The Abrahamic covenant is God's foundational, unbreakable promise to make Israel a great nation, give them a land, and bring redemption to the whole world through the Messiah.
God made this covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, and because it originates and ends with Him, man cannot break it. Les Feldick teaches that all of God's other covenants with Israel—including the Davidic covenant—are contained within it. The covenant also reveals Israel's role as a light to the Gentiles, showing that God's plan of salvation always included all nations.
Genesis 12:1-3 — This is the foundational passage where God makes the Abrahamic covenant, promising a great nation, blessing, and a worldwide blessing through Abraham.
Isaiah 49:6 — This verse reveals Israel's role as a light to the Gentiles, which is part of the covenant's global purpose.
In Genesis 12:1-3, God promised Abram, "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." Later, in Isaiah 49:6, God declared of His servant, "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth." The Book of Exodus records that when Israel groaned in Egypt, "God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob" (Exodus 2:24).
Les Feldick identifies the Abrahamic covenant as the agreement found in Genesis 12:1-3. He explains that a covenant is an agreement that originates and ends in God, so even though it is made with man, it is unbreakable, irrevocable, and eternal. God promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation, place the nation in a geographical land, and one day come as their King—the Messiah, the Son of God. Les emphasizes that every subsequent covenant God made with Israel, including the Davidic covenant, the covenant of Law, and the Palestinian covenant, is surrounded by and within the bounds of the Abrahamic covenant. He also teaches that Israel was chosen as the vehicle through which God would bring redemption to the whole human race, and that everything in the Gospels and Acts is based on this covenant.
In the Abrahamic covenant, God promised to make Abraham a great nation, to bless him, and to make his name great, and that he would be a blessing (Genesis 12:2). Les Feldick summarizes these promises as: "I'll make of you a great nation, I'll put you in a geographical area, and I'll give you a king"—and the King would be the Son of God, the Messiah. The covenant also included God's pledge to bless those who bless Abraham's descendants and curse those who curse them.
Les teaches that a covenant, by definition, originates and ends in God. Even though it is made with man, it never becomes invalid and is never broken or rescinded. Man may break the covenant, but nothing he does can destroy it because it is from God and is eternal. This is why the covenant remains in effect regardless of Israel's obedience or disobedience.
Les Feldick points to 2 Samuel 7 as the Davidic covenant and says that all these covenants are surrounded by the Abrahamic covenant. Every covenant God made with Israel is within the bounds of the Abrahamic covenant. He also notes that the Abrahamic covenant was repeated to Isaac and then to Jacob, and that the covenant of Law and the Palestinian covenant in Deuteronomy 30 likewise originate with God and cannot be broken.
Les explains that God called Abraham out of Ur to bring about a nation totally different from any other people on earth, and that nation would be the vehicle through which God would communicate and bring about the whole plan of redemption to the whole human race. Israel was not the end in itself; Israel was also to be a light to the Gentiles, as Isaiah 49:6 states: "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
Israel as a Light to the Gentiles
Les reads Isaiah 49:5-6 to show that along with restoring Israel, God would also give Israel as a light to the Gentiles, making the Abrahamic covenant's global purpose clear.
Definition of the Abrahamic Covenant
Les defines the Abrahamic covenant from Genesis 12:1-3 and explains that a covenant originates and ends in God, so it cannot be invalidated, broken, or rescinded.
Identification of Genesis 12:2-3 as the Covenant
Les identifies Genesis 12:2-3 as the Abrahamic covenant, emphasizing that it is unbreakable and irrevocable even though Abram and Sarah were childless and old.
The Covenant's Promises and Its Role in Scripture
Les explains that the covenant promised a great nation, a geographical area, and a King—the Messiah—and that everything up through the Gospels and Acts is based on this covenant.
Other Covenants Within the Abrahamic Covenant
Les shows that the Davidic covenant in 2 Samuel 7 is surrounded by the Abrahamic covenant, and every covenant God made with Israel is within its bounds.
Israel as the Vehicle of Redemption
Les teaches that Abraham's descendants were to be a unique nation through whom God would bring the whole plan of redemption to the entire human race.
Man Cannot Break the Eternal Covenant
Les stresses that man has nothing to do with the covenant and cannot destroy it; the covenant is from God and is eternal.
Repeated to Isaac and Jacob; Later Covenants
Les notes the Abrahamic covenant was repeated to Isaac and Jacob and that later covenants, including the Law and the Palestinian covenant, also originate with God and cannot be broken.
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 passage Les identifies as the Abrahamic covenant.
Isaiah 49:6: And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Shows Israel's role as a light to the Gentiles, part of the covenant's global significance.
Exodus 2:24: And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Confirms that God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, showing the covenant's ongoing power.
No. According to Les Feldick, the covenant originates and ends in God. Even though it is made with man, man breaking it does not destroy it. The covenant is eternal and cannot be changed or rescinded by anything man or the nation of Israel does.
God promised to make Abraham a great nation, to give that nation a geographical land, and to one day come as their King—the Messiah, the Son of God. The covenant also promised that in Abraham all families of the earth would be blessed and that Israel would be a light to the Gentiles.
Les Feldick says the Davidic covenant recorded in 2 Samuel 7 is surrounded by the Abrahamic covenant. Every covenant God made with Israel is within the bounds of the Abrahamic covenant, so the Davidic covenant is a continuation of what God promised Abraham.
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