Fellowship – this word has been ringing in my mind.
“I have told you to seek Me, to seek Me first and My kingdom and righteousness. I have said that if you seek me I will be found of you (I will allow you to find Me) – but actually I have been seeking you all your life – I have been behind the scenes, orchestrating everything in your life – but giving you free-will allowing you to stumble and fall and get up again (like a baby learns to walk) – but all the while I am there inviting and encouraging you to come closer to Me – remember the parable of the lost sheep? My attitude is to always to seek – so when I say ‘seek Me first’, it is against the background of My seeking you – and desiring fellowship with you. The key to your heart is deep within you and you need to open it from the inside – and as you do that I can flood my love and grace in to you and draw you close to my bosom where I can hold you secure and have continual fellowship with you. Remember to stay close to My word because that is where fellowship with Me starts.”
So I focus today on the short piece in Hebrews 6:13-20. This section acts like a bridge joining the section which opens in verse 2:1 where the writer introduces the warning about ‘drifting away’ and has continued with this danger up to 6:8, illustrating it with the long example of the Israelite’s disobedience in the desert. In 6:9 He seems to suddenly take a breath and recognize that not all the readers fall into this category hence “we are confident of better things in your case”.
Now from 6:13 his emphasis is moved to giving those readers an assurance of the security of their faith. The main source of assurance is Jesus, who is portrayed very much in His role of high priest, using this illustration chiefly because of the readers’ desire to move back (and drift away) into the Jewish faith and rites of the law. The writer has already alluded to this important picture in 2:17,18 and 4:14 – 5:6. In the next section He going to expand on that in great detail from ch 7 – 10, but before that we have his link piece from 6:13 – 20.
So why don’t you read this piece and decide which is the ‘flower’ verse among he foliage, telling us what the message is here.
Here it is then: 6:18 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 offered to us may be encouraged. OK do you see the pronoun he is now using? We. The writer is now including himself on the inside for the first time. Up till now he has been speaking in second person terms – ‘we say this to you’. So what are the two things which we can hold fast to, where God doesn’t lie and which will make our hope secure?
It starts with the promise (13:1), which refers to the great promise of Genesis 12:1-3 which is the basis of the whole of God’s rescue plan which gradually unfolds into the old covenant, and that eventually leads to he new covenant initiated by Jesus which is going to be discussed a little way ahead. So the promise is basic and the second is linked to that described in Genesis ch 22 from vs 15. It is directly related to the promise, where God (through an angel) commends Abraham in the light of his faith, demonstrated by his willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God’s instruction, the one who was to be the very mediator of that promise and therefore God then repeats the promise to Abraham with an oath and through him to us, to give every reader and follower that have taken hold of that promise, the assurance that they might have a certain hope, which in the words of the next vs in Hebrews (6:19) is our anchor – absolutely firm and secure.
This paragraph then ends with a statement linking this section with the role of Jesus as high priest which he is now going to be expanded on and we will start looking at that next time.
So what did I hear Jesus say to me? Well the emphasis on the reality, truth and importance of that promise reminds me again how God’s plan from the beginning was to save us and give us a sure footing for our fellowship with Him and looking forward to an eternity of fellowship with Him.
Eternal Ruler from Beth-Lehem . But you , Beth-Lehem Ephrathah , least among the clans of Judah – from.you will come out to Me One to be ruler in Israel , One whose going forth are from of old , from days of eternity. Therefore He will givevthem up until the time whe she who is in labor has given birth. Then the remnant of His brothers will.return to Bnei- Yisrael. So He will arise and tend His flock with the strength of ADONAI in the majesty of the Name of ADONAI His God – and they will.live securely for then He will be great to the end of the earth. This One will be Shalom ! Micah 5 1 4 I have decided to write Micahs prophecy in Ian’s blog, because it is for me the most beautiful message, especially in this time before Christmas. As Paul.says in 2 Corinthians 1 20 All the promises of God find their YES in Him (in Christ alone !) Therefore when we are in Him and trust Him all the promises Micah gave, will be our inheritance. Micah gave his prophecy, when these promises seemed absolutely impossible. The northern kingdom was destroyed and the southern kingdom would come under the judgement of the Lord. MIcah’s prophecy confirms, that the coming of Christ was the confirmation of all the promises of our Holy Lord. Micah’s predictions are true in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us prepare our hearts for Christ and trust Him. Let us receive in deepest gratitude this unimaginable gift of grace upon grace ! All glory and power be to our Holy Lord forever and ever! Amen