No Never!

(Hebrews 13:5) “…for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

The Greek word used here for “never” is oume’, which is a double negative strengthening the denial; in other words not at all, no if’s and buts, it is a statement of fact! Emphasising the point, no never! When we read the sentence, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”, look at all the negatives heaped together to confirm the promise.

This promise is not for personal interpretation, it is intended for all true believers in Christ Jesus our Lord! If we look at the context of Hebrews chapter 13 we see the writer making a general call to all the saints and not only an individual. This promise applies to ever true believer and not only the individual. It is a blanket promise to all who place their trust in their Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ…

This chapter is full of encouragement for the family of God and our responsibility one to another. I suppose one of the current lessons for me is this; I must be content with what I have. My current predicament is teaching me to put my faith in my God and not to chase money as it will not bring me closer to finding the graces of God in my life; “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."” (Hebrews 13:5) – But for me to find solace in this promise I must be convinced of this one truth that I belong to Him and I am a child of God, if there remains any doubt I will always play the guessing game!

Let me use an example… although my son Mongi does not originate from my seed, and although he has not been legally adopted, he is nevertheless my son with all the rights of a legally adopted son, I will always have his back and I believe he will always have mine. There is no doubt in either of our minds of what roles we play to one another, I address him as son and he calls me dad. There is no uncertainty within our relationship. Sure there are those even within my family that haven’t quite understood this truth, nevertheless he is my son and I am his dad, period!

Could you imagine how unsure he would be if one day he thought I was his dad and the next not. This is my commitment to him; I am his dad and will always treat him as my son. How much more then can we claim this promise from God; “I will never leave you nor forsake you”? Man is but flesh and subject to the volatility of the flesh, BUT GOD is God and can never change; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) - find solace in that truth.

 

“I will never leave thee.”

- Heb_13:5

No promise is of private interpretation. Whatever God has said to any one saint, he has said to all. When he opens a well for one, it is that all may drink. When he openeth a granary- door to give out food, there may be some one starving man who is the occasion of its being opened, but all hungry saints may come and feed too. Whether he gave the word to Abraham or to Moses, matters not, O believer; he has given it to thee as one of the covenanted seed. There is not a high blessing too lofty for thee, nor a wide mercy too extensive for thee. Lift up now thine eyes to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west, for all this is thine. Climb to Pisgah’s top, and view the utmost limit of the divine promise, for the land is all thine own. There is not a brook of living water of which thou mayst not drink. If the land floweth with milk and honey, eat the honey and drink the milk, for both are thine. Be thou bold to believe, for he hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”In this promise, God gives to his people everything. “I will never leave thee.” Then no attribute of God can cease to be engaged for us. Is he mighty? He will show himself strong on the behalf of them that trust him. Is he love? Then with lovingkindness will he have mercy upon us. Whatever attributes may compose the character of Deity, every one of them to its fullest extent shall be engaged on our side. To put everything in one, there is nothing you can want, there is nothing you can ask for, there is nothing you can need in time or in eternity, there is nothing living, nothing dying, there is nothing in this world, nothing in the next world, there is nothing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning, nothing in heaven which is not contained in this text-”I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Signing off

Tyrone