13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did 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 set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Questions to consider:
- What is the significance of beloved in verse 9?
- What qualities of God are revealed in this passage?
- What characteristics of the Old Testament leaders are the Hebrews urged to imitate?
- What is God’s promise to Abraham?
- What is the (a) present and (b) future of the Christian hope?
- How does the position of Jesus Christ demonstrate the reality of that hope?
What does it look like to be lazy in your faith, in your pursuit of following Jesus? What does it look like to be faithful and patient to inherit what God has promised to us? Let’s take some time to reflect upon these questions, as they pertain to our unique individual lives and situations. Let’s pray against laziness, whatever that might look like for our individual lives. Let’s also ask God for an increase in our faith and patience, and the ability to truly seek out the good things God has for us, the inheritance that he has promised.
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