The Age of Promise

"He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant."—Psalms 105:8-10

Contributed

The patriarchal age began with the receding of the flood of Noah’s day, when a family of eight souls walked out onto dry land. It ended with the death of Jacob, the last patriarch. It was a unique period of history when the Creator of the universe made an oath to a man. To this day, God has never broken that oath. The best is yet to come when its complete fulfillment will be realized.

In a cave purchased by Abraham can be found the burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. Machpelah, as it is still known, is located in the city of Hebron, a focal point of strife in the Israeli-Arab conflict of today. Throughout the ages Machpelah has survived, sacred to the Jew, and an inspiration in troublous times. It is a reminder of the promise which the Creator of the universe made directly with their fathers.

The Faith of the Fathers

To comprehend the importance of the patriarchal age and its role in God’s plan, we must go back and consider the written record preserved for us of the events after the days of the flood. When the nation of Israel was ready to embark on the conquest of Canaan, Moses reminded them that God’s favor was not because they were a mighty nation (Deut. 7:7, 8). The favor they received was not through their deeds and acts ofrighteousness. No, instead Moses pointed back to the faith of their fathers, the patriarchs, whom God had promised to bless. His oath to their fathers would be kept. God would give them, the descendants, the promised inheritance of the land. The Almighty keeps his promises.

"Pass over Jordan this day to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself . . . the LORD thy God is he which goeth before thee . . . Speak not in thine heart, after the LORD thy God hath cast them out before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land . . . and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (Deut. 9:1-5).

As long as the children of Israel followed the ways of their fathers, the patriarchs, they could expect God’s blessing: "if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, that I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine and thy oil, . . . teach your children . . . that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth. . . . I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God . . . and a curse if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God" (Deut. 11:13-28).

The Patriarchs

The patriarchal age covered 660 years, ending about 3800 years ago. During those 660 years God developed a relationship with a few individuals. The bond became so strong that God made an oath which would affect their descendants forever.

Who were these patriarchs? What did they do to develop such a relationship with the Creator of the universe?

A number of men who lived during the patriarchal age are recorded in Genesis, chapters 10 and 11. Most have been written in history with little significance being given other than that they lived and died. A few names are better known: Noah, Shem, and Melchizedek. The key figures, though, of the patriarchal age are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When we think of the patriarchs, these three stand out as the forefathers of the nation of Israel. To these patriarchs the God of heaven began to reveal his promises and plans which would give hope for the fallen race. With these patriarchs God established a covenant, setting the theme for the rest of the Bible and establishing the groundwork for God’s dealings in the ages to follow.

Abraham

Abraham (known originally as Abram) was told . . . to move to a new land that the Lord would show him. If Abraham would do this, the Lord would not only bless him by making of him a mighty nation but Abraham would be a blessing to other nations. Abraham would be a blessing not only to a few nations in the area but to all the families of the earth. Anyone that would bless Abraham would receive blessing from the Lord. Anyone that would curse Abraham would in return receive cursing from the Lord (Gen. 12:1-3). There is no record of this offer being made to anyone else. It was the beginning of a marvelous friendship. To be called a "friend of God" was an honor above all others. This honor was extended to Abraham: "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God" (James 2:23).

Because of Abraham’s faith in God, it was "counted unto him for righteousness" (Rom. 4:3). This was important. The only way God could deal with him, considering Abraham was still imperfect through the fall of Adam, was for righteousness to be credited to him. There was at that time no other way for him to overcome his hereditary sinful standing before God.

At the age of 75, Abraham gathered his family and possessions and journeyed from Haran toward Canaan (Gen. 12:4). They walked through the plains and arid lands. After arriving in Canaan, their numbers grew. The flocks and herds increased. Abraham became rich in cattle, in silver and in gold—but he had no children, for Sarah, his wife, was barren.

When the group had grown to the point that the land could not support everyone, Abraham realized that there was plenty of land to sustain them if the group divided. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, moved towards Sodom at the foot of the Dead Sea, while Abraham remained in the plains of Mamre, near Hebron (Gen. 13:18). Here Abraham dwelt and entertained travelers as guests.

While he dwelt on the plains of Mamre Abraham became known as a Hebrew (Gen. 14:13); here he waited for a son to be born— and waited—and waited. It was here that the Lord changed his name from Abram to Abraham. It was here that the Lord repeated his promise that he would become the father of many nations. It was here that he entertained three angels on their way to Sodom. It was here that, years later, his wife, Sarah, would die; and it was here that Abraham would purchase the cave of Machpelah to bury his beloved wife.

When Abraham experienced the joy of seeing the birth of his son, Ishmael, it seemed that finally the promise of a seed would be fulfilled. But then came the realization that Ishmael was not to be the promised seed.

Abraham waited in the land of Canaan for 25 years before having the joy of seeing Isaac’s birth and receiving the assurance that this was the legitimate seed. Abraham was now 100 years old (Gen. 21:5). What a delight it must have been to watch Isaac grow up! But the Lord asked Abraham to embark on one more journey, to Mount Moriah. No journey he had ever taken would be more difficult. Each step was a mixture of obedience and heart searching. Why, another man might have thought, had the Lord brought him all the way for this one day . . . a day in which he would be asked to sacrifice his most precious possession, his son?

Abraham and Isaac climbed that mount together and prepared for the sacrifice. Isaac was aware of what was going on and willing to participate to whatever extent expected. The greatest test of obedience ever asked of Abraham stood before him. Would this man of faith be willing to follow the Lord’s instruction—even to the point of sacrificing Isaac?

"And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven and said. . . . Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I see that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. . . . And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice" (Gen. 22:10-18).

Passing this test of obedience, Abraham heard God reiterate the promise of his becoming the father of many nations; and that his seed after him would bless all the world.

Before he died, Abraham gave gifts to Ishmael, his son by Hagar the handmaiden, and to the sons of his concubines, but Isaac was the heir of all that he had (Gen. 25:5). After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. This blessing included a reminder of the oath which God had given to Abraham.

Isaac

"Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws" (Gen. 26:3-5).

Isaac’s servants were very good at digging wells. Wells in strategic locations provided water during the days of Abraham but they had since been plugged and filled in by the Philistines. One well after another was reopened and soon the land began to provide enough water for Isaac’s herds. Surrounding tribes saw Isaac’s prosperity and saw God’s hand blessing him. They became eager to make peace with Isaac.

Years passed and Isaac had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Isaac grew old and his eyesight dimmed. He wished to pass on the blessings which the Lord had given him to the eldest of the twins, Esau. A series of events changed that plan and the blessing intended for Esau went instead to his brother Jacob. This was according to the prophecy made at the birth of the twins (Gen. 25:23).

Jacob’s purchase of the birthright and the later deception to obtain the blessing has often been difficult to understand and appreciate but the Lord honored these experiences by repeating the promise and blessing to Jacob. Jacob

"And Jacob went . . . toward Haran . . . and he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 28:10-14).

Jacob grew in the Lord’s favor. He blessed Jacob in his dealings with his kinsman, Laban, and with Esau. The Lord also changed his name from Jacob to Israel, "A prince of God"—"for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed" (Gen. 32:28).

Jacob had twelve sons. From these sons came the twelve tribes of Israel. Even when the land was faced with drought and others died, the Lord overruled the experiences of Israel and his family to preserve them. The conspiracy of his sons to sell their brother Joseph into slavery eventually provided their means of survival. The Lord kept his promise to Jacob: "I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again unto this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of" (Gen. 28:15).

Before Jacob died in the land of Egypt, he made his son Joseph swear that he would bury him in the cave of Machpelah, the cave Abraham bought for a burying place. Machpelah was the cave where, years earlier, Jacob had buried his father Isaac and his mother Rebecca. Demonstrating his faith in God’s covenant, Jacob wanted to be buried there also. This was done.

The death of Jacob signaled an end to the patriarchal age. After this the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dealt with the twelve tribes as a nation. Everything the Lord did with the children of Israel was based on the original promises and oath made with their fathers.

"Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: . . . the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (Deut. 9:5).

The obedience of the patriarchs under difficult times and unusual circumstances have set us examples. Their faith is an inspiration to cling to the promises God has in reservation for those that love him—promises which have never been broken, nor ever shall be.