A Covenant-Keeping Faithful God
4/6/26 Bible Thought (2 Kings 13)
Main Idea: God is gracious in His nature and will always keep His covenantal promises.
A Look at the Text:
We saw yesterday that there was a righteous king of Judah on the throne, but during the time of the divided kingdom, it didn’t always go the same for Israel in the north.
About halfway through the reign of Jehoash, Jehoahaz took the throne in Israel. Unlike his southern counterpart, he was a wicked king who followed in the ways of those before him. As a result, God turned them over to relentless attacks from the Syrians (2 Kings 13:3).
Yet even in the midst of Israel’s rebellion, God was merciful to them.
Jehoahaz sought the Lord and the Lord heard him and delivered them (2 Kings 13:4). Even later, when his ungodly son reigned, God delivered them. Not because they deserved it. Not because of anything they did. But because it is in God’s nature to be kind. After being subjected to years of Syrian problems, when a new king arrived on the throne in Syria, God delivered His people, solely because of His great mercy:
But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now (2 Kings 13:23).
God’s covenant with the patriarchs was ancient at this point in Israel’s history, and yet God remembered what He had promised, and His promises would not fail.
Bringing it Home:
The testimony of Scripture on page after page, through story after story, for millennia upon millennia is that He is a covenant-keeping, faithful God. God’s promises don’t come with an expiration date. They won’t be revoked. They won’t be undone by people, even if His people fail Him repeatedly.
God’s promises to the patriarchs back in Genesis occurred way before Israel became a nation. Let alone the divided kingdom, and the many wicked kings who ruled during that time. Nevertheless, the omniscient and omnibenevolent God knew about all of it ahead of time, and He still made promises. Likewise, He still determined to keep them.
It was all because of who God is in His nature. He is a God who is gracious and compassionate and who abounds in steadfast love. His love is a covenant-keeping, faithful love that doesn’t give up. His love is a love that is proven not through words alone, but through actions.
God’s Word and God’s acts throughout the ages showcase that He is faithful in His very nature, and this is the same God we serve today.
Challenge:
Do I ever think that the passage of time has any bearing on the promises of God?