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Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus". We understand therefore the
passage to convey this thought. When God first gave Abraham the promise that he
should be the father of many nations, there was not made known to him at the time the
fact that the promise was secured in Christ. Nevertheless, even at the beginning,
Abraham's faith went out to God Who quickeneth the dead, and the deadness both of
Abraham and Sarah is set forth as a picture of resurrection. So then in Rom. 4: 16 the
promise is of faith:
"that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed."
Heb. 11: shows that not only the birth of Isaac, but the offering of Isaac are both
closely connected with resurrection:
"Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence he
did also in a parable receive him back" (Heb. 11: 19 not AV JP).
It was, we believe, on Mount Moriah that Abraham, in this fellowship with the great
gift of God, rejoiced to see the day of Christ, calling the name of the place Jehovah-Jireh.
Then it was that the oath was uttered; then it was that the purpose of God was seen
secured in Christ as the Priest after the order of Melchisedec. The association of
Melchisedec with Abraham we leave until we consider chapter 7:, but it is important to
remember that Abraham had met Melchisedec and had received a profound impression
sometime before the great call of Gen. 22: came. After the Lord had "mediated with
an oath" Abraham returned "and dwelt at Beer-sheba" (Gen. 22: 19), Beersheba
meaning, "the well of the OATH" (Gen. 21: 31, margin).
One more reference to an oath in Hebrews completes the testimony:
"So I sware in My wrath, If they shall enter into my rest" (Heb. 3: 18; 4: 3).
Here the two references deal with failure to enter into the promised land, or promised
rest. Again the subject is not salvation, but the things that accompany salvation. The
three "oaths" of Hebrews therefore are linked together:
(1)
Those who did not overcome, like Israel in the wilderness (Heb. 3: 11; 4: 3).
(2)
Those who do overcome, like Abraham (Heb. 6: 17, 18).
(3)
The Priest of the overcomer (Heb. 7: 21).
These two oaths are the two immutable things of Heb. 6: and refer to the oaths made
to Abraham and the Saviour as the High Priest. Abraham's hope rested upon a covenant
that was made sure by the shedding of blood. The oath leads on to the hope:
"That . . . . . we might have strong consolation who have fled along to grasp the hope
set before us, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil" (Heb. 6: 18, 19 not AV JP).
The reader will miss the familiar "fled for refuge" of the A.V. Katapheugo, translated
"flee for refuge" here, is used by the LXX in several places for fleeing to the city of
refuge, and this probably influenced the translators of both the A.V. and R.V. The word,