The Abrahamic Covenant (Continued)
Jacob and the Covenant
As Isaac was assured of the promise of blessing, so also was Jacob. It took place when he traveled toward Haran to find a wife from within Rebekah’s family circle. He had his first direct encounter with God. In a dream he saw heaven and earth in communication via a ladder, suggesting communication between the God of heaven and his people on earth. Above, in heaven, the Lord stood and to the lonely, weary, traveler pledged a complete fulfillment of all the promises made to his forefathers, and assured him of protection on his journey and a safe return to his home. “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land”, (Gen.28:13-15) adding, “I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
For those who were to be the founders of a nation with an agricultural economy, it is entirely appropriate that the promises were encapsulated in ‘land’, ‘seed’ and ‘blessing’. The ‘land’ element in the covenant naturally comes first, followed by the ‘seed’ that was to be planted in the land, together with the assurance of God’s blessing on the crop. As with a natural crop, the seed would multiply exceedingly. Furthermore, the blessing on the seed of Jacob would extend to all areas of the globe as the posterity of Jacob spread west and east, north and south, and touch all of humankind. Nevertheless, the land on which he lay would be their ultimate home, for to that land would they return. Thus the blessing, passed to Jacob from Isaac his father, and which was the direct cause of him leaving home, is confirmed by the only One who could bring it to pass, the author of the blessing Himself, the Lord. Ah! The condescension of God!
While it was required that Isaac remain in the land, there came a time when Jacob was given permission to leave the land. The foundation of the nation was already laid in that he had twelve sons, and the process was to begin, in which they would grow into a great nation. The elevation of Jacob’s son Joseph in Egypt prepared the way for the removal of Jacob’s (now renamed Israel’s) family from Canaan, a land in which they had title but not yet possession. Judah’s alliance with the Canaanites demonstrated how vulnerable they were as a family, to the pressures of living in a land where their separation could easily be compromised, and their divine call could be endangered. The Lord authorized their temporary removal from the land, and Joseph’s promotion provided the perfect means and motivation for the seed to be transplanted in Egyptian soil. Nevertheless, the events that brought about their move must have brought disquiet to the mind of Jacob. At such a time, and in such circumstances God spoke a word of encouragement to him. He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will put his hand on your eyes.” (Gen.46:3-4) And here we have come, as it were, full circle, returning to God’s dealing with Abram, when he said, “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. … But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Gen.15:13-16)
The Abrahamic Covenant summarized
The terms of the Abrahamic covenant indicate it is the basis of the dealings of the Lord with the Jewish nation, and through them, with the rest of humankind. Here is a summary of the provisions of the covenant.
(i) Abram was to be father of a great nation (Gen.12.2;13.16;15.5;17.1,2; 17.7; 22.17)
(ii) This nation would possess the land of Canaan (Gen.12.7; 13.14,15; 13.17; 15.17-21; 17.8)
(iii) He himself would enjoy the blessing of the Lord. (Gen.12.2; 24.1)
(iv) Abram’s name would be great (Gen.12.2); changed later to Abraham (Gen.17.5)
(v) He would be a blessing to others (Gen.12.2); indeed the blessing would extend to nations, peoples and families. (Gen.12.3; 22.18)
(vi) Those who blessed Abram (and his seed) would be blessed; those who cursed Abram (and his seed) would be cursed. (Gen.12.2; 22.15-18; 26.3; 26.24; 27.29; 28.4)
(vii) Abraham would father more than one nation. (Gen.17.4-6)
The covenant was to be an everlasting covenant between God and Abraham, and Abraham’s posterity, through Isaac (Sarah’s son) and Jacob. The sign of the covenant was to be circumcision.
Next Time: The Abrahamic Covenant – Its Purpose and Effect
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