The story of Abraham is the story of a covenant—a relationship between God and humanity which evolved and grew as Abram experienced more of life and continued to reach upward.
This week, we will study events from Abraham’s life from age 75 through 89, including his sojourn in Egypt, the battle to rescue his nephew Lot, and the birth of his son, Ishmael. But all of these stories form the backdrop to a series of conversations in which God offers expansive promises to Abraham and helps him understand them. Here is a diagram illustrating the recurring and central nature of these divine covenant conversations (blue signifies an event, yellow a conversation between Abraham and God):
The Abrahamic covenant has been traditionally explained in contractual terms, often with alliterative blessings such as property, posterity, and priesthood. But the Genesis account describes something more personal. God has immeasurable blessings in store for Abraham which He gradually reveals as Abraham becomes more capable of understanding. Those promises also test Abraham’s faith as the challenges of daily life accumulate. But God continually reminds Abraham that His perspective is far greater than Abraham’s:
And [God] brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:5-6
This week, as we study Genesis 12-17 and Abraham 1-2, let’s learn from Abraham how we can deepen our relationship with God and our appreciation for His precious promises.
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