The Land God promised Abraham
- Thread starter Dave M
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Dave M
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Joshua 23:14
“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.
Butch5
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That's true. But Moses said that to Israel. That’s not the promise to Abraham. The promise to Abraham wasn't fulfilled. In Acts 7 Strphen says Abraham didn't receive any of it, not even enough to set his foot on
B-A-C
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Well, technically the promise to Abraham was his "descendants" would receive the land. Not Abraham himself. Gen 12:7; Gen 24:7; So the promise was fulfilled.
Dave M
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you know it depends on which translation you use, the king James says seed and it seems to be referring to just one
Gen 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.
and then in Galatians it seems to me Paul defines the seed as Christ
Galatians 3;16
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.
Galatians 3
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
B-A-C
Loyal
That's a good find. I take this to mean Abraham had two sons. (two seeds). But the promise for this particular bit of land ( Canaan )
Was only for Isaac, not Ishmael. The promise was only to one of the seeds, not to both of them.
This is an interesting nuance of the English language. Especially in King James. In modern English I might say something like....
I put bird seed out for the birds. Or... I put grass seed out on my lawn. Does that mean I only put one grain of seed out? Usually not in modern language.
"seed" can be used as singular or plural in modern English.
Butch5
Active
Actually it's not. God said specifically that Abraham would receive it and in Gal. 3:16 Paul said that the promise to Abraham and his. His seed was referring to Christ, not the Israelites.
Butch5
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That's a good point. The Jews understood "seed" in the plural as seeds. This is why they expected to inherit the promises. They thought being the fleshly seed of Abraham guaranteed them the promises that were made to Abraham. We see this with Jesus' statement to Nicodemus. He told Nicodemus that he had to be born again. He said that which is born of the flesh is flesh. Nicodemus thought his birth in the flesh would entitle him to the promises. Jesus corrects that thinking telling him he has to be born again. In other words, being the fleshly offspring of Abraham is not going to again him the promises. The reason is as Paul explains in Galatians 3:16. When God made the promise to Abraham and his seed, He meant seed, singular, not seed plural, and that Seed is Christ. So, the promise wasn't made to all of the fleshly seed of Abraham, It was made to one particular seed and that is Christ. So, anyone who wants to partake of those promises must be "in Christ".
Butch5
Active
@Dave M @B-A-C
Regarding Israel going into the land, it doesn't fulfill the promise to Abraham. In Galatians 3 Paul argues that very point.
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should omake the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ga 3:6–18.
Notice, verse 17, he says the Law which was 430 years later, cannot disannul or add to promise. Then he says if the inheritance came by the Law then it is no longer of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise. So, he argues that Israel entering the land under the Mosaic Law cannot overturn the promise God made to Abraham.
We also know that Israel going into the land didn't fulfill the promise to Abraham from Stephens words in Acts 7
Then said the high priest, Are these things so? 2 And he said,
Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ac 7:1–5.
Stephen says that God promised the land to Abraham and his seed, yet he got none of it. He didn't even get enough to set his foot on. So, this promise has not been fulfilled. The only way God can fulfill this promise is to resurrect Abraham and give him this land as his inheritance. And, as Paul said, if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. The land is the inheritance and Christians will take part in it because they are joint heirs with Christ and are Abraham's seed.
Regarding Israel going into the land, it doesn't fulfill the promise to Abraham. In Galatians 3 Paul argues that very point.
Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should omake the promise of none effect. 18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ga 3:6–18.
Notice, verse 17, he says the Law which was 430 years later, cannot disannul or add to promise. Then he says if the inheritance came by the Law then it is no longer of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise. So, he argues that Israel entering the land under the Mosaic Law cannot overturn the promise God made to Abraham.
We also know that Israel going into the land didn't fulfill the promise to Abraham from Stephens words in Acts 7
Then said the high priest, Are these things so? 2 And he said,
Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ac 7:1–5.
Stephen says that God promised the land to Abraham and his seed, yet he got none of it. He didn't even get enough to set his foot on. So, this promise has not been fulfilled. The only way God can fulfill this promise is to resurrect Abraham and give him this land as his inheritance. And, as Paul said, if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. The land is the inheritance and Christians will take part in it because they are joint heirs with Christ and are Abraham's seed.