“And the LORD gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of all the good word which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass” (Josh 21:44-45; SP).
As we draw near to the end of the book of Joshua, we encounter the first of three references to God’s “good word” (Josh 21:45; 23:14, 15). The splitting of the waters of the Jordan, the toppling of Jericho’s walls, the conquering of enemies far greater in number, and Israel’s rest in the Promised Land were not achieved because of military superiority, nor as a reward for good behavior. As it turns out, the story of Israel in the book Joshua, as well as the story of Jesus in the Gospels, the story of the Church in Acts and the Epistles would never have taken place were it not for God’s “good word.”
No dictator on the planet, no demon in hell, no curses or conspiracies, or any force in the universe can ever stop God from fulfilling the good word which proceeds from his mouth. God has not, cannot, and never will fail to keep a single promise. And this is the reason why I cling fast two mutually related doctrines. The doctrine of eternal security says that God cannot revoke the gift of salvation (Rom 8:38-39). And the doctrine of Israel’s future redemption says that God cannot revoke his gifts (e.g., the covenants, the promises) and his calling on the people of Israel (Rom 11:29). Why? Because both doctrines are anchored immovably in God’s good word.
“‘So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it'” (Isa 55:11). ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah'” (Jer 33:14).
