Becoming Yes and Amen

Paul wrote to the churches in Corinth (2 Corinthians 1:15-22): In this confidence, I planned to come to you first, so you could have a double benefit, and to go on to Macedonia with your help, then come to you again from Macedonia and be given a start by you on my journey to Judea. So when I planned this, was I irresponsible? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” simultaneously? As God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes and no.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—did not become “Yes and no”; on the contrary, “Yes” has come about in Him. For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in Him. Therefore the “Amen” is also through Him for God’s glory through us. Now the One who confirms us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God; He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts.
(Holman Christian Standard Bible® ©)

Peter wrote in his first letter in the Bible (1 Peter 2:9,10):                    But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for His possession,
so that you may proclaim the praises
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
(Holman Christian Standard Bible® ©)

Paul was declaring that what he and his companions had said about Jesus was made real to the Corinthians. In fact, Jesus was the “Yes” and the “Amen” to the promises that His Father had made to humanity. He had fulfilled the destiny His Father had chosen for Him, by being every blessing to us.

Peter was drawing on the imagery of Hosea’s two sons, whom he had been led to name “Notmypeople” and “Withoutmercy”. These were prophetic names, which Yahweh changed to “My People” an “Mercy” when He dramatically forgave Israel for being a prostitute before other gods as Hosea’s wife Gomer had been with other men (Hosea 1:8-2:1). His other fulfillment picture was from Exodus 19, with Yahweh informing Moses about His desires for the people He had redeemed from lives of slavery in Egypt: He wanted them to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, and His private, valuable, portable treasure: a peculiarity among the nations of the earth.

You and I are fulfillments to the people we serve of Yahweh’s desires to bless them when we are obedient to His call. We join Jesus in becoming “Amen” to their blessing as we step into our destinies.