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We live in a day when promises are all too often kept only when it is convenient. Promises have become more fleeting and only endure for the moment – until we are convinced a better option has come along. Sadly, that has become true in every context in which we make promises. It’s become true in the promises made to one another in marriage. And it’s true in the promises of commitment we make to our Lord.

Promises, covenants and contracts have existed since the beginning of time. God made promises to Adam and Eve, and they made promises to Him in return. His promises endured. But regrettably, Adam and Eve’s did not. And too often neither do ours. No matter how much we may endeavor to make our promises more binding.

i am currently finishing a story about Rahab which will release in January. It is a story that explores the many sides of honor and promise. Hers is a story of a promise made and kept – between her, two spies, Joshua, the people of Israel, and God.(1) There are lessons to be learned from her story that we would do well to heed today.

A search of the internet about promises, led me to this quote in Wikipedia: “In common law legal systems, a contract is an agreement constituting a binding promise that has been entered into voluntarily by two or more parties under an authoritative jurisdiction. Basic elements of a contract are the offer, the acceptance,  the surety and the conditions.”(2) Allow me to dissect those elements of a promise.

An authoritative jurisdiction. Though there was no attorney present the day the promise was made in Jericho, the two spies and Rahab entered into just such a binding promise. And the promise was under the jurisdiction of the One who has authority over all. Rahab had said to the spies, “Now swear to me by the LORD.…”(3) This pagan woman knew that there was only one authority that mattered – the Lord God Jehovah. He alone is faithful. He is not a man that He should lie.(4) Every word that proceeds from His mouth is true. And every promise that He makes is “Yes, and in Him Amen.”(5). “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”(6) Rahab knew that she could trust this promise if it was made in His Name.

Up until recently, our government and legal systems acknowledged the authority of God over all things and required that those giving statements in courts of law invoke the name of God in order to attest that their statements were true and correct. Sadly, that is no longer the case. Because only His word is incorruptible. Only His word is guaranteed. Only His word is unchanging. As a matter of fact, “when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.”(7)

The promise of the spies was accepted because they gave it under His authority. Oh, that our word today might be accepted so assuredly because we stand on the word of God. Why has the word of Christians individually and collectively become so suspect? Yes, i know that partially it is due to a world that has turned away from God. (But remember, at the time Rahab accepted their promise, she and the people of Jericho were not followers of Jehovah God.) My greater concern today, is that we as followers of Christ do not honor our Lord with unwavering truthfulness. Our word and our promises have come to mean little more than those who do not follow Christ. And in so doing, we dishonor His Name. Let our yes be yes, and our no be no.(8)Even this pagan woman was known for keeping her promise. Our promise cannot change over time or because of a change in our circumstance. Our word, like that of our Lord, must be unchanging – because we stand and are rightly accountable under His jurisdiction.

An offer was made. She promised to do her part to help the spies; the spies promised to do their part to keep her and her family safe when Jericho was destroyed. The promise they each made was regarding their own personal actions. Though there were elements outside of their control; they were not elements of the promise. Do you remember the quote, “don’t make promises you can’t keep”? They entered into their promise with a full commitment. Also, the promise they made, just like the promise that God makes, was not valid only until a better deal came along. It was a promise that endured everything that life and circumstances may throw against it. Their very lives depended upon their promise. Their offer was fully given and irrevocably made.          

An acceptance was given. Their promise to each other was not only offered, it was also accepted. The spies offered the promise by saying, “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the LORD gives us the land.”(9) Rahab accepted their promise by agreeing not to betray the spies, and she honored her acceptance. The acceptance in essence completes the promise; it “receives” that which has been “given”.

A surety was extended. The spies offered their own lives as a guarantee for her safety. If for any reason they failed to live up to their promise, they were committing to surrender and forfeit their very lives. In our day and time, it is common for a promisor to extend a monetary surety to the receiver of the promise, in essence saying, “if I don’t do what I promise, you will receive this sum of money”. And that surety is frequently placed in the hands of a third party to hold as guarantee. In this case, the spies were “swearing before the Lord”. He was the “holder” of their surety. When we, as followers of Christ, give our promise we also extend a surety. The surety we extend is our testimony – our faith and walk with Jesus. Every time we break our promise, we forfeit our surety – our testimony is impugned and the Name of our God is dishonored. And Jesus went on to tell us, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne, nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”(10)

Conditions were defined. They made sure to fully define their promise so there would be no confusion. The spies said, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions. When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members… must be here inside the house.”(11) And Rahab defined the conditions of her promise as follows: … she let them down by a rope through the window. “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.”(12)

As we now know, everyone kept their promise, and Rahab and her family came to live among the Israelites. She would become the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth, and through them would become the great-great grandmother of King David – all as a result of a promise given, a promise accepted and a promise kept.

We would do well to not forget the promises we have made along the path of your journeys. Promises that are broken because they are forgotten are still broken promises. Let us not make promises idly or cavalierly. The promises we make are under our Lord’s jurisdiction.

Let us keep our promises along the way, and be grateful for a God who keeps His every promise to us … including “and this is the promise that He has promised us – eternal life.”(13)

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A portion of this post is adapted from Possessing The Promise, chapter 17. This third book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is available through Amazon in print or for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy of the book.

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(1)  Joshua 6:22-25 (NLT)

Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel…. So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.

 

(2)  Wikipedia

(3)  Joshua 2:12 (NLT)

(4)  Numbers 23:19

(5)  2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJ)

(6)  Deuteronomy 7:9 (NKJ)

(7)  Hebrews 6:13 (NKJ)

(8)  Matthew 5:37

(9)  Joshua 2:14 (NLT)

(10) Matthew 5:33-37 (NKJ)

(11) Joshua 2:17-18 (NLT)

(12) Joshua 2:15-16 (NLT)

(13) 1 John 2:25 (NKJ)

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