September 25 Daily Devotional

God’s Promise Is Sure

Frans Bakker

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. —Numbers 27:6, 7

Bible Reading

Numbers 27:1–7

Devotional

The daughters of Zelophehad were blessed with an inheritance. They received a possession of land in the midst of the Lord’s favored people. They were privileged to partake of God’s favor. They, who had all things against them, received all things. God was with them and that is everything. Indeed, the Lord worked marvelously. First they were excluded before they could be included. God includes those who stand excluded, and God excludes those who presume to include themselves.

Can you also speak of answers to prayer? Has a closed heaven ever been opened to you? Surely the Lord speaks to everyone who lives before Him. He speaks through His Word and His Spirit, and that voice is heard, felt, known, and believed. And where that takes place, there is assurance of salvation. There no one has ever doubted, for the words of God are so sure in the Lord Himself. Should the Lord be compelled to withdraw His spoken word, then He would have to lose something of Himself. Even though His people might forget His words, even though they might experience darkness, and even though they might be tempted to believe that they never received the truth, yet God’s promises remain true.

God’s Word remains firm. God is not like a man who sometimes forgets his own words or takes them back. Man withdraws his words when they are not advantageous for him. But the Lord remains faithful in all His promises, even though He knows how unfaithful we are. All the promises of God are “yea and amen” in Christ. Note well, in Christ, for outside of Christ the daughters of Zelophehad could never have had an answer from God. Outside of Christ every sinner stands condemned before God. So we find Christ in this answer to these daughters. If this were not true, how could God stand on the side of a person who has no rights whatsoever? The inheritance was not obtained because they were sons or daughters. According to God’s justice, it was neither for the sons, nor for the daughters. The heavenly inheritance is received only through the Son of God, and in Him it is only by the mercy of God.

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.