THE CERTAINTY OF GOD'S PROMISES "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus" (Heb 6:19-20a). -- Tomorrow:
"For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise." (Hebrews 6:13-15).
The "Forerunner" is the Lord Jesus Christ. The fact that He is a Runner at all is most remarkable! It is a sign of His humiliation – that He submitted to run the same course through which we must navigate, blazing, as it were, the trail for us to follow. He is the "Forerunner" ran the course before us. He sanctified the way for those who will follow Him, setting it apart for them, and clearing the way of impeding obstacles.
Right here, we strike at the heart of our faith. Jesus did leave us an example, but that was not His chief mission. In fact, the Scriptural representation of His example was that it was how to SUFFER. As it is written, "If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also SUFFERED for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps" (1 Pet 2:20-21, NRSV).
Our text reveals the ultimate reason for Christ's race. It was the CONCLUSION of the race that was the point, not the race itself. In His worst suffering, the accent was upon "the joy set before Him" – that is what kept Him going. Thus it is written, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb 12:2).
The "Forerunner" is the One who has completed the appointed course and reached the determined goal. In the case of unbelieving Israel, the twelve spies sent into the promised land were forerunners. They were spying out the land in the interest of the great congregation. They proved to be unfaithful forerunners, and therefore caused those who believed them to come short of the promised land (Num 13:26-14:4). However, in our case, the Lord Jesus is the Forerunner. He has entered the haven in our behalf, and is summoning us to "come to" Him!
Were it not for "the children" of God (Heb 2:13-14), the Son of God would never have been the "Forerunner." It is "for us" that He entered the presence of the Lord as "the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5). His death for us was vicarious – substitutionary! His entrance within the veil is FOR us while we are in this world. He will be WITH us in the world to come.
The point of our text is that an ultimate full union will be accomplished between the "Forerunner" and the runners, the Savior and the saved! Jesus is anticipating the gathering, and hope enables us to anticipate it also. When we are fervently and expectantly anticipating being with the Lord, it has a stabilizing effect upon the soul – like an anchor. It keeps us from drifting away from His Word (Heb 2:1). Our souls will not be carried away with the "fashion of this world," which is passing away (1 Cor 7:19). How glorious is the soul's anchor!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the Forerunner. Grant me grace to follow Him to the end of the race, that I may dwell forever in Your courts.