God's Covenant With Abraham
by Owen Borville
August 27, 2019
Bible
God made a covenant with Abraham in the Book of Genesis, as described in Genesis 12. Abraham, formerly named Abram, was a descendant of Shem, who was one of Noah's three sons. Abraham was the son of Terah and lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur was an important Sumerian city-state in ancient Mesopotamia. Abraham and his family migrated toward Canaan but settled temporarily in Harran. Abraham would become the father of the Israelite nation. Abram, with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, eventually settled in Canaan as God instructed him to do.
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: 2 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: 3 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 (Genesis 12:1-3).
God also promised Abram land that he would give him: Genesis 13:14-18
14 And the Lord said unto 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: 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. Genesis 13:14-18.
The Lord made a covenant with Abraham: Genesis 15:18-21
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: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. Genesis 15:18-21.
The Lord also earlier promised: Genesis 15:5
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and 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. Genesis 15:5.
Later the Lord continued his covenant with Abraham: Genesis 17:1-8
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. Genesis 17:1-2.
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 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. Genesis 17:4-8.
Covenant of Circumcision and Promise of a Son: Genesis 17:11
God also established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham (Genesis 17:11) and promised him a son in addition to Ishmael named Isaac, through which the covenant will be established.
God Tempted Abraham and Rewarded Him for Faith: Genesis 22:16-18
Abraham followed God's command to sacrifice his son Isaac in order to test his faith, but God intervened at the last minute. Because of Abraham's faith, God continued his covenant with Abraham:
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 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; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Genesis 22:16-18.
Abraham's Descendants
The descendants of Abraham were traced through his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob. Jacob's had conflicts with his older brother Esau for many years but later reconciles. Jacob would steal the birthright from his older brother, and this would cause jealousy from Esau and spark conflict, but eventually the relationship was healed. Esau would become the father of the Edomites. Jacob's son Joseph would be sold into slavery by his older brothers and lead the Israelites into Egypt, but would later return to the original homeland.
by Owen Borville
August 27, 2019
Bible
God made a covenant with Abraham in the Book of Genesis, as described in Genesis 12. Abraham, formerly named Abram, was a descendant of Shem, who was one of Noah's three sons. Abraham was the son of Terah and lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. Ur was an important Sumerian city-state in ancient Mesopotamia. Abraham and his family migrated toward Canaan but settled temporarily in Harran. Abraham would become the father of the Israelite nation. Abram, with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, eventually settled in Canaan as God instructed him to do.
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: 2 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: 3 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 (Genesis 12:1-3).
God also promised Abram land that he would give him: Genesis 13:14-18
14 And the Lord said unto 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: 15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord. Genesis 13:14-18.
The Lord made a covenant with Abraham: Genesis 15:18-21
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: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites. Genesis 15:18-21.
The Lord also earlier promised: Genesis 15:5
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and 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. Genesis 15:5.
Later the Lord continued his covenant with Abraham: Genesis 17:1-8
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. Genesis 17:1-2.
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 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. Genesis 17:4-8.
Covenant of Circumcision and Promise of a Son: Genesis 17:11
God also established the covenant of circumcision with Abraham (Genesis 17:11) and promised him a son in addition to Ishmael named Isaac, through which the covenant will be established.
God Tempted Abraham and Rewarded Him for Faith: Genesis 22:16-18
Abraham followed God's command to sacrifice his son Isaac in order to test his faith, but God intervened at the last minute. Because of Abraham's faith, God continued his covenant with Abraham:
16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 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; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. Genesis 22:16-18.
Abraham's Descendants
The descendants of Abraham were traced through his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob. Jacob's had conflicts with his older brother Esau for many years but later reconciles. Jacob would steal the birthright from his older brother, and this would cause jealousy from Esau and spark conflict, but eventually the relationship was healed. Esau would become the father of the Edomites. Jacob's son Joseph would be sold into slavery by his older brothers and lead the Israelites into Egypt, but would later return to the original homeland.
