Wait for the Promise of the Father
(Ac1:11)
God is faithful (Dt7:9; Hos11:12).
He is faithful for Himself and
He carries out His promise for those who wait for it, even to a thousand generations.
Faith is believing Him, and
The life of this faith is having His promise and waiting for it.
When a promise-maker is living
His promise is living, and thus,
One waits for the faithful promise-maker to keep the promise.
The Bible defines men of faith (He11:7-17):
Those who believed and successfully waited for the promise of God.
For Noah received the warning about the flood and
Received the promise of salvation (Ge6:18-8:13),
He built the ark for 70 years, and
Waited inside the ark for the water to recede for a year after the flood, and
Finally, he was able to set his foot on the new earth.
At the age of 75, Abraham received the promise of a seed (Ge12:2-4, Ge21:4), and
Without doubting, he waited and received a son at the age of 100 (Rm4:19).
Until he received Rachel as his wife
Jacob waited for 14 years as a servant (Ge29:20).
Israel waited for the restoration of their kingdom (Ac1:6), and
The coming of the promised Messiah, Christ (Mt11:3; Jn4:25), for
They received the first covenant made by the blood of animals (Ex24:6-8; He9:18).
As such, the sanctuary was designated as the place of waiting (Ps24:7-8), and
The prophets reminded that God's promise was surely fulfilled (Ps37:7-9; Hab2:3).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would fulfill the promise, the first covenant, and
Make a new promise for the new land, the Father's house (Jn14:3).
Thus, when He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1. With His blood fulfilled all promises of the first covenant and established the better, eternal promises, becoming its Mediator (He9:15, He10:9);
2. Condemned the father of lies (Jn8:44); and
3. Became a ransom for sinners and made a way for them to go before God, their Father (Mt20:28; He10:19).
According to His promise, Jesus rose from the grave (Mt16:21), and
Ascended to the heavenly throne as the Faithful (Rev19:11).
And according to His promise, the Holy Spirit came (Jn14:16, Jn16:13)
To those who believe, and
He lets them wait for His promises (Ac1:4-5, Ac2:1-4).
The man of the Spirit is he who
Prays in the name Yeshua and waits for the answer (Mt18:18; Jn14:13-14),
Preaches to sow and waits for the fruit (2Ti4:2), and
Perseveres and endures patiently to prepare himself
As a bride waits for her groom to return (Mt25:1-13; Rev21:1-4).
O Lord,
While the prophet Anna spent 84 years in the temple fasting and praying day and night
Waiting to see the first coming of Christ (Lk2:36-38),
We, who wait for the return of the glorious King Jesus, are so unfaithful.
Lord,
You alone are the promise maker, the promise keeper!
Let us wait patiently for Your promises!
Amen.
