God of Many Promises

Israel rebelled. Israel always rebelled. If you've read the Old Testament, it's kind of a theme, at least of the human thread that runs through the story. And yet, when we read the story of Israel's rebellions, we also read the story of an incredible God. 

It would be enough to talk about God's faithfulness, about the way that He remains true even in the face of repeated rebellion. About how He continues to love and bless His people, even when they are foolish and sinful. About how we can count on God not to turn His back on us the way we turn our backs on Him. That would be enough. 

But what I love is what we learn about God when the rebellion finally becomes too much and He splits apart the kingdom of His people into more than one. 

Solomon is king, but Solomon (despite all his wisdom) is blowing it. He's married a bunch of foreign women, has all kinds of perverse worship sites on all the hills, is turning away from exclusive worship of the Lord. Things are starting to go south. 

Still, God has a promise to keep. He promised David that his throne would be secure forever. He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that this is what He was doing for this people all along. He promised at the Temple that anyone who would pray and seek His name...He has promises to keep. 

That doesn't mean, though, that those are the only promises He can keep. 

God is always able to make new promises. 

And that's what He does. 

When humans make it hard to keep His promises, God doesn't renege on those promises; He goes out and makes more of them. 

He'll keep the promise He made to David, and to Solomon, but He's making a new promise with ten of the tribes of Israel and their new king, too. He'll keep the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but instead of their being one people, now, there are two. Two parts of one whole - one promise still kept, one new promise made. Another promise that He will keep. 

Isn't that cool? Most of us would just change what we're doing when our promise becomes too hard, or impossible, to keep. Most of us would make excuses. 

But not God.

He makes more promises. 

And then, He keeps them all.