Son Of Abraham

Son of Abraham

From the first pages of the Bible, God makes promises in regard to the “offspring” or “descendants” of his people. Following Adam’s sin, he said to Satan, “I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring” (Genesis 3:15). But then the one son of Adam and Eve who seemed to be the offspring through whom salvation would come was killed! And by the time of Noah, the whole world was corrupt. Even then, there was still hope for the world through this one family. But following the Flood, Noah’s family became involved in sin too, which brought another curse on them and their descendants.

Later God renewed his promise to bring salvation through a future generation when he made a covenant with Abram. But Abram endangered the purity of his wife and their offspring by giving her to two pagan kings (Genesis 12, 20). He also attempted to raise up a descendant through his wife’s servant, Hagar (Genesis 16), but the child of that union was not God’s promised heir. Later, the chosen offspring seemed to be in jeopardy when God called Abraham to sacrifice his son. But God’s promise prevailed.

The descendants of Abraham proved, however, to be a sinful lot. Isaac did everything he could to reverse God’s choice of Jacob over Esau. Jacob was a deceiver and a rascal. Jacob ended up with twelve sons, who were not only willing to kill one another (as they were intending to do to Joseph) but were also willing to intermingle with the Canaanites, as Judah, the designated one through whom the Savior would come, did (Genesis 38:1-2).

Left to themselves, Abraham’s descendants would have either killed each other off or intermingled with the heathen around them until there was no distinct line of Abraham through whom God’s salvation would be accomplished. In order for God to bring about Israel’s salvation and blessings, along with those of the world, it would have to come about through a very special offspring, because thus far the next generation always multiplied the sins of their ancestors. Israel’s hope was in a very special Son. “God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say ‘to his children,’ as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says ‘to his child’—and that, of course, means Christ” (Galatians 3:16).

Blessed Descendant of Abraham, because of you, Abraham’s blessings have become my blessings. I am grafted in to your family through faith.