The Abrahamic covenant is important because it is God's unbreakable, foundational promise to Abraham guaranteeing a nation (Israel), a land, and the Messiah-King — and everything in Scripture's later history builds on it.
In Genesis 12:1-3 God makes a covenant with Abraham that originates and ends in God, and therefore can never be broken, invalidated, or rescinded (Clip 1). The covenant is three promises: out of Abraham would come a nation of people, they would be put into a geographical land, and God would come as their King, Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior (Clip 7). Les Feldick shows that everything up through the Gospels and into Acts is based on this covenant (Clip 4), and that Israel was chosen as the vehicle through which God would bring redemption to the whole human race (Clip 3).
Genesis 12:1-3 — This is the foundational passage where God makes the Abrahamic covenant with Abram, promising a great nation, a land, and blessing to all families of the earth.
Genesis 22:18 — God repeats the promise that in Abraham's seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.
Exodus 2:24 — God's remembrance of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob demonstrates that the covenant remains active and central long after Abraham's lifetime.
In Genesis 12:1-3, God speaks to Abram after commanding him to leave his country and kindred, and 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.' The passage also includes the promise that 'in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.' The covenant promise is reaffirmed later. In Genesis 22:18 God tells Abraham, 'And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.' The Bible shows God acting on this promise in later history. In Exodus 2:24, after Israel groans under Egyptian bondage, 'God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.' This demonstrates that the Abrahamic covenant remains a living promise that God Himself remembers and honors.
Les Feldick identifies Genesis 12:1-3 as the Abrahamic covenant and explains that a covenant, by definition, is an agreement that originates and ends in God. Even though it is made with man, since God is its author and finisher, it never becomes invalid, broken, or rescinded regardless of what man does (Clip 1). He emphasizes that God made this covenant with Abram when Abram was already about 80 years old and still childless (Clip 2). Les summarizes the covenant as three basic promises: first, out of Abraham would come a nation of people, the nation of Israel; second, God would place that nation in a geographical area of land — the promised land; and third, because people need government, God would come and be their King, Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior (Clip 7). He teaches that all the other covenants are involved within these three promises (Clip 7), and that the logical chain is a nation needs land, and people in a land need a government (Clip 6). Les also stresses the covenant's ongoing significance. Everything happening up through the Gospels and well into the book of Acts is based on the Abrahamic covenant (Clip 4). God's purpose was to bring a nation of people totally different from any other race on earth — Israel — to serve as the vehicle through which God would communicate and bring about the whole plan of redemption to the whole human race (Clip 3). The promise that 'in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed' belongs to this covenant and is connected with Abraham's obedience (Clip 5).
The Abrahamic covenant is basically three promises. First, out of Abraham would come a nation of people — the nation of Israel. Second, when that nation of people comes into being, God will place them in their own geographical area of land, the promised land — what today is the nation of Israel. Third, since people in a geographical area need a government, God Himself would come and be their King and Messiah, and also their Redeemer and Savior (Clip 7). Les points out the internal logic: you cannot have a nation without land, and once you have people in a geographical area, they must have a government (Clip 6). He adds that within these three promises all the other covenants are involved (Clip 7).
Les teaches that a covenant, by definition, is an agreement that originates and ends in God. Even though it is made with man — in this case Abraham — and falls into the nation of Israel, since God is the one who originates and completes it, it never becomes invalid, is never broken, and never is rescinded (Clip 1). God's remembrance of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Clip 4) shows that God moved in history according to His own prophetic utterances given to Abraham.
God brought one man, Abraham, out of Ur of the Chaldeans to make of him a nation of people totally different from any other race on earth. That nation, Israel, would be the vehicle through which God would communicate and bring about the whole plan of redemption to the whole human race (Clip 3). The covenant also included the promise that 'in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,' a promise Les connects with Abraham's obedience (Clip 5).
Les emphasizes that everything happening up through the Gospels and well into the book of Acts is based on the Abrahamic covenant (Clip 4). That covenant promised a great nation, a geographical area, and a king — and the King is the Son of God, the Messiah (Clip 4). Israel's expectation of her Messiah, and the preaching that followed, was God moving according to His covenant with Abraham.
The covenant promises were not fulfilled instantly. Abram is 86 years old when Ishmael is born, and he will be 100 when Isaac — the promised son — is born (Clip 0). This timeline shows that God's covenant purpose moves on a long timetable, yet it remains certain.
The Long Timeline to Isaac
Les notes that Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born and 100 when Isaac was born, demonstrating that God's covenant promise works on a long human timeline.
A Covenant That Originates and Ends in God
Les defines the Abrahamic covenant as an agreement originating and ending in God, so no human action can invalidate, break, or rescind it.
Genesis 12:2-3 as the Abrahamic Covenant
Les identifies Genesis 12:2-3 as the Abrahamic covenant and notes God gave it to Abram when he was old and childless, making it a promise resting entirely on God.
Israel as the Vehicle of Redemption
Les explains that God promised Abraham a unique nation — Israel — that would be the vehicle through which God brings redemption to the whole human race.
The Covenant Basis of the Gospels and Acts
Les teaches that everything in the Gospels and Acts is based on the Abrahamic covenant, especially the promise that God would provide a King — the Son of God, the Messiah.
All Nations Blessed in Abraham's Seed
Les connects the Abrahamic covenant with the promise that in Abraham's seed all nations will be blessed, and he traces the covenant line from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob.
Nation, Land, and Government
Les explains the covenant's logic: a nation requires land, and people in a land require a government — the three parts of the Abrahamic covenant.
The Three Promises of the Covenant
Les summarizes the Abrahamic covenant as three promises — a nation (Israel), a geographical land, and God Himself as King, Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior — and says all other covenants are involved within these.
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 original statement of the Abrahamic covenant, which Les identifies as the foundational promise God makes to Abram.
Genesis 22:18: And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
God repeats the covenant promise that all nations will be blessed through Abraham's seed.
Exodus 2:24: And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
God's later remembrance of the covenant shows that the Abrahamic promise continues to drive His dealings with Israel.
The Abrahamic covenant is important because it is the foundational, unbreakable promise God made to Abraham — a nation (Israel), a land, and a King-Messiah who would be Redeemer and Savior (Clip 7). Since it originates and ends in God, it can never be broken or rescinded (Clip 1), and everything in the Gospels and Acts is based on it (Clip 4).
The covenant consists of three promises: out of Abraham would come a nation of people — the nation of Israel; God would place them in a geographical area of land; and because people need government, God would come as their King, Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior (Clip 7). All the other covenants are involved within these three promises (Clip 7).
No. Les Feldick teaches that a covenant is by definition an agreement that originates and ends in God. Since God originates and completes it, regardless of what man does, it never becomes invalid, is never broken, and never is rescinded (Clip 1).
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