God Keeps His Promises

Intro

Is it cool if we talk about a weird story tonight? part of the fun of reading the Bible chronologically like i’m doing this year is I am forced to read stories that I wouldnt normally spend time on. and I read one this week that I had read but never really dwelled on. And I was dwelled on it this week my eyes were opened to another way God is so incredible and how beautiful his promises are and I want to share that with you guys tonight.

Genesis 15:1–7 CSB

After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great. But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Look, you have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.” Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. He also said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Abram who would later be called Abraham had just had a huge victory he had just rescued his nephew lot who had been captured as collateral damage in a war that he wasn’t involved in. But Abram goes down and defeats three kings to rescue lot and his family. But this clearly doesn’t give Abram the satisfaction that you would expect because God comes to him and the first thing he says is “ Don’t be afraid, I am your shield, your reward will be very great” Abram. Has experienced great success in his life. He is very rich. Just defeated 3 kings with 300 people and yet he still doesnt have the desires of his heart which God had promised that he would give him which is a son to carry on his name. And Abram questions God about it.

1. God’s Promises Endure our Questions.

Abram starts questioning God. Telling him God if you dont do anything my head servant is going to be who carries my name. Basically saying whats going on? Abram presents his doubts and God doesnt run, God doesn’t revoke his promise because Abram questioned him. God reassures him. He takes him out and shows him the stars and says just like you can’t count those no one will be able to count how many decendants you are going to have. The coolest thing about that to me is Abraham couldn’t have counted all the stars that he could see but what he didn’t even know but God did is how many stars there are in the universe that we cant see with the naked eye.

Most of the nations of the middle east came from Abram not just Israel. but even more than that. Like the stars he couldn’t see because Jesus was born in his line. every one of us are sitting here because of Abraham’s faith, and God keeping his promise. God didnt throw Abraham out when he questioned God and sought him deeper. God’s promises are way stronger than our questions. Don’t be afraid to ask them, they will always lead you to deeper appreciation of Him like Abraham experienced.

This is where it gets weird.

Genesis 15:8–16 CSB

But he said, “Lord God, how can I know that I will possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” So he brought all these to him, cut them in half, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut the birds in half. Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was setting, a deep sleep came over Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know this for certain: Your offspring will be resident aliens for four hundred years in a land that does not belong to them and will be enslaved and oppressed. However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterward they will go out with many possessions. But you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

Alright so we got some animas chopped up in half and laid out with a pathway between them. Sounds like some serious horror movie stuff right. This was a common back then when two parties were making covenant. A covenant was a special kind of two sided promise. In this case Abram is promising to keep faith in God and that he would be his only God. and God is promising to give him many descendents and the land.

But God tells Abram a bit of the future. He tells him about how his descendants would be slaves for 400 years in Egypt. But in the end they will return to their promised land stronger and richer than when they went into it.

2. God’s Promises Endure through Hard Times.

God promised Abram lots of kids, he promised him the land, he also promised that it was going to take awhile and it wasnt going to be a smooth journey. But no matter how dark in to and there times in the journey it got dark. The nation enslaved for 400 years, their backs against the wall of the dead sea with no way forward, a million people in the desert with no food or water, attacking the most fortified city in the world with no seige equipment. no matter how dark it got. God kept His promise. He always came through. Regardless of how they felt in the moment God’s promise was still true. regardless of how bleak the situation seemed. God’s promise was still true. There is not a circumstance that can change God’s promise.

When we go through hard times it can feel like God has forgotten us, It can feel like we are are alone. In those times it can be easy to forget or doubt God’s promises. But you know who doesn’t forget God’s promises? God. When you put your faith in him he has secured your home, your destination is set. Like Isreal and the promised land. it is a done deal. You will be with him forever. Not only does he promise the end destination a home in heaven he also promises to be with us through every difficult circumstance, and help us through them. And when we get to the other side we will able to look back and marvel at how God kept his promise in every situation.

Back to the chopped up animal trail.

Genesis 15:17–21 CSB

When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your offspring, from the Brook of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River: the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hethites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Covenants like this one with the animals cut in half were supposed to have two people involved and both parties were supposed to walk between the halves of the animals to signal that if either one broke their side of the agreement that person would suffer the same fate as the animals. so entering into a deal like this is like If i break my word i will die as penalty. God’s covenant with Abram is radically unique. Abram was asleep so he couldn’t walk the covenant out. Here is what I find so beautiful about this story. God walked through for both of them. God the creator promising to bear the fatal burden if either of them broke the covenant. Which Abraham did in the very next chapter, and centuries later after mountains of human sin had accumulated, the Son of God bore the death penalty for us breaking the covenant on the cross.

3. God’s Promises endure through our Broken Promises.

God chose to pay the penalty for us breaking our side of the deal. Worst deal in history. And God made that deal knowing that we would break it and that he would have to pay the sacrifice for us not only to fulfill his promise to Abram but to defeat satan and death once and for all.

As I studied this, this week I get to this point and I cant help but just marvel at how great our God is. That he would walk between the animals for us saying my promises to you will always stand and when you break your promise to me I will pay the penalty for it.

I challenge you to look at the gods of other religions they aren’t even real and they couldn’t come up with a god that good.

Not only do his promises endure even when we question Him, not only do his promises endure through even the darkest times in our lives. but they endure even when we fail to hold up our end of the deal. Even when we don’t trust him the way that we should, even when we give into the same temptation for the 100th time, even when we don’t do what he tells us. His promises endure.

Because that is who our God is. He is a promise keeper, and he has promised to save you, promised to love you, to make you a part of His family, He has promised to never leave or forsake you, He has promised that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, He has promised to provide for you, He has promised to mold you into the image of His son, He has promised, He promised the Holy Spirit will live within you to counsel you and comfort you, He promises that our sufferings will always serve a purpose, He promises us forgives as the only one who can give it, and He promises to pay our penalty when we break our promises to Him.

Title: God Keeps His Promises

Scripture Genesis 15

Points

1. God’s Promises Endure our Questions.

2. God’s Promises Endure through Hard Times.

3. God’s Promises endure through our Broken Promises.

Questions:

Do you find it natural to question God or have you been afraid to in the past? How can questioning God lead to deeper faith?

Are you the type of person who clings to God’s promises in hard times or doubts God’s promises in hard times?

What promise of God do you find the most incredible or hard to believe? (Google a list if it will help)