Sunday Worship – June 22, 2025

The Mystery Experienced on the Path of Faith <Hebrews 6:13–20 >

In life, we exchange many promises. And often, the promises we make are not kept. Human promises tend to change depending on the situation, and their weight varies based on how much we trust each other.

But what about the promises God makes? Could God ever make a promise He cannot keep? Would He look at our situation and say, “I’ll put this on hold for now”?
The Bible tells us, “It is impossible for God to lie.”
And that very God made a solemn oath. He gave Abraham a promise—and to confirm that promise, He swore by Himself. So, is the promise given to Abraham still valid for us today? What meaning does that promise hold in the midst of our suffering and wavering faith? 

Hebrews chapter 6 declares this: God’s promise never fails. That promise is alive today in Jesus Christ. Abraham’s faith, God’s oath, and the fulfillment of that promise through Jesus’ eternal priesthood—this is our story now. Today, through this passage, may you clearly see how firm the hope is that we must hold onto, and where that hope is anchored, and receive strength and comfort through it. 

Hebrews 6:13–14 says that when God made His promise to Abraham, He swore by Himself:

“When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.’”(Hebrews 6:13–14)

This is a direct reference to Genesis 22:16–18, where God gave His oath after Abraham showed his willingness to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. But the important point here is that God’s promise didn’t begin at that moment—it had already been given many times before.

In Genesis 12, God first appeared to Abram and said:

“I will make you into a great nation… and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”(Genesis 12:2–3)

This promise wasn’t something Abram earned. At the time, Abram was living in Ur of the Chaldeans, among people who worshiped idols (Joshua 24:2). But God didn’t choose him because of merit—He chose him according to His plan and grace.

God didn’t make the promise just once. He confirmed it repeatedly and more clearly over time:

Genesis 15: God told Abram to prepare animal sacrifices, then God alone walked between the piecesof the animals while Abram was asleep. This signified that the responsibility to keep the covenant rested entirely on God.

Genesis 17: God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and reaffirmed His promise—that Abraham would be the father of many nations. This showed that God’s plan through Abraham would extend to all peoples and nations.

Genesis 22: When Abraham was willing to offer his one and only son Isaac, God once again confirmed the promise with an oath: “I swear by myself… through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.”(Genesis 22:16–18)

This last statement in Genesis 22 might appear to be a reward for Abraham’s obedience. But the writer of Hebrews views it differently. 

Hebrews explains that Abraham’s obedience was not the condition for the promise, but rather the result of his trust in the promise he had already received. He could offer Isaac because he already believed that God would fulfill His promise—even if it meant raising the dead.

Hebrews 11:19 explains it this way:

“Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.”

In other words, Abraham obeyed God’s command to offer Isaac because he believed that even if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life.

Hebrews 6:17–19 describes this event further:

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath... so that we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” (NIV)

God is unchanging. But because we are weak and uncertain, He gave not only a promise but also an oathto give us assurance. Even when we face suffering and long waiting, God's promise remains firm and unshakable. This portion of Hebrews (6:13–20) is not just a reflection on Abraham’s journey of faith, but a declaration of God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises, and it connects directly to the high priestly ministry of Christ. 

And the promise to bless is not just for Abraham alone. Let’s look at Romans 4:16:

“Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” (NIV)

This promise now applies to all believers in Jesus Christ. The path of faith we walk now—with its trials, delays, and incomprehensible obedience—is ultimately the path to glory that God Himself has prepared. 

The promise Abraham received was one of the most glorious in all history.

“You will be a blessing… all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2–3)

God was not just promising to bless one man’s life. He was initiating His plan of redemption for all humanity through Abraham. But the journey to fulfill that promise was far from easy. Though Abraham received the promise, he and Sarah waited 25 years for a child, long after their bodies were beyond childbearing age.

Yet, God fulfilled His promise at the edge of human impossibility.
Isaac was born as the son of promise—a child born by grace, through faith.

And when God asked Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, it was the ultimate test of faith. It went against all logic, emotion, and human morality. But Abraham obeyed—not blindly, but because he trusted God's power to raise the dead.

Romans 4:17 confirms this: “He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”

Abraham obeyed not because he calculated the outcome, but because he knew who God isand trusted His word. Faith is not about calculating possibilities—it’s about trusting in God’s character. 

Abraham was not the only one who walked such a path. Joseph received dreams from God, but before the promise was fulfilled, he endured long and deep suffering. From being sold into slavery, to unjust imprisonment, Joseph’s reality seemed the opposite of God’s promise. But in the end, God raised him up as ruler of Egypt, and the day came when his brothers bowed before him, just as God had shown.

Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness of Midian. When God called him, Moses said he wasn’t qualified and couldn’t speak well. But God didn’t ask for his qualifications. God chose him, sent him, and stayed with him. Even after the Exodus, Moses’ journey was full of hardship—complaints, betrayals, and rebellion from the people. Yet Moses kept walking — not because the path was easy, but because God had spoken and promised.

Faith is not a road we take because it's convenient or makes sense, but because God has called and promised. The path of faith leads to glory, but the journey is often painful, lonely, misunderstood, and filled with tears. And yet, Abraham, Joseph, and Mosesall testify with their lives that God is faithful—He will always fulfill His promises. 

And the author and perfecter of that faith journeyis Jesus Christ. Jesus’ high priestly ministry and His death on the crossare the fulfillment of what God had promised long ago. From the Old Testament, God foretold the coming of a true mediator and priest for sinners. That promise was fulfilled in Jesus:

“Jesus has entered on our behalf... having become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:20)

Jesus’ death on the cross was not just an act of obedience. It was the necessary path by which God’s plan of salvationwas fulfilled. Hebrews 2:10 (NIV) says: 

“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God… should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”

Through Jesus’ obedience and suffering, we are saved. His cross was not accidental—it was promised, planned, and perfectly fulfilledin line with God's unshakable word. Jesus’ suffering and death were the path of obedience to fulfill God’s promise. Even now, He remains our Great High Priest, interceding for us from the throne of heaven—leading us into glory. 

We are now walking the path of faith. We, too, have received God’s promises:

“You will be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2). “I will be with you” (Isaiah 41:10)

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:2)

These are not promises to avoid suffering, but promises of God’s presence with us in suffering. Even when we walk through fire, we will not be burned. When the waves rise, they will not overwhelm us—because God is with us. 

Hebrews 6:19 gives us this great comfort: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (NIV)

This hope is like an anchor — unshakable and steady—drawing us into the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God, where Jesus has already gone before us.
We may tremble, but He does not.
We may grow weary, but He never rests.
We may be weak, but He is the living High Priest who constantly intercedes for us.

The path of faith is hard. It is filled with tears, struggles, and moments of loneliness.
We often encounter suffering we cannot understand.
But this is not because something is wrong with us—It is because God is holding us, shaping us, and leading us to His glorious purpose. Suffering and obedience are not the exception—they are the normal way of faith. You are not alone.
Jesus has walked this road ahead of you, and He walks with you still.
He says: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

So even in the midst of your pain—hold on to His promise. Trust the God who always fulfills His word. Your life, like Abraham’s, Joseph’s, and Jesus’, will be completed in the glory of God’s will. And at the end of it all—there will be praise, glory, and God’s delight in you.

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