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It is a common part of the human experience to, at times, feel abandoned or forsaken by others. Sometimes a person who is close to us chooses to walk away. Other times the natural changes of life result in shifts in our relationships. Sometimes we even feel abandoned when a loved one has died. But, God never leaves. One of the most comforting promises in the Bible is that God will never leave or forsake us. The second part of Hebrews 13:5 states: "He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'" (NKJV). This line first shows up in Deuteronomy 31 where Moses encourages the Israelites about going to take possession of the Promised Land. In part, he tells the Israelites, "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6). He then exhorts Joshua, the upcoming leader of the Israelites, "Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Joshua's leadership role was sure to be daunting, especially with the associated challenge of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land; Moses' words would have been a comforting and encouraging reminder of God's steady presence.
God gave this same assurance to other people throughout the Bible, including Jacob (Genesis 28:15), Joshua (Joshua 1:5, 9), and the poor and needy (Isaiah 41:17). David encouraged his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished" (1 Chronicles 28:20).
Jesus, the Son of God, promised His disciples (and His followers today): "behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). He promised to send a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who will never leave us: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:16–17; cf. Ephesians 1:12–13).
While Jesus was on the cross dying for our sins, He cried out with a loud voice: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). This line harkens back to a prophetic psalm by David, which discusses things that happened during the crucifixion of Jesus and opens with: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?" (Psalm 22:1). Jesus experienced being forsaken so that we would never have to.
God will not ever abandon us or leave us behind. Through Jesus sacrificing His own life for our sins and rising back to life to prove He is who He says He is and His sacrifice is sufficient to atone for our sins, we are able to be made a part of God's family. Salvation through Christ gives us the right to become children of God (John 1:12). All who have put their faith in Jesus have been adopted into His family: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him" (Romans 8:14–17). Romans 8 goes on to explain that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:31–29). Even earthly parents may abandon us, but we can have peace in knowing that our Heavenly Father never will (Psalm 27:10), and we have the Spirit inside to give us that comforting reminder.
The surrounding context in Hebrews 13 is an exhortation to holy living, showing hospitality, and caring for the needs of others. Hebrews 13:5–6 states: "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'" This passage is not just a comfort; it is an exhortation to find our contentment and our confidence in the nearness of God. He is the Helper who is always with us.
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Truth about GodFAQs
The writer ties the ability to be content, and faithful, to our trust in Christ to be there with us, and for us, in all of our circ*mstances. This grounding is strengthened in the following passage.
What does God mean "I will never leave you nor forsake you"? ›
Jesus did not leave His disciples alone in the world, and He never leaves us on our own. His very Spirit, who knows the heart of God and intercedes for our lives, is within us. If you feel God has abandoned you or stepped away, take heart. Consider the disciples after Jesus left the earth.
What does Hebrews 13 verse 5 mean? ›
Hebrews 13:5. The author is writing about being covetous, meaning that we want more for ourselves - things that others seem to have and we do not. So he writes, "Be content with what you have. Don't get all riled up about it."
What is the meaning of "I will never leave you"? ›
What does it mean when he says he will "never" leave? It means: I want you to believe that I will always be here and you can trust and rely on me.
What is Hebrews 13:5 quoting? ›
Heb 13:5 is a partial quote from Deut 31:8. "And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”
What does God promise that he will never do in Hebrews 13:5-6? ›
For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. ' KJV Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
What is the difference between leave and forsake in the Bible? ›
Why would God repeat His words here, why would He say, “I will never leave you nor forsake you?” Is there an apparent difference? Yes, there is! The word used forleave in Hebrew is rafa, which denotes the idea of abandonment. The Hebrew word for forsake is azab, which denotes the idea of neglect.
What does Hebrews 5:13 mean? ›
Those who are bland and disinterested in their spiritual growth simply will not grow. Spiritually, they are like babies, who can only consume the simplest of things, and have no ability to process anything of real substance. The term "unskilled" here is from the Greek apeiros, which means someone who lacks experience.
What does Hebrews 13 teach us? ›
Hebrew 13 is a Paul reminder to the believers of Christ to honor one another, and to show their hospitality. Paul gives a list of moral exhortations regarding the general behavior of a true believer.
What does Hebrews 5 teach us? ›
Jesus can understand our weaknesses and temptations, since He has experienced them just as we have. Here at the beginning of chapter 5, we see that a human high priest must be able to empathize with the people, and to offer a sacrifice for their sins. Only because Jesus was fully human was He able to fulfill this role.
When Jesus was about to leave the world to go back to his Father, he gave his disciples a similar encouragement, “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you” (John 14:18). Jesus had been with them for three years now, walking, talking, loving, and leading them in the new way of his Kingdom.
Where does God say he will never leave us? ›
Deuteronomy 31:8
8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
How do you know he will never leave you? ›
He communicates regularly with you
Again, when you observe that he has been calling or texting you regularly, he thinks about you. You are always on his mind, and he wants to know what is going on in your life.
What does it mean God will never leave you nor forsake you? ›
In both the Old and New Testaments, this promise is given to comfort and encourage believers, assuring them that God is with them in times of trouble, hardship, or uncertainty. It signifies God's unwavering commitment to His people and His eternal presence in their lives, regardless of the circ*mstances they may face.
Will never leave you nor forsake you Hebrews 13:5? ›
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
What is the lesson learned from Hebrews 13 5? ›
Jesus never promised us an easy life, and our hard work may not be rewarded in this life with wealth or luxury. The point of Hebrews 13:5–6 is that the Lord will provide all that we need for a life founded on faith.
What does the Bible say about I will not forsake you? ›
Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
What are the three promises of God? ›
The Three Promises of God (Romans 4: 13-25)
- The promise of the land.
- the promise that his descendants would be a nation.
- the promise that through his descendants (this nation) all the families of the earth would be blessed.
If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.
What does God forsake me mean? ›
' Forsake means to turn away from or withdraw from. Why would God do that to his own son? As it is something that we would not do to our own children, it is odd that the source of all love would turn away from his own son, yet this is exactly what has happened in this moment.
