FAITH AND PATIENCE

HEBREWS 6:9–20

We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised

(Hebrews 6:12).

The Hebrew Christians seemed to be stuck in the wilderness. God had promised to deliver them from Jewish oppression because Jesus said that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed. But why was He taking so long? We might ask the same today: When will God overturn the power of secularism and restore a time of blessing to His people?

True faith is seen in patience. God told Adam and Eve that every tree would be for them to eat (Genesis 1:29), but He also told them not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil. They could figure out that this prohibition was, therefore, temporary. All they had to do was trust Him and be patient, but this they refused to do.

Thus Abraham becomes the great example of faith. God told Abraham early on that his own seed would inherit the land, but for years Abraham had no children. Finally, Abraham begat Isaac. But then God commanded him to offer up Isaac. This was the great test of Abraham’s faith and of his patience. Abraham, however, did not waver (though he must have been grieved). He was certain that God would raise up Isaac again, and that both of them would return home together (Genesis 22:5).

When God saw that Abraham was willing to put the knife to Isaac’s breast, He delivered Isaac and swore an oath to Abraham: “Blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you” (Genesis 22:16–18). At this point, God was adding an oath to His promise, providing Abraham with the “testimony of two witnesses.” (Indeed, the two witnesses seem to be emphasized by God’s doubling of the verbs.) Abraham received Isaac back “from the dead” as a proof that God’s promise was sure.

What did this mean to the congregation of Hebrew believers, and what does it mean to us? It means that the resurrection of the Greater Isaac is God’s oath to us that His kingdom will never fail. He gave the promise in the old covenant, and He adds the oath in the new. God has fulfilled His promise to send His Son. Thus, we can trust Him and patiently wait for Him to fulfill all the rest of His promises.

CORAM DEO

Hosea 4–7

Why does God delay in bringing His promises to pass? Clearly it is so that we grow through suffering to maturity, learning patience through faith. If you are frustrated because God does not seem to be blessing you right now, let today’s lesson speak to your situation.

For further study: Gen. 22:13–18 • Num. 23:18–20 • Rom. 4:13–18

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