By Dr. Michael Weis
“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13).
Tracking the Promise
The apostle Paul taught in Romans Chapters 1-3 that all people are sinners and condemned by a holy God. In Chapter 4, he states that Abraham was declared righteous (justified) before Moses gave the Law to Israel. In so doing, Paul uses the term “the promise.”
What does he mean by this?
The “promise” is that a Redeemer would come from the lineage of Abraham to save sinners from every nation. This promise was given to Abraham. When? Genesis 12 gives us God’s call to Abraham to leave his country. In so doing, God would give to Abraham a 1) land, 2) nation, and 3) blessing.
Genesis 12:1-3 is the Abrahamic Covenant, the blessing being the focus of the promise, the promise that in Abraham and his Seed (the Messiah) all the nations of the world would be blessed, both Jew and Gentile. This promise was later given to Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and Isaac’s son Jacob (Genesis 28:14).
From Jacob, God chose his 4th son Judah to be the line from which Messiah would come (Genesis 49:8-12). From Judah came King David (Matthew 1:1-6; Revelation 5:5). David wanted to build a temple, or “house,” for the Lord, but God would not permit it, yet vowed to David that from him a King would rule Israel forever (2 Samuel 7:8-17).
This vow is known as the Davidic Covenant. From David, Jesus descended – the Promised One who would bring blessing to all nations, tribe, and tongue (Revelation 7:9). How do we know Jesus was the One who fulfilled the promise?
Scriptures Confirming the Promise
Luke 1:32-33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
and His kingdom will have no end.
These verses explain the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant presently and in the future when Jesus will sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem.
Acts 3:25
It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the
covenant which God ordained with your fathers,
saying to Abraham, “And in your seed all the
families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Christ is the Redeemer of the Abrahamic Covenant (read Acts 7:17).
Galatians 3:16
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.
|He does not say, “And to seeds,” as one would in referring
to many, but rather as in referring to one,
“And to your seed,” that is, Christ.
Throughout Galatians 3:14-29, Paul contrasts the Mosaic Law and the promise, stating that salvation has always been by faith. He writes in vs. 22:
But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin,
so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ
might be given to those who believe.
Hebrews 6:13-18 teaches that God always purposed to bless the nations through Jesus. Furthermore, the giving of the Holy Spirit was part of this promise (Acts 1:4; Galatians 3:14).
Can you see this thread of redemption woven throughout the Bible? Can you put the Bible together to understand God’s grand plan of salvation, not just for individuals, but saving us to become part of a group (the Church) He declared and purposed to save through the promised Seed, Jesus Christ?
No wonder the writer of Hebrews speaks of such a great salvation we have in Him (Hebrews 2:3). God keeps His promises.
If you are a Christian, you partake of the Abrahamic Covenant God gave so many years ago from which the New Covenant in Christ’s blood has been established – and all because of the promise God made!
Dr. Michael Weis is a pastor, video operator, editor, and social media manager at Zion’s Hope.
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