You may be surprised by the answer but it’s true. God swears.
In Genesis 22: 16-18 God speaks, “By Myself I have
sworn,” declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not
withheld your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your
descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore…And
through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you
have obeyed My voice.”
God’s swearing is not like our popular conception of ugly swearing.
The word “swear” includes synonyms like solemn oath, vow, and promise. In a court of law, we are familiar with taking
an oath to tell the truth by placing a hand on the bible. And in the pages of
the bible itself, God makes it clear
that He is a promise-keeping God. One of the best illustrations is God’s
promises to Abraham through a series of events and interactions. God’s ancient
vow to Abraham is profoundly filled in the modern Jewish state of Israel.
Despite all odds.
An
oath is considered weightier than a promise. It is solemn. God’s promise to Abraham transitioned into an
oath, a vow, because God wanted to put an exclamation point on the unchangeable
character of His purposes. He made a solemn declaration to keep His covenants with the Jewish people. It
is amazing to then understand His pursuit and inclusion of us non-Jews who have been
adopted into the promises. That the God of the universe would pursue us with His
love, promises, and goodness is next to incomprehensible.
The author of
Hebrews says that God's oath is a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul allowing
us into the holy of holies. It is quite amazing to think that God swears
an oath to us, His children. In a
court of law, we take an oath and swear on the Bible yet God in His own divine
self swears by Himself. When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you
many descendants.”
And after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised. God the Father goes
out of His way to assure us of fulfilling His promises to those who trust and
believe in Him. Repeatedly in scripture we read about His pursuit of His chosen people, the Jews. Surely this is a hope and an anchor for the soul in the midst of the storms
of life. With so much uncertainty in the world it's more important than ever. We
don't know how suddenly any life can change in the twinkling of an eye, so we
surely need a strong, unchangeable anchor for our souls.
Hebrews 6:17-20 "Because God wanted to make the
unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was
promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is
impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the
hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters
the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our
behalf."
“God’s promises are like the stars; the darker the night the brighter they shine.” Author David Nicholas-Professor of History, Clemson University
The
word “always” shimmers in 1 Corinthians
13:7 describing LOVE: “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres.” 
