Reading… and Thinking

Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”… Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.”

— Genesis 12:1-3, 7

The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”

— Genesis 13:14-17

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”… And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. And he said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”… On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.”

— Genesis 15:1, 5-7, 18

And God said to him, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

— Genesis 17:3-8

And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

— Genesis 22:15-18 (all quotes ESV)

The readings during the past week have included all of the promises made by God to Abraham. This man was so faithful that God calls him His friend. (2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23.) He is also called God’s servant (Genesis 26:24, Exodus 32:13, Deuteronomy 9:27, Psalm 105:6 & 42). In fact, it is because of the faithfulness of Abraham that God chose Israel to be His people, and did not abandon them even though as a nation they proved unfaithful. Several of these “servant” and “friend” passages make this point.

Abraham was so faithful that God made an eternal covenant with him, and He bound Himself with an oath to bless Abraham. Wow! (See Hebrews 6:13-20 for a New Testament comment on this.) And – get this! – the very same promises are extended to us!! Check out Romans chapter 4, and Galatians chapter 3. The promises to Abraham are a key New Testament teaching. Through faith and baptism into Christ, we become heirs of these promises.

So what, exactly, was promised to Abraham, and hence to us? From the passages quoted above:

• Abraham would become a great nation. And he would be a source of blessing for all families on earth.
• Abraham’s offspring (or seed, as rendered in some versions) would inherit the land where Abraham lived as an exile.
• Abraham personally would also be given the land. The extent of the land promised encompasses all of modern Israel, plus parts of the surrounding countries.
• Abraham’s offspring would be so numerous as to be uncountable.
• Abraham’s reward would be very great.
• Besides the one nation Abraham would father, he would also be father of many nations.
• Irrevocably, God promised to be the God of Abraham, and of his offspring. They would be His people forever.
• Besides the innumerable offspring, there would be a singular offspring, and he would have rulership (which is the force of “possessing the gate of his enemies”).

Of course, part of this is fulfilled in the natural offspring of Abraham, the Jewish people. The New Testament makes it crystal clear that the eternal aspect, and the singular offspring aspect, and the extension to all families aspect, are all brought to fulfillment in Christ. And we can be part of the multitude who are heirs of the promise.

But what of Abraham personally? He was promised the land, and that his reward would be great. Stephen points out that Abraham died without getting the land, not even so much as to put his foot on. (Acts 7: 2-5) The writer to the Hebrews says he died without having received what was promised (Heb 11:13, 39-40) How can this be reconciled? Does God keep His promises? Of course He does! Jesus says that Abraham must be resurrected (Matthew 22:31-32), and Hebrews 11 tells us Abraham believed in resurrection (verses 17-19).

So, what is promised to us? Well, the land, for one thing. And also, eternal life. God can’t be our God, and we His people, forever, unless we are around forever! How will that happen? The same for us as for Abraham – by being raised from the dead!