Heirs of the Covenant

MEMORY VERSE: “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” —Galatians 4:28

GENESIS 28:10-14; 35:9-12; 46:1-4

IN GALATIANS 3:8 the Apostle Paul writes, “The scripture, foreseeing that God would just if y the heathen [Gentiles] through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.” And then in verse 16 of this chapter Paul explains, “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.”

Christ, then, is primarily the promised Seed of Abraham, the One who, in the plan of God, blesses all the families of the earth. There could be no blessing for God’s fallen human creatures that would be worthwhile and lasting as long as they remained under condemnation to death. So a very basic feature of Jesus’ work of blessing is the providing of redemption from death. He made this provision nearly two thousand years ago by giving himself a “ransom for all.”—I Tim. 2:3-6

The reason all the families of the earth have not yet been blessed by Christ, even though he died for the people so long ago, is that in the plan of God provision is made for him to have associates in the work of blessing. Paul explains this point in Galatians 3:27-29. We quote, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. … And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

This harmonizes with our memory verse: “Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.” (Gal. 4:28) Isaac, it will be recalled, was in a sense offered in sacrifice, a ram being provided as a substitute. So Jesus actually gave his life in sacrifice, and those who would be his true followers are invited to take up their cross and follow him into death. Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”—Rom. 12:1

This blesser seed of Abraham is a spiritual seed. When Jesus was raised from the dead, having given his humanity in sacrifice for the sin of the world, he was highly exalted to the divine nature. He promised his disciples that when he returned he would take them unto himself, that where he was there they would be also. (John 14:3) Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”—I Pet. 1:3-5

In a beautiful symbolic picture these associates of Jesus are shown in Revelation 19:7 as being united with Christ in marriage. Unitedly they become his bride, and in Revelation 22:17 we read, “The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. … And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

There is also a natural seed of Abraham. These were promised the land; and God’s care has been over them through all the centuries. Jacob’s dream of the ladder set up on earth and reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending upon it is significant. In John 1:51 Jesus also speaks of a ladder connecting heaven and earth, and associates it with his place in the plan of God.

The Scriptures reveal that those of the natural seed of Abraham who, prior to the coming of Christ, proved faithful to God, are to be the human representatives of the spiritual kingdom, and it has been suggested that these might well be the “angels” or messengers seen on the prophetic ladder. In the kingdom, any who hear and accept the call to partake of the water of life, will have the privilege of saying “Come.” That will be a glorious time!

QUESTIONS

Who, primarily, are the blesser “Seed” of Abraham?

Is this a spiritual seed?

What part in God’s plan will the earthly seed of Abraham enjoy—the faithful, and the nominal?

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