Our Promise Keeping God // Deuteronomy 7:9
Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV) | Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
What do you make of the word, covenant? The term comes from Latin (con venire) and it basically means a coming together. It presupposes two or more parties come together to make a contract, agreeing on promises, stipulations, privileges, and responsibilities. It is interesting to note that there has not been precise agreement on what is to be understood by the biblical term, but we frequently talk about it in terms of marriage where people make vows to God and each other.
We see in today’s verse that God is a covenant keeper with those who keep His commandments. It’s important to realize that God keeps His promises whereas people tend to struggle. It isn’t always due to what we ultimately want, but dadgum we can get tempted and stray from what’s best despite our best intentions. Can you say, slippery slope? The Apostle Paul put this so well in Romans 7:15 when he wrote, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Can you relate? I sure can!
So, what are we to do? Focus in on the second part of Deuteronomy 7:9 where Moses taught that God always keeps His promises for those who love Him and obey His commandments. The Talmud indicates that there are 613 laws designed to help people live in relationship with God and others. That’s an awful lot, which is why the religious leaders tried to use the Law as a way to trip up Jesus during His earthly ministry when they asked which law was most important. Check out Jesus’ reply…
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)
What can we take away from this, then? When we commit to love God with all we have and are, as well as our neighbors, then God keeps His promises toward us. When we break those promises, it breaks that relationship with God. We can restore that relationship by confessing our messes and misses then seeking forgiveness from the Lord. Turning back to the Lord is always the first step.
I want to close today with a verse from 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Trust God to keep His promise to love and protect you. If you’ve wandered or waivered, there’s no better time than now to get back into God’s good graces. He promised to forgive us when we come to Him, and that’s a promise He longs to make good for you. So, come, trust, love, and lean into the goodness of our Almighty promise-keeping God!
