Topical Bible: Covenant: Abraham

◄ Covenant: Abraham ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The Abrahamic Covenant is a foundational element in biblical theology, representing God's promises to Abraham and his descendants. This covenant is pivotal in understanding the unfolding narrative of redemption throughout Scripture. It is first introduced in Genesis 12:1-3, where God calls Abram (later named Abraham) to leave his country and promises to make him a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. The covenant is further elaborated in Genesis 15 and 17.

Genesis 12:1-3 :
"The LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your kindred, and your father’s house to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.'"

Key Elements of the Abrahamic Covenant:

1. Land: God promises Abraham a specific land for his descendants. This promise is reiterated in Genesis 15:18-21, where God makes a covenant with Abram, stating, "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates."

2. Descendants: God assures Abraham that he will have numerous descendants. Despite Abraham and Sarah's old age and Sarah's barrenness, God promises that Abraham's offspring will be as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5).

3. Blessing and Redemption: The covenant includes a promise of blessing not only for Abraham and his descendants but also for all nations through him. This is seen as a foreshadowing of the coming Messiah, through whom all nations would be blessed.

4. Sign of the Covenant: In Genesis 17, God establishes circumcision as the sign of the covenant between Him and Abraham's descendants. Genesis 17:10-11 states, "This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and you."

5. Everlasting Covenant: The covenant is described as everlasting, indicating its perpetual significance and fulfillment through the lineage of Abraham, ultimately culminating in Jesus Christ, as noted in the New Testament.

Theological Significance:

The Abrahamic Covenant is central to the biblical narrative, establishing the framework for God's redemptive plan. It underscores God's sovereignty, faithfulness, and grace. The covenant is unconditional, relying solely on God's promise and faithfulness, rather than human merit or action. This covenant is seen as a precursor to the New Covenant established through Jesus Christ, who is a descendant of Abraham and the ultimate fulfillment of the promise that "all the families of the earth will be blessed" through him.

The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, emphasizes the importance of the Abrahamic Covenant in understanding salvation by faith. In Galatians 3:7-9 , Paul writes, "Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."

The Abrahamic Covenant remains a testament to God's unchanging nature and His commitment to His promises, serving as a cornerstone for the faith of believers throughout history.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 12:1-3
Now the LORD had said to Abram, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you:
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am your shield, and your exceeding great reward.
Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 17:1-22
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be you perfect.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 6:4-8
And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
Nave's Topical Index

Psalm 105:8-11
He has remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
Nave's Topical Index

Romans 9:7-13
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall your seed be called.
Nave's Topical Index

Galatians 3:1
O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Both Covenants were Prefigured in Abraham, and in the Labour of ...
... Christ [4142] is the chief corner-stone" sustaining all things); and He gathered
into the one faith of Abraham those who, from either covenant, are eligible ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxv both covenants were prefigured.htm

Of God's Attestation to Abraham, by which He Assures Him, when Now ...
... And what does the term new covenant imply but the revealing of the old? The laughter
of Abraham is the exultation of one who rejoices, not the scornful ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 26 of gods attestation to.htm

From Abraham to Egypt.
... (3) God makes a covenant with Abraham, ch.15. ... God often repeats his covenant and
promises with Abraham, Gen.12:1-7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-8; 18:18; 22:16-18. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter iv from abraham to.htm

The Covenant of Grace
... When the Lord told Abraham that he would enter into a covenant with him, Abraham
fell upon his face, as being amazed that the God of glory should bestow such a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/1 the covenant of grace.htm

Here Followeth the Life of Abraham
... Yet said God to Abraham: And thou shalt keep thy covenant to me, and thine heirs
after thee in their generations, and this shall be the covenant that ye shall ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/here followeth the life of.htm

What is Meant by Abraham's Marrying Keturah after Sarah's Death.
... her sons also signify the carnal people who think they belong to the new covenant?
For both are called both the wives and the concubines of Abraham; but Sarah ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 34 what is meant by.htm

Of the Meaning of the Sacrifice Abraham was Commanded to Offer ...
... And then the covenant made with Abraham particularly sets forth the land of Canaan,
and names eleven tribes in it from the river of Egypt even to the great ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 24 of the meaning of.htm

The Uses of the Law
... He declares that God made a covenant of grace with Abraham long before the law was
given on Mount Sinai; that Abraham was not present at Mount Sinai, and that ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the uses of the law.htm

The Other Passages of Scripture which they Employ to Defend their ...
... but call to remembrance that covenant in which their most merciful Father undertakes
to be kind and propitious to them for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ...
/.../of prayer--a perpetual exercise of faith/chapter 25 the other passages.htm

Christians, and not Jews, the Heirs of the Covenant.
... 1638] [his hands], that this people should be first, and heir of the covenant. If
then, still further, the same thing was intimated through Abraham, we reach ...
/.../barnabas/the epistle of barnabas /chapter xiii christians and not jews.htm