God’s attribute: The Faithfulness of God Part 1

This is a series on the attributes of God.

 

Session 67: The Faithfulness of God Part 1: Old Testament

Purpose: In this session we shall explore the attribute of the loving-kindness of God as taught in the Old Testament and also draw implication for the Christian life as a result of our study.

1. What is the faithfulness of God?
2. What does the Bible in the Old Testament teach about the faithfulness of God?
3. Implications

 

What is the faithfulness of God?

1. Millard Erickson: “His faithfulness means that he proves true.”[1]
2. Wayne Grudem: “God’s faithfulness means that God will always do what he has said and fulfill what he has promised.”[2]
3. Millard Erickson put it another way: “He always fulfills what he has said he will do.”[3]
4. My own simple definition: God is trustworthy.

 

What does the Bible in the Old Testament teach about the faithfulness of God?

Declaration that God is faithful

1. “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” (Deuteronomy 7:9)
   1. Note here that Moses describes the following as God’s character: “He is God, the faithful God”
   2. This is the first instance in the Bible that mentioned God’s attribute of faithfulness.
   3. When Moses said “Know” he indicates this is something the people should have already known about. How?
      1. They have seen God “keeps His covenant”
      2. Look at the two verses before Deuteronomy 7:9. Here we see God “kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:8).
      3. Even though it took the fifth book of the Bible before the first mention of God is faithful yet in light of Deuteronomy 7:8 reference of God keeping His “oath which He swore to your forefathers” and “His covenant” truly we have already seen God being faithful in the first four books.
2. “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)
   1. The context of this chapter is that this is the Song of Moses in which Moses sings praises to God.
   2. Note that Moses’ praise includes the declaration that He is a “God of faithfulness.”
   3. We can see the title for God, “Rock” being an appropriate image of someone who is sturdy as one’s foundation for life.
3. “Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” (Psalms 36:5)
   1. This is a Psalm written by David.
   2. In praying to God David mentioned in the second line “Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”
   3. Seeing the parallel of the first line of God’s attribute of loving kindness extends to heavens, we can understand that the idea here of God’s faithfulness reaching the skies is that His faithfulness is of numerous quantity.
4. “O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.” (Psalms 89:8)
   1. This is a Psalm that describes the Davidic Covenant that the Lord has made.
   2. The first sentence of the verse is a rhetorical question that implies the answer “no one is like the Lord.”[4]
   3. One of the ways that makes God unique is that His faithfulness is such an important attribute of Himself that it surrounds Himself!

God’s faithfulness is great: “They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:23)

1. In context this is written by Jeremiah.
2. Faithfulness of God here is described as “great!”
3. But don’t forget the context which indicate what it means that God is faithful: He is faithful in carrying out His discipline against Israel which Jeremiah warned the people about but also faithful in restoring Israel.
4. Because God is faithful we see Jeremiah stating “Therefore I have hope in Him” in verse 24.

How long is the duration of God’s faithfulness?

1. By definition if one is faithful for a short time, can we still say that person is faithful? And how long is God’s faithfulness for?
2. “Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; You established the earth, and it stands.” (Psalm 119:90)
   1. God’s faithfulness “continues throughout all generations”
   2. There’s a sense that so long as the earth stands, God is faithful since He and His faithfulness “established the earth, and it stands.”
3. “For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)
   1. Directly stated that “His faithfulness to all generations.”
   2. Again we see that God’s eternal faithfulness is never in a vaccum, not also God’s “lovingkindness is everlasting”

Because God is faithful therefore all His works is done faithfully: “For the word of the Lord is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness.” (Psalm 33:4)

1. God’s faithfulness does not come alone; God in His Word is also “upright”
2. Since God is faithful and upright we see here the statement “all His work is done in faithfulness.”

God is faithful in ways that we don’t normally think of, with His punishment against sin: “He will recompense the evil to my foes; Destroy them in Your faithfulness.” (Psalm 54:5)

God is faithful to the Davidic covenant: “My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn will be exalted.” (Psalm 54:5)

Implications

1. We should praise God for His faithfulness: “The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.” (Psalm 89:5)
   1. Heaven will praise God for His wonder.
   2. Likewise God’s assembly praises God for His faithfulness.
2. We must also be faithful!

 

[1] Millard Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2003), 317.

[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 160.

[3] Millard Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2003), 317.

[4] Notes from William Barrick, “Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs: The Master Musician’s Melodies,” 5.  Accessed at http://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_089.pdf.