Many other Old Testament prophecies point to the blessed, future fulfillment of that promise (e.g., Isaiah 11 Micah 4 Zechariah 8). King David, one of Abraham’s many descendants, is given the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12–16), promising a “son of David” who would one day rule over the Jewish nation-and all nations-from Jerusalem. The great nation is eventually established in the land where Abraham had dwelled. God reiterates the Abrahamic Covenant to Isaac and to his son Jacob, whose name God changes to Israel. Abraham was justified by his faith (Genesis 15:6), and he and his wife welcomed Isaac, the son of promise, into their home when they were 100 and 90 years old, respectively (Genesis 21:5). But Abraham “did not waver through unbelief” (Romans 4:20), and his wife Sarah “considered him faithful who had made the promise” (Hebrews 11:11). It is significant that the promise was given to an aged, childless couple. Nations and kings would proceed from him (Genesis 17:6). God promised that the number of Abraham’s children would rival that of “the dust of the earth” (Genesis 15:16). The Abrahamic Covenant also promised many descendants (Genesis 12:2). The fulfillment will be more than a matter of geography it will also be a time of holiness and restoration (see Ezekiel 20:40–44 and 36:1-37:28). There remains, therefore, a final fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant that will see Israel occupying their God-given homeland to the fullest extent. At no point in history, though, has Israel controlled all of the land God had specified. The territory given as part of the Abrahamic Covenant is expanded in Deuteronomy 30:1–10, often called the Palestinian Covenant.Ĭenturies after Abraham died, the children of Israel took possession of the land under Joshua’s leadership (Joshua 21:43). In Genesis 13:15, God gives Abraham all the land that he can see, and the gift is declared to be “forever.” God was not going to renege on His promise. It was a specific land, an actual property, with dimensions specified in Genesis 15:18–21. The Abrahamic Covenant included the promise of land (Genesis 12:1). God’s promises to Abraham’s descendants will be fulfilled literally. There is no need to spiritualize the promise to Abraham. As we’ve seen, the Abrahamic Covenant is unconditional. Will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2–3).īased on this promise, God later changed Abram’s name from Abram (“high father”) to Abraham (“father of a multitude”) in Genesis 17:5. God determined to call out a special people for Himself, and through that special people He would bless the whole world. Any descendant of Abraham who refused circumcision was declaring himself to be outside of God’s covenant this explains why God was angry with Moses when Moses failed to circumcise his son (Exodus 4:24–26). All males in Abraham’s line were to be circumcised and thus carry with them a lifelong mark in their flesh that they were part of God’s physical blessing in the world. Later, God gave Abraham the rite of circumcision as the specific sign of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 17:9–14). God’s solitary action indicates that the covenant is principally His promise. In Genesis 15, God alone moves between the halves of the animals. When a covenant was dependent upon both parties keeping commitments, then both parties would pass between the pieces of animals. The ceremony recorded in Genesis 15 indicates the unconditional nature of the covenant. The actual covenant is found in Genesis 12:1–3. The Abrahamic Covenant is an unconditional covenant.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |