151. A People Established
Deuteronomy 29:13 That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy father, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
The common, oft-repeated, promise of the OT is: “You shall be my people and I will be your God.” This concept is fraught with weight and glory, involving two wonderful truths meaning one thing: God loves us.
We are His People. We belong to Him. I am my Beloved’s. He owns me and controls my life for every good thing. God is responsible for us and for our wellbeing. He will for sure take good care of us, like a Shepherd tends the sheep. There is nothing safer, more secure, or more comfortable than resting in the loving arms of God the Father. The picture of Jesus holding the little lamb close to His heart should move us to tears of joy and shouts of gladness. “I am His; and He is mine.” Israel and the NT Church are one and the same people enjoying the same promises and blessings through faith in Jesus the Messiah, our Savior, Shepherd, and Lord. The flock is content when the shepherd is nearby. Should he disappear from view fear and panic and imminent danger sets in immediately. So it is with us as His people, but the Lord promises to be with us always. We are constantly under His watchful eye. No Fear!
He is our God. He will always be our God. There is no other. Many other false idols, worldly institutions, temporal goods, money, pleasures, worldly fame, false philosophies, ideologies, religions, and ideas compete for our attention and trust. One is our God. We know enough about Him to feel eternally secure and comfortable, for the Lord has revealed to us everything we need to know about who God is, what He does, and how He loves.God has promised to establish us as His people on the solid rock foundation of the Word and the Promises, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. This building (the Church, the People) will stand tall and strong against all the attacks of evil, no matter how overwhelming they may feel. The Lord God has established us.