deemer. It is all and entirely of grace through faith. First of all, God promised to make Abraham a great nation. In Genesis 14:13 we find him described as a Hebrew. This is the first instance where a man is called a Hebrew. In John 8 we have Christ facing His adversaries, the people of Israel. They readily testified “We be Abra ham’s children.” It is true that Israel was not the only nation to come from Abraham (Genesis 17:5). He is the father of many nations. Genesis 17:21 clearly reveals that “In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, was the son of Isaac. The second promise was for bless ing to those who blessed Abraham and his seed, or cursing likewise for those who cursed them. History re cords that when a nation persecutes the Jews, it eventually experiences the wrath of God. God has preserved the Jew in a miraculous way through all kinds of unbelievable persecution. The Scriptures cannot be broken. The third promise concerns the fact that through Abraham all fami lies of the earth are to be blessed. Many great scientists have been Jews. Think as an example, of the field of medicine. In the arts there are many Jewish musicians, poets, and com posers. The same is true in every area: philosophy, psychology, and business. Many Jews have made real contributions to the benefit of man kind. These are nothing at all, how ever, considering the greatest bless ing from Israel, namely the Messiah of the world, Jesus Christ. The Sav iour Himself said, “Salvation is o f the Jews.” While it is not for the Jew alone (John 3 :16), it is the human source of ultimate blessing. Remember that the Bible has told us that the Redeemer would be of the seed of a woman (Genesis 3:15). Through His virgin birth salvation is for all the world today.
Chapter Three As we continue along the “Bible Road to Bethlehem,” we find that God identifies the tribe from which the Redeemer would come (Gen. 49:8-10). What a wonderful promise this is. God had told Abraham that the Messiah would come through Isaac. Abraham sent for a bride for Isaac. He did not want his son mar rying one of the wicked daughters of Canaan. The story of Rebekah’s selection is probably one of the best- known love stories in the Old Testa ment. A prophecy was given to Re- bekah when she was about to bear children (Gen. 25:23). God told her she had two nations in her womb. One would be stronger, and the old er would serve the younger. This was literally brought to pass in the birth of Esau and Jacob. As the boys grew to manhood, Jacob stole the birthright of his brother Esau. In anger, Esau determined to kill his brother. To escape such retribution, Jacob ran away to his mother’s old home and to Laban. On the way he stopped to rest (Gen. 28:10). God then appeared to him. He had used stones for a pillow. In his dream he saw a ladder set up on the earth. The top of it reached to heaven and he saw the angels of God ascending and descending on it. When the Lord appeared, He repeated His covenant to Jacob. God simply reaffirms His infallible promises (Gen. 28:15). Years later, when Jacob returned to the land, God again appeared to him with a reminder of the fact that He had made this covenant with him, and that He would fulfill it to the letter on his behalf. It was here that he wrestled a man until the going down of the sun. Jacob’s hip was touched in such a way that he be came lame. He acknowledged that the One with whom he had wrestled was none other than God Himself. Jacob, of course, had twelve sons. Before he died, he gathered them all around him. All of them had brought Page 13
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