PROMISES TO ABRAHAM: IN GENESIS

(Message by Tanny Keng)

1. Promises To Abraham

a) The promises to Abraham spans the generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The period starts with God's call to Abram, and ends with the settlement of Jacob's family in Goshen, a part of Egypt.

b) The period is covered by Genesis chapters 12-47. An outline of the period is also provided in Acts 7:1-15, part of the speech made by Stephen.

2. Promises To Abraham In Genesis

@1. The call of Abram and God's plan for him (Genesis 12:1-3, 7).

@2. Many descendants and a promised land (Genesis 13:14-18).

@3. A promised land and many descendants (Genesis 15:1-21).

@4. A covenant made and a change of name (Genesis 17:1-8).

@5. A promise for Hagar's son Ishmael (Genesis 21:8-21).

@6. God swears an oath to Abraham (Genesis 22:15-18).

@7. God's promise to Rebekah Isaac's wife (Genesis 25:21-27).

@8. God repeats to Isaac the promise to Abraham (Genesis 26:1-5 and 24).

@9. Jacob's dream of a ladder to heaven (Genesis 28:10-16).

@10. Jacob blessed again, name changed to Israel (Genesis 35:9-12).

a) Two main elements in these promises: 

i) The land promise. God had chosen the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to become a great nation who would possess the land of Canaan.

ii) The seed promise. The whole world was to be blessed through one particular descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The promise was that Abraham's 'seed' would bless the world (Hebrews 6:13-20). 

iii) Just as Abraham placed his hope of eternal life in these two unchangeable things, so also do we (Romans 4:16-25). 

The End ...