West Chester, Pennsylvania
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Abraham’s Journey God promises Abram, “I will make of you a great nation,” and he also promises the land, without which a national identity is difficult to sustain. This Promised Land, the land of Canaan, a land Moses will later describe as “flowing with milk and honey,” will be located at the crossroads of civilization, with Babylon to its north and Egypt to its south. This tangible expanse of land is a reminder that Judaism and Christianity take shape in concrete places and periods in history. God then promises to make great the name of Abram, the heir of Shem. This promise means more than receiving passing fame; to “make one’s name great” is a Hebraic idiom connoting the establishment of a royal dynasty and kingdom. Finally, God promises that all the families of the earth will bless themselves by Abram’s name. Abram is called and blessed to be a channel of blessing to all the peoples of the earth! In Genesis 15, 17, and 22, these promises are raised to the status of covenant oaths in a single, unified account that is spread out across these chapters. God will not merely promise, but swear an oath, to give Abram land in Genesis 15, a royal p 34 dynasty in Genesis 17, and a worldwide blessing through Abraham in Genesis 22. These three promises of land, royal dynasty, and worldwide blessing, are an outline of all that is to come. Their fulfillment will come about over the course of the remaining story of salvation history: in the Mosaic Covenant, when God’s people Israel are set free from slavery to return home to the Promised Land; in the Davidic Covenant, when the Kingdom is established; and in the New Covenant, when salvation for all nations is established by Jesus. Abram is called to give up much, but God’s promises will provide incomparably greater blessings. tải về 6.33 Mb. Chia sẻ với bạn bè của bạn:
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