|
God told Abraham, the father of the Jewish race, to leave
the land of his birth, and go and live in Canaan, and also
promised him that he and his family would inherit the land
for ever. Stephen related this at his trial before the Jewish
leaders:
"The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while
he was still in Mesopotamia [modern Iraq], before he lived
in Haran. 'Leave your country, and your people', God said,
'and go to the land I will show you.' So he left the land
of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of
his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.
He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground.
But God promised him that he and his descendants after him
would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had
no child." (Acts 7:2-5).
Abraham's family grew into the nation of Israel, and under
Moses they left Egypt and made their way under God's guidance
to Canaan. But the promise to Abraham was conditional upon
obedience to God. Israel were disobedient and so they lost
their land. After being taken into captivity by the Assyrians
and the Babylonians, their land was occupied successively
by the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans, and the Jews were
dispersed to the four corners of the world. The Promised Land
remained desolate for centuries (see Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew
23:37-39).
The promise was made to Abraham as an individual, and it is
also everlasting. To be fulfilled entirely, Abraham and his
family will have to be raised from the dead, and occupy the
land in willing obedience to God. Furthermore, the promise
to Abraham is extended in Christ to all who have the same
faith as Abraham, and the boundaries of the land extended
to cover the whole world: "He [God] redeemed us in order
that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles
through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the
promise of the Spirit." (Galatians 3:14; see also Hebrews
11:8-16,39-40).
|
Pagan
Parable
Paradise
New Testament references to
paradise
Passover
1. The first Passover
2. Old Testament Passover feasts
3. Jesus and the Passover
Pastor
Patriarch
Peace
Pentateuch
Perfect, Perfection
Pharisee
Power of God
Prayer
Preach
Predestination
Priest
1. The Mosaic priesthood
2. Pagan priests
3. Christian priesthood
4. Priests in the age to come
Promise
Promised Land
Prophet, Prophecy
Pure
|
