Hope as an Anchor, Hebrews 6.13-20, worship@ GPC 27/09/26

Hope as an anchor. Where is our hope? Who can we trust in life's storms? In the Tabernacle and then the Temple the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies, in inner sanctuary of the Temple that was forbidden for anyone else to enter. This was the Day of Atonement where the blood of a lamb was poured on the Ark of the Covenant to atone for Israel's sins. The High Priest's leg had a rope tied around it when he entered the Holy of Holies. This was to pull him out if he died in God's presence. There the High Priest would utter the name of God "Yahweh", the only time any Jew would say this most sacred name. And because of this the Jews hoped they were forgiven. And though in Jesus day the Ark was missing, a great sorrow for his people, this practice continued. Now, because of our High Priest, hope in him envisioned as an anchor by the writer to the Hebrews. But instead of rope to pull us out if we die, we have a rope attached to an anchor that pulls us in that we might live, as we worship lifting high the name of Jesus, the holiest of names, the name that is above every other name, and in who's faithfulness we trust. Because Jesus is the incarnate God of the Jews, the one who died that we might be forgiven, liberated and freed from deceit, darkness and death. In ancient times he is also the one who promises by his own name that childless Abraham and Sarah will have descendants that outnumber the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. We, by faith, are numbered in God's fulfillment of his promise, in Christ, in the Messiah. God is faithful to his promises, he does not lie, he is the truth. For our souls, for our life, for our families and communities, whether the rope is slack in the calm or taught with the strain of trials and adversity, hope in Jesus is the anchor, steadfast and sure. Our mission at Gorebridge Parish is to encourage everyone to live in the reality of Jesus' love. We pray this helps you to do so in your life. CCLI 144972