The Promise

Scripture:

Romans 1:2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 

Observation:

To place this into context, it is the gospel, or the “good news” of God, which has been promised. Therefore, the gospel is “not a break with the past, but the consummation of it” (NBBC). This promise of salvation is a thread which has been woven throughout history. Paul is making sure that the link is being made; Jesus is the Messiah, and his presence has been promised throughout all of the “holy” scriptures. In other words, through the most precious writings of those who have gone before us. Karl Barth put it this way, “The words of the prophets, long fastened under lock and key, are now set free.… Now we can see and understand what was written, for we have an ‘entrance into the Old Testament’ ” (Barth 1933, 28; quoting Luther; see 2 Cor 3:14–16).

John Wesley specifically lists particular passages of scripture which have now been fulfilled: 

Deut. 18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command.

Is. 9:6 For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Is. 9:7 His authority shall grow continually,

and there shall be endless peace

for the throne of David and his kingdom.

He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Jer. 23:5   The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

These are just a few of the promises from the holy scriptures. It’s believed that Paul and other apostles had collected an entire list of passages from the Old Testament that would connect the good news of Jesus with God’s promises throughout human history. Chrysostom noted that this was common for: “When God is about to do some great thing, he announces it a long time before in order to accustom men’s ears to it, so that when it comes they will accept it. The prophets not only spoke, but they wrote what they spoke; nor did they merely write, but by their very actions they represented what would come, e.g., Abraham when he offered up Isaac; and Moses when he lifted up the serpent, and when he spread out his hands against Amalek, and when he offered the paschal Lamb (HOMILIES ON ROMANS 1.59). 

Paul is linking the promise of God with the action of God. The Good news is God’s promise in action. 

Application:

I love this idea of God’s promise in action. Maybe that’s the whole point of a promise, that it’s not just words, but it it must always include action. God’s promise to humanity wasn’t just empty words, but it was action. The “good news” is that the words of God were fulfilled in the life of Christ. From the very moment of creation, God’s promise has been an action. 

If this is true, then God’s promise continues to be revealed today. The good news of Jesus wasn’t just good news for the first century, but continues to be on-going revelation and good news for us and the world around us. 

I wonder whether we are missing out on the signs of this good news because we are too overwhelmed by noise? We live in a noisy world with a lot of distractions. Social media has sucked up the lives of many people and if we spend too much time there, we will fail to see that God is at work, fulfilling the promise, all around us. It’s not just social media, but it’s also the news, sports, and other things which we may deem of value. 

We recently moved to the country where every day I can see the hand of God. The beauty of the deer that run across our property is quite stunning. I’m not totally excited about the raccoon, whom the grandchildren have named Derek, who seems enthralled by our presence, and our garbage. Often I can see his eyes reflecting light from within the bushes when I drive in at night, and yet, Derek is a revelation of God’s promise. He is cunning and capable of making a mess, but he is an intricate creature, designed by God. The birds sing out their praises to God, and even the insects chime in when night begins to fall. The trees are majestic and the green grass looks like a giant carpet. It’s beautiful. 

God has not given up on this generation of people, and the promise for Paul is the same promise for us.  The Old Testament passages still remind us that Jesus broke into this world to be our wonderful counselor…and prince of peace. That is a promise we need to hang onto, and it is a promise with action. We have at our disposal a wonderful counselor, for those who are troubled in their heart and soul, and a prince who brings peace. 

Paul was called and set apart for this gospel, because he believed in the promise. We can live lives called and set apart for God, if we will believe in the promise. 

Prayer:

Lord, may I live into this promise of yours, and be a participant in its action. Amen.