In the Old Testament, the reader of Scripture will notice that God entered into a covenant with His creation at various points. God covenanted with the people of Israel on Mount Sanai when He gave them what is commonly referred to as the Law of Moses. Elsewhere, we read of Noah exiting the ark after the flood.
Shortly after Noah stepped onto dry land, God told Noah that He would never again flood the earth. God gave man the rainbow as a sign of God’s covenantal promise. God also entered into a covenant with David. He promised David that David would have a descendant to sit on his throne for all time.
An often overlooked covenant is the covenant by which God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham. A careful look at the covenant is beneficial as it is closely connected to God’s plan of redemption. Moreover, redemption history is saturated with the Gospel. Thus, the reader of Scripture must slow down and see what God had said when He promised the land of Canaan to the father of the faith.
The initial promise
The initial promise concerning the Land Covenant is found in Genesis 12:1-9. Scripture says, “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee… and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came” (KJV, Gen. 12:1,5). At the outset of Abraham’s calling, we see God calling Abraham to a plot of land. God desired to show Abraham the land of Canaan. Shortly after God calls Abraham, we see Abraham stepping out and going to the land which God desired to show him.
Verse six tells us that Abraham passed through the land and went to Sichem, “unto the plain of Moreh” (12:6). The plain of Moreh was likely named after a resident who possibly owned the plain. After Abraham settles down, we read of God visiting with Abraham and telling him, “Unto thy seed will I give this land…” (12:7). The land was not simply promised to Abraham alone but to Abraham’s descendants. In actuality, Abraham did not receive much of the land before he died.
After God revealed Himself to Abraham in the land of Cannan and on the plains of Moreh, Abraham built an altar to honor the Lord. Then, in verse eight, Abraham sets out near Bethel and Ai, which were both in the land of Canaan and closer proximity to Jerusalem. Thus, we see Abraham traversing the land which God had promised him.
The vision
As the story continues, we encounter God telling Abraham, “…Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever” (Gen. 13:14-15). The everlasting nature of the covenant is revealed to us in Genesis 13:14-15. God promised Abraham that his descendants would dwell in the land forever.
After God makes this promise and tells Abraham to lift his eyes to behold the good land, He then tells Abraham to arise and walk through the land. It is essential to recognize that God established the borders for Abraham on that day. God acted as a surveyor and guided Abraham from the east to the west, the north to the south, and deeded the land.
Shortly after, Abraham moved his tent. He went to the plain of Mamre, which was also in the land of Canaan. Here we see Abraham again traversing the land which God had promised. Mamre was an Amorite who owned the plain in which Abraham settled.
Genesis 14:13 tells of the scenario in which Lot was captured, and someone escapes to tell Abraham. The one who escaped was said to have dwelled in the “plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eschol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abraham” (Gen. 14:13). Thus, Abraham settled in a geographical region owned by Mamre. Not only that, but Abraham had developed an allegiance with Mamre and his brothers.
The covenant
In Genesis 15, we read of the way that the promise was for the future. Scripture says, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs…” (Gen. 15:13). Abraham was a pilgrim in the land that God had shown him. Similarly, Abrahams’s immediate descendants would not be given the Land of Promise. Instead, God tells of the slavery in Egypt that would take place over four hundred years before the Israelites would inherit the Promised Land.
Nevertheless, God promises Abraham the land. God tells Abraham that the iniquity of the Amorites is not complete. Thus, God patiently waited for the sin of the Amorites to increase for the Israelites to take over the land. The delayed judgment brought about a delay in the fulfillment of the covenant.
However, God ratifies the covenant by saying, “…Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another…” (Gen. 15:9-10). During the days of Abraham, it was common for two parties to enter into an oath by killing animals by cutting them in two and walking between them. The act was memorable and signified what would happen to the party if he broke the covenant. In other words, if one of the members of the covenant failed to uphold his side of the deal, he would forfeit his life.
But in verse twelve, we read that a deep sleep fell upon Abraham. Shortly after, we are told, “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces” (Gen. 15:17). Notice that Abraham is not present. Instead, he is asleep, and God alone passes through the animal pieces. Thus, God swears by Himself that He will do what He has promised.
The faithfulness of God is on display in the life of Abraham and the life of the Christian. What God has said He will do will surely come to pass.
The reaffirmed covenant
Despite the many instances in which God had reaffirmed the promise, He is not done yet. Scripture says, “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession…” (Gen. 17:8). God promised Abraham all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession. The wording is important and must be reckoned with. The entire land of Canaan is what God promised. The duration of occupancy was for all time.
When Stephen stands before his persecutors in Acts 7:5, he tells of Abraham and the land God promised him and his descendants. The Israelite’s knew the covenantal promise of God and never let it go. Thousands of years later, we see Stephen holding onto the promise of God. What God has promised He will do.
God has promised to give the Spirit and a new heart in the New Covenant. God has promised that He will cause the Christian to walk according to His law. God has also promised that He will not give up on the Christian but that the Holy Spirit guarantees what is to come.
Despite the many failings of the Israelites, God is seen as faithful when one traces the Land Covenant throughout Scripture. The same can be said of the New Covenant. God will accomplish the seemingly impossible.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for Your promises. You have been good to me, and You are worthy of praise. I pray that You would help me understand Your Word and grow my appreciation of You. Cause me to walk in Your ways and obey Your rules. Teach me what it means to be in covenant with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.