how does god keep his promises?

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Q0105

HOW DOESGOD KEEP HISPROMISES?

WWhat if we have done our part by “believing,” but

we haven’t seen any results? Is there something we don’tunderstand? Is there somethingelse we need to do to see God’spromises fulfilled?

If you are searching foranswers to these kinds ofquestions, I encourage you toread the following pages. In thisbooklet, Kurt De Haan, formermanaging editor of Our DailyBread, guides us through a study of what the Bible saysabout the promises of God. Usethis material as a starting pointfor your own discovery of thevast wealth of promises we havebeen given by a faithful God.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo:Terry BidgoodScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission.All rights reserved.Copyright © 1989, 2002,2005 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTSBut You Promised! . . . . . 2

How Does God Keep His Promises? . . . . 6

On His Terms . . . . . . . . . 7

To His Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

By His Methods . . . . . . 19

In His Time . . . . . . . . . . 24

Promise Checklist. . . . . 30

Too Good To Be True? . . . . . . . . . . 32

Q0105 God's Promises 2col pp 1/31/05 3:39 PM Page 1

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

BUT YOUPROMISED!

HHave people ever let you down? Thatquestion belongs in

the same category as: Dobirds have wings? Do fishhave fins? Is the sun hot? Is water wet?

But what about thisquestion: Has God ever let you down? What if werephrase it: Have you everfelt that God didn’t keep His word? Think about it for a minute. Have youwondered, even complained,that He didn’t come throughthe way you thought Hesaid He would?

We know, for instance,that God has promised toprotect and care for Hischildren in this world. Hehas promised to make themstrong, to fill their heartswith joy and a peace thatpasses all understanding.We know that God has

promised to answer ourprayers.

Yet at times thosepromises seem empty. Ourprayers for a rebellious childor an unsaved spouse seemto go unanswered. A frienddies of cancer. Inflationchews at our paycheck.Neighborhood crime getsworse. Terrorists plague theworld. And Jesus hasn’tcome back yet.

What happened to all thepromises? Has God failed tokeep His word? Have ourexpectations exceeded God’spromises?

What is a promise?The way some people usethe term, a promise isnothing more than a goodintention—easily discardedif it gets in the way. They seea promise as something thatis made to be broken. Butwhen God makes a promise,He’s doing more than justexpressing wishful thinking.He is giving His absolutelytrustworthy word!

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The original language ofthe Old Testament does nothave a specific word for theconcept of promise, but thatdoesn’t mean the idea isn’tthere. The Hebrew words(amar, dabar) that aretranslated by the Englishword promise have themeaning of “to say” or “to speak.” When God andothers in the Bible speakabout what they will do inthe future, the word promisefits well. In each case, thespeaker’s word, honor, andintegrity are at stake.

The New Testamentfollows the same pattern asthe Old. God stands behindwhat He says. Therefore theidea comes naturally fromthe Greek word angelia,which means “an

announcement” or “a message.”

The promises of God are the heart of the Bible.Everything God has spoken,every announcement, everymessage, is really a promisebased on God’s perfect,good, and trustworthycharacter.

Why is thereconfusion about theway God keeps Hispromises? At times, a gap develops between whatwe think God has said Hewould do and what we seehappening in our everydayexperience. This gap,however, says more aboutour failure to understandthan about God’s ability toremain true. Our confusioncan be due to any one (orseveral) of the followingfactors.

1. Faultyexpectations. At times we may fall into the trap ofthinking that God will keepHis promises in the way we

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The promises ofGod are the heart

of the Bible.

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expect. We might assumethat He will do it in waysthat are immediatelyobvious rather than in a manner that becomesapparent only in time. Wemay expect Him to changeour external circumstancesand environment when whatHe really wants us to see isthat His promises can befulfilled through innerchanges in us.

We tend to beshortsighted. God is intolong-range planning. We seeonly the surface, here-and-now events, and we do notknow how God is workingbehind the scenes to fit thepieces together to form an

overall pattern. The waysGod has acted in the past,though, show that He fulfillssome promises in stages orin unexpected ways.2. Faultyinterpretations andapplications. We maysimply miss the point ofwhat God has said. Or wemay understand a biblicalpromise accurately but failto see that God gave thepromise to someone else in a particular situation.

A small book of collectedbiblical promises states inthe introduction: “Take eachpromise to mean just exactlywhat it says. Don’t try tointerpret it or add to it orread between the lines.”That may sound good. Wecertainly must avoid reading“between the lines” ofScripture, but it is dangerousto say that we should not tryto interpret the promises.That can be a huge mistake.Failure to understand apromise in its context can

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“ ‘Every promise in the Book ismine’ is one of

the overstatementsof the century.”—Bernard Ramm

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lead to some very badconclusions. Too manypeople go around quotingBible verses as promises to them as individuals whenin fact the promises weregiven to specific biblicalcharacters, a nation, or onlyto people of a certain timeperiod.

3. Faulty feelings.Our emotions have a way oftaking over the driver’s seatof our lives. Wrong emotionscan overrule right thinking.As a result, if we have beenhurt, we blame God for notdoing what we think Hepromised. The death of aloved one can cause us tolose perspective if we allowour feelings to override thetruth about God. A failedromance or a marriage onthe rocks can trigger doubts.Personal rejection, failure,loss of a job, physical pain,or injustice can stir upfeelings against God thatbecome stronger than anyforce of reason.

4. Faulty memory.When it comes toremembering, we can all be like an absent-mindedprofessor who forgets how to get home. We can get sowrapped up in the details of everyday life that weforget more than justanniversaries, birthdays,phone calls, groceries, andappointments. We evenforget what should mean themost to us—the evidence of God’s faithfulness in our lives and how He hasfulfilled His promises to us in the past. As a result,we lose confidence in Hisability to be faithful in thefuture.

So now what do wedo? How do we bring ourexpectations and feelings inline with God’s plans andtruths? How do we live afulfilling life by faith in God’spromises? That’s what thefollowing pages will try toresolve.

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HOW DOES GOD KEEP HISPROMISES?

EEvery politicalcampaign seems to be the same.

Promises and platitudespollute the air. (Maybethat’s what is depleting the earth’s ozone layer!)Each candidate tries to out-promise the other. And afterevery election, the resultsare predictably the same.

Some promises arequickly broken because the candidate neverintended to fulfill them.Other promises, while well-intentioned, were beyondthe candidate’s power andability to fulfill. Maybe anunforeseen string of eventsor new information changedthe politician’s mind aboutthe wisdom of his originalstatement. Powerful special-interest groups may exertpressure, making sure that they get what was

promised, while lessinfluential people seem to get lost in the crowd.

God, though, is not likea politician, a corporateexecutive, a supervisor, a teacher, a student, anemployee, a coach, aplayer, a father, a mother, or a child. Everybody—notjust the politician—has aproblem with keepingpromises. We all havedifficulty following throughon our word. God, however,does not. He has all thepower and wisdom in theuniverse at His disposal. Hewill never have to make anexcuse for failing to fulfillwhat He has promised, andwe have no excuse for notbelieving Him.

We’ve alreadymentioned some possiblereasons for the seeming gapbetween our perceptions ofGod’s promises and how life actually is played out.Together, let us search foranswers that will help us

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correct our view of God and His promises. We willdiscover that God keeps Hispromises (1) on His terms,(2) to His intendedaudience, (3) by Hismethods, and (4) in Histime.

ON HIS TERMSDo you read productlabels? If you do, you’veread words like these: “This product is guaranteedfor 5 years from date ofpurchase against defects in workmanship. Theguarantee excludes damagecaused by failure to followlabel directions.” Or you’veread a recipe in a cookbookthat guarantees a deliciousdessert—if you follow thedirections. You can’t getaway with substituting

baking soda for flour, or saltfor sugar.

God’s terms for keepingHis advertised promises areclearly stated. And what Hepromises, He will deliver.Some promises come withan unconditional guarantee.That is, He promises tohold up His end of theagreement no matter whatwe do. Then there arepromises that carry withthem directions (conditions)that we must follow if weare to enjoy all that He hasoffered. These conditionalpromises are dependent on our fulfilling certainrequirements.

Psalm 100 reminds us of the character qualities of the One who makespromises on His terms:

Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He whohas made us, and not we ourselves; we are Hispeople and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with

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ON HIS TERMS



thanksgiving, and intoHis courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, andbless His name. For theLord is good; His mercy iseverlasting, and His truthendures to all generations(vv.3-5).The One who made us

continues to be the Lordover all of life. By His natureGod is good, merciful, andforever true to His word. The rest of the Bible tells us how God’s promises tomankind reflect thosequalities. Because He is all those things, we do nothave to fear when we hearthat God keeps His promiseson His terms.

What kinds of conditions areattached to God’spromises? Manypromises are like appliance warranties that hold true only if thecustomer does not do thingsthat void the agreement.That was the case in the

Garden of Eden. Godpromised that Adam andEve would enjoy life in theGarden if they followed Hisrules, but they would sufferthe death penalty if theydisobeyed (Gen. 2:16-17).

The covenant that God made with Moses and the people of Israel at Mount Sinai containedmany conditions. Prior to the giving of the TenCommandments, God said

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“God is not a man,that He should lie,nor a son of man,

that He shouldrepent. Has Hesaid, and will Henot do it? Or has

He spoken,and will He notmake it good?”—Numbers 23:19

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to Israel that if they keptthe covenant agreementwith Him and obeyed Himfully, He would care forthem as His special treasure (Ex. 19:3-6).

The Ten Commandmentsstate a few results of missingor meeting God’s conditions.The Lord said that He wouldpunish all who worshipedidols, but He would showlove to those who loved Him (Ex. 20:4-6). Hepromised to hold guiltyanyone who spoke Hisname in a disrespectful orcontemptuous way (v.7). He promised long life in thePromised Land to those whohonored their parents (v.12).

In Exodus 23:20-33, God said He would wipeout Israel’s enemies whenthey went into Palestine,He would take awaysickness, and He wouldensure long life and nomiscarriages. However, theconditions included payingattention to and obeying

the Angel of God,worshiping God, and not making a covenant with their enemies orallowing them to live in the Promised Land.

Here are some otherexamples of conditionalOld Testament promises:• God promised

success, prosperity, and protection if thepeople obeyed the Lawof Moses (Josh. 1:7-9).

• God told Gideon that if he followed Hisdirections, he would wina battle (Judg. 7:1-25).

• God told Eli that Hisprevious promise tobless his family andmaintain his familypriesthood was going tobe nullified because ofthe sins of Eli and hissons (1 Sam. 2:27-36).

• When the Israelitesasked for a king, theLord promised goodthings if the peoplehonored and obeyed

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Him, but warned ofjudgment if they rebelled(1 Sam. 12:13-15).

• Because Saul failed tomeasure up to God’sdemands, he forfeitedthe kingship (1 Sam.13:13-14).

• If a person takes hisadvice from the Lord andnot from wicked people,he will enjoy the Lord’sfavor (Ps. 1).

• A person can enjoy aclose relationship withGod if he does what isright, speaks the truth,does no wrong to hisneighbor, despises thevile person, honors therighteous, keeps hisword, and does notexploit others (Ps. 15).

• If a person puts his trust in the Lord andfollows obediently, hewill experience theshepherding love of God (Ps. 23).

• If you “delight . . . in theLord,” then “He shall

give you the desires ofyour heart” (Ps. 37:4).

• If a person reveres God,he will find wisdom andgain God’s blessing(Prov. 2:1-8; 3:1-10).

• Isaiah reminded thepeople of the Lord’sdesire to give them thebest He had to offer—ifthey would only obeyHim (Isa. 1:10-20).

• Ezekiel said that aperson could expectjudgment if he wereguilty, and honor ifhe were righteous (Ezek. 18).

• Jonah announcedjudgment on Nineveh if the people did notrepent (Jon. 3).Here are some

examples of New Testament conditions:• God will bless if we

become poor in spirit,mourn over sin, expressmeekness, hunger andthirst for righteousness,show mercy, seek

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purity, pursue peace, orexperience persecution forGod’s sake (Mt. 5:1-12).

• If we seek what haseternal value, God willtake care of our temporalneeds (Mt. 6:25-34).

• If we put our trust inJesus, we will be giveneternal life; but if wereject Him, we cannotescape condemnation(Jn. 3:16-18).

• If we submit to God andresist the devil, he willflee from us (Jas. 4:7).

• God has given useverything we need to live in a way thatpleases Him. If we takehold of what He hasgiven to us, we will“never stumble” and we will be rewarded inheaven (2 Pet. 1:3-11).

• God will forgive if weconfess (1 Jn. 1:9).

• If we ask anythingaccording to God’s will,we will receive what wepray for (1 Jn. 5:14-15).

What kinds of promises areunconditional? Anunconditional promise issimply one in which Godsays He will do something,and nothing we can do willstop it from happening. Thefulfillment of unconditionalpromises does not dependon the faithfulness ofpeople, but only on God. Even if we areunfaithful, God cannot be anything but faithful toHis word (2 Tim. 2:13).

Here are some examplesof unconditional promises:• God told Noah that

He would never againsend a worldwide flood(Gen. 9:8-17).

• God promised Abrahama son, a nation from hisdescendants, and a land(Gen. 15).

• David receivedassurance that his royal line would lastforever (2 Sam. 7:16).

• God repeatedly told 11



Israel of His unfailinglove for them and Hisultimate plan to restoretheir nation (Jer. 30–33).

• Jesus said He wouldreturn to earth to reward the righteous and punish the wicked(Mt. 16:27; 25:31-46).

• Jesus promised that afterHe ascended to heavenHe would send the HolySpirit (Jn. 16:5-15).

• Jesus said that Satan’sforces would neverovercome the church(Mt. 16:18).

• Jesus promised to save,keep, and resurrect toeternal life all who trustin Him (Jn. 6:35-40).Can God’s promises

ever be only partiallyfulfilled? Yes. Somepromises may be fulfilled in part because only part of the conditions have been met, or the promisesmay be fulfilled in stagesaccording to God’s plan.

For example, the Lord

told the Jewish people whowere coming out of Egyptthat He would drive out thenations before them andgive them the PromisedLand. They were to do thisin stages (Dt. 7:22), butbecause of their failure tofollow all His instructionsthey only drove out part of the people whoinhabited the land, andthey experienced only part of God’s blessing.

Another good example is the group of propheciesabout the coming Messiah.The Old Testamentpromises were fulfilled inpart during Christ’s firstcoming, and the others willbe fulfilled when He comesagain. The prophets spokeof a coming king who wouldbe of the line of David, aking who would restoreIsrael’s status as God’sspecial nation (Isa. 9:6-7;11; Jer. 33:14-26; Zech. 9:9-10). Jesus fulfilled the partof the promise about the

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suffering Servant (Isa. 53)and will one day return toset up His eternal kingdom.

Should the book of Proverbs be interpreted aspromises? The proverbsare promises in the broadsense that they describehow God rewards thosewho fear Him and livewisely, and how Heopposes those whodisregard Him and livefoolishly. We can run intoproblems, however, if we donot interpret the proverbswithin the context of OldTestament wisdom writingsand in light of all biblicaltruths.

The proverbs offerpractical wisdom about theeffects of certain kinds ofactions. For example, aperson who lives a life ofviolence can expect to be avictim of violence (1:18-19).Ignoring the wisdom of theproverbs will lead to ashortened, problem-filled

life (1:19-33) instead of a life that enjoys the favorof God (2:1-8). Everyproverb, though, cannot be understood as a promiseof here-and-now results.Within the context of thewhole Bible, we know thatin many cases God reservesthe right to delay perfectjustice until the day ofjudgment.

Many verses in Proverbs3 seem to promise wealth,health, safety, andhappiness to those whofollow the path of wisdom.Proverbs 10:3 says that therighteous person will not go hungry. A righteousperson will be untouchedby trouble, according to19:23. No one would denythat these proverbs doreflect the general principlesof how God has designedlife to operate—we reapwhat we sow (Prov. 11:24-26; 22:8-9; 2 Cor. 9:6; Gal.6:7). But life is not alwaysso predictable—as the

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experiences of Job, David,Solomon, the apostle Paul,and other Bible charactersdemonstrate. In manycases, God has somethingbetter in store for a personthan immediate here-and-now blessings—such peopleare laying up treasure inheaven.

The proverbs, therefore,provide down-to-earthprinciples for everyday life.The person who wants tobe wise and enjoy God’sfavor will read the proverbsand put their God-fearinginstruction into practice.

Thinking It Over.How is God’s ability to keepHis promises different fromour ability to keep ourpromises? Why does Godkeep His promises? Are youenjoying the full benefits ofGod’s promises, or are thereconditions that you are notmeeting?

TO HIS INTENDEDAUDIENCEHas this ever happened to you? As you pull theenvelope out of yourmailbox, you read: “You arethe winner of 10 milliondollars . . . .” For a momentyou don’t know whether tojump up and down or tocall all your relatives. Butwhen sanity returns, youdecide to open the envelopefirst. When you do, younotice how the sentencecontinues (in smaller printof course): “. . . if yournumbers match thoseselected by the sweepstakescomputer.” The promise of10 million dollars appliesonly to the one person whoreceived the right numbers.

When you read the Bible 14

ON HIS TERMS

TOHIS INTENDED AUDIENCE



and you come across astatement that sounds like it would be a greatpromise, can you claim itfor yourself? Maybe you areunemployed, having a hardtime making your savingsstretch, and you open yourBible to the place whereGod gives a great promiseabout being prosperous andliving in a land flowing withmilk and honey. Would you get excited? You mightif you didn’t read on tolearn that the promise wasintended for Israel prior tooccupying the PromisedLand, not you and yourdesire to move to BeverlyHills. Although such apromise is limited to whom it is addressed, it does reflect God’s ability to prosper anyoneHe chooses to prosper.

The author of Psalm 145recognized that while someof God’s good promisesapply to all people, otherpromises apply only to a

select person or group: The Lord is good to all,and His tender merciesare over all His works. . . . You open Your handand satisfy the desire ofevery living thing. . . .The Lord is near to allwho call upon Him, to all who call upon Him intruth. He will fulfill thedesire of those who fearHim; He also will heartheir cry and save them.The Lord preserves allwho love Him, but all thewicked He will destroy(Ps. 145:9,16,18-20).Before we can claim one

of God’s promises, we needto know if He is talking tous or not.

What has Godpromised to all people?A few of the promises thatapply to all inhabitants ofthe earth include: salvationto those who believe andcondemnation to all whoreject Christ (Jn. 3:16-18);the assurance that the earth

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will never again be destroyedby a flood (Gen. 9:11); acontinuation of the cycles ofnature as long as the earthexists (Gen. 8:22); historythat will culminate accordingto God’s master plan (Dan.7–12); a day of judgment forbelievers (2 Cor. 5:10) andunbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15);a promise that God’scharacter will not change (1 Sam. 15:29; Mal. 3:6; Jas. 1:17); rewards for allwho diligently seek Him(Heb. 11:6); and thecertainty that everything He says will happen willhappen (Mt. 5:18; 24:34-35).

What has Godpromised to allbelievers? Second Peter 1:3-4 states:

[God’s] divine power has given to us all thingsthat pertain to life andgodliness, through theknowledge of Him whocalled us by glory andvirtue, by which havebeen given to us

exceedingly great andprecious promises.Among those great

promises (conditional and unconditional) are the following:• Provision for our

needs (Mt. 6:25-34).• Answer to prayer (Mt.

7:7-11; 1 Jn. 5:14-15).• All we need to live for

Him (2 Pet. 1:3-4).• Rewards for service

(2 Cor. 5:10).• Help in our praying

(Rom. 8:26).• Eternal life (Jn. 3:16;

5:24).• A home in heaven

(Jn. 14:1-4).• Assurance of salvation

(Jn. 10:29).• The Holy Spirit within

(Eph. 1:13-14). • Spiritual gifts (Rom.

12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12).• Forgiveness for daily

sins (1 Jn. 1:9).• Peace of mind

(Phil. 4:7).• A way to defeat

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temptation (1 Cor.10:13).

• Wisdom in times oftesting (Jas. 1:5).

• Power for living (Eph. 1:19; 3:20).

• Access to God throughprayer (Eph. 3:12).

• Mercy and grace in timesof need (Heb. 4:16).

• The illumination of theSpirit (1 Cor. 2:6-16).

• Freedom from sin’s grip(Rom. 6:22).

• Loving discipline (Heb. 12:3-11).

• Ability to make Satanflee (Jas. 4:7).

• Resurrection to glory (1 Th. 4:16-17).

• Strength to do God’s will(Phil. 4:13).What has God

promised to Israel?The history of that nationhas been one of repeatedpromises and the people’sfailure to benefit from God’sgracious offers. The entireOld Testament—the booksof Moses, the Writings, and

the Prophets—are full ofpromises. The promisescome in the form ofassurances of God’s loveand care for them, as wellas prophetic statementsabout Israel’s future and thefuture of the surroundingnations. A few of the manypromises to Israel are:possession of the land ofPalestine (Gen. 13:14-17);the Law’s blessings andcurses (Dt. 28); judgment,exile, restoration (theProphets); a Messiah (Isa. 52–53).

What has Godpromised to specificindividuals? Manybiblical promises haveapplication to only oneindividual or a specificgroup. Here are a fewexamples:• Pre-flood inhabitants:

death (Gen. 6).• Noah and his family:

rescue (Gen. 7:1).• Abram: descendants

(Gen. 12:1-3; 15:1-6). 17



• Jacob’s family: blessings(Gen. 28:10-16).

• Jews: a land of “milk andhoney” (Ex. 3:8).

• Moses: miraculous signs(Ex. 4:1-17).

• Pharaoh and his people:plagues (Ex. 5–14).

• Joshua: a dry paththrough a river (Josh. 3).

• Gideon: victory in battle(Jud. 6:16).

• Saul: abilities needed asking (1 Sam. 10:6).

• David: a son to build thetemple (2 Sam. 7).

• Solomon: wisdom andriches (1 Ki. 3:10-14).

• Hezekiah: 15 more yearsof life (2 Ki. 20:5-6).

• Mary: a supernaturalconception (Lk. 1:26-38).

• Disciples: Spirit-aidedmemory (Jn. 14:26).

• Paul: strength to endureinfirmities (2 Cor. 12:9).Even though some

promises were givento specific people,can’t the principlesapply to us? In somecases yes, and in other casesno. If the promise reflects anunchanging characteristic ofGod and how He relates tous, then we can reasonablyassume that because He isunchanging (Jas. 1:17) Hewill continue to reflect thatpromise in relating to otherpeople. For example, whenthe Lord told the apostlePaul, “My strength is madeperfect in weakness,” Hewas addressing a specificsituation in Paul’s life—the“thorn in the flesh” of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Yetthat truth applies to allpeople who recognize theirweakness and reach out to

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Before we can claim one

of God’s promises,we need to know if He is talking to us or not.

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God for strength (Eph. 1:19).An example of a promise

that we cannot rightfullyclaim is the one given toJoshua when the Lord said,“I will give you every placewhere you set your foot”(Josh. 1:3 NIV). That mightsound like a great promiseto claim if we were lookingfor a home and didn’t haveenough money, but wewould be out of order to do so. That promise couldremind us that God cangive us anything He in Hiswisdom and power choosesto give us—including ahome we could afford.

Thinking It Over.What is the danger ofclaiming for ourselves thepromises that were givenspecifically to other people?Take time to reread theabove list of promises givento believers. Thank the Lordfor what He has promised.Can you think of otherbiblical promises that God has given to you?

BY HIS METHODSWhile we sit and scratchour heads trying to figureout how God is going toanswer a prayer or fulfillHis promises, He is calmlyand powerfully working out His plans, oftentimesbehind the scenes of life, and in ways and forreasons that we cannotcomprehend.

In Isaiah 55, the Lorddescribed our inability tounderstand His methods.He said:

“My thoughts are notyour thoughts, nor areyour ways My ways,”says the Lord. “For as theheavens are higher thanthe earth, so are My wayshigher than your ways,and My thoughts than

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ON HIS TERMS

BY HIS METHODS




your thoughts. For as therain comes down, and thesnow from heaven, anddo not return there, butwater the earth, andmake it bring forth andbud, that it may give seedto the sower and bread tothe eater, so shall Myword be that goes forthfrom My mouth; it shallnot return to Me void, butit shall accomplish what I please, and it shallprosper in the thing forwhich I sent it” (vv.8-11).Although His reasons

may elude us, and Hismethods may surprise us, God always fulfills His promises. As theapostle Paul said:

The foolishness of God is wiser than men, andthe weakness of God isstronger than men (1 Cor. 1:25). In what obvious

ways does God fulfill His promises?Most of the promises and

prophecies of the Bible have already been fulfilled. In many cases the fulfillment of thepromise was clear andundeniable, just asexpected.

When God told Pharaohthat He was going to send aplague of frogs, He did justthat (Ex. 8). When the Lordtold David that his sonwould build the temple,Solomon was born and helater built it (2 Sam. 7:1-17;1 Kin. 5–8). When God saidthat Judah would be judgedfor her unfaithfulness andbe sent into exile, that iswhat happened (Jer. 25).God promised a Messiah-Savior, and Jesus came (Isa. 53; Mt. 1). Jesus said the temple would bedestroyed, and in AD 70 itwas demolished (Mt. 24:2).Jesus promised to build Hischurch, and it has beengrowing ever since (Mt.16:18). Jesus promised tosend the Holy Spirit, and

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on the Day of Pentecost the Spirit came (Jn. 14:16-17; Acts 2:1-4). God toldthe apostle Paul that Hewould protect him while he was ministering inCorinth, and Paul was not harmed (Acts 18:9-11).

The Bible is full ofpromises that were fulfilledin obvious ways, just as one would expect. At other times, though, God’smethods are a little harderto understand.

In what mysteriousways does God fulfill His promises?Sometimes we may have ahard time recognizing howGod has fulfilled a promiseor imagining how He willfulfill a promise.

When God promised inthe Old Testament that Hewould send a Messiah, fewpeople expected a Messiahlike Jesus. No one couldhave predicted the way God brought both Jew andGentile together into the

body of Christ, the church.No one anticipated such a long time betweenMessiah’s work asRedeemer and His work as Judge and King.

On many differentoccasions, the apostle Paulused the word mystery todescribe the way God’s plan of salvation has beenfulfilled in Christ. The Lordrevealed these truths: theinclusion of both Jew andGentile in fulfilling God’spromises of salvation (Rom. 11:25; Eph. 3:2-6),the manner in which Jesusprovided forgiveness of sins(Rom. 16:25; Col. 1:24-27),the resurrection of believers in glorified bodies (1 Cor. 15:51-54),the glory of the indwellingChrist (Col. 1:27), andestablishing the church ascentral to God’s plan tofulfill His promises (Eph. 3:8-10).

At the center of God’smysterious fulfillment of

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promises about oursalvation, our present life,and the life to come is JesusChrist. Second Corinthians1:20 states:

All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and inHim Amen, to the glory of God through us.Jesus Christ fulfills the

heart of all that “the Law ofMoses and the Prophetsand the Psalms” spokeabout (Lk. 24:44). The Oldand the New Covenantpromises are based on andfind their fulfillment in whatChrist has done and will do (Rom. 9–11; Gal. 3–5;Heb. 7–10).

How are somepromises fulfilled inways we may notexpect? At times in theOld Testament, the Lordused means that peoplecould understand. Hewould send them into battlewith a promise of victory,and He would give thestrength to overcome an

enemy. On other occasions,though, He would dosomething very unexpected.For example, the defeat ofPharaoh’s army as theypursued the escaping Jews(Ex. 14), the collapse of thewalls of Jericho (Josh. 6),and the killing of 185,000Assyrians by the angel of the Lord (2 Ki. 19:35)demonstrated God’s ability to fulfill Hispromises in unexpected and supernatural ways.

Another example, thistime from the NewTestament, shows howsome promises are fulfilleddifferently than we mighthave predicted. Jesus toldHis disciples:

Assuredly, I say to you,there are some standinghere who shall not tastedeath till they see the Sonof Man coming in Hiskingdom (Mt. 16:28). Six days later Jesus took

Peter, James, and John withHim up a mountain. There

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Jesus’ appearance changed,and the disciples caught aglimpse of Christ’s comingglory (17:1-8). They saw apartial fulfillment of whatwould be completelyfulfilled in the future whenJesus would come in Hisglory to establish His ruleover all the earth.

How does Godfulfill some promisesin a spiritual way?Although God sometimesfulfills promises in visibleways, at other times He demonstrates Hisfaithfulness by providinginvisible, spiritual blessings.

The Psalms containmany statements about thepower of God to bless therighteous with protection,wealth, health, and longlife. We would be wrong,though, to conclude that we can expect nothing butphysical prosperity in thislife. One look at the life ofDavid contradicts that idea.His life was one of repeated

conflict and ups and downsof physical well-being.

It is true that we will reapwhat we sow (Gal. 6:7-8),but that does not mean thatwe will reap all the benefitsright now, in this life, inphysical, tangible ways. Job knew that. His friends,though, made the mistake ofassuming that right livingalways translates into atrouble-free life right hereand now. Or look at the lifeof the apostle Paul. He wentthrough all types of goodand bad experiences, yet hefound that in all of life hecould be content becauseGod was being faithful tohim (Phil. 4:11-13).

My wife made a plaquefor my office with the wordsof Isaiah 40:28-31 writtenon it. Verse 31 states:

Those who wait on theLord shall renew theirstrength; they shallmount up with wings likeeagles, they shall run andnot be weary, they shall

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walk and not faint.Since I like to jog

regularly, it would be great if I could take those wordsto mean strength forrunning a 25K race withoutgetting tired. But the Lordwasn’t speaking to me aboutrunning in a physical sense.

What those poetic versespromise, however, is God’sstrength to do what Hewants you and me to do. In that sense, the words areechoed by Paul’s statement:“I can do all things throughChrist who strengthens me”(Phil. 4:13). The fulfillmentof the promise in Isaiah 40, then, comes primarilythrough the provision ofinner spiritual strength.

Thinking It Over.What kind of conclusiondid Job come to after hehad questioned God’smethod of dealing withhim? (Job 42:1-3). Why do we sometimes havetrouble understandingGod’s methods of keeping

His promises? How haveGod’s promises beenfulfilled in your life?

IN HIS TIMEPreschool children havetrouble comprehendingtime. You can’t tell a child,“We’re going to the zoo in 2weeks,” and not expect himto ask you every day for thenext 2 weeks if “today” isthe day to go to the zoo.

Adults also have trouble with time. We havedifficulty understandingGod’s timing and how Hefulfills His promises. Wecan’t wait. We expectresults today or tomorrow,not years from now.

The author ofEcclesiastes, however, putGod’s timing into properperspective. He wrote:

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ON HIS TERMS

BY HIS METHOD

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INHIS TIME




To everything there is aseason, a time for everypurpose under heaven . . . . [God] has madeeverything beautiful in its time. Also He has puteternity in their hearts,except that no one canfind out the work thatGod does from beginningto end. . . . God shalljudge the righteous andthe wicked, for there is a time there for everypurpose and for everywork (3:1,11,17).In Ecclesiastes 3, the

writer points out that thetime-bound people ofplanet earth cannot graspGod’s eternal purposes(v.11). The perpetualchanges of life are part of God’s pattern, His planfor all the ages. From thehuman perspective, though,it looks like a bunch oftangled thread on the backof a piece of tapestry. Wecannot see how God isworking it all together.

As a result, wesometimes question God’s timing. If we don’tsee His promises becomingreality right now, webecome impatient. We need to teach ourselves that God’s timing is best.

How does Goddelay in keeping Hispromises? Hebrews 11gives us a sampling of OldTestament saints who cameto realize that God fulfillsHis promises according toHis time plan. They livedby faith, believing that Godwould eventually do all Hepromised, even if they didnot understand why theLord delayed action forseveral years or beyondtheir lifetime.

Abraham is thepreeminent example inHebrews 11. When Godtold him to pack his bagsand travel to the land ofpromise, Abraham went,though he didn’t knowwhere he was going. The

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Lord told Abraham that heand Sarah would have achild, yet the Lord waiteduntil their old age to fulfillHis word. And Abrahamhad to imagine the futurewhen his descendantswould inherit the Promised Land.

Isaac, Jacob, and Josephknew of God’s promise fortheir descendants, but theydid not see fulfillment(vv.20-22). Moses knewthat the Lord would rescueHis people, but he had towait until he was 80 yearsold before the Lord usedhim to lead the people outof Egypt. Moses even chose mistreatment in theshort run so that later Hewould be rewarded by God(vv.25-26).

The writer of Hebrews 11 also lists Gideon, Barak,Samson, Jephthah, David,Samuel, and the prophets.Their lives were acombination of immediateblessing and delayed

fulfillment. Verses 33through 35 list several ways in which they sawGod’s blessings. But verses 35 through 38 list the terrible torture,imprisonment, and death that many faced. And then the chapter ends with these words:

All these, having obtaineda good testimony throughfaith, did not receive thepromise, God havingprovided something betterfor us, that they shouldnot be made perfect apartfrom us (vv.39-40). The writer of Hebrews

saw how all the promiseswere ultimately fulfilled in Christ—in what He has done to providesalvation and what He will do to bring God’s planfor earth to fulfillment.Faith is being able to waitand trust the Lord to fulfillall He has said He will do, even if life is hard for us now.

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How have peopleresponded to God’sdelays? The people of thepast have responded likeyou and I might have.Some grew impatient.Others kept the faith. Stillothers mocked those wholooked to the future.

Abraham had hismoments of doubt eventhough he was a man offaith. When his wife Sarahgrew old without bearing achild, Abraham and Sarahbegan to get creative aboutfulfilling God’s promise. The birth of Ishmael byHagar was the result (Gen. 16). But God, in His time, brought about the miraculous birth ofIsaac (Gen. 21:1-7).

The Hebrews who cameout of Egypt complainedand griped against Mosesand against God becauseeverything didn’t turn outjust as they expected afterthey escaped slavery inEgypt. As a result, they

ended up wandering aroundin the desert for 40 years—and a whole generation ofpeople missed out on thepromise of enteringPalestine (Num. 14).

David was anointedking while Saul was still on the throne. Yet Davidwas a fugitive from Saul’s“hit men” for many years.When he did become king,David saw much evidenceof the Lord’s goodness tohim. But David’s kingshipwas far from tranquil, with betrayals and turmoil(1 Sam. 16–31; 2 Sam. 1–24).

Job came to realize thatperfect justice was not to be experienced during ourlifetime. He learned thatGod’s timing and God’sprogram are perfect andwise (Job 42).

The disciples had tolearn that Jesus was notimmediately going toreestablish the nation ofIsrael and inaugurate themillennial kingdom (Acts

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1:6-8). They had to learnthat there was going to be a period of time betweenHis first coming and Hissecond coming (Mt. 24–25).Because Jesus was not theconquering king that manypeople expected, theyrejected Him, and only afew believed in Him untilafter the resurrection.

Paul wrote encouragingwords to believers who were in danger of despair in the face of persecutionand the prospect of notseeing immediate relief (1 Cor. 15; 2 Cor. 4).

Unbelievers in the last days will ridicule thepromise of Christ’s secondcoming. The apostle Petersaid that these scofferswould say, “Where is the promise of Hiscoming?” (2 Pet. 3:4). Peter responded with these words:

Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that withthe Lord one day is as a

thousand years, and athousand years as oneday. The Lord is not slack concerning Hispromise, as some count slackness, but islongsuffering toward us, not willing that anyshould perish but that all should come torepentance (2 Pet. 3:8-9). Believers, those who

profess faith in Christ asLord and Savior, have a life that can be far fromglorious. We can beplagued with impatienceand doubts. Like thepsalmist, we may wonderwhy God allows the wickedto prosper and why Hedoesn’t fulfill His promiseby bringing judgment rightnow (Ps. 73). We too canbecome so distracted by thepresent world that we losesight of the world to come.

We can also benefit fromwhat the apostle Paul wroteat the close of his first letterto Timothy. He warned

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about a preoccupation withthe present—the riches andthe pleasure of life. Paulencouraged Timothy to“pursue righteousness,godliness, faith, love,patience, gentleness,” andto “fight the good fight offaith” (1 Tim. 6:11-12). The apostle then said aboutChrist’s second coming: “Hewill manifest [it] in His owntime” (v.15).

Who is wiser than God? Nobody. All of the promises of Godare fulfilled in His perfecttiming, according to Hiswisdom. Many of thosepromises are fulfilled now.

Many await fulfillment. All who trust Christ for

forgiveness of sins receivethat forgiveness and newlife immediately— alongwith all the spiritualbenefits (Jn. 3; Eph. 1). And while some peopleexperience the evidence ofGod’s love and care throughprosperity of life and goodhealth, others experiencethe love and strength ofGod through poverty and sickness. In all cases,though, God is true to Hisword. He fulfills Hispromises.

Thinking It Over.What promises of Godwould encourage a followerof Christ to keep on livingfor Him? How do people in the world mock the hope of Christians? Whatfulfillment of biblicalpromises can give you and me confidence that God will keep Hispromises to us now and in the life to come?

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All of the promises of God

are fulfilled in God’s perfecttiming, according to His wisdom.

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PROMISECHECKLIST

IIf you want to follow the advice of the greathymn “Standing On

The Promises,” you need to be sure you are on solidfooting. As we’ve seen in this study of God’spromises, our spiritual livesmust be founded on whatGod has said—not merelyon what we wish He hadsaid or what we think Hemight have said. We needto be sure we are notmisquoting the Lord whenwe claim a biblical promisefor ourselves.

The basic rules of properinterpretation that apply tothe whole Bible also formthe starting point for ourinterpretation of biblicalpromises. The rules ofinterpretation can besummed up in one word—context. Two principles fromthe RBC Ministries booklet

How Can I Understand TheBible? (Q0401) are especiallyrelevant to this study.

The context ofimmediate setting: Look at the verses thatimmediately precede andfollow the promise. Doesyour interpretation fit thecontext?

The context of thewhole Bible: Consider the passage in its relation to the whole Bible. Goddoes not contradict Himself.The interpretation of thepromise must be in keepingwith all of Scripture. Thisstep requires a growingknowledge of God’s Wordand a dependence on theHoly Spirit to guide yourunderstanding of the Bible.

In this booklet we haveexamined the promises ofGod in four categories. Aswe read the Scriptures, wecan learn how to interpretand apply those promises.Use the questions listed onthe next page as guidelines.

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1. The terms of thepromise.q Does the promise have

conditions to fulfill?q Do you meet the

conditions?q What will happen if you

fail to measure up?q What characteristics of

God can increase yourconfidence in Hispromises?

2. The people of thepromise.q Is the promise given to

all people of all time?q Is a specific individual

mentioned?q Are only believers in

view?q Is the promise to

obedient believers only?q Are you included?

3. The method of thepromise.q Does the Scripture imply

obvious fulfillment?

q Could the promise befulfilled spiritually?

q Could the promise befulfilled physically?

q How is God’sfaithfulnessdemonstrated?

q What are some of the options in yoursituation?

4. The time of thepromise.q Can fulfillment be

expected soon?q Will it be fulfilled

in heaven?q Can God fulfill this

promise a number of times?

q Why would Godpossibly delayfulfillment?

q Are you willing to trust God’s timing?

q Could the promise beonly partially fulfilled?

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TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

IIn the world of shopping,if the product soundstoo good to be true, it

probably is. Whether it’s avegetable chopper, a weedwhacker, or the latestautomobile, the advertisedimage is more likely to be a mirage than reality. Whatyou think is a bargain canturn out to be a majordisappointment.

God never advertisesmore than He delivers. He’snot out to deceive us. Hewants us to have the bestHe has to offer—the joy of a close relationship withHim now, and heaven later.

To enjoy God’s best,though, you and I first needto take Jesus at His word.He said, “He who hears My word and believes inHim who sent Me haseverlasting life, and shallnot come into judgment,but has passed from deathinto life” (Jn. 5:24).

His offer is conditionedonly on our acceptance ofHis free gift. Does it soundtoo easy? Too good to betrue? It’s not. Jesus hasproven that He can betrusted. He came to earth,lived a perfect life, died onthe cross in our place, androse from the dead. If Hecan’t be trusted, nobodycan.

If you’ve never done so,choose now to take God atHis word. Admit that youdeserve God’s judgment forsin, believe Jesus died foryou and rose from the dead,accept His offer of new life,and then build your life onthe promises of God.

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“God never made a promise that was too good to be true.”—D. L. Moody

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