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Imagine your family announces you're moving tomorrow. You're leaving your school, your friends, your house and your town. Where are you going? You'll find out when you get there.
How would you feel? Probably the biggest question wouldn't be "Where?" but "Who?" Can you trust the person leading you? That is exactly what God asked a 75-year-old man called Abram to do. And the promise God made him is the one the rest of the Old Testament is built on.
What you'll learn
- The three parts of God's promise to Abraham: a people, a land and a blessing
- What it means that Abraham "believed the LORD" and was counted right with God
- How Jesus brings Abraham's blessing to the whole world, including you
The call: a people, a land, a blessing
After the flood, people still turned away from God. At Babel they tried to build a tower and make a great name for themselves (Genesis 11). Then God chose one man, Abram (later renamed Abraham), and promised to make his name great:
"Then the LORD said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.’" (Genesis 12:1–3)
God's promise has three parts, and each one seemed impossible:
| Promise | What God says | Why it seemed impossible |
|---|---|---|
| A people | He will make Abram into a great nation. | Abram's wife Sarai couldn't have children (Genesis 11:30). |
| A land | He will give Abram's family a land (Genesis 12:7). | Other nations already lived there. Abram didn't own any of it. |
| A blessing | All the families of the earth will be blessed through him. | One old man with no children, blessing the whole world? |
Look closely at the last line of the promise: "all the families of the earth". God's plan was never just for one nation. Abraham's family was chosen to be the way God's blessing would reach everyone, and that includes people in Australia today.
Count the stars
Years went by, and Abram still had no child. He was getting older, and he was worried. So he told God honestly about his doubts (Genesis 15:2–3). God didn't tell him off. Instead, he took him outside at night:
"And the LORD took him outside and said, ‘Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.’ Then He told him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:5–6)
Picture it: no city lights, just a sky packed with stars. That's how many descendants God promised.
"Believed" means Abram trusted God's promise, even though nothing had changed yet. "Credited to him as righteousness" is like money being put into a bank account. Abram didn't earn it by being good. God counted him right with himself because he trusted the promise.
And Abram was far from perfect. He lied about his wife to save his own skin (Genesis 12:10–20), and he tried to get a child his own way instead of waiting for God (Genesis 16). He was made right with God by faith, not by a perfect record. That is very good news for the rest of us.
Only God walks through
Abram asked God, "How can I know?" So God told him to prepare an ancient covenant ceremony (Genesis 15:9–21). Animals were cut in half and the halves laid out in two rows. In those days, the people making a covenant would walk between the pieces, as if to say, "May this happen to me if I break my promise."
But Abram fell into a deep sleep. A smoking firepot and a flaming torch, signs of God's presence, passed between the pieces alone (Genesis 15:17). God was putting himself on the line. The promise depended on him, not on Abram.
So did God keep it?
| Promise | How God kept it |
|---|---|
| A people | Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 (Genesis 21). Later, Israel grew into a great nation in Egypt (Exodus 1:7). |
| A land | Under Joshua, Israel entered the land (Joshua 21:43–45). |
| A blessing for all nations | Jesus is "the son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1). Through him, people from every nation are blessed. |
Abraham waited 25 years for his son. God's promises sometimes take time, but he has never failed to keep one.
The promise chain: link 3
| Who? | What did God promise? | Sign | Fulfilled in Jesus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham | A people, a land and a blessing for all nations (Genesis 12:1–3). | The stars; God passing between the pieces (later, circumcision, Genesis 17). | Through Jesus, people from every nation are blessed and join Abraham's family by faith. |
Key words
- Faith: trusting God and what he has promised.
- Righteousness: being right with God.
- Credited: counted or put to someone's account, like money paid into a bank.
- Descendants: children, grandchildren and everyone after them in a family line.
How this points to Jesus
Paul says that when God promised Abraham a blessing for all nations, he was announcing the gospel ahead of time:
"The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’" (Galatians 3:8)
Jesus is the descendant of Abraham through whom that blessing comes. Paul goes further: anyone who belongs to Jesus becomes part of Abraham's family (Galatians 3:29), whatever country or background they come from.
Think about it
Why do you think God told Abram to look at the stars instead of just saying "lots of children"?Show answer
The stars gave Abram a picture he could see and remember every night. It made the size of God's promise real to him.
Is it OK to tell God honestly when you have doubts?Show answer
Abram's story suggests it is. He told God his worries, and God answered with patience and a reminder of his promise, not anger.
Why does it matter that only God walked between the pieces?Show answer
It shows the promise depended completely on God. Even when Abraham failed, God's promise could not fail.
Take it further
Is there something you're waiting for right now, something that feels like it's taking forever? This week, think about Abraham waiting 25 years, and what it might look like to trust God while you wait. Your worksheet helps you unpack the three promises and add the next link to your promise chain.
If you'd like to, you could pray:
God, thank you that you put yourself on the line to keep your promises. Thank you that we can be right with you by trusting you, not by being perfect. Help me to trust you when I'm waiting. Amen.