1 Kings 8:1-26: The Unique, Promise-Keeping, Steadfast-loving, God

"Now the LORD has fulfilled his promise that he made. . .O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart."

1 Kings 8:20a, 23

God is not like us. Where we are like everyone else, God is set apart. Where we fail at our promises, God keeps them. Where we fail to love one another, God does not. He is a unique, promise-keeping, steadfast-loving God.

Today we reach a point in our study of 1 Kings where God fulfills the Davidic Covenant. In 2 Samuel 7, God promised David that he would give him a son who would build God's temple so that God would have a permanent dwelling place with his people Israel. In 1 Kings 8, this great promise comes to fruition, and through it we see that God is a unique, promise-keeping, steadfast-loving God.

Firstly, we find that God is a unique God. After God fills the temple with his glory and thereby fulfills his covenental promise, Solomon utters these words: "O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earch beneath." In response to God's amazing works amoung his people, Solomon has no option but to praise the Lord for his uniqueness. However, why is the Lord unique?

Secondly, we find the the Lord is a unique God because he keeps his promises. Unlike the sinful men of this world, God will always keep his promises. Where others fail us, God does not. He will always keep his promise, even as he did to David and Solomon. Notice quickly that this promise was fulfilled cross-generationally. In other words, God's faithfulness was present across two whole generations, that is, between David and his son Solomon. Although things and people had changed, God had not. He kept his promises forever and ever.

Thirdly, we find that the Lord is a unique God because of his steadfast love. God does not love with conditional love like man does. Rather, he loves eternally and forevermore. In fact, the Hebrew word translated here "steadfast love" carries with it much more than that very idea. The word is hesed, and it refers certainly to God's steadfast love, but also his mercy, grace, kindness, and goodness towards his people. Therefore, God is a loving God. Where others fail to love us, God does not.

Thus, our greatest application today is to realize that God is not like anything in this world. He is immanent, yet he is transcendent. Whereas the people in this life fail to keep their promises and fail to continue loving us, God does not. He is the only one who will ever satisfy, because he is the only one who fulfills the longings of our heart. So often, we judge God through the lens of the people around us. We see our family and friends fail us, so we think that God will too. However, the Bible has a different picture. When all else fails, God delivers. He is not like anyone else--he is a promise-keeping, steadfast-loving God.

So, perhaps you feel empty. Perhaps you feel helpless. Perhaps you feel broken. My encouragement to you today: hope in the God who keeps his promises and loves you eternally. God has given us hundreds of promises in scripture (just read Psalms), and I promise you that he will fulfill every single one of them. He is a unique, promise-keeping, stead-fast loving, never-ending, all-satisfying, ever-gracious, great-eternal king, and he will satisfy all of what you need. He will not forsake. He will not abandon. He will abide with you (John 15), forever and ever, amen.

"I have been young, and now am old,

yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

or his children begging for bread.

He is ever lending generously,

and his children become a blessing."

Psalm 37:25-26