It's said that a lie only leads to more lies, so
it’s best not to start that ball rolling. The natural progression is that a lie
grows. Bob tells Sally he didn’t go there (lie), then Sally asks where he went.
He tells her where he went (lie), and she asks what he did there. He tells her
that he met up with some friends (lie), and she asks which friends. Now the
ball is rolling.
But there’s also a natural progression to truth. In a
perfect world, Bob and Sally show each other love and respect. Bob really
doesn’t go there. Sally has no need for questions. Bob has no reason to lie.
Why? Because Bob and Sally made a promise. And the progression is that one
promise leads to another.
Before and beyond Bob and Sally and all relationships among
human beings, a great cascade of promises began when God spoke the world into
existence, and it continues today. Unlike us, God speaks only truth and He
never lies. And His promises never fail.
It may seem strange that what is commonly referred to as the
first promise in the Bible was spoken by God to a snake—that is, Satan. But
really, the promise was for us.
“And I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush
your head, and you will strike his heal. Genesis 3:15
God makes it known that Satan will be defeated (his head
gets crushed), while the One who comes to save will suffer and appear defeated.
But then He will defeat even death.
This is the last promise in the Bible:
“He who testifies to
these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord
Jesus.” Revelation 22:20
Some may see this as a promise unfulfilled since Jesus
hasn’t returned. How long does it take to come quickly, anyway? But the
reference is not to what we consider speedy, but rather suddenly. No one knows
when, but when it happens, some will think they should have had more time.
Besides, our
In between these promises, in the pages of Scripture, God
makes and keeps His promises. A Promised Land, victory over enemies, offspring
too numerous to count, protection, peace, joy, the knowledge of God. Promises of
salvation, sanctification, justification. Promises of Heaven, of eternal life.
Promises of a Great Redeemer.
Too many promises to list in this short space flow from the Word
and fill us with hope because those of us who follow Christ know Him, and we
know His words are true. But there is one promise that seems to me to act as
the hinge for all the rest:
For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and
his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be
no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to
uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and
forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:6-7
If it just makes you want to sing Handel’s “Messiah”, you’re
not alone. But the promise here of the birth of Christ is presented in only the
first few words. After that, it’s all about the promise of His second coming,
about His rule and authority. And all this is accomplished by the zeal of God. Here’s
the definition of zeal: great energy or enthusiasm to achieve a goal, fervent
pursuit. This is God’s plan, His desire for His world. For us.
All the promises spoken by God revolve around the promise of
the Son. They are for our good. To bring us to the realization of the truth and
then to help us live victoriously. They are for God’s glory, that all should
behold Him, and know Him, and know that He is good.
No comments:
Post a Comment