GOD MAKES A PROMISE TO DAVID

PROCLAMATION

“… I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own … rest from all thine enemies.  Also The Lord telleth thee that He will make thee an house … I will set up thy seed after thee … I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build an house for My name …”  2 Samuel 7:10-13 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God after the death of the prophet Samuel by Nathan the prophet and Gad the seer.  After the king was settled in his palace, The Lord gave him rest from all of his enemies.  David said to Nathan the prophet that he was living in a house of cedar while the ark of God is in a tent. (2 Samuel 7:1-2)  Nathan told David to do whatever he wanted to do because The Lord God was with him.  However, The Lord appeared to Nathan that night and corrected him saying that while He appreciated David’s desire to build Him a house, He would not let him do so.  That honor would go to David’s son.  However, The Lord said that He would build a house for David. (2 Samuel 7:3-16)  The remainder of the chapter is David’s prayer to The Lord in response to what Nathan had told him. (2 Samuel 7:17-29)

 

APPLICATION

There is an old saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” (Henry G. Bohn)  It is not what we intend to do, but what we actually do that counts.  However, in this text, The Lord God gives King David credit and also a reward for his desire to build a house for the ark of God. (2 Samuel 7:11)  The Lord knows our thoughts, intentions, and motives. (Hebrews 4:12)  He knows our hearts. (Luke 16:15)  For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)  So, we need to ask The Lord God to create within us a clean and righteous heart. (Psalm 51:10)

 

LEVITICAL CITIES

PROCLAMATION

“Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua … saying, ‘The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.’  And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance …”  Joshua 21:1-3 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The Levites were not granted land as an inheritance because their royal priesthood was their inheritance. (Joshua 14:3 and 18:7)  Instead they were given towns to live in within the lands allocated to each of the tribal clans of Israel. (Joshua 21:3)  The Levites did not inherit any land but they were give land to live on.  Chapter twenty-one list the cities which were given to the Levites from each of the tribes of Israel. (Joshua 21:3-45)

 

APPLICATION

The Lord God provided for His people, the children of Israel, all of the land that He promised to their forefathers, (Joshua 21:43) and He also provided for His servants, the Levites, the priests and men of God. (Joshua 21:3)  He kept His promises in years long past, and He still keeps His promises today.  The Bible is full of the promises of God, and not one of them has been broken.  Heaven and earth will pass away before one portion of His word is unfilled. (Matthew 5:18)  He keeps His promises, all that remains is for us to live up to our end of the bargain and keep our promises to Him. 

A DYING REQUEST FROM A FATHER

PROCLAMATION

“And he charged them, and said unto them, ‘I am to be gathered unto my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the end of the field of Ephron the Hittite … in the land of Canaan … There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah …’ And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into bed, and yielded up the ghost …”  Genesis 49:29-33 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph, intentionally giving the younger son Ephraim the blessing which should have gone to the oldest son Manasseh, he blessed Joseph. (Genesis 48:8-20)  Then Jacob called his twelve sons together and blessed each one of them and spoke prophetically of their individual futures. (Genesis 49:1-28)  They would become the twelve tribes of Israel.  Then he gave instructions to his sons to bury him in the land of his fathers and not in Egypt.  When he finished giving his burial instructions, he breathed his last breath and died. (Genesis 49:29-33)

 

APPLICATION

People make promises to others all of the time and, unfortunately, we break most of them.  Many children are often “crushed” by the broken promises made to them.  However, there is something special about the promise one makes to a dying individual on their deathbed.  Those promises are usually held in very high regard and are often honored.  We should be very careful when we give our word to someone regarding something we plan to do in the future.  The old saying goes, “You are only as good as your word.”  We need to pray for faithfulness in the promises that we make to others.  We also need to be more faithful in the promises that we make to The Lord.  We make a lot of promises when times are bad that we somehow forget when things get better.  He doesn’t break His promises to us, and we need to keep ours to Him.

 

GOD'S COVENANT AND PROMISE

PROCLAMATION

“And God said unto him, ‘I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy lions;  And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.’ ”  Genesis 35:11-12 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After Jacob’s sons killed Shechem and all of his men, for raping their sister Dinah, they took their wives and property. (Genesis 34:13-29)  The Lord God spoke to him and then Jacob left the area and went to Bethel. (Genesis 35:1-5)  There he built an alter and The Lord God Almighty appeared to him and made a promise to him. (Genesis 35:6-12)  Then Jacob journeyed from Bethel to Ephrath.  Along the way, his wife Rachel gave birth to a second son, Benjamin, but she died during childbirth. (Genesis 35:16-20)  After burying Rachel, Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel when he wrestled with The Angel of The Lord, continued on to Eder, and then on to Hebron to see his father Isaac. (Genesis 35:21-27)  And it came to pass that, at the age of one hundred and eighty years old, Isaac died and was buried by his sons Jacob and Esau. (Genesis 35:28-29)

 

APPLICATION

We are blessed by the grace of God in more ways that we can count.  Waking up is a blessing and so are living and breathing.  We also receive additional conditional blessing.  When we are obedient to The Word of God, He blesses us.  When He makes us a promise, He keeps His word.  He will keep us and protect us, no matter how many storms in life we go through.  He will also provide for us.  We can stand on the promises of God knowing that His word will never fail. (Deuteronomy 31:8 and Matthew 24:35)  All we have to do is be obedient to His Holy Word.

STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.  Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”  2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Peter, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers who scattered after the crucifixion of Christ. (1 Peter 1:1-2)  After his opening greeting, Peter began this, his second letter to them, by confirming their calling and selection by The Lord God. (2 Peter 1:1)  He told them that God had given them all that they need to live right.  He also told them God had given them promises of things to come. (2 Peter 1:3-4)  He urged them to make every effort to live a Christ-like life which would keep them from being ineffective and unproductive in their efforts. (2 Peter 1:5-8)  Then he went on to remind them of the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures.  Peter wrote these words of encouragement to them because he knew that his earthly time was near the end. (2 Peter 1:12-15)  He told them that he was an eyewitness and that he heard the voice from heaven referring to Jesus, The Christ, saying, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” (2 Peter 1:17-18)  Then he told them that the prophetic message they bring is not from the prophets.  It is of Divine origin, delivered by through humans by the aid of The Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:19-21)

 

APPLICATION

If we have The Lord God in our hearts and in our lives, then we have all that we need.  We just need to have the courage and the conviction to do the right thing.  Unfortunately at times we simply choose to do the wrong thing, or choose not to do the right thing, or we choose to do nothing at all.  We need to pray for God’s help and strength to do that which is right.  We need to exercise our faith and to increase our knowledge of His Holy Word.  We were all put on earth for a purpose, so let us pursue that purpose with gusto.  We have the promises of God to look forward to down here and in the hereafter.

 

A PROMISE OF PROTECTION FOR HIS PEOPLE

PROCLAMATION

“ ‘Do not be afraid, Jacob My servant, for I am with you,’ declares The Lord.  ‘Though I completely destroy all nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you.  I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’ ”  Jeremiah 46:28 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and which he proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The promise of protection which He previously made to a person, Baruch, (Jeremiah 45:5) He now makes to the people of Israel. (Jeremiah 46:27-28)  This promise only applies to the remnant of believers within the remnant of the rebellious people who fled to Egypt against His word. (Jeremiah 44:28)  The Lord God said that He would never forsake them.  His words of comfort to them (Jeremiah 46:27) is a repeat of the words which He spoke earlier. (Jeremiah 30:10)  Egypt, which had frequently encroached on other nations is now about to be encroached upon by the nation of Babylon. (Jeremiah 46:25-26)  His people will be spared but they will be punished. (Jeremiah 46:28)

APPLICATION
When we obey The Word of God and do what He says for us to do, He will bless us, protect us, preserve us, and provide for us.  His protection will keep us safe through the disasters that are going on around us.  He will protect us from dangers seen and unseen.  We may be punished for our sinful disobedience, but we will not be utterly destroyed. (Amos 9:8)  As believers we need to pray and confess our sins, and ask to be forgiven, because He is faithful and just, and He will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)   

THE LORD GOD CAN FREE US FROM THE CHAINS THAT BIND US

PROCLAMATION

“But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists.  Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come … go wherever you please.”  Jeremiah 40:4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The captain of the guard of the imperial army of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appears to be elated that he was chosen to be the instrument which The Lord God used to fulfill the prophecy which He had Jeremiah to foretell. (Jeremiah 40:1-3)  The captain told Jeremiah that he was freeing him of the chains on his wrists and freeing him from prison, allowing him to go wherever he wanted to go. (Jeremiah 40:4-5)  Jeremiah chose to go back to Judah to be among his people, the poor remnant of God’s chosen people that had been left behind and not taken into captivity. (Jeremiah 40:6)

APPLICATION

There are all types of chains that can bind us including physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual.  However, The Lord God can “Break Every Chain” that holds us back and restrict us.  He has freed us from a life of sin with His gift of salvation and justification.  He has freed us from the penalty of sin with His crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection.  All we have to do to be free from our chains is to believe. (John 3:16)

GOD'S PROMISE OF PROTECTION

PROCLAMATION

“While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of The Lord came to him: ‘Go and tell Ebed-Melek the Cushite, This is what The Lord Almighty, The God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill My words against this city, words concerning disaster, not prosperity.  At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.  But I will rescue you on that day, declares The Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear.  I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in Me, declares The Lord.’ ”  Jeremiah 39:15-18 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After Jeremiah was pulled from the cistern he was again confined to the courtyard of the guard. (Jeremiah 38:13)  He was back in prison.  While he was there The Lord God spoke to him and told him to give a message to the Ethiopian Ebed-Melek.  The city would be attacked and destroyed but The Lord God was going to save him because he trusted in Him. (Jeremiah 39:15-18)  Ebed-Melek had helped the prophet of God when he was in trouble. (Jeremiah 38:7-13)  The Lord God also made a way for Jeremiah to escape all harm during the attack on the city.  Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to the commander of his imperial guard not to harm Jeremiah.  In fact, they were told to look after him and to do whatever he asks. (Jeremiah 39:11-14)

APPLICATION

Even when things are going bad all around us, The Lord God can save us and protect us from all harm.  He can use whomever He wants in order to accomplish His purpose.  The Lord God also blesses those who are a blessing to others. (Proverbs 11:25)  Helping a child of God in their hour of need will result in a blessing for you later on down the line.

THE LORD GOD WILL NEVER STOP DOING GOOD TO US

PROCLAMATION

“I will make an everlasting covenant with them; I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear Me, so that they will never turn away from Me.”  Jeremiah 32:40 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The Lord God stated that in the future houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this now desolate land. (Jeremiah 32:15)  Jeremiah prophesied this while he was confined to the courtyard of the prison where Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him because of his prophecies. (Jeremiah 32:1-3)  The word of The Lord came to Jeremiah again saying that the city would fall into the hands of the Babylonians.  They would attack the city and burn it down. (Jeremiah 32:26-29)  The Lord God repeated that the people of Israel had repeatedly turned away from Him and worshiped idols, and He was going to punish them for it. (Jeremiah 32:30-36)  Then He said afterwards, He would bring them back to their homeland. (Jeremiah 32:37-44)

APPLICATION

The Lord God is a God of justice, and He is also a God of mercy.  He may punish us, but He will still protect us and provide for us.  Just because He spanks us does not mean that He does not love us.  In fact, He disciplines those that He loves. (Proverbs 3:12)  We will always have His goodness and mercy. (Psalm 23:6)  He actually enjoys doing good for us. (Jeremiah 32:41)  Our troubles and bad times are only temporary. (Psalm 30:5)  So, keep the faith and don’t lose hope, joy is coming.  God promises that He will never stop doing good to us.

THE COVENANT IS BROKEN

PROCLAMATION

“They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to My words.  They have followed other gods to serve them.  …  Therefore this is what The Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape.  Although they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them.’ ”  Jeremiah 11:10-11 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The Lord God told him to listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 11:1-3)  Jeremiah did as The Lord told him, and he told the people what thus said The Lord. (Jeremiah 11:6-8)  Because the people did not listen, The Lord said that He would bring disaster on them.  The people did not like the message that Jeremiah gave them, and they plotted to kill the messenger.  However, The Lord revealed their plot to him and spared him (Jeremiah 11:18-19) and then He destroyed all of the people in the city that had plotted against him. (Jeremiah 11:21-23)

APPLICATION

When we were first saved, we promised to obey The Word of God, but not long after that we broke our covenant with The Lord God.  Some of us messed up, and confessed, and tried to walk the walk while frequently falling down and getting back up.  Some of us went into a backsliding mode for a period of time before we tried to turn from our sinful ways.  While some just gave up and completely turned away from God.  The day will come when we will pay for our mistakes.  Because The Lord God is just and righteous, our punishment will be appropriate for our sins.  Believers will stand before the mercy seat, and all that we thought, said, and did will be judged.  That which did not give God glory will be burned like wood, stubble, and hay. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)  Others will stand before the great white throne and they will be judged. (Revelation 20:11-15)  Regardless of what it is that we have done, there is still hope for us if we repent.  If we confess our sins, The Lord God is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  Don’t wait until it is too late.

PREDICTED PROMISES FOR GOD'S PEOPLE

PROCLAMATION

“And you will be called priests of The Lord, you will be named ministers of our God.  You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.  Instead of shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.  And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.”  Isaiah 61:6-7 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Chapter sixty-one of The Bible Book of Isaiah begins with the prediction of the words which Jesus, The Christ, would say when He told the people that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy. (Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:16-21)  At the beginning of the Millennium, Israel will receive a facelift and be rebuilt. (Isaiah 61:4)  The Lord God had intended for the entire nation of Israel to be priests, (Exodus 19:6) but because of their repeated sins this was never attained.  However, this will be attained in the Millennium and everlasting joy will be theirs.

APPLICATION

When the new heaven and the new earth are established, God’s people will rule on earth.  The Lord God will reward His people. (Isaiah 61:8)  He said that their descendants will be widely acknowledged as having been blessed. (Isaiah 61:9)  The Lord God will bless and care for His own in a special way.  Will you be among those who receives these promised blessings?

THE LORD WILL GUIDE US AND SATISFY OUR NEEDS

THE LORD WILL GUIDE US AND SATISFY OUR NEEDS

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.”  Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Here He presents the things which they are doing wrong with respect to fasting, praise, and worship. (Isaiah 58:3-7)  Then He presents the good that would happen to them if they would do the right thing.  This is followed by a series of “if … then …” statements which present some conditional blessings which they could receive. (Isaiah 58:8-14)

APPLICATION

Our fasting, praying, and worship does not mean much when afterwards we go about doing the same sinful things, or when we fight with our brothers and sisters afterwards. (Isaiah 58:3-4)  It is as if we do not take our time with Him seriously.  It is not possible for us to leave a serious encounter with The Lord God and be exactly the same as we were before the encounter.  Time spent with Him changes us (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26) and we are transformed into new creatures. (2 Corinthians 5:17)  We do not become perfect, but we become less sinful.  If we follow in the direction that He leads us, then we will stay on the straight and narrow path. (Matthew 7:13-14)  He will protect us, provide for us, and strengthen us along our Christian journey.  The Good Lord wants to bless us, but He also wants us to do the right things.  If we would heed His counsel and obey His word, our lives would be much better.

GOD'S PROMISES TO HIS PEOPLE

PROCLAMATION

“This is what The Lord says, He who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: ‘Do not be afraid, Jacob, My servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.’”  Isaiah 44:2 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

In this chapter The Lord God speaks to His people through the prophet Isaiah and He tells them that they are His chosen people and that He will help them. (Isaiah 44:1-2)  He promises to bless them as He blesses the land with rain. (Isaiah 44:3-4)  Then He tells them of His power and warns them regarding the worship of idols. (Isaiah 44:6-20)  Then He repeats that He made them and tells them that He has forgiven their sins and has redeemed them. (Isaiah 44:21-22)  He promises to deliver them from their enemies, to rebuild their cities, and to restore them. (Isaiah 44:23-28)

APPLICATION

The Lord God knows every detail about us.  He knows our thoughts, spoken words, and actions.

 It was He that created us and formed us while we were in our mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13-16, Isaiah 44:2 and 44:24)  He is all powerful (Matthew 28:18) and He has promised to help us, (Psalm 46:1) to protect us, (Psalm 91:4) to preserve us, (Psalm 31:23) and to restore unto us all that is taken from us. (Isaiah 57:18 and Jeremiah 30:17)  We are His chosen people and we need to act like we belong to Him.  God’s promises can be conditional.  He said, “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)  Remember who we are and whose we are.

GOD'S CONDITIONAL PROMISES TO BELIEVERS

PROCLAMATION

“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The third and fourth chapters of Second Chronicles gives the details regarding the structure and adornments of the temple of God which Solomon built.  The fifth chapter describes the arc of the covenant and its position within the temple.  The sixth chapter records the blessings which King Solomon pronounced upon the people of Israel.  The seventh chapter presents his prayer of dedication for the temple and God’s answer to his prayer. (2 Chronicles 3:1 to 7:22)  This is a more detailed account of the information which is presented in the sixth, the eighth, and the ninth chapter of The Bible Book of First Kings.  When The Lord God appeared to Solomon, He told him that if the people would humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways, that He would forgive their sins.  He also said that He would hear all of the prayers that were offered up in the temple (2 Chronicles 7:13-15)  Then He told Solomon what he had to do in order to receive his conditional blessings, and the price that would be paid for not doing it. (2 Chronicles 7:17-22)

APPLICATION
We receive a lot of blessing from The Lord God, many more than we can count, and all of them are more than we deserve.  However, we still ask Him for things, and we want Him to bless us with what we want.  The problem is that we don’t want to do the things which He has asked us to do.  There are some blessings which are conditional blessings.  These blessings will only be received when we fulfill the specified condition which is required of us.  They can be referred to as “If … then …” blessings.  There are several conditional blessings presented in The Bible.  Here, The Lord God said, “If My people … shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven ...” (2 Chronicles 7:14)  We have been blessed and God has more blessings in store for us if we will just do as He says.  

THE LORD GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

PROCLAMATION

“… While Saul was king … God said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’ ”  1 Chronicles 11:2 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
The Book of First Chronicles repeats the history of the southern kingdom, Judah, from a different perspective than was presented in First and Second Samuel, and in First and Second Kings.  The eleventh chapter of First Chronicles presents the beginning of the reign of David as king of Israel. (1 Chronicles 11:1-3)  It then presents David’s conquest of Jerusalem and how he converted it into the City of David. (1 Chronicles 11:4-9)  Chapter eleven ends with a description of David’s mighty men, his chiefs and mighty warriors. (1 Chronicles 11:10-47)  The Lord God promised the prophet Samuel that David, the son of Jesse, would be king over Israel. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)  It was sometime later when that promise was fulfilled.  David was first anointed king over Judah (2 Samuel 2:4) and later as king over all of Israel. (2 Samuel 5:3)

APPLICATION

The Lord God keeps all of His promises.  The Bible is full of God’s promises.  Some of them have already been fulfilled, while others have yet to come to fruition, but all of them will be kept. (Matthew 5:18 and Luke 16:17)  For those of us who are impatiently awaiting the fulfillment of His promises, we need to remember that all things will be done in His time frame and to Him a day is like one thousand of our years. (2 Peter 3:8)  Everything will happen in due season.  We just need to learn to wait on The Lord. (Psalm 27:14 and Psalm 37:34)

THE PROMISES OF THE LORD WILL COME TRUE

PROCLAMATION

“So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there.  They washed the chariot at the pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of The Lord had declared.”  1 Kings 22:37-38 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

The word of The Lord came to Elijah telling him to go Ahab, king of Israel, and tell him that in the place where his wife Jezebel had Naboth killed, so that he could have his vineyard, the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood and dogs will also lick up his blood. (1 Kings 21:17-19)  Three years later Ahab joined with Jehoshaphat king of Judah to battle Aram to reclaim the land of Ramoth Gilead which had previously belonged to Israel. (1 Kings 22:1-4)  During the battle Ahab was wounded by an arrow and subsequently died. (1 Kings 22:34-37)  It was three years after He said it, but what The Lord told Ahab, through the prophet Elijah, came to pass.  Dogs licked up his blood in the same place where dogs had licked up the blood of Naboth.  The promises of The Lord God will be fulfilled.

APPLICATION                                                                                                                   

Everything in The Word of The Lord God is true and all that He has promised will come to pass. (Matthew 5:18)  The promises of God, which were made through the prophets, are given to us today through Jesus, The Christ.  To all of the seed of Abraham were the promises of God made. (Galatians 3:16)  As believers we are part of the seed of Abraham.  These promises were made to cover us in every situation; to pardon all of our sins; to all penitent believers; for the sanctification of His people; for our support in temptation and during trials; for our guidance during perplexity; for our peace in death; and for eternal life and glory beyond the grave.  To God be the glory!!!

RECEIVING THAT WHICH WAS PRAYED FOR

Proclamation:

“Early the next morning they arose and worshiped The Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.  Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and The Lord remembered her.  So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.  She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked The Lord for him.’”  1 Samuel 1:19-20 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.  The Book begins with an account of his parents, Elkanah his father and Hannah his mother who year after year had no children. (1 Samuel 1:1-2)  Elkanah had two wives but he loved Hannah and would always give her a double portion of whatever he gave his wife, Peninnah, and his sons. (1 Samuel 1:4-5)  Peninnah would ridicule Hannah year after year because she was barren and Hannah would become upset. (1 Samuel 1:6-10)  Hannah went to the temple and prayed silently while she was weeping.  The priest, Eli, saw her and thought that she was drunk because her lips were moving but she was not speaking. (1 Samuel 1:9-17)  The Lord God heard Hannah and answered her prayer and gave her a son.

Application:

There are times when we are going through periods of anguish, frustration, despair, sorrow, or suffering that we pray and ask The Lord God for something, and we promise Him that we will change our behavior if He will bless us with that which we asked for.  All too often, however, He blesses us and we fail to keep our promise to Him.  Here is an example of a woman who prayed during her period of distress and kept her promise when The Lord blessed her, even though keeping her promise meant giving up her son.  We should not take lightly promises that we make to God.  We should not only be careful what we ask The Lord God for, we should also be careful regarding what we promise Him.  He will keep all of His promises to us. (2 Peter 3:9)  We need to do a better job of keeping our promises to Him.  When we pray for things that will give God glory our prayers will be answered. (John 14:13-14 and 16:26)  Let us be grateful and honor our commitment to Him.

KEEPING THE PROMISE MADE TO A DYING FATHER

Proclamation:

“Then he gave them these instructions: ‘I am about to be gathered to my people.  Bury me with my fathers … There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.  The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites.’  When Jacob had finished giving instructions, he … breathed his last …”  Genesis 49:29-33 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When Jacob arrived in Egypt, he sent his son Judah ahead of them to get directions to Goshen.  His long lost son Joseph met them there and they had a joyous and tearful reunion. (Genesis 46:28-29)  Pharaoh allowed them to have the best land in Egypt and Jacob blessed him. (Genesis 47:5-10)  Jacob lived for seventeen years in Egypt before he died.  Just before his death, he asked Joseph not to bury him in Egypt, but in the land of his fathers. (Genesis 47:28-30)  Also before he died, Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph, intentionally giving the younger son, Ephraim, the blessing which should have gone to the oldest son, Manasseh. (Genesis 48:8-20)  Then Jacob called his twelve sons together and blessed each one of them and spoke prophetically of their individual futures. (Genesis 49:1-33)  They would become the twelve tribes of Israel.  Then he gave instructions to all of his sons to bury him in the land of his fathers and not in Egypt. Joseph honored his father’s dying wish and kept his promise to him. (Genesis 50:1-13)

Application:

People make promises to others all of the time and they break most of them.  Many children are often “crushed” by the broken promises made to them.  However, there is something special about the promise one makes to a dying individual on their death bed.  Promises made to a dying family member are usually held in very high regard and are usually honored.  We should be very careful when we give our word to someone.  The old saying goes, “You are only as good as your word.”  We need to pray for faithfulness in the promises that we make to others. 

SOMETIMES DREAMS COME TRUE

Proclamation:

“So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.  Now Joseph was governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its’ people.  So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.”  Genesis 42:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  As a seventeen year old young man, Joseph had a dream that his brothers would bow down to him and they hated him for it. (Genesis 37:2-11)  After his brothers sold him into slavery, The Lord God was with him and Joseph rose up to become the governor of Egypt. (Genesis 41:39-41)  Because of the famine in Canaan, his ten older brothers had come to him to buy grain.  Joseph recognized them but they did not recognize him. (Genesis 42:8)  Then Joseph remembered his dreams. (Genesis 42:9)

Application:

Some dreams are visions, given to us by The Lord God, of things yet to come.  Just because prosperity is in our future does not mean that we are ready for it when He shows it to us.  The Lord God has to take us through some things in order to prepare us for what He has in store for us.  We may have to go through trials and tribulations for us to trust Him so that He can move us to where He wants us to be.  We may not get all that we want, and not all dreams are visions, but whatever God has in store for us we will receive.

GOD'S COVENANT AND PROMISE

Proclamation:

“And God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty, be fruitful and increase in number.  A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.  The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.’”  Genesis 35:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After Jacob sent his servants and his flocks ahead of him to serve as gifts to his brother Esau, (Genesis 32:19-21) he sent his two wives and their servants along with his children ahead of him. (Genesis 32:22)  That night while he was alone, Jacob wrestled with an angel of The Lord and would not let him go until he blessed him. (Genesis 32:23-26)  The Lord God then changed his name from Jacob to Israel. (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10)  When Esau and his four hundred men got to Jacob, now called Israel, Esau hugged him instead of killing him. (Genesis 33:4)  While Jacob was living in his brother’s land, his only daughter, Dinah, was raped by Shechem, the son of the ruler of the land, who claimed that he loved her and had to have her. (Genesis 34:1-4)  Jacob’s sons killed Shechem and all of his men, and took their wives and property. (Genesis 34:13-29)  Then The Lord God spoke to him and Jacob left the area and went to Bethel. (Genesis 35:1-5)  There The Lord God Almighty made a promise to him.

Application:

When we are obedient to The Word of God, He will bless us.  When He makes us a promise, He keeps His word.  He will keep us and protect us no matter what storms in life we go through.  He will also provide for us.  We can stand on the promises of God knowing that His word will never fail. (Deuteronomy 31:8 and Matthew 24:35)  All we have to do is be obedient to His Holy Word.