THE PROMISES OF GOD:Taking GOD at His Word - How GOD Fulfills HIS Promises #2

GOD FULFILLS SOME PROMISES IN PREDICTABLE, EXPECTED WAYS: As we look at some of the promises of the Bible, we see that many have already been fulfilled; and in many cases the fulfillment of the promise was clear and undeniable, just as expected. When GOD told Pharaoh that HE was going to send a plague of frogs, and HE did just: Exodus 8:1-13; "And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs. So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.” Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’” Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.” So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.11 And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.” Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said."

When HE told David that his son would build the temple, Solomon was born and he built it:2 Samuel 7:1-17; "Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.” Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Would you build a house for Me to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone from the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’ Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the Lord tells you that He will make you a house. “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David."

When GOD said that Judah would be judged for her unfaithfulness and sent into exile, that's exactly what happened (Jeremiah 25); and Jesus said the temple would be destroyed with not one brick left on another, and in 70 AD it was totally demolished: Matthew 24:2; And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” 

When the Roman Empire general Titus overran Jerusalem, his soldiers set fire to the temple, completely destroying it; and its devastation occurred on the same date in the Hebrew calendar (the 9th of Av) that Solomon's Temple had been ransacked and burned in 586 BC. The day also marks the observance of several other major tragedies in Jewish history; but GOD sometimes fulfills HIS promises in ways we could never have imagined.

GOD FULFILLS SOME PROMISES IN UNEXPECTED, SUPERNATURAL WAYS: At times, the LORD has used methods we could easily understand, and HE sent HIS people into battle with a promise of victory, and HE gave them strength and strategy to overcome their enemies. On other occasions, HE did the unexpected. HE defeated Pharaoh's army as they pursued the escaping Israelites (Exodus 14), and HE caused the walls of Jericho to collapse (Joshua 6), and the angel of the LORD destroyed 185,000 Assyrians: 2 Kings 19:35;  "And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses; all dead."

GOD can fulfill HIS promises in unexpected and supernatural ways, but sometimes we have a hard time recognizing how GOD has fulfilled a promise or imagining how HE will fulfill it. When GOD promised in the Old Testament that HE would send a Messiah, few people expected a Messiah like Jesus (Isaiah 53; Matthew 1). No one expected the way GOD brought both Jews and Gentiles together into the Body of Christ, the church; but no one anticipated such a long time between Messiah's work as Redeemer and HIS future work as Judge and King. On many occasions, the Apostle Paul used the word mystery to describe the way GOD's plan of salvation has been fulfilled in Christ; but among is the establishment of the Body as central to GOD's plan to fulfill HIS promises: Ephesians 3:8-10; "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places."

And at the center of GOD's mysterious fulfillment of promises is Jesus Christ; because the Old and the New Covenant promises are based on and find their fulfillment in what Christ has done and will do. For a full treatment of these Old and New Covenant promises, it is wise to study Romans Chapters 9-11, Galatians Chapters 3-5, and Hebrews Chapters 7-10; because Romans outlines GOD's selection, rejection, and ultimate salvation of HIS chosen people. And Galatians provides an overview of the law's relationship to GOD'S promises and our freedom in Christ; but Hebrews details the preeminent role of Christ in all of this. While we try to figure out how GOD is going to answer a prayer or fulfill HIS promises, HE is calmly and powerfully working out HIS plans behind the scenes and in ways and for reasons that we may not comprehend. It should not surprise us that in Isaiah 55:8-9, the LORD described our inability to understand HIS methods: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Although HIS reasons may elude us, and HIS methods may surprise us, GOD always fulfills HIS promises; and as the Apostle Paul said: 1 Corinthians 1:25; "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

GOD FULFILLS SOME PROMISES THROUGH SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS: GOD fulfills many of HIS promises in visible ways, and the Psalms contain statements about the power of GOD to bless the righteous with protection, wealth, health, and long life. We would be wrong, though, to expect nothing but physical prosperity in this life because GOD often show HIS faithfulness by providing invisible, spiritual blessings. One look at the life of King David demonstrates this because his life consisted of repeated conflict, family dissension, and physical maladies; but it's true that we will reap what we sow: Galatians 6:7-10; "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."

That doesn't mean that we will reap all the benefits or bad results in physical, tangible ways in this life; because many of those results will come to full fruition in eternity. Job was a righteous man who feared GOD, yet he suffered terrible illness and the loss of his family and possessions; even his closest friends weren't supportive. They made the mistake of assuming that right living translates into a trouble-free life/lifestyle; yet Job didn't quite despair! He was wise enough not to give up hope in GOD and stated that all this would turn out for his deliverance: Job 13:15-16; "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him."

The Apostle Paul went through all types of good and bad experiences, yet he found that in all of life he could be content because GOD gave him strength: Philippians 4:11-13; "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

To him GOD's faithfulness; a spiritual blessing, was far greater than anything he could posses on earth.

GOD FULFILL'S HIS PROMISES IN PART NOW, MORE LATER: Some promises may be fulfilled in part because only a portion of the conditions have been met, or the promises may be fulfilled in stages according to GOD's plan; but for example, the LORD told the Israelites coming out of Egypt that HE would drive out the nations before them and give them the Promised Land. They were to do this in stages; but because they didn't follow GOD's instructions they only drove out some of the people, and consequently enjoyed only part of GOD's blessing: Deuteronomy 7:22; "And the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you."

The Old Testament promises concerning the Messiah were fulfilled in part with Christ's first coming; others will be fulfilled when HE returns; and the prophets spoke of a coming king who would be from the line of David, a king who would restore Israel's status as GOD's special nation: Jeremiah 33:14-26; ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: ‘In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ “For thus says the Lord: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.’” The Permanence of God’s Covenant and the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’” Moreover the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, “Have you not considered what these people have spoken, saying, ‘The two families which the Lord has chosen, He has also cast them off’? Thus they have despised My people, as if they should no more be a nation before them. “Thus says the Lord: ‘If My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, then I will cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.’”

Jesus fulfilled the part of the promise about the suffering Servant (Isaiah 53) and will one day return to set up HIS eternal kingdom. 

GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISES THROUGH HIS TIMING: Many of us have difficulty understanding GOD's timing and how HE fulfills HIS promises; but we can't wait and we expect results today or tomorrow, not years from now. As time-bound human beings, we can't grasp GOD's eternal purposes because the perpetual changes of life are part of GOD's pattern and plan for all the ages, but from our perspective it looks like a tangle of threads: Ecclesiastes 3:11; "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."

When we don't see HIS promises becoming reality right now, we become impatient and are tempted ta ask hard questions of GOD; but HIS timing is best. Solomon puts GOD'S timing in Ecclesiastes into proper perspective: Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, 17; "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Hebrews 11 lists some Old Testament saints who realized that GOD fulfills HIS promises according to HIS timetable because these people lived by faith, believing that GOD would eventually do all HE promised, even if they didn't understand why the LORD delayed action for years or even beyond their lifetime. Abraham is the preeminent example; when GOD told him to pack his bags and travel to the land of promise, Abraham went, though he didn't know where he was going. The LORD told him that he and Sarah would have a child, yet he waited until their old age to fulfill HIS; and Abraham had to imagine a future when his descendants would inherit the Promised Land. Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph knew of GOD's promise for their descendants, but they never saw them fulfilled: Hebrews 11:20-22; "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones."

Moses knew that the LORD would rescue HIS people, but HE had to wait until he was 80 years old before GOD used him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He even chose mistreatment in the short run so that GOD would reward him later: Hebrews 11:24-26; "By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward."

All of the promises of GOD are fulfilled in HIS perfect timing, according to HIS wisdom; but many of those promises are fulfilled now. Many await fulfillment, and all who trust Christ for forgiveness of sins receive that forgiveness and new life immediately; along with many spiritual benefits (John 3; Ephesians 1). And while some people experience the evidence of GOD's love and care through prosperity of life and good health, others experience the love and strength of GOD through poverty and sickness; but in all cases, though, GOD is true to HIS Word. HE keeps HIS promises.

FOR GOD I'LL LIVE & FOR GOD I'LL DIE!!

"If You're Not Winning Souls For Christ...You Don't Work For GOD...You're SELF-EMPLOYED!!"

"I Would Rather Be Uncomfortable IN CHRIST...Than Comfortable WITH SATAN!!"