Hebrews Chapter Six, God's Immutable Nature

 

“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel.” Having established who the heirs of promise are, we move on. Tracking backward a little, note that God is determined to show something. We learn that His intended audience, the people to whom He wishes to demonstrate this something are the heirs of promise, the saints of all time of the seed of Abraham. 

Having established an audience, the writer moves on to the purpose of the demonstration, namely: “the immutability of His counsel.” Immutability and counsel are both nouns that are ascribed to God’s character. The former (Greek, ametathetos) means inability to change. The latter is the Greek, “boule,” and describes advice resultant from determination, or the act of firmly deciding upon something. A ship’s captain steers his vessel by determining a course, for instance. God’s counsel is incapable of changing, we are told. Why? Because change implies the transition from one state to another, further intimating that something is imperfect. God, being perfect since eternity past, does not change, James 1:17, Malachi 3:6. God’s determination then, is to demonstrate to us, by means we as humanity understand, that we may trust Him because His word is as immutable as His person; it changes not.

 

Verse 18 opens with the reality of God’s promise and oath: two immutable things. The writer, inspired by the Holy Spirit, defines in the plainest language for us that these two things are immutable because God cannot lie. More emphatically, he uses the word, “impossible.” Oxford defines this word as, “not able to occur, exist, or be done.” While this may seem to be a contradiction to verses such as, “with God all things are possible,” (Matthew 19:26), we must separate the context of what is being said when it occurs, and why. For instance in Matthew, Jesus teaches that from a human perspective or by human agency salvation is impossible, be they rich or poor, Matthew 19:23-25. But through God’s grace, who has opened the door of salvation to all by Jesus Christ, salvation is attainable to all through faith. God makes what is otherwise impossible, possible. However, if we turn to James, we learn that like lying, God cannot be tempted. “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone,” James 1:13. It is impossible for God to be tempted to do evil. That is why Jesus assured His disciples concerning the devil’s efforts to thwart Him, “the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me,” John 14:30, 1 John 5:19. We know also that change is something God cannot do. “I am the Lord, I do not change,” Malachi 3:6. God is who He is throughout eternity and time; it is the essence of the name He gave Moses in the burning bush, “I Am who I Am.” Man is all too capable of change, though we take vows and make oaths. God, in the manner of men, made an oath, and for those who know Him, we know that His word is immutable because His character is unchangeable.

 

The author approaches a summit with the concept of consolation, laying down a solid foundation of hope. He mentions God’s promise and oath, both of which having been vouchsafed to Abraham and then to his seed are contingent solely on the person of God. This surety is intensified by God’s inability to lie. God is holy and incapable of expressing or committing sin. This foundation has been given for our sakes, the writer concludes. “We might have strong consolation.” He reverts here to the first person pronoun, and by incorporating his fellow saints as well as the Jewish Christians, implies that all believers everywhere and in every time might also lay hold of this strong consolation. The word “might,” is not (and is seldom) used to denote, “a statistical chance.” No, what is implied is greater than this. God created opportunity to the believer by presenting truth, promising its veracity, and permitting us to appropriate it by faith. The NIV renders this passage, “we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” “Might” becomes, “may” in the Majority Text, with the verse concluding that believers “may be greatly encouraged.” It would be poor exegesis to suggest that believers have in this strong consolation a possibility of being encouraged. No, it means God opened a window to reveal an amazing truth, that when apprehended, cannot help but instill in the believing soul, “strong consolation.”

 

The Greek word for “strong,” is “ischuros,” and is variously translated, “mighty, strong, boisterous or valiant.” By further extension the term can mean bold or courageous. Coupled with consolation we have a “bold or lively/energetic comfort” for refuge. These promises, however, apply efficaciously only to those who are heirs of the promise, and those, “who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Of course these two are one and the same. “Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you,” Psalm 91:9, 10. “I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living,” Psalm 142:5. The Psalmist’s refuge, which he claims is his personally in Psalm 91, is also the refuge of all who seek sanctuary from sin’s power and presence. Take note that the author describes such people as having fled, or escaped. Like Lot leaving Sodom before its overthrow, the sinner aware of our lost estate flees the allure of the world and runs to Christ. Rather than perish with Sodom, we cast ourselves on the mercy of the God who saves, and will save when we in faith come to Him. As is true with the rest of His unfailing character, He can do nothing else, because He is who He is. Meditate on God’s person, and enjoy the strong consolation we have in Him.