Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
Hebrews 6 says,
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.
He 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.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
Hebrews 6:17-19
Hebrews pictures our souls as ships adrift on the ocean, needing an anchor or port. Today’s passage describes the anchor and its use.
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul,” says the author (v. 19). I find this odd, because we hope for things future, not things present. How can I cast my anchor into the future?
Are we driven by fear to use this anchor? Hebrews says we have fled to take hold of the hope set before us (v. 18b). Why do we flee? What do we take refuge from? The book of Hebrews says we run from hard hearts that are ready to give up the faith (Heb 3:15). We run from suffering that teaches obedience (Heb 5:8). We run from temptation (Heb 4:15), and we run from baby-bottle immaturity (Heb 5:12-14). Paul says, “Flee evil desires. Pursue righteousness” (2 Tim 2:22).
The anchor of hope that Hebrews offers attaches itself to “two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie”–his promise and his oath (v. 17-18). We’re not sure what promise and what oath, but the author is clearly impressed that God doesn’t just make promises. Sometimes he swears an oath to convince sceptical hearers that his promises are real. Perhaps the author remembered God’s oath to Abraham after he prepared to sacrifice Isaac. God said, “I swear by myself I will bless you” (Gen 22:15). Or perhaps it was God’s promise to David: “I swore an oath to David . . . One of your descendants I will place on your throne” (Ps 132:11). Or perhaps it was God’s promise that the Messiah would be a priest: “I have sworn an oath. . . you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek ” (Ps 110:4).
The hope Hebrews offers as an anchor of the soul is a destination and an attitude. We flee from our troubles and temptations into Port Hope, casting our anchor on God’s firm promises, waiting for storms to is better than our past. This hope encourages us, enabling us to live with patience and optimism.
Let’s pray.
Father, our lives are adrift on an ocean of chance and change. Our thinking slows, our bodies age, our memories fuzz. The news shouts at us every day of earthquakes and wars, pandemics and winds of political change. What is our place in all of this? Are we flotsam and jetsam on the ocean of life? Bit players in a cosmic drama? Disposable pawns in the chess game of life?
Lord, help us not to believe the future is just more of the present. Draw us into Port Hope where we can anchor on your unchanging promises. Help us wait patiently until you bring a better future.
Amen.
I’m Daniel on the channel “Pray with Me”.
Pray with Me 