Lesson 6

THE PROMISES TO ABRAHAM

King James Version (KJV)

Among those who lived in the early days of Bible history (in the Patriarchal dispensation {see table}), Abraham is perhaps the most revered. He was a man of great faith who became the father of the Jews. God made several significant promises to Abraham. These promises are so important in God's plan of redemption that the rest of the Bible can be thought of as the unfolding of their fulfillment.

1. The Promises Given

At the time God first gave the promises, Abraham (Abram) was living among the Chaldeans in Mesopotamia (Acts 7:2-4), the broad valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (see map below). From there he traveled toward the land of Canaan but stopped first in the city of Haran until his father died. God repeated the promises to Abraham in Haran. Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 12:1-3)

Following the death of his father, Abraham and those with him entered the land of Canaan. Here God added another promise to those He had already given: And And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: " (Gen. 12:7).

2. The Promises Analyzed

Three distinct promises appear in these two texts. The first is a nation promise, stated in Gen. 12:2 by the words And I will make of thee a great nation. The second is a land promise, stated in Gen. 12:7 by the words Unto thy seed will I give this land: The third is the seed promise, stated in Gen. 12:3 by the words: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Later you will see the connection between this promise and the seed through whom it would be fulfilled).

a. The Nation Promise

On three more occasions God promised Abraham that He would make a great nation of his descendants. In Gen. 15:5, God said: " Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. " In Gen. 17:4, God said: " As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. " Finally, in Gen. 22:17, God told him: " I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies."

Years later God renewed the promise to Isaac, Abraham's son: And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven (Gen. 26:4). God also renewed the promise to Jacob, Abraham's grandson: " And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: " (Gen. 28:14).

b. The Land Promise

The most complete statement of the land promise is given in Gen. 15:12-18. God appeared to Abraham while he was in a deep sleep and described the extent of the territory that his descendants would possess. God also listed five key events that would occur before the land promise was fulfilled

1. Abraham would live a long life but would not live to see the promise fulfilled, Gen.: 15:15.
2. Abraham's descendants would be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years in a land that was not their own, Gen. 15:13.
3. After this time, God would judge the nation holding Abraham's descendants captive and would permit his descendants to come out of bondage with many possessions, Gen. 15:14.
4. In the fourth generation Abraham's descendants would return to the land of Canaan, Gen. 15:16.
5. Abraham's descendants would not possess the land until the Amorites, who lived in and near the land of Canaan, had become much more wicked, Gen. 15:16.

In Gen. 15:18, God gave the limits of the promised land: On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, " Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: " These rivers marked the southwestern and northeastern extremes of the land.

c. The Seed Promise

When God first stated the seed promise to Abraham, Abraham was 75 years old and did not have a son through whom the promise could be fulfilled. Twenty-five years later his wife, Sarah, at the age of 90, gave birth to Isaac. While Isaac was still young and Abraham was over 100 years old, God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac on an altar. Remarkable as it may seem, Abraham was willing to obey. He believed God would bring Isaac back from the dead if necessary (Heb. 11:17-19). After this astounding demonstration of Abraham's faith, God repeated the promises to him including the seed promise (Gen. 22:18): "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." God also repeated the promise to Isaac (Gen. 26:4) and to Jacob (Gen. 28:14).

3. The Promises Fulfilled

The nation promise was fulfilled at the beginning of the Mosaic dispensation (see table), the second great era of human religious history. The land promise was fulfilled less than a hundred years later, while still in the Mosaic dispensation. The seed promise was fulfilled over a period of years that began at the close of the Mosaic dispensation and continues to be fulfilled in the Christian dispensation (see table), the third and last great era of religious history.

a. The Nation Promise

God fulfilled the nation promise about 650 years after announcing it to Abraham. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage, they had an army of over 600,000 men. The total population was perhaps 2 to 3 million. At Mt. Sinai three months later, God made a national covenant with them: Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation...All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. " (Exo. 19:5-6a, 8). At Mt. Sinai, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob officially became a nation.

b. The Land Promise

After spending forty years in the desert wastes between Egypt and Canaan, the Israelites marched toward the promised land. Their first major military encounters were with two armies of Amorites in the highlands east of the Jordan River. They routed their opponents and took possession of the lands held by the defeated kings (Num. 21:21-35).

Moses was the leader of the Israelites in these early battles, but he died several months afterwards, and Joshua took his place. Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River and into the land of Canaan. Josh. 5-12 describes the conquest of the land. When the land had been secured, Joshua divided it among the twelve tribes of Israel. At this point it could be written: And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein (Josh. 21:43).

c. The Seed Promise

The seed promise did not begin to be fulfilled until almost 2000 years after the time of Abraham. The fulfillment began when a virgin named Mary gave birth to a baby boy, named Jesus (Matt. 1:18-25), just as the prophet Isaiah had predicted (Isa. 7:14). He was born in the town of Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1) as the prophet Micah had foretold (Mic. 5:2).

Jesus was the Christ (the Anointed One) and the Son of God: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal. 4:4-5). Jesus was the seed God promised to Abraham in Gen. 22:18: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ (Gal. 3:16).

The mere birth of the seed did not completely fulfill the seed promise. The promise stated that through the seed all the families of the earth would be blessed. It was only after He was crucified, died for the sins of the world, and was raised from the dead that all nations could be blessed through Him. The era of international blessings through Christ, the Christian dispensation, was ushered in when the apostles of Christ began to preach the gospel of salvation from sin a few days after Jesus left the earth and returned to heaven (Acts 1-2).

LESSON QUESTIONS

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PART 1--Fill in the blanks

Look up the following verses in the Bible, click on the blank and type your answer

1. Gen. 13:14-15 "And the LORD said unto , after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy for ever."

2. Gen. 15:5 "And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward , and tell the , if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy be."

3. Gen. 17:1-2 "And when Abram was years old and , the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou . And I will make my between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly."

4. Gen 22:16-18 "And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy , thine only : That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy shall all the nations of the earth be ; because thou hast my voice."

5. Rom. 4:13 "For the that he should be the of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of ."

6. Eph. 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath us with all spiritual in the heavenly places in ."

PART 2--True or False:

Select "True" if the statement is correct or "False" if incorrect.

True False 7. Abraham was living in the land of Canaan when God first made the promises to him.

True False 8. The nation promise was fulfilled when the Israelites were at Mt. Sinai.

True False 9. God told Abraham his descendants would not possess the land of Canaan until the Amorites who lived in Canaan had become wicked enough.

True False 10. Of the religious dispensations of history, the earliest was the Christian dispensation.

True False 11. The seed of Abraham that blessed all nations was Jesus.

True False 12. The promises God made to Abraham have no significance for us today.

True False 13. The Euphrates River was one of the boundaries of the land God promised to Abraham.

True False 14. When the Israelites became a nation, they had enough men to form an army.

True False 15. The apostles of Christ ushered in the age of blessings for everyone when they began preaching the gospel of Christ.

PART 3--Multiple choice

Select the phrase or phrases that correctly complete each statement.
PLEASE NOTE: SOME statements have MORE THAN ONE correct completion.

16. In the Mosaic dispensation:

    a. God expected Gentiles to worship Him according to the law of Moses.

    b. The land promise to Abraham was fulfilled.

    c. God was worshipped strictly on a family basis.

    d. God gave the promises to Abraham

17. When God first gave the promises to Abraham:

    a. Abraham had a son named Isaac.

    b. Abraham was living in Egypt.

    c. Abraham's father had already died.

    d. Abraham was living among the Chaldeans in Mesopotamia.

18. The seed promise:

    a. Was fulfilled when Isaac was born to Sarah.

    b. Gave Abraham the expectation of having abundant harvests each year.

    c. Was not fulfilled until long after Abraham had died.

    d. Was given only to Abraham.

19. Before the land promise was fulfilled:

    a. The descendants of Abraham would be made slaves in a foreign land.

    b. The Amorites had to give Abraham a deed to the land of Canaan.

    c. The Chaldeans had to become very wicked.

    d. A child had to be born to a virgin.

20. The one who would fulfill the seed promise:

    a. Was born under patriarchal law.

    b. Was born in Bethlehem.

    c. Was crucified for the sins of the world.

    d. Was Abraham's daughter.

21. The promises to Abraham:

    a. Were made to him by Isaac and Jacob.

    b. Help us understand the purpose of the Bible.

    c. Were fulfilled by the Israelites in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan.

    d. Do not pertain to Gentiles.

22. The nation promise:

    a. Was fulfilled after the Israelites conquered the land of Canaan.

    b. Was fulfilled when Joshua had taken over the leadership of the Israelites from Moses.

    c. Included the promise that Abraham would have a large number of descendants.

    d. Was the only promise not repeated to Isaac and Jacob.

23. God tested Abraham's faith:

    a. When Abraham was more than 100 years old.

    b. By asking Abraham to leave Canaan and live in Egypt.

    c. By asking him to leave his wife Sarah.

    d. By commanding Abraham to kill his son Isaac.

24. In order for the land promise to be fulfilled:

    a. The seed promise had to already be fulfilled.

    b. Abraham had to still be living.

    c. The Israelites had to forcibly take the land from those who lived in it.

    d. Moses had to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River.

25. When God used the word "offspring" (footnote: "seed") in the promise to Abraham in Gen. 22:18, the word referred to:

    a. Many people (the nation promise) in Gen. 22:17.

    b. One person.

    c. Seed for planting crops.

    d. Abraham's fathe.

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