The Abrahamic Covenant is God's eternal, irrevocable promise to Abraham that out of him would come a great nation, placed in a promised land, with God Himself as their King, Messiah, and Redeemer.
In Genesis 12, God promises Abram: "I will make of thee a great nation... and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Les Feldick teaches that the covenant is basically three promises — a nation, a land, and a government — and that it is eternal: nothing that man or the nation of Israel can do can change it. Through Israel, God brings the whole plan of redemption to the entire human race.
Genesis 12:1-3 — This is the covenant text itself — God's words to Abram promising a great nation, blessing, and universal blessing through him.
Genesis 12:3 — Contains the covenant's epitome: "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed," quoted by Les as the promise covering the whole human family.
Luke 1:72-73 — The New Testament confirms the Abrahamic covenant as God's holy covenant and the oath sworn to Abraham.
The Abrahamic covenant is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3, where God speaks to Abram after commanding him to leave his country, his kindred, and his father's house for a land that He would show him. God then promises: "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."
Les Feldick teaches that the Abrahamic covenant is basically three promises wrapped into one eternal covenant. First, God promised Abraham that out of him would come a nation of people — Israel — completely different from every other race on earth (Clips 1, 7). Second, God promised to place that nation in a geographical area of land, which is why Scripture calls it the "promised land" (Clips 4, 6). Third, because people in a geographical location need government, God promised that He Himself would one day come as their King and Messiah — and not just their King, but their Redeemer and Savior (Clips 4, 6, 7).
Les Feldick breaks the Abrahamic covenant into three parts. The first promise is that out of Abraham would come a nation of people — the nation of Israel, totally different from any other race on earth. The second promise is that this nation would be placed in a geographical area of land, which is why Scripture calls it the "promised land." The third promise is a government: since people in a geographical area must have a government, God Himself would come and be their King, their Messiah, and of course also their Redeemer and Savior. Les notes that within these three promises, all the other covenants are involved.
Les Feldick is emphatic that the covenant is entirely from God and does not depend on man: "Man has nothing to do with the covenant whatsoever. He may break it. He may do all kinds of things with it, but that does not destroy the covenant. The covenant is from God, and it is eternal. Nothing that man, or even the nation of Israel can do, can change that, that the covenant is forever." He also points to the verb tense in Genesis 12:1 — "Now the Lord had said" — which takes the command back to Genesis 11, showing the call of Abram before the covenant is formally set forth in the land.
The covenant's final promise, recorded in Genesis 12:3, is that "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Les calls this "the very epitome of this whole covenant promise" — not just Israel, but the whole human family would benefit from the promises and the covenant that God is making with this man. He further explains that God chose one man, Abraham, to bring about a nation totally different from any other race of people on earth, and that nation — Israel — would be the vehicle through which God communicates and brings about the whole plan of redemption to the whole human race.
God commanded Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee" (Genesis 12:1). Les points out that Abram did not leave his father's house immediately — Terah went with him, and God set a stop on the family in Haran, in present-day Syria, until Terah died. Terah was an idolater, and only after his death did Abram come down into the land of Canaan, where God's covenant promises to Abram are then set forth.
According to Les Feldick, yes. The third part of the covenant — God coming as King — necessarily includes redemption. God would come and be their King and their Messiah, and of course also their Redeemer, their Savior: "It had to be a salvation as well." This is the whole point of the covenant: through Israel, God brings about the plan of redemption for the whole human race.
The Stop in Haran Before the Covenant
Abram was commanded to leave his father's house, but Terah went with him; God stopped the family in Haran until the idolater Terah died — the setting for the covenant that follows in Genesis 12.
The Covenant in One Sentence
The Abrahamic covenant is basically God's promise to make Abraham a great nation, put that nation in a geographical area of land, and one day come as their King and government — with Israel as the vehicle of redemption for the whole human race.
An Eternal Covenant Man Cannot Destroy
The covenant is from God and is eternal; nothing that man or the nation of Israel can do can destroy it. God's promises in Genesis 12:2-3 stand forever.
The Epitome: All Families of the Earth Blessed
The crowning promise of the Abrahamic covenant is "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" — not just Israel, but the whole human family benefits from what God promises Abraham.
Nation, Land, and Government
The Abrahamic covenant logically breaks into three parts: a nation of people, a geographical area of land, and a government — because a nation cannot exist without land, and people in a land need government.
The Seed Blessing and Abraham's Obedience
The promise that "in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" is tied to Abraham's obedience — he obeyed God's voice and kept His charge, commandments, statutes, and laws.
The Covenant in a Nutshell
From Luke 1:72-73, the oath sworn to Abraham was the Genesis 12 promise: a nation out of Abraham and Sarah, a promised land, and a future government epitomized in the King, the Messiah.
Three Promises That Encompass All Other Covenants
The Abrahamic covenant is basically three promises — nation, land, and government — and within those three promises all the other covenants are involved; the coming King is also the Redeemer and Savior, making it a salvation covenant.
Genesis 12:1: 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:
The command that launched Abram toward the land, setting the stage for the covenant promises.
Genesis 12:2: 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:
The first covenant promise — that God would make Abram a great nation.
Genesis 12:3: 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.
The covenant's blessing/curse provision and its universal scope — the epitome of the covenant.
Genesis 26:5: Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
The reason God gives for the seed blessing, quoted by Les as connecting the covenant to Abraham's obedience.
Luke 1:72-73: To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
The New Testament remembrance of the Abrahamic covenant as God's holy covenant and oath.
Isaiah 9:6-7: 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, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
The prophetic basis Les points to (Isaiah 7/9) for the covenant's third promise — God coming as the Messiah-King whose government rests on his shoulder.
Les Feldick teaches that the Abrahamic covenant is basically three promises. First, out of Abraham would come a great nation, the nation of Israel. Second, that nation would be placed in a specific geographical area of land, the promised land. Third, God would one day come and be their King, Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior — it had to be a salvation as well.
Les teaches it is unconditional and eternal. He says man has nothing to do with the covenant whatsoever — man may break it, but that does not destroy it. The covenant is from God, and it is eternal; nothing that man, or even the nation of Israel, can do can change that the covenant is forever.
The covenant's final and encompassing promise is "in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). Les calls this the very epitome of the whole covenant — not just Israel, but the whole human family would benefit. Israel becomes the vehicle through which God communicates and brings about His plan of redemption to the whole human race.
Yes. Les explains that the third part of the covenant — God coming as King — necessarily includes redemption: He would come and be their King and their Messiah, and of course also their Redeemer, their Savior. 'It had to be a salvation as well.' The covenant is God's means of bringing the whole plan of redemption through Israel to the human race.
Watch the Teaching: God’s Covenant with Abraham: Genesis 12 Bible Study Explained