Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. – Hebrews 6:17

Today's Scripture Reading (June 26, 2024): Hebrews 6

Does God swear? I know the idea of God swearing is a strange one, but the prohibition against swearing an oath, and actually in the concept of foul language, extends back to the idea of causing dirt to fall on the name or person of God. So, gossip inside the church is hazardous and sinful because it often causes dirt to fall on the name of God.

The prohibition with oath-taking that we find in Leviticus says this; "Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:12). So, the writer of Hebrews reminds us that when we swear, we usually swear on someone who is exalted. I swear on my Sainted Mother's Grave, except my mother is still alive. Or often on the name of God. But to swear an oath in the name of God and then not follow through with the oath is to throw dirt, tarnish, or make profane, which means to make something ordinary, the name of God. So, to swear in the name of God and not follow through on the oath is to make God ordinary, which the Bible says is a sin.

However, the author of the Letter of Hebrews refers to a particular passage from the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. The story is one that modern Christians know, but don't really understand: the Story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. The story's high point is that God promises Abraham that Abraham and Sarah's descendants would be too many to count. Abraham and Sarah misunderstood God's promise. As a result, Sarah gave Abraham her hand mistress, Hagar, to sleep with Abraham and provide an heir. The idea was that any child who came out of the relationship between Abraham and Hagar would be considered Sarah's. Hagar became pregnant and brought forth a son, Ishmael, who became the Father of the Arab nations. But God made it clear that Ishmael was not the child of promise. That child would be born from Sarah.

When Abraham and Sarah were well past childbearing age, Sarah became pregnant and brought forth a son named Isaac, the one God had promised to Abraham and Sarah. All indications are that Isaac was brought up as an honored child like many "only childs" are. That is until the day that God made a request. This is the part of the story with which we struggle. One day, God asked Abraham to kill his son, sacrificing him on an altar to God. Part of the problem is that Judaism has never been a "Human Sacrifice religion." Yet that was precisely what God was asking for: the human sacrifice of the Child of Promise.

The Bible records the story of Abraham preparing to go to the mountain of God to sacrifice Isaac. The location of the sacrifice was on Mount Moriah, which some argue is the exact location where Solomon's Temple would be built later.

According to the story, Isaac was bound and placed on the altar, and the wood was built up for the fire. Young Isaac had asked Dad about the sacrifice, and Abraham simply replied, "God would provide." I can't imagine what emotions were going through Abraham as he lifted that knife to kill the Child of Promise. The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that Abraham expected God would bring the Child of Promise back to life. But instead, God stopped Abraham and told him not to sacrifice Isaac. A ram was caught in a thicket bush, and Abraham believed that God had really provided the sacrifice.

It is at the close of the story that we find this comment.

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" (Genesis 22:15-18).

When we look at the story, what makes us uncomfortable is that the whole situation, as terrifying as it was, was set up by God. We don't want to believe that. It is very possible that Abraham begged God not to do this, and God said no, I will not remove this thorn, but I will promise that I will be with you. My presence will be there every step of the way.

The bottom line is that God assures Abraham that he has a purpose and a plan. He is willing to swear by his name because there is no one greater, and there is also no chance that God will be unable to fulfill what he has promised.  

When God swears, we know we can trust that God can correct what seems so wrong. For Christians, we know that the presence of the priest overcomes any trouble we may encounter.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hebrews 7