Deuteronomy 7:9

Deuteronomy chapter 7 and verse 9 for our first text of scripture 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 and then for our second text I invite you to turn with me to the book of lamentations. You recall right after the book of Jeremiah, we have lamentations. And chapter 3 and verse 23. I’ll begin with verse 22. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassion fail not. Compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. May God bless to us is sacred and holy word this morning. I would say that unfaithfulness is certainly a main characteristic of the society in which we live. Whether we talk about the business world and people not keeping their contracts, in their word, whether we talk about the political world where people slander their opponent and make up all kinds of things against them. Whether it be the social world, and we have marital unfaithfulness, is quite common. Or we could even talk about the church. There are thousands who have vowed to preach the truth. but have no scruples about discarding it as if they were throwing away a dirty sock. And even you and I, as believers this morning, have to confess that we have been unfaithful in any ways to Christ. And so there is a sense in which the light of faithful in any ways to Christ. And so there is a sense in any way, and privileges that we have enjoyed. We have squandered. We have found ourselves unfaithful to that. How wonderful to know, though, there is someone who is always faithful. Faithful in all things, faithful in all circumstances, faithful at all times. And that is the God that we worship. Faithfulness is an attribute. which belongs to God. As we saw in Deuteronomy 7.9, he is called the faithful God, who keeps his word and his covenant promises. God, for God to be unfaithful would be for him to act contrary to his very nature. Or to deny himself, as Russell read from Second. Timothy 2.13. We sing the Psalms. And one of the themes of the Psalms is God’s great faithfulness, how he keeps his word, and how we can trust in him. Good men and even angels are faithfulness. but they’re not like God, and therefore he does not put his trust in them. His faithfulness has never failed in one instance and never will. He is the faithful creator and the covenant God of his people. You may commit yourself to him. You may trust in him, for he always keeps his people. His word. And the faithfulness of God really is mainly associated with him performing His word. For hath he said and shall he not do it. For hath he spoken and shall he not make it good. The faithfulness of God, with respect to the world around us is something we should consider. For example, we have the promise of the seasons. Look at Genesis chapter 8 with me, if you would this morning. Genesis chapter 8 verses 20 to 22. An Noah built an altar under the Lord, took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl and offered burnt offerings on the altar. The Lord smelled a sweet savor. And the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground anymore for man’s sake. For the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I again smite any more every living thing as I have done. While the earth remained, seed, remaineth, seed, time and harvest cold and heat, summer and winter, and night and day shall not cease. Now, more than 4,000 years have gone by, and that word is still faithfully being kept by our God. God promised we would constantly provide the seasons with regard to this earth. and so we have a fresh witness every year of this promise being kept. Man is able to reap and sow and reap a crop. He experiences the cold in winter and he experiences the cold and winter and he experiences the cold, the heat of summer. The sun comes up every morning and it sets every evening. God promises this. the way it will continue, and this will continue until Christ returns in a new heaven and a new earth are set up. We have the promise of him not flooding the earth again. Just turn over a page to chapter 9 in Genesis and verse 11, and I will establish my covenant with you. Neither shall all flesh be cut off anymore by the waters of a flood. Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. God said this is the token of the covenant that I make, which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for personal, for perpetual generations. I do not set my bow, excuse me, I do set my bow, excuse me, I do set my, bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth that the bow shall be seen in the cloud and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. You know, every time we see a rainbow in the sky, it is a sign, a reminder, if you would, of this promise. And you recall that there are times when we have some very serious flooding and heavy rains and tornadoes and things of this nature. But the earth itself has never been flooded with a universal flood. as before. And so it is a promise to us, and we still see that rainbow in the sky. We have the promise of the sun and the moon and the stars. Look with me at Jeremiah, chapter 31, if you would. Jeremiah 31, verses 35 and 36, thus sayeth the Lord, which giveth the sun for light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea, when the waves thereof roar, the Lord is his name. If those ordinance depart from before me, said the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall cease from being a nation before me, or before me forever. And then if you would at chapter, look at chapter 33 and verse 25. Let’s say it the Lord, my covenant be not with the day and the night. If I have not appointed the ordinances of the earth, then I will cast away the seed of Jacob and David, my servant. So here we have the promise that as long as we have the sun moon and sun, stars here coming up and down and the light by day and the light by night that God will preserve his people. And we know that sometimes there are blackouts in certain cities. There’s a power overload or something of that nature and everything goes dark. But that’s never going to happen with regard to the sun. And despite what scientists tell us as they try to calculate, oh, the sun’s going to burn out in so many years. According to Scripture, it’s not going to burn out. It’s going to continue to shine forth. And so we should see that as true. The moon reflects the light of the sun at night. The stars come on and twinkle brightly. And this is God’s method of providing light for the earth. And it tells us that he keeps his promise. We have the promise, of course, of provision. You know, Psalm 36, 5, and 6 talks about, O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. In Psalm 145, verses 15 and 16, we see God’s telling us that all the earth, the creatures of the earth, look to him to provide the food that they need, and he provides it. Will there ever be a time when the earth will just quit producing food? No, according to God. God has promised man and beast provision, and you can expect him to provide for his creation the necessities of life. God has not left himself without a witness to his faithfulness to his faithfulness. in all ages and all nations. Given he gives the rain from heaven. He causes the earth to produce and he expects us to look to him for provision and to give him praise and to worship him for all the things that he provides for us. You know, you go out there and you plant your garden and you plant the seeds in the ground and we take it for granted. It’s going to come up. because God brings it up. God causes it to produce and that we might have food to eat. Will there be a time when the population of the earth increases to the point where the earth cannot support it? And I think no. Not according to Scripture. And then, of course, in 2nd Peter 3, and I’ll just mention this, we have the promise of a renewed earth. You know, from all that has been said, it may be strongly concluded that whatever God has promised he’s going to keep. When he tells us there’s going to be a new heavens and a new earth in which dwelleth righteousness, we look forward to that day. When this earth is burned with fire, when it’s changed, it’s purified, and we have a new heaven and a new earth, where the wicked are removed, the curse of the ground, is gone, and everything will be a blessing to us. The faithfulness of God with respect to the world in general. But let’s take a look at the faithfulness of God toward his people this morning. You know, we have the provision of a Redeemer that’s mentioned. We could go all the way back to Genesis Chapter 3 in verse 15, where Adam and Eve have fallen, and yet God gives them a promise that the seed of the woman shall be born and bruise and crush, I should say, actually the head of Satan. And so we will find that promise. In Isaiah chapter 7, verse 14, he promises that a virgin would conceive and so forth, bring forth a Savior. Chapter 9 also of Isaiah talks about that. Galatians 4 talks about in the fullness of time, God sent forth Jesus Christ to be our Redeemer and to purchase us and as a people for himself. So, you know, God has, from the very beginning, promised that he would save his people, and as the scriptures revealed, it is God himself who comes to save us. Christ was engaged in working out the plan of redemption while he was here on earth to save his people from their sins. And we know that Christ did come, he did fulfill the will of the Father, he did redeem his people. He kept the law, both in its precepts, and also with regard to the penalty that had to be endured. And we finally performed the offices of prophet, priest, and king for his people. And so by his blood, everlasting covenant, we see that Satan has been defeated and God’s people have been set free. And God has done all this for his people because, because he promised that he would do so. We find the temporal provisions of God are also granted to us. Look at Matthew chapter 6 verses 31 to 33. Matthew chapter 6 and verses 31 to 33. Therefore take no thought saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For all,, for after all these things do the Gentile seek. For your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things shall be added unto you. You know, Godly men have the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. Yes, we know about the promise of heaven. We know about being with the Lord forever and so forth. But even in this life, God’s promises are held forth to us in the Scriptures. Therefore, there are many things which your Heavenly Father knows you have need of, and he provides them for you. Psalm 3410 says, they that seek the Lord shall not want or lack any good thing. God promises that he will take care of his people, provide for the necessities of life for them. God has not promised security from all outward afflictions, but he has promised to care for those who put him and his kingdom first in this life. When Hannah when manna was given to the children of Israel God provided for them for 40 years while they were going through the wilderness every day the manna was there except for on the Sabbath. Remember Elijah hiding out by the brook Cherath after he announced there’s not going to be any rain and God sent the ravens to provide meat for him. every day. Remember Elijah when he was going to flee and hide from Jezebel, the queen, he was going to take his life, and the angel wakes him up and cooks, he has cooked food for him to eat so that he would be strong enough to make this long journey to Mount Horror. Odd even promises that those things which we lose in this life in serving him he will repay back with interest. That whatever we sacrifice that he will provide for us. And then there are the spiritual provisions. Look at Romans chapter 8 versus 29 and 30 if you would. Romans 8 and 29 and 30. For whom he did for know, he also did predestinate to be conform to the image of his son. That he might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called. In whom he called, then he also justified. Whom he justified, then he also glorified. God has made a covenant promise to his people that I will be their God and they shall be my people. And we find here the promise of the outworking of salvation. We see here the, the a golden chain that’s stated here for us, that if God has chosen us for salvation, that he is going to provide all the necessary steps to bring us to the point that we will enjoy the salvation in heaven that he has promised us. This is the promise that he has promised us even eternal life. according to 1 John 225. Paul’s confidence here is in the absolute security of the people of God. If we’re called, we’re going to be justified. We’re justified, we’re going to be sanctified. If we’re sanctified, we’re going to be glorified. Nothing here will hinder the fulfillment of these promises. This is God’s truth. to us who does not lie. Since God has promised his son, a certain people for an inheritance, we see him fulfilling that and calling people from all nations of the earth as his people. At times you may say along with the psalmist, I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that bow and faithfulness hath afflicted me. Yes, even when he chastens us, it is part of the sanctification process, and he does so for the purpose of enabling us to be better Christians on this earth. We should realize that trouble and afflictions are not inconsistent. with God’s love and with the promises of the everlasting covenant, but are evidence of his determination to deal with us, to save us, and to separate us from our sins. So God is faithful in all that he does, and one day, if he’s called you, eventually, you will be glorified. The faithfulness of God to his people. we could talk about the faithfulness of God also in fulfilling his threats with regard to the wicked. We know that when Adam ate of the tree, God had said, if you eat, you should surely die. And of course, as soon as he ate, he began to die. Physically, it took place. And so we see that happening. And we see that happening. And we see that God had promised to destroy the ancient world with a flood, and he fulfilled that as well. We find that he’s faithful to his word and brought Israel into captivity, just as he promised he would. And all these grievous pronouncements against the Israelites were fulfilled. If you read Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28. I mean, he tells you, I’m going to curse your basket. I’m going to curse your child bearer. I’m going to curse the ground and cause different, you know, it’s going to be wild. Insects will come and eat up your food or cause it to waste away. And he tells you all these things. It’s a horrible reading through there. And yet, those promises all came to pass against the Israelites. You can be sure that those promises that are made against the wicked now, when we talk about the punishment of hell, when we talk about the suffering and the misery that is coming upon these people, they will utterly perish in the flames and the torment. He that believeth not shall be damned, Mark 16, 16 tells us. And so God’s promises are sure with regard to the wicked. Let me conclude with just three brief thoughts this morning. And the first is this. Consideration of the faithfulness of God will preserve you from worry. We read that passage in Matthew chapter 6. Christ has told you not to worry about what you will eat, what you will drink, what you will wear, because your heavenly father knows you have need of these things. And therefore we shouldn’t have any darkness or foreboding about this. God has taken care of you since you were born. And think about it. How long has he taken care of you? And he will continue to do so. He doesn’t forsake us in our old age either. He has heard your prayers in the past, and he’s answered them. He’ll heal your prayers in the future and answer them to. Job 519 says this. He shall deliver you in six. troubles. Ye, and seven, there shall no evil touch you. Let us not, therefore, be a people that worry, but the people that trust in God’s promise. Take care of us. Secondly, consideration of the faithfulness of God will curtail your murmurings. Boy, the Lord knows what is best for each one of us. And one effect of knowing, this will be that it will be, it will silence your tongue and complaining. You know, one of the problems that Israel had in the wilderness is they were always complaining against Moses and God and God. And God kept chastening them and dealing with them. And what we need to realize is that God promised he’ll take care of us. And we have to realize that what he brings into our life is according to his purpose and therefore we shouldn’t be murmuring and complaining constantly. You know, God is honored when under the trials and the hardships that we go through in this life that we have good thoughts of him. You understand what I’m saying here? That we still have good thoughts of him and recognize his love, even in the rebuke and the rod that he brings. That you cling to the fact that he will act towards you as a faithful father. What son is there that’s not disciplined by his father? And so we see here that taking place. Like Job of old, it pleases God for you to be able to say even under severe, your loss. The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Finally, consideration of the faithfulness of God will increase your confidence in God. 1. Peter 419, we read, Wherefore, let them that suffer, according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their soul, to him and well-doing as unto a faithful trust in the Lord, even when hardship is upon us. You know, the sooner you trustfully resign yourself to the Lord in all your affairs into God’s hands, fully persuaded of his faithfulness and love, the better off you’ll be in this life. You will learn to be satisfied with his providence and realize that he does all things well. Like Joseph of old, you’ll be able to say, you know, others may have meant evil against me and what they’ve done toward me. But the Lord is working all this for my spiritual good. and so that’s what we have to realize as we go through you see. May God blessed to us is sacred and holy God.