By Brock Bondurant
Hebrews 6:15 – And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
My wife’s favorite verse in Scripture is the verse above. Until I met her, I hadn’t really noticed it before. But what a verse. What made Abraham so special? Abraham believed. He had faith, he trusted in God. He waited – another translation renders endured. He simply believed that God would fulfill the promise He had made; God fulfilled that promise to Abraham.
Paul spends a whole chapter on the faith of Abraham in Romans 4. In verse 3, he quotes Genesis 15:6, saying “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
Paul elaborates through the rest of Romans 4, trying to help his readers understand that righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not works. That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring (Romans 4:16). Abraham was counted as righteous because no unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised (Romans 4:20-21).
So, what was God’s promise to Abraham? That Abraham would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). And like all of God’s promises, that promise to Abraham is ultimately fulfilled in the man from Nazareth named Jesus. We become a part of that promise as we put our faith, our trust, our belief in Jesus. Like Abraham, it is by faith, and faith alone that we are not only counted as righteous but obtain the promise of eternal life found in Jesus.
Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians would say that all the promises of God find their Yes in him (2 Cor 1:20); Maverick City Music anyone? Every promise in Scripture is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. As I look out into our world and the times ahead, I find great comfort in
Jesus as the promise-keeper as I read Psalm 37. In the stanzas of Psalm 37, the Lord promises peace to the righteous, those who have put their faith in Christ.
Now, in promising peace to his own, God is not saying we’ll never experience loss, trial, or suffering; no. Jesus promised tribulation to all those who follow him (John 16:33). But he also promised peace. Peace is not a lack of suffering but a non-anxious endurance in the midst.
As tribulation comes – as the earth begins to shake and quake – God’s people will be marked by peace. It won’t even make sense! It’ll be the peace that surpasses all understanding
(Philippians 4:7). It is that peace that I’m finding through the promises of Psalm 37:
4Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will act.
6He will bring forth your righteousness…
9… but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. …
11But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. …
19They are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. …
28He will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever…
29The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. …
33The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. …
34Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; …
40The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
Those are just the promises to the righteous among several promises to the wicked as well.
But for the days ahead we must look to Jesus for peace. Though the walls crumble around us, Jesus is our peace. Though the earth gives way, we will have peace in Jesus. Through drought, storm, or famine – earthquake or volcano – we will have peace. Among all the violence and civil unrest, we will have peace. Though power be corrupted and oppression run rampant, we have peace.
We have a faithful God who remembers his servants. Let it be said of us that we, having patiently waited – patiently endured – obtained the promise. May we be marked by peace.
10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. – Jeremiah 29:10-14