Hebrew writer said (7)
Hebrews 6:10 is a word of great comfort. It’s one of the statements in scripture that while it doesn’t deny or undermine the majestic sovereignty of God it brings him within our reach. We are in his image, are like and to be like him—but this passage seems to put the shoe on the other foot; God is like us!
“God is not unjust,” he says, “he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” He has been very stern in the preceding verses but now he softens his tone and calls them “beloved” (6:9—agapetoi) and says something very human about God. Some versions add the word “so” in order to catch the tone (see the REB and the NJB). “God is not so unrighteous as to forget…” The “so” is not to suggest that God is a little unrighteous! We use that kind of expression when we say of someone that people might be expressing a hard view of, “Oh, come on, he’s not so insensitive as all that.”
I can see where pain and anger would make it hard for us to give credit where credit’s due to someone who has grieved us. That makes sense. Still, a fine human will take into account the goodness in someone and will give that person credit for what he/she has done. Think no less of God! Okay, so we note their blunders and failures and call those what they are but we’re not so vindictive that we’re incapable of seeing that it isn’t the entire story of their lives or character. [I say that fully recognising that some of us are so vindictive at times.]
The Lord who sees all our wrong also sees our sincere efforts to be good. Jesus who knew the flaws in his disciples said of them that they were the ones that stood by him in all his troubles (Luke 22:28). Isn’t that a lovely quality in Jesus? He learned it from his Father.
Listen, God is not insensitive or unfair. He won’t forget what you have done and are doing in his name—not even the giving of a cup of cold water, a simple word of uplifting or a warm, welcoming smile to a shy and fearful heart.
That’s what the Hebrew writer said.
Think noble things of God.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.
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