GOD IS FAITHFUL Promises

Unit 1 Profiles of God SESSION 1

Session Outcome To trust God as the source of our strength, knowing that He will keep His GOD IS FAITHFUL promises. December God is faithful in every generation and 6 in all circumstances. Customize: is the password to access expanded teaching helps at THE WORD FoundryLeader.com. PSALM will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will 89:1-18 I make your faithfulness known through all generations. 2 KEY VERSE I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Discover: 3You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, Illustrated Bible Life explores 4‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm the concept of “the council through all generations.’” of the holy ones,” and 5The heavens praise your wonders, Lord, your faithfulness too, in provides verse-by-verse the assembly of the holy ones. 6 commentary on the Scrip- For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? ture passage. 7In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. 8Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you. 9You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. 10You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies. 11The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. 12You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name. 13Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

4 Unit 1: Profiles of God 7 Last Week: We gained a deeper understating of the ways in which Jesus came to fulfill the law.

This Week: We will gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which God’s faithfulness extends through all generations.

Notes:

Session 1 ______14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. ______15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. ______16They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. ______17For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn. ______18Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel. ______ENGAGE THE WORD od’s faithfulness is a central theme in the Scrip- ______Gture. Psalm 89 addresses God’s people in a time of captivity. It is a plea for God to protect David’s ______kingship in a time of defeat for Judea. ______I WILL SING Psalm 89:1-2 The psalmist writes, “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faith- ______fulness known through all generations” (v. 1). God is faithful because He loves us, and we must give voice ______to God’s love. We know that God loves us because throughout our life He guides, provides, and protects ______us. That is why our Christian life provides a platform to speak hope in a broken world. We can do this be- ______cause God will always be faithful. The psalmist affirms that God’s love stands firm. Too often love is understood as a response to some- ______one. The psalmist is clear that God’s love is forever. That means that God’s love has no beginning and no ______end. The understanding that God has established His faithfulness in heaven reinforces the power of His ______love. The first two verses of this great psalm introduce ______God’s faithful love. The “forever” love testifies to the character of God. In practical terms, this means nothing we will ever do can possibly change the enduring ______faithfulness of God. While this does not diminish our ______December 6, 2020 5 8 December 6, 2020 Watch: Dr. Kara Lyons-Pardue introduces this unit on the Profiles of God.

Listen: What is “the council of the holy ones” mentioned in Psalm 89:7? That’s the focus of this week’s Illustrated Bible Life podcast on Found- ryLeader.com.

Notes:

______responsibility to obey God, it reminds us that our obe- ______Did You Know? dience is not the reason God loves us. God loves first “Rahab” refers and on that foundation we serve Him. ______to an evil force lodged against Psalm 89:3-4 creation. It can One clear evidence of God’s faithfulness is the ______be a metaphor for Egypt, but not covenant made with David. The kingship of David, and thus the line to the Messiah, is crucial to the faith of ______here. The image shows up in some God’s people. The psalmist recalls the covenant made ancient creation with David. In the Scripture, this covenant reveals the ______myths as a threat promise of God for redemption. This promise estab- of defeat. The lished a “line forever.” It means that whatever hap- term calls to mind pened to the King of Judea will not change the prom- ______a dragon. This im- ise made by God. The psalmist writes, “I will establish age suggests the ______impotence of evil your line forever and make your throne firm through in the presence of all generations” (89:4). There is no “if” in this verse. God. Because God has a purpose, His faithfulness endures. ______The covenant reminds God’s people of His unwavering GOD OF COVENANT promise in the face of the unpredictability of life. The ______history of Israel bears out the fact that disobedience leads to suffering, but it never changed God’s faithful ______promise.

______MIGHTY GOD Psalm 89:5-13 The psalmist asks a probing question, “Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?” (89:8a). The images that ______follow establish the breadth and depth of God’s might. The psalmist demonstrates the awesome power of ______God in creation. The “assembly of the holy ones” (89:5) introduces an image of those surrounding the throne ______of God in heaven—the angels. God rules on earth (the surging sea submits to the authority of God, v. 9) and ______in heaven. God crushes all of His enemies including Rahab, an image of death and evil. All that we see on ______earth exists under the creative power of God. In fact, God created the north and the south. Tabor and Hermon refer to the origin of the North- ______ern Kingdom. This image reminds the reader of the massive extent of God’s reach. The power of God ______6 Unit 1: Profiles of God 9 Discover: Does God have an advisory board? What does the Bible mean when it mentions “the council of the holy ones” in Psalm 89:7? This week’s Illustrated Bible Life article, “God’s Advisory Board?” explains.

Notes:

Session 1 ______established the world and nothing compares to Him. Think About It We should remember that the God of creation estab- ______The Hebrew word lished the covenant with David. God’s power and love for faithfulness converge in His faithfulness. The God of creation and ______(vv. 1, 2, 4, 8) is covenant is, and continuously remains, faithful. emuwnah. This word stresses ______God’s reliability. It Psalm 89:14-18 The psalmist points out that God’s “righteousness connotes stabil- ______ity and firmness and justice are the foundation” of His throne and in something or God’s “love and faithfulness” go before Him (89:14). someone who The faithfulness grounds itself in righteousness and ______can be trusted. justice. Verse 14 brings the key ideas together: righ- However, when teousness, justice, love, and faithfulness. It is import- ______referring to God, ant to understand that God’s power arise out of His the word conveys the idea that His nature. Since God’s faithfulness unfolds eternally in ______actions reflect His all of His interactions with creation, it testifies to His character. own character, ______which is stable The psalmist writes, “Blessed are those who have and consistent. learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord” (89:15). Walking in the knowledge ______FAITHFUL GOD of God’s faithfulness give cause for celebration. The psalmist declares that those who “walk in the light” of ______God’s presence see the “glory and strength” of God. Whatever circumstance defines life, according to the ______psalmist “our shield belongs to the Lord” (v. 18). Psalm 89 strongly endorses the kingship of David as ______a symbol of the covenant. What God has done in the past gives us the assurance of what we can expect in the future. We can live in the confidence that God’s ______faithfulness is revealed in His consistency and in the fulfillment of His promises. ______

______REFLECT hat difference would understanding the faithfulness of God mean for comprehending the assurance of our salvation? W ______

HENRY SPAULDING, II is president of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. ______

______December 6, 2020 7 10 December 6, 2020 Discussion Guide

Connect to My God’s character is exponentially and infinitely beyond what we could imagine as human Experience beings. M With your group’s input, make a list of God’s attributes. (love, faithfulness, holiness, forgiveness, peace, healer, comforter, merciful, powerful, gracious) M Should we rank any of these attributes as being more important than anoth- er? Why or why not? M How do we come to know God by experiencing His characteristics? Do circumstances of life call us to lean on one of His attributes more than others at specific times? Why or why not?

Transition: For the next five weeks, we will study together some of these attributes and understand better how we come to know God through them. Today, let’s examine what His Word says about His love and faithfulness to every generation in all circumstances.

Connect to the Word M Can anything earthly last forever? Invite someone to read Psalm 89:1- The psalmist’s inclusion of the word “forever” in these first two verses is important. The Lord’s great love and His faithfulness last forever. The psalmist will sing of His love forever. 2, then discuss the following, God’s forever-love will last through all generations. M Is God’s love eternal, or is it infinite? What is the difference?

infinity symbol (∞) On a whiteboard or flipchart, draw a large figure 8 lying on its side. This is the universal symbol for infinity. Infinity and eternity, while similar, are not the same. Eternity relates to timelessness, while infinity relates to anything that cannot be measured. God’s love is both eternal (never ending) and infinite (cannot be measured). M In what ways is God’s love being both eternal (never ending) and infinite (cannot be measured) good news? God’s love and faithfulness are also intertwined. Write “God’s love” on one side of the infinity symbol and “God’s faithfulness” on the other. Share with the group that because of His love, He is faithful in all His ways. Because He is faithful, He continues to love. And He does both in this interconnected loop without measure or limit.

Invite someone to read Psalm 89:3- The forever-faithfulness of God is emphasized again in verse 4, “I will establish your line 4, then discuss the following, forever.” M How does the covenant God made with David illustrate His faithfulness? How does this promise from God extend beyond Solomon or any king of Judah? (His promise of “a line forever” extended all the way to Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.) M How does God’s promise bear out when we are disobedient and through all circumstances of life, as it did for the Israelites? (His promise is based on His character, not on our human efforts.)

Invite someone to read Psalm 89:5- These verses further extol the singularity of God. “Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?” No 13, then discuss the following, one is His equal. God rules supreme over heaven and earth. Insight 11 “The same God who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of M What do verses 5-7 say about God? (No one is above God in the heavenly the sun, and trims the lamps realm. The heavens acknowledge God’s faithfulness.) of heaven, has promised to M What is the psalmist saying about God by the statement, “You created the supply you with daily strength” north and the south”? (Spurgeon). M What does the psalmist mean that God’s arm is “endowed with power,” His “hand is strong,” and that His “right hand” is exalted? (v. 13) M Why is it important for the psalmist to link God’s love and faithfulness (vv.1-4) to His power and dominion (vv. 5-13)? (He is not only faithful to His promises to us but also holds all authority and power over heaven and earth to fulfill His promises. He can DO what He SAYS He will do.)

Invite someone to read Psalm 89:14- M In what ways is “righteousness and justice the foundation” of God’s throne? In 18, then discuss the following, what ways does “love and faithfulness” go before Him? M Make a list of the verbs (the “doing” words) in verses 15-16: learned, walk, rejoice, and celebrate. M Why is it easier on some days than others to rejoice and celebrate, to learn and to walk in the light? M How can we lean on God’s love and faithfulness in times that are difficult? Verses 17 and 18 conclude today’s scripture session with battle language. “Horn” refers to strength, and to exalt our horn indicates victory and power. “Shield” refers to our protection and defense residing in God alone. God who is powerful over all heaven and earth (vv. 5-13) will be with us in every circumstance. M Consider the ways you need His power in your life this week?

Connect to My Life and The psalmist declared God’s great love forever and vowed to make His faithfulness known the World through all generations. M What intentional steps are you taking to fulfill the call to make His faithfulness known to the next generation? To the next generation and beyond in your family? To the next generation and beyond in your church? Where do you need to improve? An eternal and infinite love calls for a demonstrable response. The psalmist says he will use his mouth to sing and to declare God’s faithfulness to all generations. M How can we do this both inside the church in worship and outside the church in discipleship and service to others? Join in singing a song such as “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever” taken directly from this psalm or the Doxology or any song of praise. Encourage group members to sing with full voices exalting the God who expresses himself through love and faithfulness. Close with a prayer of consecration—giving ourselves anew to a holy God.

Sessions 1-5 are written by Gay Gay is an author and editor. Following 45 years of ministry together, she and her husband, Leonard Larry, now reside in Florida and Tennessee.