PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

`He ... spake of the resurrection of Christ ... therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the

Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear'.

The noun `promise' is an important word in Hebrews, occurring as it does fourteen times, as follows:

`Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it'

(4:1).

`Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises' (6:12).

`After he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise' (6:15).

`To shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel' (6:17).

`He (Melchisedec) ... blessed him that had the promises' (7:6).

`A better covenant ... established upon better promises' (8:6).

`The new testament (covenant) ... receive the promise of eternal inheritance' (9:15).

`Ye have need of patience, that ... ye might receive the promise' (10:36).

`By faith he sojourned in the land of promise' (11:9).

`Heirs with him of the same promise' (11:9).

`These all died in faith, not having received the promises' (11:13).

`He that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son' (11:17).

`Through faith ... obtained promises' (11:33).

`Received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made

perfect' (11:39,40).

It will be seen that the example of Abraham would clinch, as it were, the exhortations dealing with the promise

that had been given earlier in the epistle. Some of these Hebrew believers were shrinking back under a great trial of

faith. Abraham's trial and triumph would encourage them to persevere. Perhaps the fact that these blessings were

reserved for resurrection had not been fully grasped by them. Abraham's confidence would tend to reassure them.

Sarah's unbelief was rebuked by the word:'Is anything too hard for the Lord'? (Gen. 18:14), and these words

have a fuller message than the English translation supplies. The word `hard' is pala, and is rendered `wonderful',

`marvel', and the like. It is used of the plagues of Egypt and the future day of restoration (Psa. 78:12; Zech. 8:6); it

is associated with the wonder of child-birth (Psa. 139:14,15); it enters into the name of the Angel who appeared to

Samson's mother (Judg. 13:18), and above all in the name of that `Child born and Son given' of whom Isaac was but

a type - `His name shall be called Wonderful' (Isa. 9:6). Is anything too wonderful for the Lord of resurrection?

Have we not allowed ourselves to be robbed of a full apprehension of God's grace and power by reason of the

limits imposed by translation? The word usually rendered `miracle' is dunamis. This word occurs twice in Hebrews

11, viz., `Sarah received strength, (11), and `quenched the violence of fire' (34). The only reference therefore to

God's power in this chapter has to do with resurrection. When Paul said: `That I may know Him, and the power of

His resurrection' he actually said, `the miracle of His resurrection'. Sarah knew this miracle, Abraham knew it,

Jonah experienced it, and Israel anticipated it (Hos. 6:2). This miraculous power of resurrection lies behind every

promise of God, and however dark and apparently contrary to all reasonable expectation the present path may be,

faith (as in the trial of Abraham) goes on beyond even the power of death, and believes in God Who quickeneth the

dead.

When Abraham heard the call the first time, he obeyed and went out not knowing. When he responded the

second time, he obeyed, still not knowing, but assured that God was faithful that promised. He obtained promises,

he patiently endured, and could like Paul say, `I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded'. Sarah `judged

Him faithful Who had promised'. Abraham `accounted Him able to raise up Isaac, even from the dead'. These are

but variants of the same act of faith.

Members of the One Body too, have a promise to keep in mind, a promise made before age times (Tit. 1:2), a

promise sealed, for which an earnest has been given (Eph. 1:13), a promise which forms a precious feature of their