Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.
10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end,
12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13
For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
14 saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” 15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, there is a grand picture of man’s lot, a man who sees his life as having and signifying nothing:
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
to the last syllable of recorded time.
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle.
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
The warnings from Hebrews are pointed. But the author turns to make sure our hope, our faith is directed and nourished. He seeks to encourage his listeners and he
has every reason to think that his warning will have its intended results, namely to invigorate his reader’s flagging faith.
He seems to have confidence that his acquaintance with their faith has borne fruit and is real. But notice two things:
First, although he thought their faith to be real, he does not hesitate to bring the warnings to the body that are severe. In a day like ours this is important to
notice. It is the joy of the Christian herald to proclaim the whole counsel of God, to bring the warnings of scripture before the people.
Some might wonder why he would need to speak this way to Christians? We know that not all folks who sit under preaching are inclined to believe the word that is proclaimed.
We also have seen it is the warnings that the Lord often uses to move his people, to convict them, to cast them ever before the Lord that they might see that He alone is sufficient. We should thank the Lord for his warnings and be grateful when they are set
before us clearly! And if you find your heart stubborn and not thinking that you need to hear such then that might be a warning in itself!
Second, although the author is sure of the faith of his readers, he is also certain that in this life we need to be encouraged to persevere, to continue as long as
we live in this world. He says that he is confident that their lives will bear fruit and will be lived in accordance with salvation and he is going to push them toward the very promises of God for their hope.
Some have taken the words of verse 10 to mean that somehow there is a works righteousness in our salvation, or that God owes us because of or work for his kingdom.
You are faithful and God will have to pay you back for your work.
This reminds us of the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20. Jesus tells this story after his confrontation with the rich young ruler. The disciples
witnessed Jesus speaking with the rich young ruler, the one who would not leave all he had and follow Jesus because he had great wealth.
Peter then asks Jesus, “Lord we have left everything to follow you…what do we get because of this?” It is as if Peter is saying, “That guy gets nothing and I understand
why, he wouldn’t follow. But what about us? We have followed, what is in it for us?” Although Peter had only begun to run the race he wanted the prize.
But we shouldn’t jump all over Peter for his question, it is not a bad question and it seems even more understandable when reading verse 10. In fact, Jesus goes on
to speak of the great rewards there will be for us who have left all and followed him and even tells us we will receive infinitely more than we have ever given up!
God delights in giving gifts to His children!
But Jesus wanted Peter to understand that he had to be careful of the attitude of working for wages, working to get, working and then saying to the Lord, “You owe
me.” It is in this context that he tells the parable of the groups of men hired at different times of the day and yet all paid the same. Those working longer had bartered with the owner for a wage, the others just went and worked and left payment in the hands
of the owner.
God does not pay us a debt, rather He performs what He has of Himself freely promised and He gives to us according to his grace in us producing good works that He
has prepared for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
To put it bluntly, God honors His own work in us as it becomes evident in our lives. Because of us? No, rather due to His own grace at work in and through us. For
what can God find in you and me to induce Him to love us and reward us except that which He has first conferred upon us?
God sees our work for He has ordained it and God sees our labors of love that He has worked in us and God does not forget and He knows that due to the flesh, our battle
is difficult for we see through the glass darkly. And what specifically is mentioned regarding this work? Labor of love. If you desire to do the work of God that His grace will push you to, then you would engage in the duties of love, so prepare yourself for
a life of labor!
Prayer: Father, I am often confused and filled with anxiety. I think most of this is due to the simple truth that I do not know You nor Your ways of doing things. Forgive
me for when I read of Your ways and reject them because they are hard on my flesh, they are the kind of things that require sacrifice, devotion and a sight of things unseen and I often do not know what such concept are to look like in my life. Give me eyes
to see, like you did Elisha’s servant, that I may see what is unseen and embrace the unconventional life that You have called me to, in Jesus name, Amen.
Hymn: O Magnum Mysterium