15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
This verse gives Abraham’s response to God’s oath in the previous verse (He 6:14).
15 And so,
The “so” indicates that Abraham could rely on God’s promise found in the previous verse (He 6:14). It demonstrates that Abraham could trust on God’s promise because He was faithful to His oath.
after he [Abraham] had patiently endured,
“Patiently endured” refers to patience with people rather than circumstances. It is the ability to restrain action against others; it is the capacity to act without retaliation against others (Co 1:11; 3:12). This person has the power to suffer long with others. In this case Abraham was patient with God.
Abraham waited a very long time for the promise to be fulfilled. He was 75 years old when God gave him his first promise (Ge 12:4). He waited 25 more years to see God’s promise beginning to be fulfilled in Isaac. Isaac was the first of a nation to come. Abraham “patiently endured” with God’s promise while waiting for the birth of Isaac (Ro 4:18–21).
Abraham waited still further until Isaac was a young man (Ge 22). The challenge to kill Isaac was a further and greatest test of his faith. Yet he was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Through it all his attitude towards God never changed.
he obtained the promise.
Abraham “obtained the promise” by the birth of Isaac (Ge 21:1) and by God giving him back years later after escaping death at Mount Moriah. Undeterred by delay and trial, he clung to God’s promise. By this he made the promise his special possession. He obtained it by unabashed faith in what God said. Not only did Abraham receive the promise from God but he saw it begin to come into fruition. His progeny was becoming a nation.
The readers of Hebrews needed to follow Abraham’s faith through whatever trial they might face. They were “sluggish” in their faith.
God kept His promise by restoring Isaac to Abraham. Isaac was the first of his many progenies. Both the birth and restoration of Isaac were pledges of the full promise of a nation coming from Abraham.
PRINCIPLE:
God’s promises are very important during a crisis.
APPLICATION:
After Abraham waited patiently, he began to receive what God had promised. The “promise” was his many descendants or the nation Israel. The “promise” was that Abraham’s progeny would become a great nation. And out of that nation the Messiah would come. Abraham endured the trial of sacrificing Isaac by faith. He became an outstanding example of someone who lived by faith in God’s promises (He 6:12).
Abraham never saw the ultimate fulfillment of the promise about Christ (He 11:19).
God not only makes promises but He keeps them. His promises are trustworthy. The believer is to be patient and await the fulfillment of God’s promises. God must ever be true to Himself and His Word. When we trust God by faith, new assurances come to us that are a platform for further trust in God. This is a continued walk by faith that gains assurance in what God says.
Christians today have many more promises than Abraham. Why should we cave in when we face problems? We can count on God’s promises because He will faithfully fulfill them. He will do what He says or promises. His promises may be delayed but not denied.
