Children of the Promise
By David C. Jarnes

A Commentary on the Sabbath School Lesson for January 25–31, 2003, on Genesis 11, 12, and 15

Promises are integral to covenants. At its inception, a covenant consists primarily of promises the parties involved make to each other (note the title of this quarter’s Bible Study Guide: The Promise—God’s Everlasting Covenant).

Promises look to the future; they involve expectation. We speak of the promise inherent in an infant or the beginning of a relationship—kind of the "this could be the start of something big" idea. Other promises involve explicit commitments that are to one degree or another life changing: mortgages, for instance, or marriage vows. Promises are made to establish goals and priorities, to develop focus, and to arouse and sustain hope, which is one of the foundational constituents of Christian life.

This week’s lesson focuses on some of the promises contained in God’s covenants with Abraham. God promised to be a "shield" to him, that all families of the earth would be blessed through him and his descendents, that his offspring would become a "great and mighty nation," and that God would make Abraham’s name great. These promises run as a theme through the Old Testament; it traces them through the stories of Jacob and Joseph and Ruth and David and Nehemiah and Esther and all the rest.

Yet Hebrews 11 explicitly says—twice—that the promises were never really fulfilled:

• All of these [the heroes of the Old Testament] died in faith without having received the promises. (13)1
• All these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised. (39)

When the kingdom of the last two tribes of Israel was collapsing, God promised a new covenant:

I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.…They shall all know me;…I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more. (Jer. 31:33, 34)

Note that the promises of this covenant focus on relationship—belonging, intimacy, grace. Those who accept the terms of the new covenant become, like Abraham, friends of God.

Still Looking

Paul told the believers in Galatia that the promises made to Abraham belong also to Christian believers: "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29; see also verses 14ff).

In a sense, all the promises in the New Testament are new covenant promises. These promises include clothing, food, and drink—all our needs supplied (see Matt. 6:25–34); rest from the burdens of life (see Matt. 11:28–30); peace (see John 14:27); and healing (see James 5:14, 15).

Like the Israelites of old, most of us can tell stories of how we have seen these promises fulfilled. But if we’re honest, we’ll have to admit that the fulfillment hasn’t been complete. Some believers have gone hungry and not had sufficient clothing. They’ve experienced peace and rest, but they’ve continued to know turmoil as well—and pain and doubt, fear and depression. Believers become ill, and, despite desperate prayers for healing, they die.

Paul’s letters admit the incompleteness of our salvation as we experience it in this life:

• We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:22, 23)
• Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Cor. 13:12)

God isn’t particularly intent on giving us a good life here and now. His primary objective is to get into his kingdom as many human beings as he can. The faith chapter in Hebrews reveals this focus: God’s covenant with Abraham promised a home for Israel in Canaan. However, ultimately, Abraham "looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Heb. 11:10). And although Jesus said, "’I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly,’" he also said, "’Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it’" (John 10:10; Matt. 10:39).

Certainly, when we become believers, our lives become better, more satisfying, and in many ways more enjoyable here and now. But the new covenant promises await Christ’s Second Coming and the full restoration of God’s kingdom for their complete fulfillment.

I saw a new heaven and a new earth.…"See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have all passed away." (Rev. 21:1, 3, 4)

Notes and References

1. All Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version.

Consider This

1. Does God always keep his promises? How do conditional promises fit into the picture? What are some of the conditions? How does one distinguish between conditional and unconditional promises?
2. Can Christians expect complete physical healing in this life? How about complete healing of emotional ills? Relational problems? Spiritual faults?
3. Would you agree or disagree with the following statement: The degree of confidence with which we regard a promise depends on our faith/trust in the ability and intentions of the one making the promise. What does this statement imply for living as a Christian?
4. On what basis do you trust God’s promises? Is trust/faith solely dependent upon God and his actions or can individual believers "grow" their trust to some degree? If the latter is true, how can believers grow their trust?

5. Do you agree with the point made in the commentary above that God is concerned primarily with life beyond the Second Coming? Why do you agree or disagree? If that point is true, how should that orientation affect how believers live now?

EMAIL THIS ARTICLE