Tonight I want to talk you once again about the Abrahamic covenant. As I say, this is one of those subjects that is not absolutely critical to your faith. I mean that it is not essential to your salvation that you understand every aspect of this covenant. In fact you could probably get along just fine without knowing anything about the Abrahamic covenant. But it IS a part of the whole council of God. And it is IMPORTANT in several different ways. To misunderstand this creates doctrinal problems affecting many other areas of Bible interpretation. For example, if we get this wrong, our approach to Bible prophecy will probably be out of step. And for a great many people, to be wrong about this makes them wrong about the Lord’s church. It’s like being in a great marching band and one player is trotting along at his own rhythm. He not only looks funny, but could get some of his band-mates confused as well. On the other hand, a study of the covenants of God should make us elevate our hearts in praise. God’s covenants are examples of His grace. In God’s covenants we see His handiwork. And in those covenants we see the omnipotence of the Lord. There are many reasons to study the covenants of God, and yet admittedly this is not among the most exciting of Bible subjects.
Of course, this man Abram was a real historical person. We have no reason, or right, to say that this reference to Abram was actually a reference to a whole city of people, or a race of people, or a nation of people. The preceding chapter tells us about Abram’s father, Terah, his brothers and about others in his family. He could have been no more a real person if his name was Kenneth David Oldfield of Post Falls, Idaho. And while still in Ur in the Chaldees, Jehovah commanded Abram to leave the heathen around him, including his family, and to follow the Lord into a new land. Then without any provocation or reason on Abram’s part, God said He would make of him a great nation. The Hebrew word “go-ee” is very common in the Old Testament, occurring 558 times. And nearly 400 times it is translated “nation” with another 150 references being translated “heathen.” The word “nation” speaks about a people with a common society. A nation has a common government, a common history, and a common future. While it’s not EXACTLY the same thing, God promised to make Abram into a “country” of people whether or not there was always a land for them to dwell in. The Lord also promised to bless Abram, and to magnify his name and fame. He said that He would respond in kind to the way that people treated Abram and his nation. Then finally, God promised to bless all the families of the earth through him. It is my personal belief that this last thing is referring to the coming of the Saviour. Galatians 3:8-9 says, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” It is to this aspect of God’s promise that some people think Paul refers here in Romans. But does that make complete sense? “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Does the promise made to the Christian including the inheritance of the world? That is a rather confusing statement.
It is very important to know that these promises made to Abram were spoken and understood to be literal.
The thing to notice in this passage is the use of Abram’s eyes. After he moved from Ur to Haran and eventually into the Canaan – after Lot moved away from Abram and into Sodom – the Lord told His human friend to use his eyes to look in every possible direction. God promised to give Abram the land that he was standing on and every acre for miles and miles around.
Not only was that land going to be his, it was going to be given to his seed which would follow him. There are two ways to interpret the word “seed.” Not the first, but the primary descendant of Abram would eventually be the Lord Jesus Christ. But obviously, in this case, that is not the meaning, because this seed would become an innumerable host of people. And who is that seed which will be as impossible to number as the dust of the earth? There is not the slightest hint anywhere in the context of Genesis 12 or 13 that this is anything other than the “nation” which was first referred to. There are Protestant Theologians who want to say that this “seed” is referring to those of us who have been saved by the same kind of grace as which saved Abraham. Not only is there nothing in either of these two chapters which say that, but if that is the case, then we should find Paul telling you and me to look forward to dwelling in the land of Israel instead of Heaven or the New Jerusalem. The promise here was in regard to a literal family dwelling in the same literal piece of property.
This promise is again reiterated in Genesis 15:4-21: “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 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. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. And he said, Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.”
God had promised Abram that he would be the father of an unnumberable nation. But despite his old age, as yet he didn’t have a single son. How can the Lord’s promise be fulfilled without any heirs? What an opportunity to tell Abram that the Lord meant spiritual children instead of literal children, if that was what the Lord was talking about. God didn’t say that because that wasn’t His intention at this point. Anyway, Abram quarreled with God just a little bit about his childlessness. But the Lord restated and reemphasized His promise.
Verse 22 uses the word “covenant” with Abram for the first time, although the other promises had been covenants as well. And this passage shows us a little bit of the culture and practice of that time. When a covenant was made there was often a sacrifice, and there was blood. God told Abram to take five different animals: an heifer, a goat, a ram, a dove and a pigeon. They were all slain, and then bisected with each half being laid opposite to its partner all in a bloody row. There was probably a cubit or so between each section of all of the animals. Abram obeyed God explicitly and made sure that no vultures or ravens tried to eat the fresh meat. But the Lord didn’t immediately come to complete the covenant ceremony, and in the mean time Abram fell asleep. Then during his sleep a vivid and startling dream overcame him. He was told about Israel’s coming exile in Egypt for 400 years, and then about their return to occupy the land that had already been promised. And then the covenant ceremony was completed, but with one major departure from the usual. Instead of both parties to the covenant walking between the bisected sacrifice, only symbols representing the Lord made the bloody walk – a smoking furnace and a burning lamp. The sacrifices and the blood were supposed to indicate that a blood agreement was being made. In most cases, it was understood that just as the animals died, if one party failed to keep his end of the covenant, then his blood would be required. But in this case, the promises were all on the Lord’s side, with nothing required of Abram. And for that reason Abram was not asked to walk in the midst of the sacrifices. These promises were all unconditional, as far as Abraham was concerned. And please notice once again the reference to Abram’s seed spending 400 years in Egypt. Again this means that this is talking about the literal nation of Israel. I have heard preachers say that since Abram was counting stars instead of dust this time, that this refers to His SPIRITUAL descendants – Gentiles saved by the grace of God. But I’m sorry, that is reading more into these verses than we have a warrant to do.
There is still one more account of this covenant with Abram in 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. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 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. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, & kings shall come out of thee. 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. 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. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.” This part of the covenant promises Abraham many nations and kings, rather than just one. I believe that verses 5 and 6 are talking about Israel, the Ishmaelites, Edomites, Midianites, some of the Arabs, Saracens, and others. And each of those peoples were, and are, literal earthly nations and tribes of people.
But what about those New Testament scriptures which talk about today’s Gentile Christians as being Abraham’s children? We are children of Abraham in the sense that our faith is just like his faith. He was saved by grace; he was justified and declared righteous, in the same way that we may be. But that has nothing to do with the promises that God is making to Abraham in these verses. Why can’t the Lord make one promise to us and another to Abraham? In some ways that is what has happened.
“I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.” This is referring to much of the Arab world today, through Ishmael and Esau.
“I will bless thee.” Which was fulfilled in both earthly and heavenly prosperity. And it will continue to be fulfilled in the Millennium – although not in the Zionist way of thinking today.
“I will make thy name great.” Not only is the name of Abraham greatly respected in Christendom, Judaism and even Islam, but no name is more honored than the name of Abraham’s son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Thou shalt be a blessing.” This is referring primarily to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this has some respect to the lessons that Abraham teaches us about faith. He is a blessing to anyone and everyone who learns to trust God as he did.
“I will give unto thee the land.” At first it was restricted to what Abraham could see with his naked eye. But then in chapter 15 it was extended to cover everything from the River of Egypt into Iraq and Iran.
Then lastly, God said, “I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee. We see this fulfilled throughout the rest of the Old Testament. We see it in subsequent histories of Rome and Greece. And as wicked, secular and unbelieving as the nation of Israel is today, it is still a promise in effect today. I believe that the United States is following a wise policy in aiding Israel.
But what was it to which Paul referred here in Romans 4? I think that perhaps we can see it fulfilled during the Millennium in the person of Abraham’s son. Who is the primary son or seed of Abraham? First there was Isaac, but ultimately it was Jesus of Nazareth. During the Millennium, it will be that resurrected Jesus Christ, who rules over all the earth. Abraham’s Seed will inherit all the earth. And which will be the primary nation and people at that time? Beside those who have been saved with the kind of faith that Abraham was saved, there will be the earthly sons of Abraham and Isaac.
But Paul’s point here is that just as Abraham was saved by faith and given great unconditional promises, so may we be saved by faith and given equally great or even greater unconditional promises.