THE PROMISE KEEPER

One of the attributes that is common to humanity is the ability to change terms and conditions of a previous agreement following a second thought over that same matter. In fact, the Yorubas validate the claim through the panegyrics given to indigenes of a certain town as ‘omo a soro ana di bami koju o to mon’ (that is one who changes a previously agreed and concluded matter before day breaks.)

Though this ability to sly a fellow human being is common to all humans irrespective of race, tribe and nationality. So most times taking a man for his word is taking a high bet risk, it may and may not come. But today, we will be considering another side of the coin, the promise keeper. One who can say and do.

All through the pages of scripture are promises and fulfillment of God to man, man to man and at times, men to God. I’m not so sure there is any book that does justice to fulfillment of promises than the bible. Even, salvation was on this claim of the fulfillment of a certain promise ‘thy seed shall bruised the head of the serpent (satan.)’ This promise in the book of Genesis 3 was fulfilled after Christ triumphed over principalities and powers in Col 2:14-15

Human beings like God make promises but unlike men, God will always fulfil whatever promise He makes to you. Because God doesn’t just smack the upper lip with the lower lip as men do talk, but as it was in the gospel, He will count the cost. God will sit and calculate if within His jurisdiction He can fulfill the promise He is making. He will consider the pros and cons of the matter before leading a man on with any promise. And definitely what God cannot do doesn’t exist, because He is God.

Our anchor text is on the fulfillment of God to Sarah and also we will put this side by side to the failure of the cup bearer to remember Joseph.

Gen 40:14-15 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.

Two years after:

Gen 41:9 Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day:

Joseph landed in prison though he was innocent yet he didn’t call God unjust rather he kept leveraging on God’s gift in him. In one of those instances he lobbied with the Pharaoh’s chief butler to do him good after he had interpreted dream for him. Truly Joseph’s interpretation was correct but that doesn’t make his request comes true. Not until a scene similar to his previous experience in the prison happened, the chief butler never remembered Joseph.

Does that look similar to your story? You or your parent has helped someone and he ought to repay that good, maybe by sending you gifts, give you job, appoint you in an office. But it is as if glory is departing from you, s/he doesn’t look at your side.

The uncle that promised you to help you seek admission has failed you.

That aunty that collected your CV three years ago no longer pick your calls.

The partner you both named all your future children together is no longer with you. Seems like all your walls are crashing?

Hold on, you are like Joseph. Truly, you deserve better but every odd is against you. However, I present to you another and a better offer, God Almighty, the promise keeper. Let’s study scripture further.

Genesis 21:1

[1]And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

Because of time and space, I will not like to bore us with the background story of the man Abram (then) and Sarai, his wife when he was called out of his neighborhood, where like many of us today, he had settled and established a career path. Following an audio promise made to him by God. Yet, he believed. But as his life snaps, promises in material blessing and deeper intimacy with God have been fulfilled but the peak of the achievement according to human standard, Abraham has failed because there is no heir to his empire. All odds were against him, not just him even his wife, Sarah, no ray of hope even if it is dim.

But lo and behold, chapter 21:1 of the book of Genesis made a sharp contrast that God did as he had promised to Sarah. Do I hear you say wow? Yes, it is really wow. Medically, socioculturally and physically, all odds were against these two aged individuals

And that is it about God, he doesn’t just fulfill promises but against all odds and human barrier, when God arrives to do you good. He will eliminate every odds that men are seeing as barrier or He makes them the pathway to fulfillment.

For Joseph, he lobbied and failed until God’s appointed time.

For Zechariah, though faithful and diligent in the presence of God, keeping the fire burning upon God’s altar and neither did he burn strange fire like Nadab and his brother. Yet he was barren till old age, but when God arrived, he didn’t just give him a child, he gave him John the Baptist, the fore runner of our Lord and savior.