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Folk wisdom tells us, “Good things come to those who wait.” That may be true, although we tend to think of “waiting” and “patience” as very passive virtues–if we just sit around long enough and don’t try to push life along, good things will happen. According to our passage today, it would be a mistake to interpret the example of Abraham that way.
In the context of Hebrews, and particularly in light of the verses we’ve studied the past two days, we know that Hebrews doesn’t favor a passive approach to Christianity. Hebrews calls us to be active Christians, to grow in the faith so that we will stick with Jesus. We need to keep this in mind in order to understand why the author uses Abraham as an example of someone who wasn’t lazy and who ought to be imitated (v. 12).
Abraham’s “waiting patiently” here does not imply that he passively sat around waiting for God to do what He had promised; rather, it describes a man who believed, in spite of the odds, that God would make good on His word (v. 15). In other words, Abraham persisted in his belief that God would do what He said He would do. Abraham provides us with an Old Testament model of what it means to persevere in our faith in God’s promises.
We can persevere in faith because we know who made the promise–none other than God Himself (v. 13). The writer is just about to take us back into the rich depths of the Old Testament and teach us more about the greatness of Jesus’ high priestly position (v. 20). However, before he does, he reminds us that our God cannot lie (v. 18). When He makes a promise, He brings to pass what He has promised.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We all need reminding of our hope in Christ Jesus. Take some time to read the following passages of Scripture: Romans 8:12-27; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 50-58; Ephesians 2:11-22; and Revelation 21. As you read, jot down the promises in those verses that we know we have or will one day receive. This is far from an exhaustive list, and you may think of other passages to look at, but once you are done, take your list and thank God for each promise that He has made to us.
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