The Abrahamic covenant has three components: a nation, a land, and a government.
Les Feldick teaches that God promised Abraham (1) a nation of people, Israel; (2) a geographical area of land, the promised land; and (3) that God Himself would come as their King and Messiah. These three promises frame the whole covenant, with all other covenants involved within them.
Genesis 12:1-3 — This is the original covenant record in which God promises Abraham a great nation and the land, forming the basis for the first two components.
In Genesis 12, God made a covenant with Abram in which He said, 'I will make of thee a great nation... and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.' The land component is stated plainly in Genesis 12:7: 'Unto thy seed will I give this land.' The covenant also includes a king/government element. In Genesis 17:6 God tells Abraham, 'I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.' Isaiah 9:6 describes the coming King: 'For unto us a child is born... and the government shall be upon his shoulder.'
Les Feldick repeatedly summarizes the Abrahamic covenant as three basic promises. First, God promised to make a nation of people out of Abraham — the nation of Israel. Second, He promised to place that nation in a geographical area of land, the promised land, which Les equates with the nation of Israel today. Third, since people in a land need a government, God promised that one day He Himself would come to be their King and Messiah. Les notes that this covenant is progressive revelation; the government element is implicit but dormant in Genesis 12. He also emphasizes that the King is the Messiah/Christ, which is why Jesus is called the King of Israel in Matthew. The final kingdom will be a glorious kingdom on earth, not in heaven. Within these three promises, Les says, all the other covenants are involved.
Les Feldick consistently identifies three basic promises: (1) a nation of people out of Abraham, (2) a geographical area of land for that nation, and (3) a government — God Himself coming to be their King and Messiah. He notes that within these three promises all the other covenants are involved.
Les explains that when people live in a geographical area they need a government. In the Abrahamic covenant, this is not an ordinary government or even kings like David and Solomon, but the Lord Himself becoming their King in the person of the Messiah, the Christ. He identifies Jesus as the King of Israel and says the ultimate kingdom will be a glorious kingdom on earth, not in heaven.
Les says the second component is a geographical area of land — the promised land — which he equates with the nation of Israel today. The land was sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as a heritage. Moses reminded the children of Israel of this promise, and Les ties it back to the Abrahamic covenant.
Les shows that Abraham became the ancestor of many Middle Eastern peoples — Ishmael's Arabs, Esau's Edomites, and Lot's Moabites/Ammonites — all going back to Abraham. At the same time, the nation promised in the covenant is a people totally different from any other race, through whom God would bring redemption to the whole human race.
Abraham's Many Natural Descendants
Les shows that Abraham became the ancestor of many Middle Eastern peoples — Ishmael's Arabs, Esau's Edomites, and Lot's Moabites/Ammonites — before focusing on the nation promised through the covenant.
The Three Promises Summarized
Les spells out the three parts of the Abrahamic covenant: nation, land, and government, adding that the King/Messiah would also be Redeemer and Savior.
Progressive Revelation of the Covenant
Les explains that the covenant unfolds progressively; the nation and land are explicit, while the government component is implicit and dormant within the Abrahamic covenant.
The Covenant in Luke's Account
Les connects the oath to Abraham in Luke 1 with the Genesis 12 promise of a nation, the promised land, and the King/Messiah whose government is foretold in Isaiah.
Israel as the Promised Nation
Les states that Abraham was promised a nation totally different from every other people, through whom God would bring redemption to the human race.
The Land Sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Les recounts that the land was sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as a heritage, citing Moses' reminder to Israel.
Three Parts of the Covenant
Les identifies the three parts again — nation, land, and God coming as King — and notes that the final kingdom will be on earth, not in heaven.
God Himself as King in the Person of the Messiah
Les explains that the government promised in the covenant is not ordinary human government but God Himself becoming King in the person of Messiah/Christ, which is why Matthew calls Jesus the King of Israel.
Genesis 12:1-3: Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
This is the foundational covenant wording, promising Abraham a great nation and setting the stage for the land and government components.
Genesis 12:7: And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
This verse explicitly promises the land component of the Abrahamic covenant.
Genesis 17:6: And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
This promise of kings coming from Abraham anticipates the government/King component of the covenant.
Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Les points to Isaiah as the prophetic picture of the coming King whose government fulfills the third component.
Les Feldick identifies three components: a nation (Israel), a land (the promised land), and a government — with God Himself becoming their King and Messiah.
Yes. In his teaching, Les says that when God comes as King and Messiah, He is also their Redeemer and Savior — the covenant had to include salvation.
Les points back to Genesis 12, where God makes the promise to Abraham. He also connects it to Luke 1:72-73, which refers to the oath sworn to Abraham.
The land component is a geographical area of land, the promised land, which Les equates with the nation of Israel today.
Watch the Teaching: God’s Promise to Abraham: Understanding Genesis 12 & 15