Deuteronomy 7:9 - God's Love and Promises are Faithful.
Deuteronomy 7:9 - God's Love and Promises are Faithful.
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 commands.
WORD STUDY
The Faithful God. The word translated "faithful" is a
participial form of the verb 'aman, from which, through the Greek, comes our
word "amen." The Hebrew verb means "to stay," "to support," "to be
firm," so stressing the idea of utter dependability. [SDA Bible
Commentary]
Love/Mercy. From chesed, a word without any exact English
equivalent. It reflects the concepts of ardent love, earnest desire,
selfless kindness, grace, favor, and mercy. It represents the summit of
unselfishness in either God or man. The RSV renders the term by "steadfast
love." [SDA Bible Commentary]
Thousand Generations. Equivalent in meaning to the expression
"forever." Reference is to the multitudes throughout history who enter the
covenant relationship. [SDA Bible Commentary]
INTRODUCTION
Israel had experienced the wrath of God when they allowed
themselves to be seduced by the Moabites (Num. 25). Now they were entering
a land where they would be surrounded by pagan worship. There
could be no compromise. If the nation were defiled by the awful sins
of the Canaanites, it would jeopardize the fulfilling of God's
promise of the Savior. Israel had to be a separated people if they were
to bless the whole world (Gen. 12:1-3).
Moses gives us some motives for personal obedience. To begin
with, God has commanded us (vv. 1-5), and we belong to Him (vv. 6-8).
He is faithful (vv. 9-11); what He promises, He will fulfill (vv.
12-26).
Believers today must maintain a separated position (2 Cor.
6:14-18; 1 John 2:15-17) while at the same time loving the lost and
seeking to win them to Christ. How do we demolish the strongholds of the
enemy? Read 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 and Ephesians 6:10-20. [Chapter by
Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe]
APPLICATION COMMENTARY
Commitment is not very common today. Married couples, for
example, promise to stay committed to each other, but the large number of
divorces every year indicates that many spouses are not being faithful to
their vows. God, on the other hand, always stays true to his word and
has been faithful for all eternity. Faithfulness is not something
God aspires to; it is an essential part of his character. When God
makes a promise, he always keeps it.
In his speech to the Israelites, Moses hammered home this
point. The previous generation had refused to believe that God would
faithfully keep his promise to give them the land. As punishment, God had
sent them to wander until that entire unfaithful generation had died.
As the new generation stood ready to enter the land, Moses told
them, "Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God. He
is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand
generations."
Learn this lesson: God's faithfulness doesn't waver. He will
keep every promise until the end of time. As David said, "Give thanks
to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever" (1
Chronicles 16:34, July 13). [The One Year Bible for New Believers re
Deu.7:9]
Promises are made. Promises are broken. We've all experienced
the letdown of a broken promise. It hurts when you have an
expectation, and a friend, a family member, or a coworker fails to follow
through. What a comfort to know that we have a Father who keeps all His
promises, a Friend who will never let us down - guaranteed. [The 365 Daily
Promise Bible By Barbour re Deu. 7:9]
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his
compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your
faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Grace Notes:
http://www.e-gracenotes.org/index.php
A Better Way to Live:
http://www.itiswritten.com/betterway/
Excellent Spiritual Resource Site:
http://www.christianlifemediacenter.com/
More Spiritual Resources:
http://www.aBible.com
