Today we are studying God’s covenant with Abraham.

Under this covenant, Abraham was promised a blessing (Gen 12:1-3), a seed (Gen 12:7), a nation (Gen 12:2), and a land grant (Gen 12:7; 15:18-21).  Furthermore, this covenant protected Abraham and his seed from those that would curse them (Gen 12:3).

God’s covenant with Abraham was also established with Isaac, Jacob, and the 12 tribes of Israel (Gen 27:29; Num 24:2, 9; Ps 105:8-12).  So, it is a covenant that survives Abraham’s life and continues with Israel for eternity.

In Gen 17:2, God promised to multiply Abraham exceedingly.  This promise predominately dealt with what God revealed to Abraham in the vision when God promised to multiply Abraham’s seed as the stars of heaven (Gen. 15:5).

In Gen 17:4, God promised to make Abraham a father of many nations.  He did.  Abraham’s genealogy includes: Ishmael’s offspring (Genesis 25:12-18); Isaac’s offspring (Genesis 25:24-28); Jacob’s offspring (Genesis 35:22-26); Esau’s offspring (Genesis 36:1-19, 40-43); Keturah’s offspring (Genesis 25:1-4).

In Gen 17:7, God promised Abraham a seed.  The promised seed could have included Ishmael through Genesis 17:25.  However, beyond Genesis 21:10-12, only Isaac could fulfill this promise.  Ultimately, the promised seed is Jesus Christ, Gal 3:16, and those who trust Christ to save them, Gal 3:26-29.  Rom 4:9-13.

In Gen 17:8, God promised Abraham the land of Canaan.  This land was given to Abraham for an everlasting possession, which means that it belongs to his seed even to this day.  This same promise was given to Isaac in Genesis 26:3, to Jacob in Genesis 28:13, and to the 12 tribes of Israel in Joshua 1:1-4.  You can find the summary of these promises in Psalm 105:8-12.  Therefore, the land promised in God’s covenant with Abraham was given to his natural descendants and not to the church.  The church does not replace Israel in this promise.

In Gen 17:19, God promised that his covenant with Abraham would be an everlasting covenant.

Most of the world’s view of this covenant is that Israel is not God’s chosen people and that the land they currently occupy is not theirs.  They assume that Israel is only a state because the United Nations granted them statehood in 1948.  And they further assume that Israel gained the land they now have by a decree of the nations who granted it to them.

Therefore, the United Nations proposed a two-state solution to the Palestinian and Israeli dispute over the land granted to Abraham and his seed through Isaac, Jacob and the 12 tribes of Israel.  The idea that there can be a two-state solution comes from a failure to believe the Bible.

The result is that there will be no peace in the Middle East until Jesus comes and Israel is the only “state” occupying that land.  To study the next lesson in this series, see Israel’s Land Grant.