Honesty and the Promise of God

Introduction

Honesty is the best policy. This proverb is often credited to Benjamin Franklin but it is found in the writings of Sir Edwin Sandys in 1599. We value honesty. We appreciate it when people are honest resulting in our advantage. Dishonesty breaks trust. Ill. “Honesty—Stan Edmunds.” Look at Deuteronomy 25:13–16. Do not have two differing weights in your bag—one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house—one large, one small. You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. For the Lord your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.

God’s instructions are clear. It is possible for people to have two sets of values both of which are designed to give that person the advantage. The weights would have been used by merchants selling goods like grain. When they bought grain they would use a heavy weight in order to have more for a lesser price. When they sold they would use a lighter weight in order to sell less. God detests dishonesty. Why? Because God is completely honest. He does not lie (Titus 1:2). In telling the truth, even when it is truth we don’t want to hear, God can be trusted. As God is honest so he wants his people to be honest.

But more than simply a principle to follow, in the following verses 17–19, God makes a promise that he wants and expects to be carried out. It is this section that I want us to focus on today. While the text creates us questions for us, it also speaks to the ability of God to fulfill a promise. The text reassures us that God can be trusted.

A Promise

What exactly did the Amalekites do to Israel as they were leaving Egypt. In Exodus 17 soon after leaving Egypt the Amalekites attack Israel. For four hundred years Israel have been tending animals and working as slaves to build great structures for Egypt. They know very little about war. In Exodus 17, because of God’s power, Israel wins a great battle against the Amalekites, but the victory is not final. Sometime later the Amalekites in Numbers 14 when part of the Israelite army tries to go against God’s will, God uses the Amalekites to defeat this faction. From this text, the Amalekites took advantage of Israel and those who were weak as they left Egypt. God makes a promise that the day will come when this nation will be completely wiped out because of their great sin against God and his people.

The Amalekites continue to be a thorn in Israel’s side. They are mentioned several times in Judges as causing trouble and attacking Israel. But eventually the promise of God is to be completed. In 1 Samuel 15:1–3, God gives this command to Saul, the king of Israel. Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

From Deuteronomy 25 to 1 Samuel 15 is approximately 400 years. 400 years for the promise to be completed. Some come to 1 Samuel 15 without knowing the background and ask the question “how could God be so cruel?” How could he give permission for an entire group of people to be wiped out. Innocent children and people who had nothing to do with what happened 400 years before? Good questions. While the easy answer is that God is God and he can do whatever he wants is true, it also leaves us frustrated without clearer insight. Let me suggest to you that the real question is the same question from the beginning of time—Can I trust God even when I don’t understand what is going on? Adam and Eve answered “no” and sin entered the world. Cain answered “no” and killed his brother.

What does Saul do? Refuses to kill everything. He leaves the best animals alive. He brings the king, Agag, back as a spoil of war. Agag is a title of royalty rather than the person’s name. Similar to the term “Pharaoh” as it is used to describe the leader of Egypt. We can surmise from what Saul didn’t do that he left others alive as well. In fact, Israel’s next king, David, attacks the Amalekites. They are weakened but not destroyed. So perhaps out of compassion or evil, Saul didn’t do what God told him to do and the Amalekites continue to be a problem for Israel.

Turn to Esther 3. The story of Esther is very interesting and one that we do not have time to unpack but God uses Esther to survive an attempt for the Persians to wipe out the Jews. From the time of Saul to Esther is over 500 years. Look at verse 1. After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. Who is Haman? He is from the lineage of Agag. He is an Amalekite. What does Haman want to do? With the king’s agreement he wants to have all the Jews in the Persian kingdom killed and he would have succeeded if Esther with God’s strength hadn’t intervened. The point? Saul’s failure 500 years before almost resulted in Israel’s genocide.

Do you think that God in Deuteronomy 25 could foresee Haman? Do you think the promise made in Deuteronomy 25 means little? Is God being cruel or is he trying to prevent greater cruelty later? Maybe the intensity of God’s instructions and the emphasis help us even more—Don’t forget.

Application

The application from this text is found in that phrase. Don’t forget. God is faithful and when he makes a promise he will fulfill it. Don’t forget.

When God says he will not leave you, don’t forget.

When God says he will give you a way out of every temptation, don’t forget.

When God says that he will work in your life for your good, don’t forget.

When God says you can trust me to do what is best for you, don’t forget.

When God says that he will mold us into the image of Jesus, don’t forget.

When God says that there will be a judgment day and that those who belong to him have nothing to fear, don’t forget.

Let me show you one more thing from this story that is more than coincidental. It is fascinating. It is one of those things that when you see it, you will be amazed at God’s ability to do what he does. Turn to 1 Samuel 9:1–2, There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else. Israel’s first king came from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul’s father was named Kish.

Now turn to Esther 2:5—Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish. Mordecai is Esther’s uncle. He is the one who encourages Esther to do what she must do to save her people. He is the one who refused to bow down to Haman in the first place and Haman became so angry that he was going to destroy all Jews because of the one who didn’t honor him. The point—the first son of Kish failed to carry out God’s plan. The second son of a different Kish carries out the will of God. Both from the tribe of Benjamin; both royalty; but Saul did not followed the will of God and died. Mordecai followed the will of God and was saved.

This is not coincidence. God finishes the task as he always intended it to be. Don’t forget. God carries out his promises. You can trust him. We may not see all the details; it may take generations to see how God worked, but God never stops working and so he calls on us to trust him. He calls on us to follow faithfully. Invitation.

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