The Abrahamic Covenant contains a foundational element in God’s redemption plan. God made a promise to Abraham that affects all people of all time. We will examine the details regarding the past, present, and future aspects of this important covenant. As the story unfolds, we will clearly see the gracious aspect of faith; the firm foundation to which the hope of believers is anchored; and the vast extent of God’s love.
The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
‘I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.‘I will bless those who bless you,
Genesis 12:1-3
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.’
This was the first contact between God and Abram. The year was roughly 2100 BC in Abram’s hometown, Ur of the Chaldeans, Mesopotamia (Iraq). The local culture was immersed in idolatry with no regard for the true and living God. There is no indication that Abram personally had any previous knowledge or relationship with God. Therefore, this covenant promise contains within it the concept of grace. That is, Abram did not do anything to earn this great reward. God simply chose Abram to receive this blessing because God had a plan to redeem all mankind. Abram was selected, by grace, to play a role in this plan. He was going to be the progenitor of an entirely new nation from which God’s chosen redeemer, Jesus Christ, would emerge.
This promise warrants a close inspection. “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” It was obvious that God wanted to separate Abram and his wife Sarai from everything to which they were presently connected. Abram’s country, relatives, and father all worshipped false gods. God hates idolatry.
“I will make you into a great nation.” The plan was to choose one man to respond by faith and move him away from that idolatry. The new, holy nation would bear witness to the true and living God. Abram understood what God intended, but struggled with the idea of leaving his present circumstances.
Abram was firmly seated in a family business with hundreds of servants counting on his leadership for their future. They were herdsman who raised cattle and sheep and were knit together as family clan. Abram’s father served as the patriarch who used his experience and knowledge to manage the family affairs. Four generations of families typically would live and work together, participating in duties appropriate to their age and ability. A clan such as this would purchase servants who would also live and work within the camp. The family clan would retain ownership of these servants generation after generation, with the children of the servants automatically belonging to the clan. When properly managed, this was a mutually beneficial arrangement for all involved. Abram’s father Terah was aging so Abram was prepared to take over the responsibilities as patriarch. The forfeiture of this honored position would have been a disappointment and disgrace.
We do not know the details of why Abram responded to God’s instructions the way he did, but we do know what happened. Abram’s brother Haran died unexpectedly and left a son and two daughters. Abram’s other brother Nahor married one of the daughters, his niece, Milcah. Nahor and Milcah prepared to stay in Mesopotamia to care for their own livestock. Abram’s father, Terah, set out to the land of Canaan with Abram, Sarai, and Haran’s son Lot. They traveled six hundred miles north to the city of Haran, Mesopotamia (Turkey) and settled there instead of continuing to Canaan. They stayed in Haran for a period and eventually Terah died. During their stay, they had accumulated more servants and possessions.
God’s initial instructions to Abram indicated that he intended to separate Abram and Sarai from their country, relatives, and family. God was preparing to start a new nation from Abram. Abram failed to comply, instead staying within his country, with his relatives, and under the leadership of his father. Abram’s father had chosen the route to Canaan. They followed the Euphrates River that provided the natural resources required for their livestock and servants. It is noteworthy that a direct route to Canaan was available to the west across the Arabian Desert. The desert route would have been feasible without the entourage. While God allowed this disobedience, it did not work out very well as Terah died before any fulfillment of the promise. For now, God was exercising patience with Abram, allowing freedom to make mistakes while learning the ways of the true and living God.
Abram was seventy-five when his father died. Sarah was 10 years younger than Abram and had been barren her whole life. Lot, Abram’s nephew who had recently lost his father, remained with the group Terah had assembled. If Abram had remained childless, Lot would have been the heir apparent.
The group traveled to Canaan and arrived at the great tree of Moreh at Shechem (30 miles north of Jerusalem). This was the first real sign of obedience as Abram left his country and walked by faith into a foreign land. Even though the Canaanites occupied that place as their own, the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” This revealed an exciting revelation not previously disclosed. God indicated that they would have a son to be an heir to this land. In response to that great revelation from God, Abram built an altar to the Lord and worshipped him there.
So we see the first of many fluctuations of Abram’s journey of faith. The spike came initially when God chose Abraham by grace and made a great promise to him. Next we see a steep drop-off by Abram’s disobedient response and the death of his father before any significant progress is made towards the fulfillment of the promise. Finally, we see a restoration of fellowship as Abram responded by faith and God expanded the revelation. The growth of this relationship is evident as Abram built an altar for worship. This is the first time of worship recorded between this man of faith and his God. This was a time of great joy for Abram and Sarai, even though they did not understand how God’s promise of a son would be fulfilled.
Next Section: Failure Under Pressure
Table of Contents: Faith, Hope and Love
Text for this post has been borrowed from my Kindle eBook Faith, Hope and Love (Book 2 of the Grace and Knowledge Series), by Brother Woody Brohm. Copyright 2013.
I’ve included the full text of the book on this blog and you are free to read the book in this format if you please. Just follow the Next Section Link or view the Table of Contents to skip to wherever you prefer.
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
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