In searching for the true, original Christian hope, we discover that the Apostle Paul tells us that the Gospel was preached to a faithful man in the book of Genesis!

“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8 (ESV)

Faithful Believers will Inherit the Promises

If we read on to the end of Galatians chapter 3, we discover that all faithful baptized believers become inheritors of the promises given to Abraham. We can inherit these promises! Really?

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:27-29

Jesus Christ is the Primary Heir

This same chapter in Galatians also tells us that Jesus Christ is the most important seed of Abraham – the primary heir!

“Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.” Galatians 3:16

So, since these promises are so significant to Jesus Christ, to Abraham, and to us as believers – it would certainly be well worth our time to examine what God said to Abraham. This topic is so foundational to understanding the true Gospel message, we have added Discovery Lesson #1  to our website. For those of you who find it much more meaningful to uncover God’s precious gems in His Word through your own research – then the Discovery Lessons are for you! We hope you enjoy the study as much as we do!

For those who are looking for quick answers, here is a summary of the promises that God made to Abraham. (Genesis 12:2-7; 13:14-18; 15:3-7, 18-21; 17:1-8)

• From Abraham God will make a great nation
• God will bless him and make his name great
• God will bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him
• In Abraham all the families of the earth will be blessed
• All the land that Abraham could see and walk in will be given to him and his offspring forever
• Abraham’s offspring would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and the stars
• The boundaries of the land given to the offspring will be from the Nile to the Euphrates
• Abraham will be a father of many nations
• Nations and kings will come from Abraham
• The covenant between Abraham and God, and God and Abraham’s offspring will be an everlasting covenant
• The land of Canaan will be an everlasting possession for Abraham and his offspring

Wow! That’s a lot of promises!

Do you think Abraham received all these promises in his lifetime? Or do you think he expected to receive them later? If later – then when? and how?

Were there any ifs involved in the receiving of the promises?

How did, or will Jesus Christ receive these promises?

And what about us? How will we receive the promises?

Can you find any New Testament commentary on the Promises to Abraham, aside from Galatians 3?

In our next blog we will look at the answers to the questions above. Or you can look at the Discovery Lesson and the Summary Chart – THE GOSPEL FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION.  See if the answers you uncover match the ones we give. A full colour version is available here.

Remember, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8