Hebrews 6:9-18

1.What was the condition of the people to whom Paul wrote this letter?
2.In what words did he give them a most solemn warning? .
3.How did he express his hope of them. .
4.For what did he commend them? .
5.How does the Lord regard his erring people?— .
6.Does this give any warrant to presume on his mercy? ; .
7.What was his desire in regard to them. .
8.What should the Christian not be? .
9.Whom should they follow?—
10.Who was most remarkable for faith and patience? . Compare .
11.What did God say to Abraham? .
12.What is the meaning of this form of promise: "Blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee"?— See note.
13.How greatly was his seed to be multiplied? .
14.Did he obtain the promise? .
15.Did his seed become as numerous as the dust of the earth?
16.How, then, did he obtain the promise? Ans. After his long and patient waiting, he received the son in whom the promise was to be fulfilled. His faith embraced the promise in its fullness.
17.By whom do men swear? .
18.Why did God swear by himself? .
19.Would an oath by an inferior object be solemn, and expressive of obligation?
20.Of what is God willing that we should have full proof? . Compare .
21.Who proved the Lord, and were still unbelieving? .
22.Have we not reason to believe that many are doing the same thing even in this day?
23.What two immutable things are referred to in ?
24.To whom is this intended to give assurance? .
25.Who have the privilege of laying hold of it? .
26.Of what do we lay hold?— See note.
27.Where is this hope set? .
28.Does hope ever look back to the past? See .

Notes

is an intensive form of expression not uncommon in the Hebrew. It denotes certainty. Two instances are found in . reads: "Of every tree of the garden eating thou shalt eat." It is translated, "Thou mayest freely eat." reads: "In the day that thou eatest thereof dying thou shalt die." Rendered, "Thou shalt surely die." These translations are literally correct, the words freely and surely representing the certainty contained in the form of the original. Again in the Lord said, "Seeing I have seen the affliction of my people." Stephen, quoting this (), expressed the intensive of the original by a repetition: "I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people." And indeed duplication is another method of expressing intensiveness in the Hebrew, as "good good," for very good. Our version very correctly translates , "I have surely seen."

As faith rests only on the word of God (), so hope rests only on the promise of God. Where God has not spoken there can be no faith. There may be opinion, or conjecture, or strong feeling, and even much confidence, but no faith. So where there is no promise of God there may be feeling, and strong self-confidence, but no true hope. And a promise fulfilled is no longer a promise—it is a matter of the past. Hope can no longer rest upon it, "for hope that is seen is not hope." Once received, it is no longer hoped for. Losing sight of this evident truth many have been led to indulge false hopes. They will profess to hope in God, while there is not a promise within their reach. For all the promises of God rest on conditions, and if we neglect the conditions, we cannot rightfully claim the promises. Claiming God's promises without fulfilling their conditions is not an indication of faith but of presumption. But if indeed we have fled for refuge to Christ, and have laid hold upon the hope set before us, what a strong consolation we have in the sure promise of God confirmed by his oath, brought near by the blood and intercession of our high priest in the heavens!

Bible texts in this lesson

Hebrews 6:8 · Hebrews 6:9 · Hebrews 6:10 · Revelation 3:19 · Psalms 85:5-8 · Numbers 14:18 · Numbers 14:19 · Hebrews 6:11 · Hebrews 6:12 · Hebrews 6:13 · Romans 4:16-22 · Hebrews 6:14 · Genesis 13:16 · Genesis 15:5 · Genesis 22:17 · Hebrews 6:15 · Hebrews 6:16 · Hebrews 6:17 · Malachi 3:10 · Hebrews 3:9 · Hebrews 3:11 · Hebrews 3:19 · Hebrews 6:18 · Romans 8:24 · Genesis 2 · Exodus 3:7 · Acts 7:34 · Exodus 1:7 · Romans 10:17

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