Faithful or Fickle?

“Thus says the Lord, ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant.’” Jeremiah 33:20-21

The Lord has just promised Israel that “David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel” (v 17). This relates to the covenant the Lord made with King David recorded in 2 Samuel 7:16. The Lord links the fulfilment of His covenant with His sovereign power over day and night. Only the Creator and Sustainer of all creation could have such authority and ability.

He also states that He would cast off Israel if anyone can measure the heaven above (31:37). For man, that is impossible. Only the Creator can number all the heavenly bodies. Men and computers may be able to make calculated guesses but since they do not know the unseen boundaries they could be out by many factors.

If the Lord is not able to fulfil His covenant with Israel why would He make such statements? Only foolish people make promises they have no hope or no intention of keeping. If any person suggests that the Lord cannot or will not fulfil His word they reveal that their god is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is Creator of all that exists and He sustains it in every detail. It would be totally absurd or deceitful for Him to make this, and all the other similar statements, if He could not perform as He says. This would result in both He and His word being totally discredited. That may be the motivation behind the belief that God has now forever rejected Israel. Some people do not want to believe all that the Bible and Jesus have said. We must be careful that we do not treat the Bible like a cafeteria where we pick and choose what we will believe.

Our God is absolutely faithful to His covenants and promises. Perhaps another reason some people want to believe otherwise is so that they don’t feel so bad or guilty about their broken promises and unfaithfulness to covenants such as marriage. If a person believes that God has turned away from His covenant with Israel then it may ease his conscience when he turns away from his contracts, vows or other commitments and promises.

This would seem to be in conflict with the name given to Messiah when He returns to earth as recorded in Revelation 19:11, “And He who sat on him (a white horse) was called Faithful and True.”

The objection that Israel has so sinned that the nation cannot be reconciled not only contradicts huge portions of the Bible but also disparages the character and nature of our God. Because of Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection God is able to forgive all sin. That is the essence of the Good News, the Gospel.

Whenever the Lord speaks through His prophets concerning Israel’s return and restoration He always acknowledges the nation’s sinfulness. Let us not make nonsense of God’s New Covenant with Israel recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34 which concludes with these words, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” but rather rejoice in the faithfulness of our God. “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

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