Hebrews 6:17, commentary and pictures

God, wanting to show the heirs of promise beyond all doubt that his purpose does not change, bound his promise with an oath and swore by himself. The heirs are all who love him and seek to meet his requirements, and the promise at the center is eternal life under a covenant he will not change but will fulfill. His pledged word joined to his oath gives firm assurance and strong comfort, because he cannot lie, and this grounds confidence and strengthens faith in his promises. Through Christ, who brings them near by his atonement and intercession, they may lay hold by faith on the hope set before them as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, reaching within the veil where Jesus has entered as high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. This calls believers to cling to the promises with full trust in the One behind them, bringing their burdens to Jesus and looking away from discouraging appearances, assured that he is abundantly willing to give his servants the strength their trials require.

God's Oath Confirmed

God, willing more abundantly to show the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed His unchanging purpose and promise with an oath, swearing by Himself because He could swear by no greater. His pledged word joined to His oath was given so the heirs might have firm assurance and strong consolation that He cannot lie. That oath secures an unchangeable purpose centered on eternal life, with hope set before them as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul reaching within the veil where Jesus has entered as High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. He swore in this way to Abraham, to Isaac, and to David. In giving the oath He stoops to human fear and weakness, meets people in their own understanding, and answers the feeling that even a recorded pledge needs a guarantee. He condescends to remove all cause for doubt by multiplied assurances, because He is faithful that promised, thereby strengthening faith in His promises. He makes His promise a binding agreement on condition of obedience, taking hold of the trembling hand reached up in faith. His counsel does not change, and the promises He has given are more immutable than the grand old mountains He set fast, girds with His power, keeps in position, and alone can move out of their place. The towering rocks point heavenward declaring His majesty and that He changes not, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning, and His word stands forever from generation to generation. Because God Himself takes an oath, required an oath between man and man, and Christ answered when adjured by the living God in His trial, solemn oath-taking in lawful matters of importance is no violation of God's word. The Christian who lives in the light of God's countenance and grows strong in His strength can consistently testify under oath and appeal to God, and when matters of importance must be decided by law there is no one who can so well appeal to God.

Assurance and Strength for Heirs

The heirs of promise are not a select few but all who endeavor to meet God's requirements and love Him, and the covenant promise He has confirmed to them centers on eternal life, a covenant He does not change but will fulfill. His pledged word joined to His oath gives those heirs firm assurance and strong consolation, because He cannot lie. That double guarantee grounds confidence in Him and in His promises and is given to strengthen faith in what He has promised. It gives strong reason to trust Him and to bring worries and burdens to Jesus.

Through Christ they are brought near to God by His atonement and intercession, and may personally take hold by faith of the hope set before them. That hope is a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul, reaching within the veil where Jesus has entered as High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Purchased through Christ's atonement and intercession, it sustains steadfastness through conflict and fixes expectation on God's favor in heaven.

The verse therefore calls believers to cling to the promises in faith with full trust in the One behind the promise. They are to look away from discouraging appearances and not fail when faith is tested by small beginnings and hard circumstances. God is able and abundantly willing to give His servants the strength their needs require in tests and trials. He can overthrow even firmly established plans against His work, acting in His own time and way after their faith has been sufficiently tested.