God promised Abraham a nation of people, a geographical land, and that God Himself would one day come as their King and Messiah.
The Abrahamic covenant, given in Genesis 12, was basically three promises. Les Feldick explains that God promised Abraham that out of him would come a nation of people — the nation of Israel. Second, God would put that nation in their own geographical area of land, the promised land. Third, because people dwelling in a land need a government, God promised that He Himself would one day come in the person of the Messiah to be their King, their Redeemer, and their Savior.
Genesis 12:2 — Here God promises Abraham that He will make of him a great nation — the first element of the covenant.
Genesis 12:7 — Here God promises to give the land to Abraham's descendants — the second element of the covenant.
The covenant promise God made to Abraham is recorded in Genesis 12. God told Abraham that He would make of him a great nation: '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' (Genesis 12:2). The Lord also appeared to Abram and promised his descendants a specific land: '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' (Genesis 12:7). The New Testament records the coming of the promised One to Israel: 'He came unto his own, and his own received him not' (John 1:11).
Les Feldick teaches that the Abrahamic covenant was basically three promises, and within those three promises all the other covenants are involved. First, God promised Abraham that out of him would come a nation of people — the nation of Israel. Second, God promised to put that nation in their own geographical area of land, the promised land. Third, because people in a geographical area must have a government, God promised that He Himself would come and be their King in the person of the Messiah, the Christ — and He would also be their Redeemer and Savior. Les emphasizes that this was the whole scope of the Old Testament, with most prophecies written in the future tense as God said, 'I will make of you a great nation.' The covenant also explains why Jesus is called the King of Israel in Matthew's gospel and why He came first to the Jews as the promised Messiah.
According to Les Feldick, the Abrahamic covenant was basically three promises. First, God promised Abraham that out of him would come a nation of people — the nation of Israel. Second, God promised to put that nation in their own geographical area of land, the promised land. Third, because people living in a geographical area need a government, God promised that He Himself would come and be their King and Messiah, and also their Redeemer and Savior. Within these three promises, all the other covenants are involved.
Les Feldick explains that the third part of the Abrahamic covenant was necessary: when you have people in a geographical area, they have to have a government. God promised not just an ordinary government, not even kings such as David and Solomon, but that one day God Himself would become their King in the person of the Messiah, the Christ. This is why Jesus is referred to in Matthew as the King of Israel. The covenant also required the King to be their Redeemer, because there had to be a solution to the sin problem.
Les Feldick teaches that the Abrahamic covenant was the whole scope of the Old Testament. God promised to make of Abraham a great nation, to put that nation in a geographical area of land, and one day to come in the person of the Messiah to be their King. Most of the Old Testament is written in the future tense because these promises were yet to be fulfilled. Israel would become the vehicle through which God would communicate the whole plan of redemption to the human race.
Why Jesus Came to Israel First — Luke 1 Explained
people, these Jews, these Israelites, were not to co-mingle with the Gentiles. They were to be a separated people, see? They were not to intermarry. They were to have nothing to do with those pagan Gentiles around them. They were never told to go and evangelize them. Now keep that in mind, because you see, this is going to carry all the way into the New Testament.
The Three Promises of the Abrahamic Covenant
Les teaches that the Abrahamic covenant consisted of three promises: a nation of people (Israel), a geographical land, and God Himself coming as their King, Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior — with all other covenants involved within these promises.
Three Premises and the King of Israel
Les repeats the three premises of the covenant and explains that God Himself would one day become their King in the person of the Messiah, the Christ — which is why Jesus is called the King of Israel in Matthew.
God's Promise to Abraham in Genesis 12
Les states that in Genesis 12 God promised Abraham: 'I will make of you a great nation, I will put you in a geographical area of land, and one day I will come and be your king and your government.'
Land and Government Necessities
Les explains the logical necessity of each promise: a nation must have land, and people in a land must have government, making the government the third part of the covenant.
The Whole Scope of the Old Testament
Les says the Abrahamic covenant — a nation, a land, and a Messiah-King — was the whole scope of the Old Testament, with God's promises written in the future tense.
The Messiah, King, and Redeemer Promised
Les connects the covenant promise to Jesus: God would come in the person of the Son as Messiah, King, and Redeemer, and He was the minister to the Jews first and foremost.
King and Suffering Savior
Les teaches that the covenant promised a King and Kingdom, but also a suffering Savior — the King had to be the Redeemer because there had to be a solution to the sin problem.
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.
This is God's foundational promise to make Abraham a great nation.
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.
God promises the land to Abraham's descendants.
John 1:11: He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Les Feldick cites this verse to show that the promised Messiah came to His own people, Israel.
God promised Abraham that out of him would come a nation of people, the nation of Israel; that this nation would be put in their own geographical area of land, the promised land; and that God Himself would one day come in the person of the Messiah to be their King, their Redeemer, and their Savior.
Yes. Because people dwelling in their own land need a government, God promised that He Himself would become their King in the person of the Messiah, the Christ. This was not just an ordinary king, but God Himself — and He would also be their Redeemer to solve the sin problem.
God promised to put Abraham's descendants in their own geographical area of land — the promised land as understood in Scripture. Les Feldick notes that this is the land of the nation of Israel, including today's nation of Israel.
Watch the Teaching: Why Jesus Came to Israel First — Luke 1 Explained