In a changing world, are there any reliable promises?
God made promises 4,000 years ago. He promised a man, Abram, that his descendants would become a great nation. That nation would have an impact on the whole world. The promise didn’t explain in detail how that would happen, but said:
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:2-3 New King James Version
The Nation of the Promise
Following the development of that nation is fascinating. The Bible clearly identifies the nation as Israel, warts and all. Whilst Israel hasn’t always been a great example of good behaviour, God has said on a number of occasions that the nation is central to His plan. When Israel was being punished and removed by another nation (Babylon), God made this reassuring statement:
Thus says the LORD,
Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
…
“If those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the LORD,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”
Jeremiah 31:35-36 New King James Version
Proof of the Promise
Is there any likelihood of an end to day and night as defined by the sun, moon and stars? Did Israel get removed to Babylon and disappear into obscurity? Or did it survive? The nation did eventually return to their own land, only to be removed again by the Romans in the first century AD. Amazingly, after nearly 2000 years, Israel became a living, breathing, nation once more. God never breaks His promises.
The Promise and You
What about the promise to Abram ‘in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ ? The Bible explains how that promise is being kept :
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”
Galatians 3:8 New King James Version
The writer goes on to explain how Jesus has made that promise available to us. But that’s for another time. Key information – the promise has been, and will continue to be, kept.
In a changing world, God’s promises never change. God does not go back on His word. His promises in the past have come true. His promises for the future are therefore reliable…and they are worth knowing about!
