Heb 6:13-17 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Heb 6:13-20: 6:13-20 This passage focuses on the reliability of God’s faithfulness to his promises. The theme of God’s oath is developed with an illustration (6:13-15 ), followed by a general principle (6:16 ), followed by the main point: God has sworn a significant oath (6:17-18 ), which gives us hope because it shows that Jesus is our permanent High Priest (6:19-20 ). Summary for Heb 6:13-14: 6:13-14 Abraham was the premier exemplar of faith: He continued to believe that God would give him a son, then was willing to sacrifice that son in obedience to God (11:17-19 ; Gen 15:1-5 ; 22:1-14 ). In response to Abraham’s faith, God took an oath, assuring Abraham that he would bless him and multiply his descendants .

Summary for Heb 6:13-20: 6:13-20 ^a This passage focuses on the reliability of God’s faithfulness to his promises. The theme of God’s oath is developed with an illustration (6:13-15 ^b), followed by a general principle (6:16 ^c), followed by the main point: God has sworn a significant oath (6:17-18 ^d), which gives us hope because it shows that Jesus is our permanent High Priest (6:19-20 ^e).
Summary for Heb 6:13-14: 6:13-14 ^f Abraham was the premier exemplar of faith: He continued to believe that God would give him a son, then was willing to sacrifice that son in obedience to God (11:17-19 ^g; Gen 15:1-5 ^h; 22:1-14 ⁱ). In response to Abraham’s faith, God took an oath, assuring Abraham that he would bless him and multiply his descendants.
6:15 ^j what God had promised: Through Isaac, God made Abraham into a great nation (Exod 1:7 ^k).
6:16 ^l It is a general principle in human relationships that when people take an oath, the oath is binding. If in human contexts oaths give assurance that something is true, an oath from God ought to inspire much greater confidence (6:17-19 ^m).

• someone greater than themselves: Cp. 6:13 ⁿ.
Summary for Heb 6:17-18: 6:17-18 ^o God also bound himself with an oath: See 7:20-22 ^p. God’s oath makes it clear that he would never change his mind . . . because it is impossible for God to lie (see Ps 110:4 ^q).

• We have fled to him for refuge, like those in the Old Testament era who killed someone accidentally (Num 35:9-34 ^r; Deut 4:41-43 ^s); Christ is like a city of refuge, where believers escape God’s wrath. Christ’s followers, therefore, have great confidence.