Which of us has never been disappointed by others? Which of us has not experienced feelings of hurt and betrayal by what others have done? While the actions of others disappoint us and may even harm us, perhaps we experience the greatest hurt when someone breaks their word to us. They make a promise and do not keep it. They say they will do one thing, then do another. They mislead us or lie to us.
Each time someone misleads us or breaks their word to us it also breaks the trust we have in them. Once trust is broken, it is difficult to restore it. And so, we continue to alienate each other and move apart.
In contrast to mankind, the Bible assures us that us that God does not lie (Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Hebrews 6:18). To do so is contrary to His nature. He will keep His word regardless of the circumstances. We can trust Him. Therefore it should be of great comfort to us to read God’s words in Psalm 89:34, “I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.” (NIV)
God said those words about the covenant He entered into with the Israelite people. The terms of this covenant are given in the Law of Moses.
But though God does not lie and He keeps His word perfectly, mankind does not. The Israelites were unable to keep the terms of their covenant with God. For this reason, God promised that He would make a new covenant. The Bible says, “But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: “The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”” (Hebrews 8:6-12 NIV)
Just as God promised that He would never violate the old covenant, He will never break the promises He has made in the new covenant. The Bible also assures us that this new covenant is not only for the Israelite people, but for all who choose to follow Jesus. The question is, are we in the new covenant? Do God’s unbreakable promises apply to us?