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A Promise-Keeping God A Promise-Keeping God

A Promise-Keeping God

Devotions

In the 1950s, Bill Fair and Earl Isaac created an automated scoring system to rate how likely a person was to repay a debt, which became the credit-score system vital in the economy today. If someone makes a promise, how do we know they will fulfill it? The credit rating is important because humans can be unpredictable. The objective measurement provides confidence to the lender, and the loan can be approved.

God made several promises to the Patriarchs. One key promise was that they would inhabit the land of Canaan, clearly defined and reiterated (12:7; 13:14–17; 15:7; 26:3). Though Jacob was excited to be reunited with Joseph, he also had some apprehension about leaving the Promised Land. God had told his father, Isaac, “Do not go down to Egypt” (26:2). This may be the reason Jacob paused at Beersheba, the southern border of the land, to offer a sacrifice and seek God’s direction.

God spoke to Jacob in a vision. This is the last time God would appear to any of the Patriarchs in such a direct way, and God affirmed for Jacob that he could indeed go down to Egypt (v. 3). In fact, Egypt is the place in which another of God’s promises will be fulfilled: God will make the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob into a great nation there.

Further, God affirms that He will be with Jacob (v. 4). This was a remarkable guarantee in a culture that assumed deities were geographically limited. On a more personal note, God assured Jacob that he will have a peaceful death in the presence of his favored son (v. 4). Jacob had confidence from God’s promises to move forward with his plan and bring his whole family and their possessions to Egypt.

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BY Ryan Cook

Dr. Ryan Cook has taught at Moody Bible Institute since 2012. He earned his bachelor of arts in Bible and Theology from Moody and his master of arts in Old Testament from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He has worked in Christian education and served as a pastor in Michigan for seven years. During his time as a professor at Moody, he earned his doctorate from Asbury Theological Seminary. He now lives with his wife, Ashley, and their three children in the Chicagoland area.

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