The writer, after exhorting his hearers to be 'followers or imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises,' gives an illustration of the long-suffering of faith in the life of Abraham. The need for emphasizing this element of faith lay in the growing discouragement of the Jewish Christians at the long delay of Christ's coming. He seeks to comfort his hearers by saying, "yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." (10:37) All the instances cited in the eleventh chapter illustrate the long outlook of faith, involving patient waiting and endurance.

The example of Abraham shows first that the promise of God is sure. (11:9,10)

It was in Chaldea that the God of glory appeared to Abraham , and made him the great sevenfold promise recorded in Genesis 12: 1-3. Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. How long he patiently waited before his father's death, we are not told. God's great covenant with Abraham is recorded in Genesis 15. Here we have Abraham believing Jehovah, and God reckoning it to him for righteousness. Later Ishmael was born, an effort of Abraham's flesh to help God out. Abraham was then eighty-six years of age. Then at the age of ninety-nine, God's promise is renewed and the birth of Isaac is prophesied. Following the birth of Isaac, came the great testing from Jehovah, of offering up Isaac a sacrifice. It is after this great testing that God confirmed the covenant, made with Abraham, with an oath,

To encourage his hearers, the writer makes mention of God's oath to Abraham. "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, He sware by Himself." The patience of Abraham commenced from the date of the original promise. The birth of Isaac in due time fulfilled his hope, as touching the true seed of his inheritance. But its final confirmation and security was the oath of God, pronounced when the decisive trial of his faith was past, and he had received the child of promise from the dead." The phrase, "Blessing I will bless" is a Hebraism, emphasizing the idea contained in the verb. "And so after he had patiently endured (pointing back to the lonsuffering in verse twelve), he obtained the promise." The word "obtained," says Vincent, "indicates that Abraham did not personally receive the entire fulfillment of the promise, but only the germ of its fulfillment. It was partially fulfilled in the birth of Isaac." (Rom 4:18)

"For men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife."

The oath is final for confirmation. Here the writer to the Hebrews illustrated the security of the divine promise. God gave His oath, thus confirming the covenant. "Wherein (in accordance with the universal human custom) God willing ( being minded) more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability (unchangeableness) of His counsel, confirmed (interposed) it by an oath." God pledged Himself with an oath. Vincent said, "He placed Himself between Himself and the heritors of the promise. " A promise is an assertion of intention made. In giving an oath the person's character is publicly and solemnly put behind the assertion. In a promise we look at the words. In an oath we look at who, and what the promiser is. Think of the condescension to human custom. God gave His oath to Abraham. He swore by Himself, Govett said, "Had He sworn by Heaven and earth, I might have feared, lest , as they shall pass away, so His word might. But when the most High sears by Himself, Who abides forever, my fears are gone." Andrew Murray said: "God points to Himself, His divine being, His Glory, His power, and pledges Himself as security as hostage, that as sure as He lives, He will fulfill His promise."

Two Immutable things:

"That by two immutable things ( the promise and the oath) in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation. The word translated 'things' means 'accomplished facts' - that is the promise made by God, and the act of God taking an oath. These are not subject to change. They are unchangeable. These two immutable facts are the foundation for 'strong consolation' or strong encouragement. God's promise and God's oath to Abraham were not for Abraham's encouragement alone, but also for our encouragement. They guarantee the believer's eternal salvation. "That we ( not Abraham only) might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope ( Christ ) set before us." Vincent brings out the full meaning of the word 'strong." He says: "Strong implies indwelling strength embodied or put forth either aggressively or as an obstacle to resistance; as an army or a fortress."

These two unchangeable facts did two things:

First: They demonstrated to the heirs of the promise the immutability of His counsel. God's promise rests upon the council of the Triune God who brought forth this counsel. This counsel is immutable. God will not change His position as to His promise. God's promises are not written upon the sand, but upon the brass of His unchangeable nature.

Second: God's immutability thus displayed, we have strong encouragement. We dare to believe God. Our faith rests in His faithfulness.

Who have fled for refuge. v18

Compare Deut. 4:24 where we have pictured the slayer who killed his neighbour unawares, and who, to escape the avenger, flees for refuge to one of the cities of refuge. The picture depicted in Hebrews is that of a sinner, who believing, flees from the penalty of sin to the High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ who has offered atonement for Him. The heirs of God's promise need not be discouraged. God's oath guarantees His word. There is refuge in the Christ, and in Him alone.

The Hope set before us.

This hope we have an an anchor of the soul. Note three things concerning this anchor of the soul.

2. It is sure

2. It is steadfast

3. It is within the veil.

The two adjectives 'sure and 'steadfast' express the relation of the same object to different tests applied from without. The word 'sure' is made up of a negative 'not and the verb 'to make totter.' Thus it means 'not to make totter' not to baffle or fail. The anchor is sure. It cannot be made to totter when put to the test. Hence secure against all attempts to break the hold. "Steadfast" means 'sustaining one's steps in going' - not breaking down under the weight of what steps on it. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Anchor. He will not break under stress or strain. His Anchor is within the veil. The veil of the Temple in Jerusalem separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, but the writer to the Hebrews is not referring to the Holy of Holies in the Temple, but to the Holy of Holies of heaven itself. The Anchor of the believer is therefore fastened within the veil of the Holy of Holies of heaven.

The forerunner is for us entered even Jesus

Aaron the high priest of the Old Covenant did not enter the sanctuary as a forerunner, but only as the people's representative. No one dare follow him in the Holy Place. But Christ our Priest goes nowhere where His people cannot follow Him.. He introduces man into full fellowship with God. He has become a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec.