What if someone who has a reputation of being unfaithful and untrue, gives you a promise? How much value would you give to that promise? Not much. What if someone who has a reputation of being faithful and true, gives you a promise? How much value would you give to that promise? Great value. The value of a promise depends upon the reputation or character of the one giving the promise.
Throughout all eternity, God the creator of heaven and earth and all things good, is the only one who is faithful and true. God is never unfaithful. God is never untrue. God is perfect in every way. Let us read Genesis 12:2 where God speaks to Abram and gives him a promise.
Genesis 12:2 “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. God's promise to Abram was not just 1, not just 2, not 3, 4, 5, 6...but 7 promises. God’s promise to Abram was so great it was for all eternity. In verse 2 of Genesis 12 we read 4 of the 7 promises to Abram.
Promise number 1: God will make a great nation through Abram and his descendants.
Promise number 2: God will give Abram a special blessing.
Promise number 3: God will grow Abram's reputation and name.
Promise number 4: God will give Abram the power to be a blessing to others.
At the time God gave these eternal promises to Abram, both Abram and his wife could not have children. They were without a descendant, their bodies long past the years of being able to have children. Without a child, God's promises would not be fulfilled. Yet Abram believed God, because Abram knew the value of a promise depends upon the reputation or character of the one giving the promise.
Abram knew God is faithful and true, the creator of heaven and earth and all things good. Abram knew the value of God's promise, because Abram knew God.
Many, many years later, after God gave the promise to Abram, the Apostle Paul testifies of how God fulfilled His promise to Abram.
The Apostle Paul said of Abram in Romans 4:17-22 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
The Apostle Paul knew God is faithful and true, the creator of heaven and earth and all things good. The Apostle Paul knew the value of God's promise, because the Apostle Paul knew God.
Promise number 1: God will make a great nation through Abram and his descendants. God changed Abram's name to Abraham (which means father of many) and from the seed of Abraham came a great nation, a great King from the smallest of tribes. God said this King was a man after God's own heart. His name was David. God fulfilled promise number 1.
Promise number 2: God will give Abram a special blessing. God out of His great love gave Abraham a special blessing, revealing His eternal plan of how God Himself will become the saviour of the world. God gave Abraham a special blessing of being honoured by God. God gave Abraham a special blessing of knowing God intimately, in a time before the saviour had come. God gave Abraham a special part in God's eternal plan, of God Himself becoming the saviour of the world. God fulfilled promise number 2.
Promise number 3: God will grow Abram's reputation and name. To this day, in fact today we talk about Abraham, his great faith and trust in God, because he knew God and became the father of many nations. God fulfilled promise number 3.
Promise number 4: God will give Abram the power to be a blessing to others. Through the fulfilment of the promise given to Abraham, generation to generation are blessed. It is through Abraham's descendants, the tribe of King David that God chose to bring His eternal blessing of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, the saviour of the world, God Himself will be with us. God fulfilled promise number 4.
Many many years after God gave the promise to Abram, God in His great love, gave the promise to a young girl. This young girls' name is Mary.
Let us read Luke 1:30-35 'Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
At the end of the promise, Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”
Mary knew God is faithful and true, the creator of heaven and earth and all things good. Mary knew the value of God's promise, because Mary knew God. Through knowing God, Mary knew her own identity was in God. Mary knew she was a chosen servant of the Lord, receiving a special blessing from God. Mary was given a special part
in God's eternal plan, of God Himself becoming the saviour of the world. In that moment in time when God became a baby, inside the womb of Mary, Mary knew God's promise to Abraham was being fulfilled in the child she was carrying.
Mary sings a joyful response in praise of God, the creator of heaven and earth and all things good.
Let us read what Mary sings in Luke 1:46-55 'And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.”
Mary testifies that God has seen her lowly state of her situation. Mary testifies for generations she will be called blessed because God has given her a special part in His plan. God has remembers His promise to Abraham all those many, many years ago.
Today we celebrate the fulfilment of God's promise to Abraham, to his descendants, to Mary, to all people, to us. Today we can take hold of the promise because God gives us a special part in His rescue plan.
Together to reach a dying world. Together to testify, the good news that God is faithful and true, the creator of heaven and earth and all things good, the one who heals the broken hearted, proclaims liberty to the captives, opens the eyes of the blind, sets at liberty those who are oppressed and we proclaim that this time now, is the acceptable year of the Lord God Almighty. Together to testify, we know the value of God's promise, because we know God.
In His faithfulness we can trust. Not in our own faithfulness. In His faithfulness we can trust. God's promise to Abraham is fulfilled in Jesus. God's promise to be the saviour of the world is fulfilled in Jesus.
When we receive Jesus, God's promise is activated in our lives. When we receive Jesus we receive the same special blessing of being honoured by God, to know God intimately, live with His presence within, around and upon. When we receive Jesus each one of us has a special part in God's eternal plan, of God Himself the saviour of the world.
Today we can celebrate the fulfilment of God's promise. We can testify we know the value of God's promise because we know God. He is faithful and true.
Close your eyes and be still. Turn your mind and thoughts to the value of the promise of the living God. By receiving Jesus we testify to the world and to the powers that He is faithful and true.
In the name of Jesus, in His faithfulness, in His truth, like Mary we say, as you declare it Lord, let it be. You will complete the good work in us each day as we surrender to your will Father, change us more into the character of your Son Jesus. In the faithfulness of Jesus we hold to the value of the promises of God.
May we see them fulfilled in this lifetime and future time according to your appointed time in Jesus mighty name amen we say thank you. Amen.
