when he received God’s command to go to a land He would show him, he left Ur of Chaldees and traveled to Haran where he stayed until his father was dead (Acts 7:4).
God had promised Abraham a son but was a long time fulfilling that promise. Abraham was 75 when he left Haran and was 100 years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 12:4; 21:5). Therefore, he had waited more than 25 years for God’s promise to him to be fulfilled. Abraham’s faith was tested not only in that he had waited a long time to wait for the son God promised him, but his faith was later tested when God commanded him to take Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering (Genesis 22:1-12). I am sure it was hard for Abraham to wait at least 25 years for Isaac to be born, but how much harder it must have been for him to offer him as a burnt offering to God! Yet, he did not waver through unbelief. He drew his knife to take Isaac’s life but God stopped him, saying, “Do thy son no harm, now I know thou fearest me” (Genesis 22:12).
God has promised He will bless those today who follow Him steadfastly and in faith. Wonderful are His promises! He said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and beliveth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:23-25). He also promised, “Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again and will receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may also be” (John 14:1-3).
Abraham was a wonderful example to the Hebrews because they had left their fathers’ faith to follow God’s Son. Abraham also had left his fathers’ faith to follow God’s commands. Abraham is equally a wonderful example to us. God’s promises give us hope because of two unchangeable things: His promise and His oath. He kept His word to Abraham. He will keep His word to us. Let us hold fast to our blessed hope. A victor’s crown awaits those who do.
Jim McDonald