Day Seven: Promise

"The Twelve Days of Christ" series looks at Psalm 119's twelve Hebrew words for God’s Word, and a connection to the church for each one.

"God never
made a
promise
that was
too good
to be
true."

~ Dwight L. Moody

Day Seven: Promise
'arab: verb, "to braid, that is, intermix; also to give or be security; to exchange, to take or give as a pledge or guarantee"

Promise that you will help your servant;
don't let the arrogant oppress me!
~ Psalms 119:122 (GNB)

"Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise."
~ 1 Kings 8:56 (NKJV)

Many commentators don't see a synonym for God's Word in Psalm 119:122. Strictly speaking, the Hebrew word here, 'arab, is a verb, not a noun.

Since every other verse of Psalm 119 does contain a synonym for God's Word, I'm not about to exclude this verse based on such technicality. Incidently, 'arab is also the only one of the twelve synonyms which appears only once in the Psalm. Perhaps the psalmist thought one mention of God giving His promise was sufficient.

I'll offer as insight this definition of 'arab from Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible:

"... to mix or intermingle interests; to unite ourselves with others so that their interests come to be our own; and hence, to take one under our protection, to become answerable for, to be a surety for: as, when one endorses a note for another, he mingles his own interest, reputation, and means with his. So Christ becomes the security or surety of his people ... "

Every Promise of God is fulfilled in Him Whom we celebrate tonight and tomorrow: the Lord Jesus Christ. God became Man, united Himself to us, mingled His interest in our ours, and became our Surety for eternal life.

There has not failed one word of all His good promise. On this, the eve of Christmas, we wait to celebrate Christ's coming. It is the last day of observing the first Advent.

It remains to be seen which day it is of the second Advent.

But when the fullness of the time had come,
God sent forth His Son, born of a woman ...
~ Galatians 4:4 (NKJV)

Come, Lord Jesus!

#secondcoming
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