There's More

Genesis 23-24

In these chapters the story of God's promise to make Abraham a great nation is developed as he buys a tiny piece of the land of Canaan (Genesis 23) and as he sends his servant to find a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24), through whom the covenant offspring will be established (Genesis 17:19). To be a great nation would involve both a land to live in and a lot of descendants to populate it. But it's not just all about these physical aspects of the blessing.

Firstly, it's not just about the physical land of Canaan.

Though God did promise the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants as an "everlasting possession" (Genesis 17:8), and though Abraham does purchase a piece of this land as a burial place for his wife, Sarah,  (Genesis 23:17-20), Abraham lived his whole life as "a sojourner and foreigner" the land of Canaan (Genesis 23:4).

And even when Israel was living in the promised land, in the golden age of King David, they were considered, in one sense to still be "sojourners". In 1 Chronicles 29:15, king David prayed as follows:

"For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding" (ESV).

In this we note that even in the promised land it was about something more than the physical land.

Hebrews 11:9-10 says of Abraham, that '[9] By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. [10] For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God' (ESV). This is telling us that there was more to the land promised by God than just the physical territory of Canaan. The land was a metaphor of the heavenly dwelling of God. The letter to the Hebrews will further tells us that the city that Abraham was "looking forward to" was “the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22), “the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). Compare  “the new Jerusalem” of the book of Revelation 21:2 – 4, 9 – 27.

Secondly, it's not just about the physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac.

Throughout the chapters of Genesis we have already looked at there is mention of how Abraham will become "a great nation" (Genesis 12:2) and also that though Abraham "all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). In Genesis 15:5, God promises that Abraham will have an uncountable number of offspring. In Genesis 17:4, God promises that Abraham will "be the father of a multitude of nations". The plan of God was to bless more than just the physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac. God's plan included the blessing of all nations.

And thirdly, it's not just about the many, it's also about the One.

In Genesis 22:17, God promises that through Isaac He will "multiply" the offspring of Abraham "as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore". Then God focuses the promise on the One saying, "and your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies".

In Genesis 24:60, God links Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, to this same focus from the many to the One. This focus from the many to the One is seen in the words used by Rebekah's family to bless her as she leaves to go with the servant of Abraham. They said:

"Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him."

In God's promises to Abraham He used the word "offspring" or seed or zerah in Hebrew. (Genesis 12:7; 17:7-8.)  This word, "offspring" is also there in those promises concerning Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 22:17; 24:6). This word, "offspring", can be understood as both plural (referring to many descendants) and as singular (referring to the One). The Apostle Paul picks up the possibility of a dual meaning in the word "offspring" (seed, zerah), and in Galatians 3:16, Paul refers this word, "offspring" to Christ. He wrote:

'[16] Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ.

The promises of God to Abraham are ultimately about Jesus, the One who wants to bless all nations and take all who believe in Him to heaven.