Dispensation of Promise
For reasons that are
unknown to us, God chose Abraham for blessing and called out
to him while he was living in Ur of Chaldeans. It may have
been because Abraham lived more righteously than those
around him. He may have been chosen because God knew that he
would respond positively in faith. Or there may any number
of other reasons that we simply don’t know.
In this dispensation
God begins to work with a group that doesn’t encompass all
of humanity. While Noah was singled out, the covenant to him
did not begin until he represented all of humanity. Now God
has chosen to work specifically with Abraham and his
descendents to the exclusion of other people.
The Abrahamic Covenant
is first given in Genesis 12:1-4 but is confirmed multiple
times to Abraham and his descendents. As it is confirmed, it
is fleshed out more. There are three major promises made in
the Abrahamic Covenant. The first is that Abraham would be
made into a great nation. This promise is made all the more
significant when we remember that Abraham’s wife Sarah was
barren.
The second promise is
actually a series of promises made personally to Abraham. He
would be the father of numerous descendants. (This is
different from a great nation as Abraham was the father of
Ishmael and grandfather to Esau, both of whom grew into
nations as well but not the great nation which God would
specifically bless.) Abraham would also have his name be
made great, be blessed by God, and be a blessing to other
people.
The third promise of
the Abrahamic Covenant is to the Gentiles. While the
dispensation applies to Abraham and his descendants, part of
the covenant that God makes with Abraham applies to all
other nations. Those who bless Abraham and will be blessed
and those who curse him would be cursed. Even more important
is that all nations on earth would be blessed through
Abraham.
The Palestinian
Covenant is given after the giving of the law. It is found
in Deuteronomy 28-30, being summarized in 30:1-9. While it
takes place in the dispensation of law, it is not really a
new covenant so much as another confirmation and expansion
of the promise of land given to Abraham. This reinforces the
idea that new dispensations do not do away with what God has
shown man in the past, it simply adds to it.
The Palestinian Covenant promises dispersion for
disobedience, that Israel would repent while in dispersions,
that the land would be restored to them, that God would
circumcise their hearts, that Israel’s enemies would be
judged, and that the nation would return to national
prosperity. While Israel was promised the land of Canaan and
this covenant promises their return after disobedience, at
no point has Israel ever possessed all of the land that God
promised them in Number 34:1-12. This promise it still in
the future.
The dispensation of
promise ended in failure because of a lack of faith. There
were no requirements for the Israelites other than to trust
God and they couldn’t even do this. Abraham responded in
faith when God told him to leave the land of Ur. He
responded in great faith when he offered his son Isaac as a
sacrifice before God stopped him. The people became a great
nation by virtue of the fact that God had promised Abraham
this. But they took it for granted. They did not wish to
follow Moses when it was time to leave Egypt and did not
support him when he confronted Pharoah. They grumbled
against God when they wandered in the wilderness, not
trusting that God had led them there for a purpose. And they
failed to believe that God had given them the land of Canaan
and cowered in fear at the report that the land was full of
giants. Even after that generation had died off, the
Israelites still did not take all of the land that God had
promised them and began to make compromises with the
idolatrous inhabitants of Canaan.
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