God s Wonderful Promise to Abraham Isaac and Israel

God’s Wonderful Promise to Abraham, Isaac and Israel

The Promise to Abraham is a promise of Land

The Promise of Land Gen 12: 1, 5 “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 the persons that they had gotten in Charan; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. ”. . . more

Gen 13: 14 -15 “And the LORD said to Abram, 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 land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. ”. . . more

Gen 15: 18 “In the same 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. ”. . . more

Gen 17: 8 “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. ”. . . more

Why did GOD select Abraham among all people to receive THE PROMISED LAND ?

The scripture answers this question in Genesis 15: 6 • “And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and HE counted it (faith) to him faith for righteousness. ”

James emphasizes this point in his epistle against the unbelieving Jews. • “The scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed GOD, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness; and he was called the Friend of GOD. ” James 2: 23

faith is the criteria of imputed righteousness. • It did not matter that the Jews in Christ’s day thought within themselves: “we have a father - Abraham” Matt 3: 9 claiming to be the rightful heirs of the promise. Jesus rebuts them for not accepting him as their Messiah – the promised seed.

Unbelieving Jews TODAY remain outside the promise made to Abraham. • “For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law (of Moses), but through the righteousness of faith. ” Romans 4: 13

The Jew must believe he is Messiah in order to be part of the promise. • “Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham ; who is the father of us all. Romans 4: 16

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. . . he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ” Hebrews 11: 8, 9

Isaac and Jacob were promised the same land. • To Isaac Gen 26 : 3 “. . . I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father” • To Jacob Gen 28: 4 “and give the blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. ”

• To thy seed - The 12 sons of Jacob (the 12 tribes) were promised the same land being Jews. • To their kings – Solomon “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. ” 1 Kgs 2: 46

• To Jesus – via His genealogy “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. ” Matthew 1: 1 (note: God does not have a genealogy) and the land is HIS Joel 3: 2 • To Gentiles – us by adoption “that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. ” Galatians 3: 14

This promise is confirmed in The New Testament @ Hebrews 11: 8 -10

Hebrews 11: 8 -108 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country; dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

WHY did Paul mention this fact in the New Testament? • Because – This promise is yet future to include all those whom verse 40 says: • “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. ” (that is – God’s plan embraces the Gentiles)

Acts 13: 32 -35 - 32 “We declare unto you glad tidings (The Gospel), how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again. . . ”. WHO are the US – their children?

THE JEW - first Romans 1: 1 -4 - Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle separated unto the gospel of God— 2 (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ) 3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh. . . ” also - THE GENTILES - Galatians 3: 28 -29 – “. . . for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. — 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed (heirs), and heirs according to the promise.

The Promise to inherit the land is conditional upon both Jews and Gentiles believing in a coming Messiah – Jesus Christ.

Thus the promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob “The LAND” has been promised to all Gentiles having faith in the same hope. But, more importantly, It is the main feature of “THE GOSPEL”.

Galatians 3: 6 -9. . . as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. ” 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen (Gentiles) through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, “In thee shall All nations (Gentiles) be blessed. ” 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Hebrews 4: 2 “For unto us (Hebrews) was the gospel preached, as well as unto them (Hebrews in the wilderness): but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it (the gospel). ”

The Promise of the Land was made through The Promise of the Seed Christ and US.

paraphrasing the text we read: Gal. 3: 16, The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds, ” meaning many people, but “and to your seed, ” meaning one person, who is Christ. Acts 3: 25, 26, 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your seed all peoples on earth will be blessed. ’ 26 When God raised up his servant (Christ), he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. ”

concerning Abraham then: Rom. 4: 11, 12 - So then, he is the father of all who believe” Gal. 3: 7 - 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham

The Promise to Abraham, Isaac and Israel Does it include you?

“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. ” Gal 3: 29 NKJ

Yes! The Promise to Abraham, Isaac and Israel Does include you.

The Land of Promise is the focus of the kingdom of God on earth • Acts 1: 6 “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? ”

4 verses that speak to the future of the promise land.

EZEKIEL 48: 29 “This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD. ”

Isaiah 56: 7 “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all peoples. ”

Zechariah 14: 16 “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, to keep the feast of tabernacles. ”

Ezekiel 37: 27, 28 “My tabernacle also shall be with them: (~Rev 21: 3) yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. ”