Boldness from a promise

“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (Heb. 4:1,2).

Unbelief is turning down a relationship with God. The context of Hebrews 3 is the children of Israel in the wilderness. The gospel was preached to them not from a preacher. It was preached by experience, in that the Lord had delivered them from slavery. He took off their yoke of captivity and let them walk upright. He gave them more than heart could wish. His deliverance was the unspoken statement of His desire for a relationship with the whole nation.

“I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.” (Lev. 26:13).

It was Jehovah’s promissory note hidden in His deliverance that gave Israel the boldness to approach Jehovah as a God who loved them. They could appreciate the mercy seat on the ark, they could believe in God’s mercy because He had saved them from an impossible escape from eternal bondage.

If we don’t have a promise in hand (or in mind) we can’t boldly approach God, even though we heard that He is the God of grace. We don’t have the authority to tell ourselves to believe God will help us. Neither does a preacher, no matter how loudly he commands us to believe. We must have God’s promises. His promise is our only authority that can empower us to come to Him in faith. Without His offer to forgive we can’t ask for forgiveness. We have nothing upon which to hang faith in His willingness to have mercy on our sinfulness. With His promise to forgive, we can come just as we are.

“(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He sware unto them.” (Deut. 4:31).

“Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments.” (Ex. 20:6).

Without His promise to provide we have no right to ask Him for daily bread or help to pay the rent. With His promises, we have every right in the world to seek His provisions.

“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you.

And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.” (Lev. 26:4-10).

Without His promise, our boldness wilts and our furious old nature rebounds and grinds at God. This kind of prayer He will not endure, so He preempts that and gives us His promises. We must bring to Him the promise He has previously given us.

When we have His promise His Spirit brings that promise to life for us. We become the sons of God and we speak to God with all the power of heaven. That’s what He wants. He has humbled us and broken our wills and hearts. Now we can believe Him before we ask. We command God from humility and respect and love, “You must!! I need and You promised!!!” Our heart is open, our ears are open. We can talk face to face.

“And I will set My tabernacle among you: and My soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people.” (Lev. 26:11,12).

He can instruct and guide only those who stand before Him in His glory. And He will teach them when they fill their minds and hearts with His Book full of precious promises.

“According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Pet. 1:3,4).

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16).