Wherein God, willing
Or "wherefore", as the Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it;
that is, whereas an oath is used among men to confirm anything
that might be doubted; therefore God, in condescension to the
weakness of men, made use of one; being very desirous and
determined,
more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the
immutability
of his counsel;
by which is meant, not the Gospel nor the ordinances of it,
though these are sometimes called the counsel of God; but the
decree of God, concerning the salvation of his people by Jesus
Christ, which is immutable; as appears from the unchangeableness
of his nature, the sovereignty of his will, the unsearchableness
of his wisdom, the omnipotence of his arm, and the
unconditionality of the thing decreed, and from that and the
purpose of it being in Christ: and the immutability of this, God
was willing to show "more abundantly" than in other purposes,
though all God's purposes are unchangeable; or than had been
shown to the Old Testament saints; and more than was necessary,
had it not been for man's weakness: even to "the heirs of
promise"; not any earthly temporal promise, but the promise of
grace and glory; the promise of eternal life; the heirs of which
are not only Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or God's elect among the
Jews, but all that are Christ's; who are justified by his
righteousness, believe in him, and are the children of God; for
as many as are such are heirs of eternal glory, and of the
promise of it: and that the unchangeableness of God's purpose in
saving them by Christ might be manifest to them, and be out of
all doubt, he "confirmed it by an oath"; his counsel and purpose;
he not only determined in his mind that he would save them, and
promised it in his covenant; but he also, to confirm it the more
to the persons concerned in it, if possible, annexed his oath to
it; or "he interposed or acted the part of a Mediator by an
oath"; which some refer to Christ's mediation between God and
Abraham, when he swore unto him, as before observed; but rather
it expresses the interposition of the oath between God's purpose
and promise, and man's weakness: God did as it were bind himself
by his oath, or lay himself under obligation, or become a surety,
for the fulfilment of his purpose and promise; which shows the
super-abounding grace of God, the weakness of man, and what
reason the heirs of promise have to believe.