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God’s Promises
God’s Promises
When Crowfoot
the great
chief of the Blackfoot confederacy in southern Alberta
gave the Canadian
Pacific Railroad permission to cross the Blackfoot land from Medicine Hat to
Calgary
he was given in return a lifetime railroad pass. Crowfoot put it in a
leather case and carried it w\around his neck for the rest of his life. There
is no record
however
that he ever availed himself of the right to travel
anywhere on the CPR trains.
The
promises of God are often treated in this way by Christians. They hang them on
their walls in beautiful plaques; they treasure them in little promise boxes
that play invitingly
“Standing on the Promises of God.” But they do not claim
the promises for themselves in times of need. Of what use are they on plaques
and in boxes if they are not in our hearts?” ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations
for Biblical Preaching》
A promise from God is a
statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for
the Christian to claim.
God's presence -- "I
will never leave thee" (Heb. 13:5)
God's protection --
"I am thy shield" (Gen. 15:1)
God's power -- "I
will strengthen thee" (Isa. 41:10)
God's provision -- "I
will help thee" (Isa. 41:10)
God's leading -- "And
when He putteth forth His own sheep
He goeth before them" (John 10:4)
God's purposes -- "I
know the thoughts that I think toward you
saith the Lord
thoughts of peace
and not of evil" (Jer. 20:11)
God's rest -- "Come
unto Me
all ye that labor and are heavy laden
and I will give you rest"
(Matt. 11:28)
God's cleansing --
"If we confess our sins
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)
God's goodness -- "No
good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly" (Psalm 84:11)
God's faithfulness --
"The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake" (1
Sam. 12:22)
God's guidance --
"The meek will He guide" (Psalm 25:9)
God's wise plan --
"All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28)
── Our
Daily Bread
January 1
1985.
You can't break God's
promises by leaning on them!── Source
Unknown.
In modern times we define
a host of relations by contracts. These are usually for goods or services and
for hard cash. The contract
formal or informal
helps to specify failure in
these relationships. The Lord did not establish a contract with Israel or with
the church. He created a covenant. There is a difference. Contacts are broken
when one of the parties fails to keep his promise. If
let us say
a patient
fails to keep an appointment with a doctor
the doctor is not obligated to call
the house and inquire
"Where were you? Why didn't you show up for your
appointment?" He simply goes on to his next patient and has his appointment
secretary take note of the patient who failed to keep the appointment. The
patient may find it harder the next time to see the doctor. He broke an
informal contract. According to the Bible
however
the Lord asks: "Can a
mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she
has borne? Though she may forget
I will not forget you!" (Isaiah 49:15)
The Bible indicates the covenant is more like the ties of a parent to her child
than it is a doctor's appointment. If a child fails to show up for dinner
the
parent's obligation
unlike the doctor's
isn't canceled. The parent finds out
where the child is and makes sure he's cared for. One member's failure does not
destroy the relationship. A covenant puts no conditions on faithfulness. It is
the unconditional commitment to love and serve. ── Bruce Shelley.
The covenants of
Scripture: Covenant and significance
Eternal covenant
Hebrews
13:20 :The redemptive covenant before time began
between the Father and the
Son. By this covenant we have eternal redemption
an eternal peace from the
'God of peace'
through the death and resurrection of the Son.
Edenic covenant
Genesis
1:26-28: The creative covenant between the Triune God
as the first party
(Genesis 1:26)
and newly created man
as the second party
governing man's
creation and life in Edenic innocence. It regulated man's
dominion and subjugation of the earth
and presented a simple test of
obedience. The penalty was death.
Adamic covenant
Genesis
3:14-19: The covenant conditioning fallen man's life on the earth. Satan's tool
(the serpent) was cursed (Gen 3:14); the first promise of the Redeemer was
given (3:15); women's status was altered (3:16); the earth was cursed
(3:17-19); physical and spiritual death resulted (3:19).
Noahic covenant
Genesis
8:20-9:6: The covenant of human government. Man is to govern his fellowmen for
God
indicated by the institution of capital punishment as the supreme judicial
power of the state (Genesis 9:5-6). Other features included the promise of
redemption through the line of Shem (Genesis 9:26).
Abrahamic covenant
Genesis 12:1-3; confirmed 13:14-17; 15:1-7; 17:1-8: The covenant of promise.
Abraham's posterity was to be made a great nation. In him (through Christ) all
the families of the earth were to be blessed (Galations 3:16; John 8:56-58).
Mosaic covenant
Exodus
20:1-31:18: The legal covenant
given solely to Israel. It consisted of the
commandments (Exodus 20:1-26); the judgments (social) - (Exodus 21:1; 24:11)
and the ordinances (religious); (Exodus 24:12-31:18); also called the law. It
was a conditional covenant of works
a ministry of 'condemnation' and 'death'
(2 Corinthians 3:7-9)
designed to lead the transgressor (convicted thereby as
a sinner) to Christ.
Palestinian covenant
Deut
30:1-10: The covenant regulating Israel's tenure of the land of Canaan. Its
prophetic features include dispersion of disobedience (Deuteronomy 30:1)
future repentance while in dispersion (30:2)
the Lord's return (30:3)
the
restoration (30:4-5
national conversion (3:6)
judgment of Israel's foes
(30:7)
national prosperity (30:9). Its blessings are conditioned upon
obedience (30:8
10)
but fulfillment is guaranteed by the new covenant.
Davidic covenant
2 Samuel
7:4-17
1 Chr 17:4-15: The kingdom covenant regulating the temporal and eternal
rule of David's posterity. It secures in perpetuity a Davidic 'house' or line
a throne
and a kingdom. It was confirmed by divine oath in Psalm 89:30-37 and
renewed to Mary in Luke 1:31-33. It is fulfilled in Christ as the World's
Saviour and Israel's coming King (Acts 1:6; Rev 19:16; 20:4-6).
New covenant
Jeremiah
31:31-33; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20; Hebrew 8:8-12: The covenant of
unconditional blessing based upon the finished redemption of Christ. It secures
blessing for the church
flowing from the Abrahamic covenant (Galations
3:13-20)
and secures all covenant blessings to converted Israel
including
those of the Abrahamic
Palestinian
and Davidic covenants. This covenant is
unconditional
final and irreversible.
Merrill F. Unger
The
New Unger's Bible Handbook
Revised by Gary N. Larson
Moody Press
Chicago
1984
p. 595.