God's Promises

Preparing For Man's Redemption

God’s Promises to Abraham

Years following the temptation of Adam and Eve and their yielding to their desires rather than obeying God, two hundred ninety years following the flood and hundreds of years before God gave Moses the Commandments on Stone, Terah became the father of Abram. After becoming an adult, God made a promise to Abram. "The LORD had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show

• I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; all peoples on earth will be blessed through you'." (Genesis 12:1-3) God changed Abram's name to Abraham when He established His covenant with him. So, Abraham left his home and went to Canaan.

In Hebrews 11 we read, "By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Vs. 8-10) It should be clear that God's promise to Abraham was to all mankind rather than to one nation.

Abraham and Sarah, his wife, were childless even though God had promised they would have many descendants. They became impatient for God to fulfill his promise of a son. Using human reason, they took matters into their own hands. Their impatient action caused great conflicts later between Ishmael's descendants, Abraham’s firstborn by Sarah's handmaid, and those of Isaac, Abraham’s and Sarah’s son of promise. God waited until it was physically impossible for Abraham and Sarah to have a child so when they did have one there would be no doubt that it was a direct result of God's promise and their faith. (Hebrews 11:11- 12)

Abraham became the father of many nations and was known as the father of the faithful, but he was not without sin. He lied on more than one occasion. When confronted by God he repented and put his faith and trust in Him. Through descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, a savior would come into the world to redeem the obedient faithful.

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.'" (Genesis 17:1-2) The covenant was sealed by Abraham's obedience to God's command to circumcise all males. This was before they had any children and hundreds of years before the Law was given to Moses. About a year later Isaac was born and Abraham circumcised him on the eighth day according to the covenant.

Later, when Isaac was older, God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering sacrifice. This was a test of Abraham's faith. Abraham reasoned that since God gave him Isaac when it was physically impossible for him and Sarah to have a son then He could bring Isaac back from the dead in order to fulfill his promise. What is so significant about this relationship between God and Abraham? First and foremost, God requires obedient faithfulness. Through Abraham's faith, God’s promise to provide a way for man to be reconciled to Him was initiated. It would not be realized until years later when Jesus of Nazareth, through complete obedient faithfulness, would offer himself as the atoning sacrifice for man's sins. It was through Isaac, the son of promise, not Ishmael his firstborn, that the covenant would be continued as Jesus was a descendant of Isaac through David.

It was God’s promise that through Abraham all peoples of the earth would be blessed. Therefore, there is no way mankind can earn his reconciliation. It is a promise and matter of attitude, faith and obedience to Jesus, the Christ, His Word, the Message of Reconciliation.

It should not be so amazing that God blesses the faithful obedient and disinherits the rebellious disobedient.