Encouragement to Steadfastness from God’s Faithfulness to His Word and Oath CONTINUES. Heb. 6:16-20.
For men verily sware by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife” v. 16 Gen. 14:22; 21:22-26, Matt. 23:20–22 an oath. Gen. 21:30, 31, Jos. 9:15–20, 2Sam. 21:2, Eze. 17:16–20 design of this verse is to give us an explanation of why it is that the great God has placed Himself on oath. When we consider who He is and what He is, we may well be amazed at His action. When we remember His exalted majesty, that he “humbles” Himself to so much as “behold” the things that are in heaven Ps. 113:6, there is surely cause for wonderment to find Him “swearing” by Himself. Dr. John Owen pointed out in his remarks upon v. 16: “As these words are applied to or are used to illustrate the state of things between God and our souls, we may observe from them: First, that there is, as we are in a state of nature (looking at the elect as the descendants of fallen Adam, a difference and strife between God and us. Second, the promises of God are gracious proposals of the only way and means for the ending of that strife. Third, the oath of God interposed for the confirmation of these promises (better, “in addition to” the promises) is every way sufficient to secure believers against all objections and temptations in all straits and trials, about peace with God through Jesus Christ”.
“Wherein God, willing more Ps. 36:8, Is. 55:7, Jn. 10:10, 1Pet. 1:3 abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise ch. 11:7, 9, Rom. 8:17, Gal. 3:29, 1Pet. 3:7 the immutability of His counsel, Job 23:13, 14, Ps. 33:11, Pr. 19:21, Is. 14:24, 26, 27; 46:10; 54:9, 10; 55:11, Jer. 33:20, 21, 25, 26, Mal. 3:6, Rom. 11:29, Jas. 1:17 confirmed it by oath” v. 17 Gen. 26:28 Ex. 22:11. “That Abraham might be fully persuaded of the absolute certainty of His blessing, and that the “heirs of promise” should also have pledge and proof of the immutability of His counsel concerning them; for the mind and will of God was the same toward all of the elect as it was toward the patriarch himself. We read in Roman 4 Abraham believing God and that it was counted unto him for (better “unto”) righteousness, and in v. 16 the conclusion is drawn: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed”; while in vv. 23, 24 we are told, “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned to him, but for us also, to whom it shall be reckoned, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead”—cf. Galatians 3:29. To ascertain this, we need first to consider God’s “counsel”. Like the expression the “will of God”, His “counsel” has a double reference and usage in the New Testament. There is the revealed “will” of God, set forth in the Scriptures, which defines and measures human responsibility 1Thess. 4:3, but which “will” is perfectly done by none of us; there is also the secret and invincible will of God Rom. 9:19, which is wrought out through each of us. “The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves” Lk 7:30; while on the other hand, it is said of the crucifiers of Christ, they “were gathered together for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done” (Acts 4:27, 28). This leads us to call attention to the distinction between God’s “counsel” and His “promise.” His “counsel” is that which, originally, was a profound and an impenetrable secret in Himself; His “promise” is an open and declared revelation of His will. It is most blessed to perceive that God’s promises are but the transcripts of His eternal decrees; His promises now make known to us in words the hitherto secret counsels of His heart. Pink
Arthur W.
