Genesis 13:14-18
Categories: Bible Study LessonsTHE LAND PROMISE
In ch. 12:1 God had sent Abraham to the land of Canaan but here He promises the land to Abraham and to his seed. Coupled with this is a promise that the heirs of Abraham would be so numerous that they could not be numbered.
The primary audience was the children of Israel out in the wilderness. They needed a home and they needed to hear that God had long since promised and prepared one. As the generations went by and nations threatened Israel, they could look back at this promise and take comfort.
One great recurring theme of the Old Testament is that God keeps His promises even if they take hundreds of years to fulfill (Josh. 21:43). This is especially important for Christians as we wait for the resurrection (1 Thess. 4:16-18). Since Christians are not to appeal to the old law for authority (Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14) the question is often asked, “What is the purpose of the Old Testament for us today?” According to Rom. 15:4 the Old Testament gives us hope. We see from the Old Testament that God remembers and keeps His promises and that causes us to have hope in the promises yet to be fulfilled (2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 3:2; John 14:2; Rev. 21:3-7). We can trust God to remember us.