GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES
God made promises of physical and spiritual natures to Abraham and his descendants. And the biblical Word of God tells us how these promises apply to us as his people.
PHYSICAL PROMISE OF GOD
The Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi[e] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates” – the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” – Genesis 15:18–21
This land came to be known as the country of Israel. However, because of their disobedience, God allowed Israel to be conquered by other nations. But God said: “the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you [Israel] I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 39:23-24). If one believes God’s Word, in 1948, God evidently used his heavenly power (Psalm 103:19) to persuade the United Nations to partition what was once called the land of Canaan into Israeli and Arab States.
A Bible commentator said, today, this land encompasses “modern-day Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, parts of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. While the modern nation-state of Israel occupies a portion of this territory, the precise boundaries of the Promised Land as described in the Bible [in Genesis 15:18-22] are not fully delineated and are subject to various interpretations.”
However, might God’s stated purpose—”the nations will know that I am the Lord”– have been satisfied in his bringing the people of Israel together into their own land, while allowing part of the territory of Canaan to be apportioned to Arab nations?
Apparently, the nations involved in the apportioning by the UN are not satisfied. There have been ongoing disputes and battles between Israelis and Arabs concerning the designated boundaries of their countries. And there is uncertainty about the outcome of recent diplomatic efforts to resolve their conflicts.
Nevertheless, the Lord God of the Bible has instructed those who believe in him to pray for all leaders and people that God’s will be done (1 Timothy 2:1-6; Matthew 6:9-10). For there is “nothing too hard for [God]” to do (Jeremiah 32:17; Ephesians 3:20).
The biblical God of Abraham says: “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22; John 3:16).
SPIRITUAL PROMISE OF GOD
God told Abraham: “and through your offspring[a] all nations on earth will be blessed,[b] because you have obeyed me” (Genesis 22:18). ‘The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[i] meaning one person, who is Christ’ (Galatians 3:16).
The Bible informs us that Jesus Christ is the promised offspring of Abraham through whom all nations would be spiritually blessed. Jesus was the descendant of Abraham according to the flesh, but the Son of God according to the Spirit of God (Matthew 1:1; Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is God’s promised Messianic Savior to all who accept him as their Lord.
The Lord Jesus Christ told a Pharisee, named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council: “no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.” For being born again of the Spirit begins by believing in Jesus as your Savior and Lord (John 1:1-18; Acts 4:12).
The Bible says: “For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. No, a true Jew [a spiritual Jew] is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit” (Romans 2:28-29). And it says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile…for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). So, all spiritual Israel, people who accept Jesus Christ as the Abrahamic promised Savior, shall be saved (Romans 11:26; Acts 4:12). For Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
And our Savior and Lord said: “you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
