Abraham, God’s Pioneer

Genesis 12:1-9

THE Apostle Paul wrote that “to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.” (Gal. 3:16) Prior to this promise to Abraham, some indefinite assurances had been given by the Lord that the curse of sin and death would be removed. Even when our first parents were sentenced to death because of their disobedience, the Lord said that the seed of the woman would “bruise” the “serpent’s” head. Enoch had prophesied the coming of the Lord with myriads of his saints to execute judgment. (Jude 14) But it was not until Abraham’s day that God began to make definite promises concerning his purpose to bless “all the families of the earth.”

The Lord “had” said unto Abram, verse 1 reads, that he should leave his kindred and his father’s house, and go unto a land that would he shown to him. This suggests that the original outline of the promise had been given to him while he was still in Ur of the Chaldees. If so, this would explain why the household remained at Haran, on the border of Canaan, until the death of Terah, Abram’s father. But now that the father had died, the Lord urged Abraham to proceed into the Promised Land, and, as stated so beautifully in the New Testament, “he … obeyed.”—Heb. 11:8

The Lord rewards his people as they take each step of faith and obedience. It was so with Abraham, for, when he entered Canaan the Lord appeared to him and said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” This was merely a reiteration of what had already been promised, but coming when it did, it must have been a great blessing to the patriarch. Abraham reacted to this further assurance by building “an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.” He wanted to make sure that he would never forget such a wonderful experience.

While God’s promise to give Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan was considered important by the patriarch, it was not the most important feature of the covenant God made with him. The promise of the “seed,” and the blessing of all nations through that seed is stressed by the Apostle Paul. (Gal. 3:8,16,27-29) In this connection the apostle explains that it was not the natural descendants of the patriarch which the Lord had in mind when making the promise, but rather his faith seed.

In Galatians 3:16, Paul explains that there were not to be many seeds, but merely one, and that this one seed of prom is e was Christ. In verses 27-29 he enlarges upon this thought, saying that all who have been baptized into Christ thus become a part of this one seed of Abraham; that is, a part of the Christ body, or company. In this company, as it is seen by the Lord, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, for all are one in Christ Jesus.

Abraham, of course, did not understand the spiritual significance of the promise God made to him, but he did sense that it implied more than merely the inheritance of Canaan. Paul tells us that Abraham looked for a “city,” one which would have solid foundations, whose builder and maker would be God. (Heb. 11:10) A city symbolizes a government, a kingdom; so it would seem that to a certain degree, at least, he realized that God’s promises implied that through his seed a righteous government, or kingdom, would be set up and that as a result of its dominion all the families of the earth would be blessed. The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that Abraham was right in this expectation.

Genesis 13:14-17

IT WAS not in strict conformity with the Lord’s instructions that Abraham took Lot and his family, with him into Canaan, for he had’ been’ told to leave his kindred and his father’s house. But the Lord is able to overrule the partial failures of his people, and so he did in the case of Abraham and Lot. Circumstances developed which brought about a separation of the two, and it was after Abraham took this further step of obedience that God appeared to him again, giving him reassurance that his promises would certainly be fulfilled.

There are three points to keep in mind when considering the full meaning of the promises made to Abraham—the “land,” the “seed,” and the “blessing.” The promises pertaining to the land belong exclusively to the natural descendants of the patriarch. The “seed” sometimes means the promised Christ, which will be the medium, or channel, of blessing, and sometimes refers to all who will be blessed under the terms of the covenant. The promised “blessing” which will come through the “seed” refers to the restoration of life which will be made available to all mankind during the thousand years of Christ’s kingdom, the “times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”—Acts 3:19-26

When, following his separation from Lot, God appeared to Abraham, the promise of the land was re-emphasized, and also that the number of people to be blessed by the seed was to be very great—as “the dust of the earth.” (Gen. 13:16) Just as the “seed” which will be the channel of blessing is made up of both Jews and Gentiles upon the basis of faith, so all who receive the blessing of life through this channel will be considered the seed of Abraham. Thus it is that Abraham will be the father of many nations.

QUESTIONS

Was Abraham the first one to whom God made promises of salvation?

Why did Abraham not enter Canaan before the death of his father?

What was the most important feature of the promise God made to Abraham?

Who is the “seed” of Abraham through whom all nations are to be blessed?

Did Abraham understand the larger meaning of the promises God made to him?

What are the three points specially emphasized in the Abrahamic Covenant?

Will the seed of Abraham which is likened to the “dust of the earth” be composed exclusively of his natural descendants?

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