What Was God’s Promise to Abraham? - Simple Answer
What was God’s 3-Part Promise to Abraham (Abram)?
In the Book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible), God made a 3-fold promise to a man named Abraham (previously Abram). This promise is extremely important to the overarching story of the Bible, and its fulfillment spanned multiple centuries.
You can read about God’s promises to Abraham in Genesis 12, 15, 17, and 22.
Genesis 12:2-3 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 17:8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
Gen 22:17-18 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
God’s promises consisted of at least 3 parts:
Part 1. Giving Abraham and son and multiplying his offspring into a great nation of people.
Part 2. Giving Abraham’s descendants the land of Canaan as a homeland.
Part 3. Blessing all the nations of the earth through Abraham’s descendants.
One important thing to remember is that all 3 parts of this promise weren’t fulfilled in Abraham’s lifetime.
The first part of the promise did come to pass in Abraham’s days, when God gave Abraham and his wife a son, Isaac.
The second part of the promise wouldn’t be fulfilled for 4 centuries. God gave the Israelites (the name given to Abraham’s descendants) the land of Canaan after they left Egyptian slavery.
The third part of God’s promise wasn’t fulfilled for more than 1,000 years. God blessed all nations of the earth through Abraham’s family by causing the Savior, Jesus, to be born from a descendant of Abraham. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world thereby blessing all nations with grace and the opportunity to have eternal life with God.
So, as you read the through the Book of Genesis and read about God making promises to Abraham, know that those promises are vital to understanding the rest of the Bible. Make a note of them and store them away in your brain so you can reference back to them later.
