Thank You Father that You are the faithful, good and righteous God. You are the Lord who always keeps Your promises. You are the God who is gracious and merciful in salvation, even as You are just and wrathful in Your judgments.
We thank You for Your faithfulness throughout the centuries, throughout the millennia; You have always kept Your promises, Your plans for our salvation have been unwavering.
We thank You that even in the garden, in the moment that humankind was being cursed in judgment for their vile rebellion, You were showing grace and mercy – promising a Satan-crusher, who would one day make all things right, who would one day crush the evil one and his evil works, who would one day restore creation and humanity’s relationship with You.
We thank You that even as the people of the earth had become so wicked that You were grieved You made human beings and determined to destroy them by flood – un-creating and recreating out of water – in Your grace You acted to save Noah and His family, through whom You would continue to work out Your promise to bring blessing to the world.
We thank You that even as humanity rose again in rebellion against You at Babel – using the technology that You had enabled them to discover, they sought to make a name for themselves in neglect and defiance of You. Yet You in Your grace chose a man, Abraham, and made him great and precious promises to bring blessing to all nations through him and his seed.
We thank You that throughout the centuries You kept those promises, miraculously bringing from Abraham’s body a great nation, giving that nation the promised land of Canaan and bringing to them and through them great blessing.
We thank You that though the people of Israel were enslaved and mistreated in Egypt, in faithfulness to Your promise to Abraham, and in Your great grace, You sent them a deliverer – Moses. You rescued them out of Egypt, from under the yoke of slavery. By the blood of the lamb slain You made it possible for the angel of death to ‘Pass over’ them while judgment fell upon the enemies of the Lord. We thank You for this great act of salvation that pointed forward to an even greater salvation that would come – rescue from sin and death and Satan by the blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world so that Your judgment passes over us who trust Him, and falls only upon Your enemies.
We thank You for giving the Israelites the tabernacle, which became the temple – a place where You could dwell in their midst and they could come into Your presence – though only by sacrifice and priestly mediation for You are a Holy God. And we thank You that this pointed forward to a greater temple, to God truly coming to dwell amongst humans in the flesh – and making it possible for people to come into Your presence, the presence of the Holy God by faith, through Your priestly mediation and sacrifice.
We thank You Father for giving Israel Your Law at Mount Sinai, which among other things, displayed to them and to us that no one can be obedient to God,
no one can keep the Law to be right with God, that sin is so pervasive and powerful that we need God to save us. Your Law prepared people for Your Saviour who would come in fulfilment of Your promises to Abraham.
We thank You that though Israel rebelled against You again and again, You were faithful to Your promises. You brought judgment upon them as You promised, but even in doing so, You continued to show mercy, preserving a remnant through whom You would one day bring blessing to all nations.
We thank You for raising up a man after Your own heart, a king to whom You would make the incredible promise that his dynasty would endure forever, the promise that his kingdom would be eternal – a promise that looked forward to a great King who would one day come to fulfil that promise.
We thank You for Solomon, the King gifted by You with incredible wisdom, who causes us to look forward to the coming of one greater than Solomon, the one who will not only be just but perfectly wise, who in Himself is wisdom from God for us.
We thank You that while the kings of Israel and Judah, and the nations themselves, continued to rebel against You and turn to foreign gods, You were faithful to Your promise to bring judgment upon them, and yet You were faithful to Your promise to Abraham; in Your grace You always kept a remnant.
We thank You for growing a prophetic hope for the prophets, who, whilst proclaiming judgment on the rebellious nations of Israel and Judah, also proclaimed Your salvation – the coming of a whole new era when things would be made right and all Your promises would come to fulfilment.
We thank You for Your promise of a New King, one from David’s line, who would be empowered by the Spirit, who would rule in absolute righteousness and holiness, who would be ruler forever, who would be the eternal God, the everlasting Prince of Peace.
We thank You for Your promise of a New Covenant, a covenant that deals with the terrible disease of sin once and for all, a covenant that promises internal transformation – a new heart that is not a heart of stone but a heart of flesh, and a new desire to be obedient to You, a desire deep within by Your Spirit.
We thank You for your promise of a New Temple in a New Jerusalem, to which the nations will flock – returning to God.
We thank You for Your promise of a Spirit-age, where, with the coming of the Spirit-King, you will breathe life into the dead by Your Spirit and pour out Your
Spirit on all types of people, an age in which people are cleansed and changed deep within.
We thank You for Your promise of a whole New Creation, for a time when all things will be transformed, when there will be universal harmony, when the whole created order will be put right and the effects of sin will be no more.
We thank You Father that You are You – the God who makes promises out of a character of love and grace, and keeps those promises on pain of death.
Thank You Father. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
