by Pastor Steve Ellison
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Human beings are social. We need loyal companions. Anytime that we begin to believe that we have been forsaken by those whom we trust we are headed for depression and despair.
The Bible indicates that the ultimate horror that a human can experience is to be forsaken by God. Both Testaments describe God’s repeated promises to never leave or forsake His people. Only those who reject and forsake God will be forsaken by God.
Anytime that God is described as leaving His people, it is always a temporary disciplinary action meant to crowd His people back to His loving arms. Hebrews 13:5-6 which is a quote of Deuteronomy 31:6-8 and Joshua 1:5 is just one among many examples of God’s promise to never leave us or forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5-6 is God’s definitive statement on His promise not to leave us or forsake us. The writer of Hebrews strings five negatives together which does not translate into English very well. Putting two negatives together in English creates a positive. Putting negatives together in Greek is adding emphasis.
The Amplified Bible renders it this way, “God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down or relax My hold on you! Assuredly not! So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me?”
Kenneth Wuest, noted New Testament Greek scholar, translates it this way, “For He himself has said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you. I will not, I will not, I will not let you down. So that, being of good courage, we are saying, The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What shall man do to me?”
God wants us know without a shadow of a doubt that our relationship with Him is not dependent on our faithfulness but His faithfulness.
We rebelled and forsook God but in a marvelous work of unimaginable grace, God made a way for us to be made everlastingly right with Him. Once we have trusted Him and accepted His free gift our situation is up to Him. Another has been forsaken so that we do not have to be forsaken.
Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46 record Jesus on the cross saying, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?” This is a direct quote from David and Psalm 22:1. The New Testament in multiple places clearly applies Psalm 22 to Jesus, so we know that this psalm is Messianic. However, we also know that it applies in some way to David but the context is not given to us. In any case we know that while Jesus really was forsaken, David only felt forsaken.
Jesus was forsaken so that we do not have to be forsaken. Jesus had all our guilt poured out upon Him. Jesus bore the punishment for all our sins.
As believers in Christ, we are never truly forsaken by God. Jesus bore that terrible punishment for us. So any time you feel forsaken, you can know that you really have not been forsaken, you only feel forsaken. Hebrews 13:5-6 cannot be clearer; as a believer in Christ, you are absolutely safe and secure in the arms of a loving God.
You can email Pastor Ellison at [email protected].