Timeless Covenant

~~~ Genesis 17:3-9 ~~~ Psalm 105 ~~~ John 8:51-59 ~~~

 

The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

 

 Today we are being reminded that God remains

to his promises made to from as far back as Abraham.

We see these promises written for us from the beginning

in the book of Genesis.

The beauty of God is that he keeps his word.

He keeps his word for all time...until the end of the ages.

 

Today we live in a world where it is rare for us to experience someone

 who does actually follow through from their words.

Too often words are just holders for empty promises.

Soon we come to a point where we find it hard to believe what people tell us.

 

But it is different with the words of God.

He has been keeping his words from the beginning of time

and he will continue to do so.

 

I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

 

God promised Abraham that all of his descendants

would be granted the very same promises.

No one can make such a promise except God himself.

God is never changing; yet he is the living God.

The concept is almost contradictory,

since we know from experience

 that all living things change.

 

The Jews around Jesus could not let themselves believe

the words Jesus spoke to them.

They only had knowledge of one God

and this God did not walk as one of them.

 

When Jesus says I am this same God...

I speak on his behalf...

He sent me here to do his will;

they recoiled completely from the idea much less the reality.

 

But I do know him and I keep his word.

 

Jesus says I do know this God for I am he...

I speak his words to you right now.

 

The Jews want to measure time through their understanding of Abraham.

They considered Abraham their 'father'...

he was the one God spoke to...he was the recipient of God's covenant.

Or so they believed.

Jesus had no such authority, in their eyes,

to speak of himself in a manner reserved only for God.

 

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”

 

 

Imagine their shock when Jesus declares himself 'I am'.

God alone was the I AM up until now.

This was a huge leap of faith for them, and many just could not believe.

 

This certainly should not be a leap of faith for us,

but we do need to be reminded often.

God will never abandon us...

He is a faithful and everlasting God.

There is no time for God

God is eternal.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the great

I AM.

 

I pray that I am given sufficient grace

to never join

 in throwing stones

 in the direction of Jesus.