Hebrews 6:13-20
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[a] 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 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. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
************
Hope in God's Promise
In Israel, if anyone wants to emphasize that promise further by calling someone else to take an oath, that person had to be very important. However, since there was no one greater than God Himself, He took an oath by Himself when God made an important promise to Abraham. Now, the word "oath" signifies placing great importance on a commitment or promise. In Jewish society, they used the term "oath" when making religious promises. For example, in Judaism, when making a promise to God, they used the word "oath" to convey the significance of that promise. Such oaths are used not only in religious contexts but also in societal and legal situations. As we know, the Creator, God, doesn't need to take an oath. However, at times, through an oath, God reassures us that His promises are truly certain and unchanging. God fulfilled His promise to give Abraham a son when he was a hundred years old. God's timing can be faster or much slower than human expectations. God's promises are unwavering, but the challenge lies in our impatience. Because God's promises are sure to be fulfilled, we must maintain a posture of trust and enduring patience.
이스라엘에서는 뭔가 중요한 약속을 했을 때, 그 약속을 더 강조하기 위해 다른 누군가를 불러 맹세하려면 그 사람이 너무 중요해야 합니다. 하지만 하나님은 더 큰 누군가 없으니까 아브라함에게 약속하실때 자기 자신을 가리켜 맹세하셨습니다. 그런데 "맹세"라는 말은 어떤 다짐이나 약속을 정말로 중요하게 여기는 걸 의미합니다. 유대사회에서는 종교적인 약속을 할 때 "맹세"라는 말을 썼어요. 예를 들어, 유대교에서 하나님에게 약속을 할 때 "맹세"를 쓰는 건 그 약속이 아주 중요하다는 뜻입니다. 그리고 이런 약속은 종교뿐만 아니라 사회나 법률에서도 쓰이기도 합니다. 창조자이신 하나님은 맹세를 할 필요가 없습니다. 하지만 때로는 맹세를 통해 하나님의 약속이 정말로 확실하고 변함이 없다는 걸 알려주셨습니다.
하나님은 아브라함이 백세가 되었을 때 아들을 주신다는 약속을 지키셨습니다. 하나님의 시간은 인간의 생각보다 빠를 수도 있고 아주 느릴 수도 있습니다. 하나님의 약속은 변함이 없는데, 이것을 기다리지못하는 사람이 문제입니다. 하나님의 약속은 반드시 이루어지기 때문에 우리는 신뢰와 오래 참음의 자세를 가져야 합니다.
