GOD'S PROMISE TO ABRAM

By Harvey Krogh GENESIS 12:1-7

Have you ever been promised something that you have never received? Do you still expect to receive the thing promised to you, or have you given up all hope because the promiser was a mortal man who was subject to making errors? The promises that God makes are far different than the kind that men make. God's promises are certain to be fulfilled because He cannot lie. In Gen. 12:2-3 God promised Abram seven things, seven, the number that denotes spiritual perfection throughout the entire Bible. These seven promises are: (1) "And I will make of thee a great nation, (2) and I will bless thee, (3) and make thy name great; (4) and thou shalt be a blessing: (5) and I will bless them that bless thee, (6) and curse him that curseth thee: (7) and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Genesis 12:2,3

The first promise has been fulfilled nearly to its utmost. God changed Abram's name to Abraham and gave him two sons, Ishmael, the firstborn, and Isaac, the younger. Isaac was the son to whom the promises were renewed. Isaac was given two sons, Esau, the firstborn, and Jacob, the younger. Unto Jacob was Isaac's blessing given and the promises renewed. I suppose you wonder why the second son was chosen instead of the firstborn as man chooses. It is simply God's way which is different from man's way. Christ, the second Adam, is the One to whom God's blessing and kingdom and power to rule are to be given. Jacob, the immediate father of the nation, went down into the land of Egypt where he became a great nation. The promise was renewed to Jacob in Genesis 25 :11: "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins." That nation grew into a company of nations and unto this day it is growing, for we can see two of this company, the Jews, a people that are everywhere.

'' And I will bless thee'', the second promise, has surely been
fulfilled. The words of the servant of Abraham are recorded in Gen. 24:34, 35: "And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses." -If we could realize the value of these things that Abraham had which the Lord had given him, we could see that Abraham was surely blessed.

"And make thy name great." God made Abram's name

great, for Abram was known by many people. All Israel, his children, look back to him as their righteous father. At Christ's time the Jews were proud of their father Abraham.

"And thou shalt be a blessing". Abraham is a blessing unto all of the Gentiles. "Christ hath redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Gal. 3 :13, 14. Through Christ, who is the Son of Abraham, Matt. 1:1, are we blessed. Thus Abraham is a blessing unto us.

"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee." These two promises are always being
fulfilled. God was with Abraham and his people. Those who follow Christ are blessed both temporally and spiritually. Those who are against Him are cursed. Thus it behooves us to be on the side of the Lord.

'' And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.'' This is the greatest of all the promises given to Abraham.
Gen. 22:18"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed". Paul in his letter to the Galatians, the third chapter and sixteenth verse, says: '' Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Paul's writings are inspired, so therefore we know that Christ is the Seed through which all families of the earth shall be blessed. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."