God opened the next phase of redemption in a covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Out of all the descendants of Noah, God chose Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob to be his representatives on earth and the caretakers of his promises.
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, and who ever curses you
I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”Genesis 12:1-3.
As this covenant relates to redemption, the important aspect of God’s promise is that all peoples on earth will be blessed through Abram’s family. God’s plan was to grow one family into a nation that would prepare the way for a Redeemer.
But at that time Abram and Sarai had no children, and Sarai was well beyond her childbearing years. Abram must have wondered how God would supply an heir in order to make him into a great nation. A little later, God expanded his promise to Abram and mentioned his offspring.
The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
Genesis 13:14-17
Abram reminded God that he had no offspring, but God brushed that detail aside.
And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:3-6
A little later, God confirmed the covenant again.
“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”
Genesis 17:7-8.
When God says he will be their God, it would require interacting with Abraham and his descendants in ways he never would with any other nation or people. The son of God couldn’t just show up and announce he’s come to redeem the world – the world didn’t know it needed redemption. Abraham and his descendants would be gradually prepared to expect a Messiah.
Facets of Redemption found in God’s Covenant with Abraham:
- God chose one family that he would grow into a nation destined to prepare the way for a Redeemer. And all people on earth would be blessed through that Redeemer.
- We are pilgrims now, foreigners on the earth for a short time. But God has promised us a permanent home and an everlasting possession.