By Stephen Ndungu
Pastor, Fedha Church KAG
The word promise
a) Declaration or assurance that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen.
b) Give good grounds for expecting.
Biblical definition: In Greek, the word promise is “Epaggelia”, meaning a formal/official announcement, commitment or pledge. It’s a divine assurance of Good
Introduction & Biblical history of God’s promises
To Abraham
• And I will make of thee a great nation,
• I will bless thee,
• and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
• And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Galatian 3:8
• To your descendants I give this land- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites Gen 15:18
- Good also made his promises to Isaac and Jacob
To Isaac
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
1. The promises to the House of Jacob were based on God’s covenant with Abraham who obeyed God voice and kept his word, commandments, statues and Laws
Genesis 26:5 … because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
2. Most of the promises made to the house of Israel were physical material blessings (materials), eg, Lands, cities, vineyards, crops, many cattle, victory over their physical enemies,
Deuteronomy 6:10-11
3. No single promise (physical blessings) failed, but all happened as God had promised.
Joshua 21:43-45
4. Despite God fulfilling His promises to the house of Jacob, they themselves did not LIVE TO OBEY, TO BELIEVE AND TO WORSHIP as God intended.
Jeremiah 32:40 AMP
The word promise
English Definitions:
a) Declaration or assurance that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen.
b) Give good grounds for expecting.
Biblical definition: In Greek, the word promise is “Epaggelia”, meaning a formal/official announcement, commitment or pledge. It’s a divine assurance of Good
Introduction & Biblical history of God’s promises
- God started His Divine mission of restoring the broken relationship which he had with man by raising a new generation from Noah, who found grace before Him Genesis 6:8
- God started his mission with Abraham a descendant of Noah, he called him to leave his ordinary place of dwelling (Haran) into a land (place) that God would show him Genesis 12:1-3, Hebrews 11:8-10
- It was by Faith that Abraham received the word of God
- When God approached Abraham, He started by giving him his assurance (promises, commitments, pledge, etc.) Gen 12:1-3
To Abraham
• And I will make of thee a great nation,
• I will bless thee,
• and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
• And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Galatian 3:8
• To your descendants I give this land- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites Gen 15:18
- Good also made his promises to Isaac and Jacob
To Isaac
Genesis 26:3-5
3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
To Jacob
Genesis 28:10-16
10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it[c] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
- God made a declaration and pledge by himself to ensure that he fulfil all the promises that he had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- God started his process of fulfilling his Promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by delivering the house of Jacob from slavery in Egypt
- God revealed His Will to Moses to let it be known to the house of Israel
- Later, when God delivered the children of Israel from Egypt, he always reminded them that it was in honour of His promises and covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
- When God wanted to destroy Israel because of their sins and rebellions, Moses could remind God of his Pledge with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Exodus 32:11-14
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
- God made solemn promises to the house of Jacob to bless them and make them a great nation upon all the earth.
- God wanted them to know that he delivered them so that they may obey him and keep his commandments.
- Believe in Him and rely not on themselves but on God, who had made a covenant with their forefathers.
- Live to worship Him alone.
1. The promises to the House of Jacob were based on God’s covenant with Abraham who obeyed God voice and kept his word, commandments, statues and Laws
Genesis 26:5 … because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”
2. Most of the promises made to the house of Israel were physical material blessings (materials), eg, Lands, cities, vineyards, crops, many cattle, victory over their physical enemies,
Deuteronomy 6:10-11
10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full,
3. No single promise (physical blessings) failed, but all happened as God had promised.
Joshua 21:43-45
43 “So the Lord gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers (ancestors), and they took possession of it and lived in it. 44The Lord gave them rest [from conflict] on every side, in accordance with everything that He had sworn to their fathers, and not one of all their enemies stood before them [in battle]; the Lord handed over all their enemies to them. 45Not one of the good promises which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel failed; all had come to pass”
4. Despite God fulfilling His promises to the house of Jacob, they themselves did not LIVE TO OBEY, TO BELIEVE AND TO WORSHIP as God intended.
- They did not keep their part of the bargain with God because everyone did what was pleasing to their own eyes.
- Judges 21:25 In those days [when the judges governed] there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes
- God sent them judges, prophets and kings like King David to ensure that they kept God's laws and commandments, but all was in vain
- God allowed them to be taken back into captivity due to their sins.
- In exile, God raised prophets to proclaim the message of restoration and the inauguration of a better covenant
This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God, and they will be my people
I will be their God, and they will be my people
Jeremiah 32:40 AMP
I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will do them good and not turn away from them; and I will put in their heart a fear and reverential awe of Me, so that they will not turn away from Me.
2 Corinthians 1:18
2 Corinthians 1:18
- Our God is trustworthy and faithful
- He means what he says
- In our Lord Jesus Christ, his word(promises) are Yes and No. But yes and yes
- In Him, it is always the Divine yes
- All his promises(Announcement of information, assent, pledge, and an assurance for Good) are yes and Amen to the Glory of God by us.
- Promise (epaggelia)-pledge, assurance for Good Acts 1:4
- His promise has been fulfilled in Christ to us so that God can receive Glory through Christ and us as His agents in the world today.
- No promise has failed to be fulfilled, but all promises have found their Answer in Christ Jesus (verse 20 Amp).
- In Christ Jesus, He has *Established us (bebaio)-Confirm us, making us steadfast and unmovable
- Anoint us-Consecrate us to an office, enduing (filled/Saturated)us with the Gift of the Holy Spirit
- By his Spirit, he has provided us with Power
- Sealed us with the earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts-
- Stamp us for security and preservation, bearing a mark of ownership and authenticity.
- He has appropriated us and acknowledged us as His
- He has given us the Holy Spirit as a deposit/guarantee of the Fulfilment of His Word (promise), Acts 1:4
- The Holy Spirit in our lives is the full package of God's promise. ✓Having him means we have all that we can ever need in Life. He is more than Gold or Silver.
- God has fulfilled his promise in Christ by giving us his Holy Spirit. The Holy spirit responds to the Name of Jesus.
- Jesus made it clear that the promise of God unto his people was to give them his Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit brings the presence of God and Jesus Christ to reality in our Hearts.
- Jesus said if we obey his word, Him and the Father would come and abide (make residence) inside us
- All the promises of God are culminated into one Promise. i.e. The Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
*Divine nature of God in us (Holiness and Righteousness)
*Divine Power (Supernatural workings of God)
*Divine Health (Wholeness, i.e both body, soul, and spirit)
*Divine Power (Supernatural workings of God)
*Divine Health (Wholeness, i.e both body, soul, and spirit)
- All that belongs to God is Christ's, and the Holy Spirit takes them and shows/reveals to us. John 16:14-15
- The holy spirit makes us aware of what we have received from the Father.
- Jesus said on this day we shall ask him nothing for we shall have been acquitted with the knowledge of who we are, what we have and what we can do.
- But in case we want to provoke something from the Father, we just need to ask the Father in the Name of Jesus Christ.
- Jesus confirmed that we count it done if we ask the Father anything in His Name.
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