THE FAITHFUL GOD

Deuteronomy 7:6–9 AV

6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Intro: Israel is about to enter the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness while a rebellious generation die off. Before they are allowed to enter the land, Moses delivers a series of sermons to the people of God. The content of this book was given to the people of Israel during the last month of Moses’ life.

These discourses were given to the generation of Israelites that were born during the wilderness wanderings, who had either been very young, or not yet born, when the Law was first given to Israel. Thus the book is named “Deuteronomy,” which means “second law.” Deuteronomy is a restatement of the Law of God.

This generation needed to know that God was with them, just as He had promised to be with their fathers. They were about to face the fight of their lives and they needed divine assurance that they could depend on God as they faced the people of Canaan, and committed to live their lives for the Lord.

This passage identifies to Israel that their God is a faithful God. They can rest in Him. They can trust His Word. They can believe His promises. They can depend on His power. He will see them through whatever may come their way.

We need this same kind of reminder today. We are living in days when the people of the Lord need to be sure they can trust the Lord. Well, I want to show you from this passage that our God is The Faithful God. There are some reasons given in this text that demonstrate the truth that our God is The Faithful God. Let’s examine those reasons together for a few moments today.

I. GOD’S FAITHFUL PASSION FOR HIS PEOPLE

A. The Reality of God’s Passion—“set His love upon you”—“it is to passionately desire a thing.” This verse states very clearly that God loves His people. God set His heart on the people of Israel and took every necessary step to bring them to Himself.

Just so you know, He loves you too!

• His love is everlasting—Jer. 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

• His love is expensive—Rom. 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

• His love is extensive—John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

B. The Reaction of God’s Passion—“the Lord thy God hath chosen thee”—The word “chosen” means, “to choose, elect, or decide for.” Of all the people on the face of the earth in that day, God chose the tiny nation of Israel to be the focus of His love, His grace and His mercy.

If you are saved, it is because He has chosen you too, Eph. 1:4 “ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

Don’t let that bother you! People get hung up on the doctrines of predestination and election, and forget the rest of the story. Salvation is a divine mystery!

One writer said that if you look at the outside of the door of salvation it says, “Whosoever will, let him come.” When you step through the door and look back, it says “Chosen before the foundation of the world.”

One author described the tension between divine choice and human responsibility like two ends of a rope that go through a ceiling. Hidden from view, up above, is a pulley. What appears to be two ropes below, is actually one rope up above.

If you would climb the rope, you must hold to both. To take one side and not the other will always lead to a fall. Simply stated, God chose His children before the foundation of the world, but His children must still look to Jesus by faith before they can be saved.

Here is the bottom line, Jesus Christ died to save sinners from their sins, and every one who comes to Him, will be saved by Him, John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

C. The Reasons For God’s Passion—Why did God choose Israel? In verse 7, God gives them facts, that He did not choose them because of their numerical superiority. He did not choose them because there were so many of them. After all, God says that they were “the fewest of all people.” In other words, God did not choose them because of any quality they possessed within themselves. God tells them in verse 8 just why He chose them and redeemed them.

1. He Did It Because Of His Will—“Because the Lord loved you.” No reason is given for this love. He just set His love on them and acted on their behalf. He chose them, saved them, blessed them, and stood by them, just because He wanted to.

2. He Did It Because Of His Word—The Lord tells them that another reason for His grace toward Israel had to do with His promises to their fathers. God made some very specific promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. On the basis of those promises, God kept His word and redeemed Israel. In other words, they were chosen, redeemed and blessed because of God’s promises to another.

There is much I could say about the truths contained here. Let me just say this.

• God did not save you because He saw something good in you. As fast as I can tell from the Word of God, there is nothing good about any of us, Rom. 3:10–23.

• God did not save you because He saw what a asset you would be to His kingdom. After all, we were dead when He came to us to save us, Eph. 2:1 “ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

• God did not save you based on anything you did, you said, you prayed, or anything you possessed. God saved you because Jesus Christ died for you on the cross! That is the only reason any of us ever get saved!

I. God’s Faithful Passion For His People

II. GOD’S FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE FOR HIS PEOPLE

A. He Desires Them—Again, “He set His love upon” them. He “passionately desires” them, and He will stop at nothing to redeemed them. Consider how God called, blessed, grew sheltered and provided for the people of Israel. He worked in their history in many providential ways to bring them to Himself.

He did the same thing for every one of us. Consider how the Lord worked to bring you to Jesus. Look at the events that made up your life before you met Him. Look at the people God allowed to come into your life to influence you. Consider how the Lord worked in conviction to draw you to Jesus Christ for salvation.

When God goes after a lost sinner, He does whatever it takes to bring them to faith, John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” Notice that the Lord said “can” and not “may.”

The implication is that lost sinners lack the ability to come to God on their own. Whosoever will may come, but no one can come unless the Father “draws” them. The word “draw” means “to drag.” God has to draw the sinner because the sinner cannot and will not come on his own. But, when the sinner is convicted of his sins and drawn to Jesus Christ, the sinner will come in humble repentance.

Thank God He reaches down to those who lack the ability to reach up to Him! “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly,” Rom. 5:6.

B. He Delivers Them—In verse 8, God reminds them that He brought them “out with a mighty hand, and redeemed” them “out of the house of bondage, from the hand of pharaoh king of Egypt.” He didn’t just love them and call them His people, He actually purchased them unto Himself.

God purchased Israel when the Passover Lamb was slaughtered and its blood placed on the doors of the houses, Ex. 12. They were purchased with the blood of an innocent substitute. God bought them, then through a series of miracles, God delivered them from their captivity and set them free.

That is just what He did for us! He redeemed us to Himself through the blood of His Son, the Lord Jesus, Rev. 5:9; Gal. 4:5; 1 Pet. 1:18–19. Not only did He redeemed us, but he has delivered us from the bondage of our sins, Rom. 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

He has also delivered us from the grip of the one who held us in death, darkness and wretched slavery for so long.“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins,” Col. 1:13–14.

C. He Develops Them—In verse 6, God calls Israel “a holy people” and “a special people.” The word “holy” carries the idea of being “a saint.” It is the image of something that is “set apart for God’s singular use.” The word “special” carries the idea of “treasure.” God is telling Israel that, while they were small in number, and had no real qualities that should make anyone care about them, God loved them, saved them and has set them apart as His treasure, and as a people set apart for His glory.

This is just a reminder of how the Lord works in our lives as well. When He came to us, we were “dead in trespasses and sins,” Eph. 2:1. We were completely given over to the ways and whims of the world, the flesh and the devil, Eph. 2:2–3. We were the children of the devil, and we were perfectly content to do His will, John 8:44. We were lost, ugly, dead, and defiles. Yet, He loved us and set His grace upon us.

When He saved us, He changed us, and made us into new creatures, 2 Cor. 5:17. He placed His Spirit within us, 1 Cor. 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

We became the “temple of the Holy Ghost,” the very sanctuary of God Himself, 1 Cor. 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

He even placed His very nature within us, 2 Pet. 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” So that, now, we are not what we used to be:

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God,” 1 Cor. 6:9–11.

I. God’s Faithful Passion For His People

II. God’s Faithful Performance For His People

III. GOD’S FAITHFUL PROMISES TO HIS PEOPLE

A. He Is Faithful Because Of His Name—God is called “God,” “the Lord thy God,” and “the faithful God.” Each of these names magnifies a different aspect of Israel’s God.

• He is called God—This word identifies Him as the One Who is over all. It encompasses all of His power, His glory, His influence and His wonder. This word reminds us that He is the One in charge of all things.

• He is called The Lord Thy God—The name “Lord” is the covenant name of God, it identifies Him as “the eternal, self-existent One.” It is the most common name for Him in the Bible, occurring over 5,200 times in the Old Testament. Since it is His covenant name, it speaks of Him as “One Who keeps faith with His people.”

In other words, “He is One Who will do whatever He says He will do!” The pronoun “thy” reminds them of their relationship to this covenant keeping Lord. He is their God and He will keep His promises to them!

The God we serve is faithful!

• His faithfulness is unlimited, “… thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds,” Psa. 36:5.

• His faithfulness is unfailing, “Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail,” Psa. 89:33.

• His faithfulness is a glimpse into His character, “Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee,” Isa. 49:7.

• His faithfulness is abounding, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness,” Lam. 3:22–23.

• His is faithful to help His people, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it,” 1 Cor. 10:13.

• He is faithful to those He saves, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it,” 1 Thes. 5:23–24.

• He is faithful to all His promises to those saved by His grace, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised …”Heb. 10:23.

• He is faith in His forgiveness of sin, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” 1 John 1:9.

B. He Is Faithful Because Of His Nature—He is called “the faithful God”—The word “faithful” speaks of God as One Who “supports, confirms, establishes; can be believed.” It simply reminds us that God can be trusted. We are told that He is One Who “keepeth covenant, and mercy …”

This statement simply means that God always stands by His Word. He is faithful! He will do everything He has said that He will do. He can be depended upon. Our God is a God Who cannot lie, Heb. 6:18. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Num. 23:19.

Because God is Who He is, we can count on Him in every situation we may face in life.

“God is faithful!” Here is what I mean:

• Friends will fail, but God is faithful— David and Ahithophel, 2 Sam. 15–17; Psa. 41:9. Jesus and Judas, John 13:8; John 6:70. ( Psa. 142:4) (.2 Tim. 4:16–17)

• Family will fail, but God is faithful— John 9:1–38 (Especially vv. 18–23)

• Funds will fail, but God is faithful— The Widow of Zarephath—1 Kings 17. The feeding of the 5,000. Luke 12:32

• Feelings will fail, but God is faithful— 2 Tim. 2:12; Phil. 1:6 “ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

• Faith will fail, but God is faithful—I am not implying that faith in God is ever misplaced. I am saying that, often, our faith is overwhelmed by our doubts. In spite of that, God is faithful. 2 Tim. 2:13 ( Acts 23:11; Acts 27:23–24)

Regardless of how life plays out, we have the confidence that our God is faithful and that He will stand by us even when our faith is weak, John 10:28–29; Heb. 7:25; Rom. 8:28–30!

Regardless of the realm of life, the Lord can be trusted to stand by His promises.

• He will save you if you will come to Jesus, Rom. 10:9, 13; Acts 16:31. He is faithful!

• He will keep you and take you to Heaven when this life is over, John 6:37–40, 44. He is faithful!

• He will hear you when you call on Him, Jer. 33:3; Matt. 7:7–11. He is faithful!

• He will meet your needs here, Matt. 6:25–34; Phil. 4:19. He is faithful!

• He will give you grace sufficient for every trial, 2 Cor. 12:9. He is faithful!

• He will give you His peace in the midst of every circumstance of life, Phil. 4:6–7. He is faithful!

• He will walk with you every step of the way to glory, Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20. He is faithful!

Conc: Once an older man, was walking the beach at dawn. As he walked, he noticed that the beach was literally covered, as far as the eye could see, with starfish. He also noticed a young boy ahead of him who was picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the youth, he asked him what he was doing.

The boy replied, “I am picking these starfish up and throwing them back into the sea so that they do not die.”

“But the beach goes on for miles and miles, and there are millions of starfish,” countered the man. “How can your effort make any difference?”

The boy looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. “It makes a difference to this one,” he said.

My problem and yours is that we are unable to help everyone. There is little that I can do to meet your needs and help you along life’s way. There is a God in Heaven Who is able to help us all. He is faithful! He knows where every one of His starfish is, and He is able to take care of each of them. He is a faithful God.

Let us rejoice in His faithfulness so that He is glorified in our praise of Him!

Let us rest in His faithfulness so that we are delivered from the cares of this life!

Let us report His faithfulness so that others may come to know Him too!

He is faithful!