Quick Note – Joshua 21:44-45 – God the Promise Keeper

Joshua 21:44-45 – And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers.  Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands.  Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD has made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

A promise is a word made to ensure another that something will be done.  It is a guarantee that something stated will in fact happen.  People make promises all the time.  Kids promise that they will behave or that they will do their homework if they just get an additional fifteen minutes in front of the TV.  Parents promise that they will spend more time with their children.  Spouses promise that they will be together for rich or poor, in sickness and in health, till death do they part.  Businessmen promise that they will keep contracts; judges promise to be impartial when listening to a trial; and politicians promise that they will take care of their constituents.  Promises are constantly made but rarely kept.  This unfortunate fact is the reason why many of us, no longer trust others whether they make a promise or not. 

However, our passage today reminds us of one person who will always keep His promises – our God.  The LORD God made a promise to give over the land of Canaan to the people of Israel.  This promise began with Abraham, the forefather of Israel, and was passed on to his children and their children after that.  All this land was supposed to be given to him and his offspring.  This was told to Abraham back in Genesis 13:14-15 – “The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.’”  This statement was then made into a promise in Genesis 19:7-8 – “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.  And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”  God promised to give the land to Israel, and He kept it.  It took more than 400 years for it to come to pass, but it happened.  God kept every one of His promises. 

Whenever God has said that He will do something, He has done it.  He said that He would help Joshua and the people of Israel conquer the Promised Land, and He did it.  He said that He would bless David’s offspring, and He did it.  He said that He would send judgment on the nations that conquered Israel like Assyria, Babylon, and Persia, and He did it.  And most importantly, He said that He would send a Savior into this world, and He did it.  Even when not preceded by the words covenant or promise, God always kept His word.  Whenever He said something, He did it. 

Because our God has always been faithful, we can trust that He will continue to be faithful in our lives today.  He tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  He tells us that all things will work together for good to them that love Him (Romans 8:28).  He tells us that if we are in trouble and lack wisdom, He will generously give it to us (James 1:5).  He tells us that He will meet each and every one of our needs (Philippians 4:19, Matthew 6:33).  He tells us that all who call on His name shall be saved (Romans 10:13).  God will keep His word.  If you have any worries or fears, troubles or doubt, remember that God has always been faithful to His word and will continue to do so today.  Place your trust in God the Promise Keeper. 

A Promise That Will Never Be Broken

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 – “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

At the end of every year, most people decide on two or three things they want to improve or remove the following year. They then make a resolution (a promise) to themselves that they would spend the next year achieving that goal. Usually during the first week, they manage to follow through with the resolution completely but as the days trek on by afterwards, it just becomes harder and harder. I’m sure we all know the feeling. It is now the third week of January. How many of you personally have kept all your resolutions? Just like many of the promises made this day and age, it is never fulfilled.

In the past, a promise was a promise. It was kept no matter what the cost. Two people could just shake hands and that would be enough to seal the deal on a house or car. Unfortunately, nowadays, a promise is almost worthless, whether it be a simple “I promise I will take out the trash” to the sacred “I promise to love and cherish and honor and stand by you as long as we both shall live.” Promises are taken just too lightly now, causing many people to doubt the validity of anyone’s statement until it actually happens. We can all relate to broken promises. Fortunately, for us Christians, we have a God whose promises are always kept. We can trust Him from His character alone, but if that is not enough His proven track record only gives us further evidence of His faithfulness. He hasn’t flooded the earth since He made the promise of the rainbow to Noah. He made Abraham a father of many nations as He promised in Genesis. He sent us His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to save us from our sins. He has kept every promise today and will keep those that are yet to be fulfilled.

In our passage today, we are clearly reminded four times by Paul that we can trust in our God’s promises, especially the promise of salvation. First, verse 21 emphasizes that God “establishes us with you in Christ.” The word establish simply means that it is “locked into place,” “grounded,” “secured.” When a person establishes something, whether an IRA account or a house, he is basically laying a strong foundation for its future, so that if anything should try to sway it, it will continue to stand strong like a building with earthquake supports during an earthquake. God has established us in Christ, and there is no way that we can be removed from His saving grace. The second phrase that is used is God “has anointed us.” In ancient times, and certainly, even in the Apostolic era, anointing was used as a symbol that represented the separation of the anointed for an appointed future role, usually for royalty. For example, in the Old Testament, prophets were constantly told to anoint future kings with oil. As Christians, God has also anointed us, setting us apart as royalty as the sons and daughters of God. He has anointed us with His blood, a covering and a symbol of our future home in heaven and our new relationship with Him. This anointing is also a promise of our future opportunity to judge and rule beside our Lord Jesus Christ. Third, Paul used the phrase “who has also put His seal on us.” We were first established, then anointed, and now, we have been sealed. Once again, this is a reminder of how faithful God is to His promises. We are sealed with a mark that allows all to know that we belong to Christ. In Revelation 7, some of the Jews during the time of tribulation were sealed with the seal of the Living God, indicating that they were the children of God. We are also sealed with that same seal. An example I can give is with a stamp my dad bought. Whenever he gets a new book, he takes this stamp with a seal marking his name and squeezes it into the book. From that point forward, the book contains a seal indicating the owner – my father. In this same manner, we as Christians have been sealed with His seal, a seal permanently engraven into us. Lastly, Paul uses the phrase “given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” In 1 John 3:24, we are reminded by the Apostle John that we know that God abides in us by the Spirit He has given us. Jesus also said that He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to His disciples once He ascended into heaven. The Holy Spirit though is not only some magical conscience used to tell us right and wrong and help us feel better; No! It is the Third Person in the Trinity and also changes our hearts and lives to reflect Jesus Christ. It not only brings comfort but correction. It not only brings power and prayer but also confirmation of our salvation. The Holy Spirit in our lives is a guarantee, a promise for full payment, that the Lord will fulfill His promises. The Greek word used is the same used to represent a down payment on a loan. In other words, God gave us His Holy Spirit as a down payment for what He has planned for us to come. We can already see the work through the fruits of the Spirit, giving us a glimpse to the future perfected body and life we will have when Christ returns.

Paul reminded the Corinthian church in this passage four times within one sentence of the surety of God’s Word. God will always keep His promises, especially the ones dealing with your heart, your life, your salvation. He has promised to save all who call on His name (Romans 10:13). He has promised to watch over and bless all those who serve Him (although it may not be materially). He establishes, anoints, seals, and gives us a down payment on His Word. There is no reason for us not to trust Him. Place your life completely in His hands, confessing Him as Lord and Savior if you have not. And if you have, continue persevering even through hard times knowing that the Lord has given you the promise of a new life in Him – one filled with comfort, awe, and wonder.

I love the quote from Matthew Henry’s commentary on this chapter:

He does establish Christians in the faith of the gospel; he has anointed them with his sanctifying grace, which in scripture is often compared to oil; he has sealed them, for their security and confirmation; and he is given as an earnest in their hearts, v. 21, 22. An earnest secures the promise, and is part of the payment. The illumination of the Spirit is an earnest of everlasting life; and the comforts of the Spirit are an earnest of everlasting joy.(1)

1Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. 1991.