God Is Faithful

Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in God’s temple. Jehoiada said to them, “Here is the king’s son! He will reign, just as the LORD promised concerning David’s sons. – 2 Chronicles 23.3, CSB

It had been about six years since Athaliah, Joash’s grandmother, killed all of the royal heirs to the throne of Judah after the death of her son, Ahaziah, except for Joash. He was the lone survivor of his grandmother’s diabolic plan to become queen of Judah. “Then, in the seventh year, Jehoiada summoned his courage” (2 Chronicles 23.1, CSB) and decided to introduce Joash to Judah, the rightful king who had been protected and concealed in the temple of God from Athaliah. And while Athaliah’s plan was so demonically charged, revealing the evil in the world, there is so much more to the story than this. God’s faithfulness to keep and fulfill his promises was at stake.

In 2 Samuel 7, God made a covenant with David.

When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” – 2 Samuel 7.12-16 CSB

This was his promise to David. The protection of Joash was the requirement for God to remain faithful to his promise. Joash was vulnerable as a baby. There was nothing he could do to protect himself. And yet, from God’s perspective, he was the most invincible person on earth then. Why? Because he was directly connected to the covenant that the Lord had made with David. Not only that, God was faithful to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenant with David, which found its true end in Jesus, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

God. The Almighty Creator of all things who alone has all power, authority, wisdom, and majesty. The Limitless One who measures the universe with the span of his hand and can cup all the waters of the earth in his palm (Isaiah 40.12). Moses said of him, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God” (Deuteronomy 10.17, CSB). Paul describes him as “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (1 Timothy 6.15-16, CSB). Isaiah says of him, “Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40.10-11, CSB).

We can find great solace in knowing that God is faithful. There is nothing that can cause God to be unfaithful to his promises. The Lord has numbered and planned all our days (Psalm 139.16). God has already prepared the good things that he wants us to do (Ephesians 2.10). He will not stop his perfect sanctifying work within us until we see Jesus (Philippians 1.6). Our lives are guarded and guided by the only sovereign and faithful God. 

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. – Deuteronomy 7.9, CSB

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. – Hebrews 10.23, CSB

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. – 2 Thessalonians 3.3, CSB

So, while we may need to summon our courage as Jehoiada did in order to do difficult things, we can do so because we know, from the pages of the Scriptures to the myriads of ways we’ve seen his faithfulness throughout our lives, that God is faithful.

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