Yet He Promised

“And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.” (Ac 7:5 AV)

 

At first glance, this may seem to be confusing.  In the previous verse, Stephen the Deacon shared Abraham came to Canaan as the LORD had instructed him.  This land of Canaan was indeed the land of promise.  Abraham came there yet the evangelist shares the LORD had not given him an inheritance there.  Abraham would live and die in that land.  So, too, would Isaac his son.  It would be Jacob who took his family into Egypt resulting in four-hundred plus years of bondage.  Even though Abraham, in his lifetime, enjoyed the land of promise, it was not truly his in a permanent sort of way.  Nor would it be to his seed until Messiah comes.  Israel has been vacated from their inheritance more than once.  The Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans saw to that.  The world would take from them what God had given them.  They would regain it only to be dispossessed again.  Yet He promised!  That phrase is what we want to consider this morning.  The unfailing promises of God.

As a child, I did a lot of camping.  Most I did not look forward to.  Some, I did.  The ones I looked forward to were called Order of the Arrow weekends.  This is when a select group of boys was asked to come to a Scout camp for a weekend.  Part of the weekend was working on projects for the camp.  Setting up tents for the summer crowds.  Putting together docks.  Repair work, etc.  The thing about these weekends was creature-comforts that were included.  Generally speaking, they were cabin accommodations as opposed to tent camping.  There were also real showers to wash up.  The food was always great.  However, my father, being a very busy man, would have much to do before we could leave on Friday afternoon.  Plus, we had that paper route I spoke of earlier.  There was much to do leading up to the actual trip.  Sometimes, it was our job to take the truck, get it gassed up, tired properly inflated, and ready for the trip.  Other times, it was chasing down my father’s equipment and making sure it was in the truck.  There were a few times when the weather was not cooperating and we thought we might not get to go.  Most of all, it was Dad time.  He and I alone.  He promised.  No matter the challenges, we almost always went.  Four times a year.  Rain or shine.  We went.  Because he promised.

Yet he promised.  No doubt there were times when Abraham had to defend the small little estate he had against rival kings.  In fact, he had to rescue Lot from five kings who had taken him and his property.  Jacob fled from Esau and when he returned, also had to defend himself.  Then there was both Abraham and Jacob who felt threatened by Abimelech and fained their wives as their sisters.  There didn’t seem to be a time when Abraham nor his descendants felt the inheritance was something that would always be there.  The promises made by God was the anchor in uncertain times.  So, too, is it for us.  It has been said there are over 3,000 promises God has made recorded in the scriptures.  I don’t know how factual that might be nor to whom all those promises were made.  But I do know there are some made to the New Testament believer.  Knowing what they are and where they are is a ray of hope in a dark world.  Just the other day, I saint and I were speaking of the rapture.  I know God will not judge the righteous with the wicked.  This is a promise.  No matter how bad the world gets, if we are saved, we will be removed before the worst of it comes to pass.  Yet He promised!  A statement to look beyond the circumstances of life and into the infallible word of God that we might have enduring strength through it all.