What did God promise Abraham about the Messiah's coming?
God promised Abraham that through his covenant people, the nation of Israel, the Redeemer would come—the Messiah. This promise carried forward the Genesis 3:15 assurance that the seed of the woman would redeem mankind. Israel was set aside to bring that promise to fulfillment.
Les explains that God set aside the nation of Israel specifically to fulfill the promise of Genesis 3:15, that the seed of the woman would come to be the Redeemer of mankind. To bring that to fulfillment, God promised Abraham that through that nation of people, through those covenant people, would come this Redeemer, the Messiah. Les illustrates the word 'redeem' with a pro or college athlete who drops the ball at a crucial moment but later makes a fantastic play and redeems himself, going from goat to hero. This promise meant Israel was being prepared for the role of missionaries and evangelists, and the 144,000 will not limit their ministry to Israel but will go to all nations, kindreds, people, and tongues.