More than a Thousand Generations

1 Chronicles 16:14-15 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations…

            Adam lived 930 years and during his lifetime he saw the birth of eight generations (cf. Genesis 5). Although Adam died before the birth of Noah, his lifetime included the birth of Noah’s father, Lamech. Tracing Adam’s descendants we discover Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, and Lamech. Some of those names stand out to us in history, and certainly God’s judgments were proclaimed during their generations with no uncertainties. There were no wishy-washy, compromising standards permitted for God’s people. No ambiguities. One God, and only One God—the LORD God Almighty—would be worshiped and obeyed. (More on that topic another day.)

            God remembers his covenant with his people; he does not forget his promises. This helps us understand the interesting term thousand generations used descriptively during David’s time. It is not a limited or finite number of generations, rather it is an all-inclusive value of infinity—more generations than human minds can comprehend—it is the numeric value of God keeping his covenant forever.

            To be clear, God’s covenant with us today is a new covenant (cf. Hebrews 8:13). We are God’s people under the covenant of salvation through Christ’s death on the cross, burial, and resurrection. That is our covenant with God, and it will be the covenant God remembers forever, for a thousand generations (again, not a literal numeric number of generations, but an all-inclusive number of generations, more than you or I have the capacity to comprehend). God remembers his promises forever. Here are just a few of the many precious promises we have in God’s written Word, specifically, from the New Testament portion of Scriptures:

Matthew 28:20  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

John 16:33  I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Acts 2:21  And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Galatians 3:26  So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith…

Colossians 3:4  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

1 Peter 1:3-4  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

2 Peter 3:13  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

1 John 3:2  But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Revelation 1:7  Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him…

Gracious Heavenly Father,

            Thank you for the precious promises you give us through your written Word. When we compromise with the world’s standards, we compromise our faith to trust in You alone. Forgive our sinful thoughts and ways and guide us back to you. You remember your covenant; you remember your promises; you remember us. In all things may we keep you first and foremost in our hearts. May we be found faithful in your sight.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotional More than a Thousand Generations appeared first on Write From My Heart at writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com