Answer: Perhaps God’s greatest covenant was the commitment to Abraham to (1) give Abraham’s descendants the land of Palestine (Gen. 13:14-16), (2) to develop Abraham’s offspring as the stars of heaven and the sand of the seashore and (3) through the seed, to bless all the families of the earth. (Gen. 22:16-18)
This covenant began as a promise God made to Abram while Abram lived in Ur. “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, (3) and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.'” (Acts 7:2,3 NASB)
Abram, his wife Sarai, his father Terah and his nephew Lot left Ur with their household and traveled to Haram where Terah died. Then God called Abram a second time. “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; (2) And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; (3) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.'” (Gen 12:1-3 NASB)
Abram and his family followed God’s leadings to the land of Canaan where God converted the promise into a unilateral covenant. “The LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.'” (Gen. 12:7 NASB)
After going to Egypt due to a famine and then returning to Canaan and separating from Lot, God confirmed the covenant. (Gen. 13:14-17) God promised Abram’s earthly offspring would be as numerous as the “dust of the earth.”
In Gen. 15:1-5 God confirms the covenant a second time stating that Abram’s spiritual offspring would be as numerous as the stars of heaven. In Gen. 17: 1-21 God confirmed the covenant a third time changing Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah. God instituted the rite of circumcision and promised Abraham and Sarah a son named Isaac. Isaac would be a miracle son since Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 89 years old.
After Isaac was born and grew into a young man God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering on the mountains of Moriah. (Gen. 22:1-2) Abraham did as God commanded and when he was about to slay Isaac, an angel stopped Abraham and the covenant was confirmed a fourth time by God’s oath. “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, (17) indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. (18) In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Gen 22:16-18 NASB)
This covenant describes God’s plan of salvation for all mankind. It promises man both a spiritual salvation (“stars of the heavens”) to the followers of Jesus and an earthly salvation (“sand which is on the seashore”) to the Israel and the rest of mankind. (Gal. 3:16,29; Gen. 28:13,14)
For more information, please see the related booklets and videos listed below:
Booklet God’s Plan |
Video Three Great Covenants |
Video Abrahamic Promise, Covenant, and Oath |
Booklet God Has a Plan |
Video The Law Covenant |
Video The Sarah Feature of the Abrahamic Covenant |
Booklet Gods Plan For Man |
Video The New Covenant |
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