God’s Promise to Abraham

School is over. However, I’m still feeling its affects. With all the things I’ve learned and written still on my mind, I decided to share a little bit of the information I’ve recently explored. Here’s a little excerpt from a paper I recently wrote on the Abrahamic covenant.

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The Abrahamic covenant applied to directly to Abraham through his justification and to Israel through the promise of the land, but it also applies to the Church. In chapter 12 of Genesis the Lord says to Abraham “and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). This reference ultimately refers to Christ and to the blessing that He will bring through His atoning death on the cross which brings hope and salvation to all who believe in Him. This is the blessing in which the Church partakes. The Church is saved by the very same manner in which Abraham was saved. Through belief in God and His Son Jesus Christ an individual is saved. There is hope in the Church age because as 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 states, there is hope for transformation into the likeness of Christ which through the Spirit who was given after the resurrection and ascension of the Messiah (Acts 1:1-3; 2:2). The reality of the application this covenant brings to church doctrine makes it viable for use in every day life. There are many other ways in which the Abrahamic covenant can be applied to things of life that happen every day. 

There is hope in sad times and on dark days through what can be learned and applied from the Abrahamic covenant. The way that God interacts with His people and the goodness, mercy, kindness, and faithfulness He displays specifically toward Abraham in this covenant is an encouragement to the downtrodden soul. When hope seems lost for the Christian because of the circumstances life brings, Ephesians 1:11-12 along with Genesis 12, 13, 15, and 17 are of great encouragement. Because God has sovereignly ordained that difficulties come, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 bring hope and comfort through trial. Yet while the hard pressed believer is waiting for the day when these promises will be fulfilled and comfort will finally come to fruition, the glorious fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham brings joy and peace. The faithfulness of God in His relationship with Abraham brings the hope the reader of the Old and New Testament needs to persevere through trials. The Abrahamic covenant both ultimately and primarily puts the glory of God on display, and this glory is what brings the spark that ignites the flame of hope, joy, and peace in the heart of the faithful believer. However, at this spark the application is not complete. The story of God’s relationship with Abraham brings joy elsewhere in the life of the Christian. 

Along with the hope of God’s faithfulness seen through His relationship with Abraham is the hope for the same kind of justification and peace with God. Romans 10:10-13 says 

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

There is no distinction between Jew and Greek because salvation comes to the Greek the same way it came to Abraham in Genesis 12. There is hope for a righteous standing before God because of the glory of the justification that was brought to Abraham, and that comes to Jews and Gentiles through belief in the great God and Saviour of the universe.