The Abidible Podcast
You love God. You want to abide in Him through His Word. But you just don't know where to start. You're in the right place! Be encouraged weekly as you learn to abide in the Bible yourself. Learn alongside your host, Kate, who is just a regular wife and mom (like you?) whose life has been transformed by learning to study the Bible on her own. If she can, you can! You're meant to be here, friend.
The Abidible Podcast
#062 "When He Swears, He Means It: Trusting God's Unbreakable Word" (Deut. 6:10)
Trusting that God keeps His promises sounds simple—until life gets hard. In this episode, Kate explores Deuteronomy 6:10 and the Hebrew idea of oath-making, “to seven oneself,” showing God’s unshakable commitment to us.
From creation to the resurrection, God has never failed to do what He said. Yet even Abraham, Moses, and Joshua struggled to trust Him fully. Their failures remind us that God’s faithfulness doesn’t depend on perfect belief—but on His perfect character.
With raw honesty, Kate shares how God met her own crisis of faith with the whisper, “If I am your only reward, is that enough?” That question reframed everything, revealing that trust isn’t about outcomes but about knowing Him.
Ultimately, every promise finds its yes in Jesus—the true and faithful One who never wavered. If you’re doubting whether God’s promises apply to your impossible situation, this episode will point you back to the only One whose word never fails.
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Hey guys, this is Kate from Abitablecom and you're listening to the Abitable Podcast. I'm just a regular wife and mom who's had my life transformed by learning to study the Bible on my own. If I can, you can On this show. I help you know and love God more by abiding in Him through His Word yourself. He swore God is not a man that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind. Has he said and will he not do it? Or has he spoken and will he not fulfill it? Those are Moses' words written about God in Numbers 23.19. They are connected to what we're talking about here today in Deuteronomy 6.10. This idea that God is a promise keeping God, do you believe it? I mean, do you really believe it? Not just that you sing about it, way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, but do you believe it in the deepest part of your heart? Do I? If not, why not? And if so, is our belief unshakable? And if not, why not? Today's episode is a tender message from the Lord directly to our hearts, because there is something he absolutely wants us to know. When he swears something, he means it. Whatever he has promised will come to pass it. Whatever he has promised will come to pass. We can trust him. He is safe. God said there would be light there was. He said humanity would multiply and fill the earth they did. He said sin would bring death it did. He said there'd be a flood there was. He said he would never flood the earth again he hasn't. He said he would make Abraham into a great nation he did. He said Sarah would have a son she did. He said he would give them the land he did. He said he would deliver his people from Egypt he did. He said the Red Sea would part it did. He said he'd lead them by cloud and fire he did. He said not one of his words would fail None did. He said David would be king he was. He said the Messiah would come from David's line he did. He said they'd go into exile they did. He said he'd bring a remnant back he did. He said a virgin would conceive she did. He said the Savior would be born in Bethlehem he was. He said the blind would see, the lame would walk they did. He said Jesus would be betrayed he was. He said he would be pierced he was. He said he would die and rise again he did. He said the spirit would come. He did. He said the gospel would go to the ends of the earth. It is. He said he's coming back, he will.
Speaker 1:Every word God speaks accomplishes what he intends. Every promise he makes he keeps. Every time he says I will, he does. This is the God of Deuteronomy 6.10, our verse for today. We're looking at just the first part of the verse. And when the Lord, your God, brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give you the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob is the God who always keeps his promises. He always finishes what he starts. The God who swore by himself. Quick aside, if you want this list of promises made and promises kept, the PDF download with the verses is now in our brand new Abitable Plus member portal. More on that at the break.
Speaker 1:We need to take a look at this Hebrew word for swore he swore. The Hebrew word is shabah, which is directly related to the word for seven, shebah. To swear an oath in Hebrew is literally to seven oneself. The number seven had deep symbolic meaning in the ancient Near East, especially in covenant and oath-making, and it was associated with completeness and divine perfection. To seven oneself may have involved repeating a declaration seven times, performing a seven-fold ritual act, for example, walking between pieces or offering seven lambs, or invoking the number seven as a mark of finality and sacred commitment. The God who sevens himself is the God who always finishes what he starts. He's not a man that he should lie.
Speaker 1:Hey, while I've got your attention, I want you to know that we're building something here at Abitable that's growing biblical literacy and love for God, one person at a time around the world. You're here because you care about this too. By supporting us, you're helping us share the gospel and teach people what to do with their Bibles. A few bucks a month really does make a difference. Our main podcast content will always be free, and we only want you to partner with us if the Lord leads you to do so. You can find out more at the link in our show description. Okay, so this episode's title is God Swore.
Speaker 1:Today, as I mentioned, we are taking a look at the first part of Deuteronomy 6.10. Next week, we'll be combining the rest of verse 10 with verses 11 and 12, which are all about the specifics of what God was going to be giving them Great and good cities, houses, wells, vineyards and olive trees. And we'll also look at the warning that came with the blessing, but for today we are looking at the he swore promise keeping nature of God, from verse 10. We need to envelop all of this in a ton of context to better understand what Moses was referring to in the past and in the future. What had God promised and what was the promised gift that was coming, and how does all of it relate to us today? I want to share that God has laid a message on my heart today to proceed with both boldness and truth, but also with sensitivity. What I mean by that is, I feel like he's laid on my heart this sense that someone I'm going to be talking to today is terrified, that God isn't safe, that he can't be trusted, that he's not really true to his word and he isn't really the promise-keeping, way-making, miracle-working God they sing about. And to that person I want to say this message is to you, from God. He wants you to know today exactly who he is. Know today exactly who he is. Okay, so God swore. What did he swear?
Speaker 1:This verse references some land that God promised to give and the people he made the original promise to Abraham, isaac and Jacob. Let's clear up this picture with some context, one of my favorite things to do. First, a quick review of what this land is and why these three men, abraham Isaac and Jacob, are mentioned. This land wasn't chosen randomly. It was promised, and the mention of Abraham, isaac and Jacob ties the people's present journey to a covenant that predates them by generations. God was not just delivering a people, he was keeping a promise. What was the promise? Here it is to Abraham in Genesis 13, 15-17. 15-17. This is happening after Abraham graciously let Lot choose land first, and Lot chose the lush Jordan Valley. Abraham was left with the less desirable hill country of Canaan. It's in this moment of apparent loss that God reaffirmed his promise. God says for all the land that you see, I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you. Here's the promise to Isaac, abraham's son, in Genesis 26.3.
Speaker 1:In a time of famine, isaac is planning to go to Egypt. But God stops him in Gerar and renewed the promise he made to Abraham Sojour in Genesis 28, 13, and 15. Jacob is on the run from his brother Esau. After deceiving his father. Jacob falls asleep in the wilderness and there he dreams of a stairway to heaven. And it's where God speaks to him personally. God says I am the Lord, the God of Abraham, your father, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. I will not leave you.
Speaker 1:Why am I telling you all this? Why did this land promise matter? Well, the land wasn't just about geography. It was about God's presence, provision and purpose. It was a place prepared, not earned, a home for His people to dwell with Him in peace. And each time God renewed the promise, he tied it not just to land, but to lineage and to loyalty. He would be with them and he would keep his word.
Speaker 1:By the time we get to where we are today, deuteronomy 6.10, moses is reminding the people that they are about to receive this land, not because they were righteous, but because God is faithful. He roots that assurance in their family history by saying the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give you. God was often referred to as the God of your fathers to ground his people in the continuity of his promises. He had not changed, he had not forgotten and he had not failed. Now let's get some context for this idea of swearing something in an oath, because while there are some clear differences in oath-making then and now, our modern-day experiences are not entirely removed from those of the Israelites at the time of Moses. So let's do some research. What was their experience with people in power making, keeping and breaking oaths? I want to know this because I want to know their baseline for hearing someone like God in this instance making an oath or a promise or a covenant. Here's what I learned In the ancient Near East.
Speaker 1:Covenants were widespread used between kings and subjects, among tribes and even between nations. Egypt, where Israel had lived for centuries, had a top-down system where Pharaoh was seen as divine. So treaties or agreements were more administrative and unilateral, often demanding total allegiance without mutual responsibility. Egyptian oaths were sometimes sealed by invoking the life of the king or the gods, but there was little emphasis on mutual heart-level loyalty. Meanwhile, the Canaanite people those are, the people living in the land that the Israelites were about to enter with their pantheon of local gods also swore oaths in the name of their deities, often mixing religious ritual with political deals.
Speaker 1:And here's the really interesting part we can relate to. Covenant breaking was common, especially when it served personal or national gain. Deception, manipulation and breaking of agreements, like the Gibeonite trickery check it out in Joshua 9, reflected a broader cultural norm where the promise of power or security or prosperity often trumped faithfulness. We can relate to this, can't we? To the idea of leaders abusing power and breaking promises, to the idea of those in power saying one thing and doing another when it benefits them personally, or financially or politically. In contrast, israel's covenantal system was one of a kind.
Speaker 1:Despite what was going on around them, they were part of something radically different, not because they were special or righteous, but because they were in covenant with the one true God who bound himself to them in loyal love, chesed, and who reflected his character through justice, mercy and that steadfast love. This is what set them apart. Their God always perfectly kept all of his promises. As Christians, as followers of Jesus, this is true for us too. The God of Israel is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus and the Father are one. If we are in Christ, by grace, through faith, we have obtained access to this same promise-keeping God.
Speaker 1:But every single day, in dozens of circumstances, through hundreds of thoughts that pass through our minds and in ways we aren't even always aware of, we can think wrong thoughts about God, and if these go unchecked it can completely derail our correct thinking about His true character. In this case, we end up twisting the very nature of His perfect promise-keeping. Here are three examples of what I mean that you might relate to. First, we can be mad at God for breaking promises he never even made. We think suffering means he's impotent. If life is hard, we think he's indifferent. If we lack, we think he's holding back from us cruelly. How good can God be when life is one disappointment after another? But the problem is God never promised perfect health or prosperity or ease. We listen more to who the world tells us God should be than who God tells us he is. In His Word we pridefully make God in our own image, telling Him what he should do for us and when. And if he doesn't, we abandon Him.
Speaker 1:The Israelites had seen God move in power, but when they got hungry or thirsty or afraid, what did they do? They grumbled against God, attempting to redefine him, instead of them seeing him as the merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love God that he is. They allowed their circumstances to cast Him as a God who hated them and they rewrote their epic story of deliverance into a tragedy of God's cruel abandonment. This is a place I've been before. Have you? Sometimes?
Speaker 1:My sentiment toward God is even less about anger and more about hurt. I feel hurt by God. I don't understand what he's doing and because I don't get it, my heart hurts and I'm sad. Have you ever felt that way? Super confused by God, even hurt by Him? Second, we think wrongly about God in that he will lie to us or betray us or abandon us, like others have. I have a sweet friend that I've been having this conversation with recently Because of some of what she's experienced throughout her life. Trusting God with her heart feels really scary. People who should have loved and treasured and valued her and made her feel safe didn't, when that is what you've known for the majority of your life or even for any part of your life in a relationship that mattered to you. It is so easy to transfer that fear onto God. If everyone else has lied to me, why wouldn't God If others have abandoned me? It's just a matter of time until God does too.
Speaker 1:Third, we think God will not keep his promises to us because we have not kept our promises to him, because we haven't perfectly held up our perceived end of the bargain. We think all of God's promises are null and void toward us, or at least some of them, and by bargain I mean whatever theological garbage we've tried to add on to grace. By faith alone, we rewrite the rules based on our conditional understanding of contracts and love. The concept of someone perfectly keeping their promises toward us despite our repetitive failures baffles us, and because we can't comprehend it, we dismiss it as impossible. Ultimately, because of all this, we're scared. He's not safe, and if we're not in the word, we're going to keep on being scared. Scared because we won't have the foundational truth of who he is.
Speaker 1:To combat any of these lies, I have to tell you what just happened to me today, lest you think that I have it all together over here. I had a colossal meltdown, like ready to quit this entire ministry, pack up the shop and go home. And I'll tell you why. I really want to be able to connect with the people that I'm serving, and I'm struggling to do that. I'm not having success through my emails or through my social media, and so something I'd been praying about and looking into for a long time was trying to create a community, somewhere where people could engage and ask questions and I could provide resources and I could encourage them to connect with one another and all kinds of cool things would happen. And so I hadn't really found a platform until recently, and today I launched which I'm going to talk a little bit more about in a moment. I launched this membership community and I sent the email out and I made the post. I was super excited about it, and hour after hour after hour went by in the day and not a single person joined the community and I'm not saying this to guilt you into joining the community. So stick with me for a second, because the Lord had a lesson for me in it.
Speaker 1:But I all of a sudden just felt this overwhelming attack but I couldn't identify it as that in the moment. I felt this overwhelming shame. I felt like a loser. I felt rejected, I felt like a failure. I felt like man, lord, I must not be who you want me to be or be doing the things that you want me to be doing, because I just can't seem to make this work. And I started going down this rabbit hole of all the reasons that this ministry is failing and I went out and started to talk to my husband, texted my mom, texted Beverly, my buddy and sister and partner in crime and everything here abidable, and got beautiful encouragement from all three of them, just reminders of what is true, and it was helpful, and I know that they were praying for me.
Speaker 1:But I ended up coming back into my office and closing the door and just dropping my face on my desk and just sobbing and in that moment I was like you know, I know myself and I know that when I feel like a failure, because performance has been such a sin of mine performing to earn, performing to prove in that moment I knew that there was a path, a very familiar path, that I could take, where I give up or at least I disappear for a while, believing that I'm worthless, I'm not offering anything of value here, and at the same time I'm sitting here crying my eyes out and thinking, lord, what do I know to be true of you? I've been in your word for four years. Know to be true of you? I've been in your word for four years. What do I know is true right now?
Speaker 1:And in that still small voice, it's like I just availed myself to him. And in that still small voice he asked me a question and he said if I am your only reward, if this thing never grows, gets big or whatever your definition of success is, you know, if I am your only reward, is that enough? And I knew the answer instantly. My answer is yes, it is enough. Because I serve Him, because he is worthy, because he has poured out everything for me. I will pour out everything for him, regardless of how it appears to be doing on the surface.
Speaker 1:And then he just reminded me of all the beautiful things that have happened and all the incredible feedback that I've gotten from some of you, and some of the very exciting things that are happening in other places through Abitable that aren't even in my own state. And I swear to you, it was like this darkness, like a thunderstorm, with lightning and rain, just dark heaviness had come over me and then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone and I felt the sun shining on my face again. And I tell you that story because I want you to know that I'm just a girl in this fight with you battling for what is true, and when you know yourself and you know your habits and your patterns and your you know I've said this before like I know what I would normally do in my flesh, and it would be to hide and to quit and to stick my head in the sand and to believe all kinds of lies about not just myself, but what's most scary, lies about God. And that question like what do I know about you? What do I know right now, that's true about who you are Literally turned it from a storm into sunshine. And I'm not special, you guys, I'm. Literally the only thing that I have in my hand as a weapon is the Word of God, and this is why I abide.
Speaker 1:And it's just so happened that right after that, I was on Instagram and I saw this video from Jackie Hill Perry and she was just in this moment that she was sharing. She was talking about Jesus in the garden, just being discouraged and tired and scared and praying for the Lord to take the cup from him, that it would pass what he was about to face and how hard and heavy it was. And what we know happened was that God sent an angel that strengthened Jesus in that moment. What he didn't give him was ease. He gave him more strength. That's what happened to me today too. Not in the same capacity in any way, shape or form, clearly, but just that God gave me strength to not quit and to remember who he is, that he is sovereign, that he is in control, that every word that comes from his mouth and and that, ultimately, he is my reward and that's who I'm working for. And he, just like, helped fix my eyes on Him, gave me the strength to suck it up, to stop navel-gazing, to remember it's not about me and to keep going.
Speaker 1:And I just wanted to share that with you guys today, because I wanted to ask you if something doesn't go how you want it to do you worry that God isn't safe, that he like a strange thing to ask, doesn't it? Especially when scripture is full of imagery about God being our refuge, our fortress and our hiding place? Psalm 18 says the Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. That sounds safe. And yet I also think about that famous moment in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when Mr Beaver is telling the children about Aslan. Susan asks is he quite safe? And Mr Beaver replies safe. Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe, but he's good. He's the king, I tell you. And somehow that resonates, because what Mr Beaver is getting at is that Aslan, just like our God, isn't tame. He's not predictable, he doesn't follow our timelines or our formulas. Predictable he doesn't follow our timelines or our formulas. He has power beyond what we can grasp. He allows things we wouldn't choose, but he is always and unquestionably good. And it's that goodness, not the absence of pain, not the predictability of outcomes, that makes him trustworthy. So is God safe? If by safe we mean soft or manageable or explainable, no. But if we mean secure, sure, dependable, a place to rest your whole soul without fear of betrayal, then yes, absolutely. And that's what I want to explore with you how the Word of God anchors us in that truth that he is who he says he is, that he keeps His promises and that the more we know Him through Scripture, the more unshakable our trust becomes, even when nothing else feels safe. So let's go to the Word again and we will.
Speaker 1:Right after this crazy, exciting announcement, don't skip this. I think you're going to want to hear this. Skip this. I think you're going to want to hear this. I am so excited to finally tell you that Abitable Plus is here. This brand new membership community even though it might just be you and me is officially live, and this is your personal invitation to be a part of it. You can access everything through the free Buy Me A Coffee app. It's super clean, easy to use and, honestly, is the perfect alternative to mindless scrolling on social media. Why waste another 10 minutes on social media when you could spend it being filled up by God's Word and encouraged by our community? When you become a member, you'll get access to podcast transcripts, bonus content like the PDF of the Promises Made and Promises Kept list that I shared at the beginning of this episode, with the verses referenced, behind the scenes posts, discounts, sneak peeks of new launches and even direct voice message updates from me. It's all designed to help you go deeper in your walk with Jesus, and to do it with people who love Him too. You are so wanted here, not just because I desire to serve you with this content, but because you have something to offer this community too. Just tap the link in the show description. You can learn about the monthly pricing. Download the app and come join us. Let's redeem our scrolling together.
Speaker 1:And now back to the show. We've established that we need to go to the Word to get an accurate picture of God's faithfulness, and surely there must be some people in the Word who model what it looks like to trust God as a promise keeper. Right Today's verse names a few Abraham, isaac and Jacob. And then, standing just outside the verse because he's the author we have Moses, and then also Joshua, the one who would eventually lead Israel into the very promised land being spoken of. Surely these are the spiritual giants. Surely they never doubted God's trustworthiness. Surely they always trusted that if God swore something, it would come to pass. But here's the twist Every one of them stumbled when it came to trusting God's promises.
Speaker 1:Abraham lied about his wife Sarah being his sister because he didn't trust God to protect his life from the Egyptians, and then later laughed at God when he was told he would have a son. In his old age, isaac repeated his father's pattern of fear, lying about his wife. To protect himself, jacob grasped for the blessing, deceiving and manipulating his way into what God had already promised. Moses, overwhelmed by frustration, struck the rock instead of speaking to it and in doing so misrepresented God. Joshua charged into battle with the Gibeonites without ever stopping to ask God what to do. Each one of them got it wrong, but that's not the end of their story, because after those failures, each of them kept walking with God, and as they did, they came to know Him more intimately, and that's what changed them.
Speaker 1:Abraham, after years of walking with the Lord, came to a moment where he was willing to sacrifice the very son he once doubted he would receive, because he believed that God would keep his promise, even if it meant raising Isaac from the dead. Isaac, the one who had lied out of fear, came to bless Jacob with full trust in the covenant God had made with Abraham and named God's promises as the inheritance. Jacob the deceiver became Israel, a man who wrestled with God face to face, and by the end of his life he blessed his sons while leaning on his staff in worship. Moses, after failure, still met with God face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Joshua, after learning the consequences of going without God, became the one who stood before the people and declared as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Speaker 1:The shift wasn't in what they knew about God, it was in how well they came to know Him. And that didn't happen overnight. It happened over years of walking, failing, hearing his voice being corrected, restored and loved. The steadfast trust they grew into was forged through personal relationship, not secondhand knowledge. So if you feel like you're still stumbling to trust God, you are not disqualified. You are in good company and you're just in the middle of your story. Keep going, keep showing up. You're not behind. You're being formed. Lean in for this part, okay.
Speaker 1:Where even the best of men fail to fully trust God, jesus never did. He is the greater Abraham, not just a man who left his homeland in obedience, but the one who left the glory of heaven to enter our broken world and fulfill every promise of God. Where Abraham faltered and laughed at the seeming impossibility of God's plan, jesus trusted fully, even when it led him to death. He is the greater Isaac, not merely a beloved son laid on the altar, but the son who willingly gave himself as the sacrifice. Isaac asked where is the lamb? Jesus was the lamb, the one who trusted the father enough to be pierced for our transgressions. He is the greater Jacob who didn't have to lie. He is the greater Jacob who didn't have to lie, manipulate or strive for blessing, because all authority and inheritance belonged to him and, instead of stealing the birthright, he shared it with us, making us heirs through his blood. He is the greater Moses, not kept from the promised land for striking the rock, but struck himself, becoming the rock of our salvation. He not only led the people out of bondage, but brought us out of sin and death, forever, fulfilling the law he himself gave. Fulfilling the law he himself gave. And he is the greater Joshua, not just a courageous leader who led people into a physical inheritance, but the one who leads us into eternal rest. Jesus didn't just fight the enemies of God's people with a sword. He conquered sin, satan and death by laying his life down.
Speaker 1:And here's the good news Jesus' perfect trust is credited to us. His record becomes ours. Our response to his trustworthiness doesn't affect whether or not he is trustworthy. He is Always. God's promises don't hang in the balance of our belief. He will do all he has said. He has already done what mattered most. But this is also the power of the gospel Not just that God is faithful despite our unbelief, but that he is so kind as to transform us into people who trust him. The more we know Jesus not just facts about him, but truly know him personally the more our unbelief begins to die, the more we live like people who have seen the risen Christ and are sure he keeps every word he speaks. This is how we become people of faith not by trying harder, but by staying close to the One who never fails to believe the Father, who always obeyed and who lives in us by His Spirit. God doesn't need your trust to keep His promises, but he will graciously grow your trust through them. Here's the big idea Even when I don't trust God at His word, he is still faithful to it. Trust God at His word he is still faithful to it, and I still get Christ's perfect record of trust in the Father.
Speaker 1:What God promised to Israel as they entered the land is a beautiful shadow of what he now fulfills for us in Christ. Let's not miss that our faithful, though imperfect, moses was not allowed to enter the promised land. Because of his disobedience and unbelief in striking the rock, which we'll delve into a little more next week I shouldn't be allowed in the promised land. I struggle with that same unbelief and disobedience and yet, because of Christ, I'll not just be allowed in, but welcomed in. Does that not blow your mind?
Speaker 1:I'm struck by the parallels between Deuteronomy 6.10 and the gospel promises we have as believers today. Let me close with a few of them. Here's our verse again, deuteronomy 6.10, and when the Lord, your God, brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give you. Israel's story was one of being brought out of Egypt, out of slavery, out of oppression, into a land. They didn't earn a place of promise, provision and peace. They inherited a physical land. We inherit a spiritual kingdom. They were brought out of slavery to Pharaoh. We were brought out of slavery to sin. God kept his promise to give them a land and in Christ, he keeps His promise to give us life. Let's do a few, then versus now, from scripture to show how God keeps His promises to not only Israel back then, but to us in 2025. Then God promised to bring them out of Egypt. I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
Speaker 1:Exodus 6.6. Verses now God has brought us out of sin and death. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1.13. Here's another. Then God promised them a land they didn't build, with cities, homes and vineyards already prepared. That's Deuteronomy 6, 10, and 11. Verses now God gives us a righteousness we didn't earn and a place in his family we didn't construct. By grace you have been saved through faith, not your own doing. It is the gift of God. That's Ephesians 2, 8-9. Here's another. Then God promised to drive out their enemies, not all at once, but step by step. That's Exodus 23, 30 and Deuteronomy 7 22.
Speaker 1:Verses now God promises to sanctify us, to drive out the idols and sins that have ruled us little by little, day by day. Colossians 3 5 says put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you and Philippians. Then the promised land was a place of rest from war and wandering. You can see that in Joshua 21.44. Verses now Jesus is our promised rest, our Sabbath, our peace, our home.
Speaker 1:Matthew 11, 28,. Come to me and I will give you rest. In Hebrews 4, 9, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Then God promised to be present a cloud by day, a fire by night and a tabernacle in their midst. Exodus 13, 21, and Leviticus 26.12. Verses now he promises His Spirit will dwell in us, not near us in us. 1 Corinthians 6.19,. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. In Matthew 28.20,. I will be with you always. In Matthew 28, 20, I will be with you always. Here's one more Then the land flowed with milk and honey. Symbols of abundance. That's Exodus 3, 8.
Speaker 1:Verses now Christ offers us living water and true abundance, a life rooted in him, overflowing with peace, joy and purpose. Him overflowing with peace, joy and purpose. John 10.10,. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. The promises of God to Israel were good, but they were shadows of something even greater In Christ. We are not just brought into a land, we are brought into a kingdom. We are not just given cities we didn't build. We are given a righteousness we didn't earn. We are not just promised land that satisfies for a lifetime, we are promised life that satisfies for eternity. And just as God fulfilled every word he spoke to Israel. He will fulfill every word he has spoken to you Joshua 21, 45,. Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed. All came to pass. God was to be remembered as the God of their fathers, not because their fathers were perfect, but because God was His.
Speaker 1:Promises to Abraham, isaac and Jacob weren't sentimental gestures. They were hard core evidence that God keeps his word, no matter how much time passes or how often we fail. And now, standing on the edge of the land, moses is reminding the people. God has not forgotten you. He is fulfilling what he said long before you were even born.
Speaker 1:This is still who he is for us, and yet, as we talked about at the beginning, we often struggle to believe it. We fear that he might not be safe. We quietly wonder if he will still be faithful when we haven't been. We brace ourselves for the letdown, expecting him to disappoint us the way others have. It's hard not to project the broken promises of people onto a God we cannot see, but Jesus is the proof we've been looking for. He is the greater Abraham, who obeyed without faltering. The greater Isaac who laid himself down in trust the greater Jacob, who wrestled and prevailed and now shares his inheritance with us. The greater Moses, who speaks with God face to face. And the greater Joshua, who leads us into the true and final promised land In Christ.
Speaker 1:Every one of God's promises is yes and amen, not just to our ancestors but to us. Over and over and over. God called himself the God of your fathers, anchoring the Israelites' trust not in the present moment, but in his unchanging character across generations. This would become one of the most repeated phrases in scripture the Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob. For Moses and the Israelites, this meant their obedience wasn't rooted in fear or rule following, but in trusting the same God who had made impossible promises to their ancestors and kept every single one. And that's it for this episode.
Speaker 1:If you know someone who would be blessed by what you just heard, please share the Abitable Podcast with them. Keep spreading the word so we can make much of the word. Drop us a review, tell us what you love and what you're learning. Check out the link to learn more about partnering with us by buying us a coffee one time or by becoming a member or a monthly supporter. For those of you following along in the workbook, go ahead and begin working on Deuteronomy 6, 11 and 12 on pages 44 to 51 in your study workbook. We're combining these verses with the end of verse 11 because they're all related in a beautiful way. Ideally, you would have this section done before you listen to the next episode, number 63, titled you Are Not the Hero of the Story.
Speaker 1:Next week on the podcast, we'll walk into the land of promise great cities, full homes, abundant provision, all things Israel didn't earn. In this next chunk of scripture, moses paints a vibrant picture of what's ahead. Then he issues a sober warning take care lest you forget the Lord. This episode will explore the subtle danger of pride when life is full, the deep mercy behind God's generous provision and the human tendency to claim what only he can give. Moses is clear that this is a land with great and good cities that you did not build and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant. And then Moses says and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the house of slavery. Next week, we'll also wrestle with a hard question why did God give Israel land already inhabited by others, and what, if anything, does this have to do with the battle for land in that same region?
Speaker 1:Today, it will be a conversation about memory, mercy and the temptation to make ourselves the hero of the story. I'll pray for us and then close us out with our memory work for verse 10. Lord, you are the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob, and you are our God too. You made promises long before we even knew to hope for them, and you have never once failed. Forgive us, father, for the ways we've doubted you, for projecting the pain of broken human promises onto your unshakable faithfulness. Forgive us for bracing for disappointment when you are the God who delights to fulfill Jesus. Thank you for showing us what true trust looks like. You obeyed in every place where we fall short. You were faithful when we were not. You offered yourself up so that we could be called sons and daughters, heirs to promises that cannot be revoked. Spirit, help us believe it. Help us remember that you are not waiting for our perfection, but walking us toward your promises, step by step, day by day. Teach us to trust you. Teach us to walk forward, not in fear but in confidence, not in doubt but in hope, not as slaves but as beloved children. As slaves but as beloved children, welcomed into land that we did not earn, because you are the God who gives and gives and gives, amen. Let's close by doing our memory work together.
Speaker 1:I'm going to repeat all of Deuteronomy, 6, 10, five times.
Speaker 1:Say it out loud with me or quietly to yourself, 10, 5 times. Say it out loud with me or quietly to yourself not build. And when the Lord, your God, brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give you with great and good cities that you did not build, and when the Lord, your God, brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give you with great and good cities that you did not build, and when the Lord, your God, brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to give you with great and good cities that you did not build, and when the Lord, your God, brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give you with great and good cities that you did not build. Deuteronomy 6.10. Remember, you are able to abide in the Bible. We'll see you next time. Until then, let's abide.
