Luke 1:73 “The oath which He swore to our father Abraham:”
What exactly does it mean that the Lord ‘swore’ an oath? Swearing is bad. We call it cussing or cursing. That’s not the kind of swearing meant here obviously. But what is being said? Well, an oath, which in this case refers to the promises made to Abraham, is ‘taken’, that is the proper terminology. The oath is taken. How can it be said to be taken, and not given. The promise is given. What is promised gives to Abraham. So what is taken?
The answer lies in the meaning of the word oath. An oath is like a fence. It is a restraint. The greater blesses the lesser, as we see in the Epistle to the Hebrews (7:7). So, the greater, in this case God, has blessed the lesser by setting a restraint, a limit. Because of the nature of this limit, the lesser, in this case Abraham, is blessed. So, the oath is taken because it ‘takes’ from the greater to give to the lesser.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving to us! We are so far below You yet You care fro us. We will never fully understand it all. But, may we never forget the oaths You have taken to establish Your eternal purpose, our salvation. We praise You for Your great wisdom and unending love. I love you so much! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.