The Abrahamic Promise: The Life of Abraham

How do the elements of the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 play out in the life of Abraham in Genesis?


We can see the element is the promises of Genesis 12:1-3 played out in Abraham’s life is not only restoring what he lost but bettering it. God promised that he would make Abraham a great nation. 

We see this in an obvious way through the promised seed of Issac's, but also in the child Ishmael. Interestingly, by following God Abraham lost the nation that he was a part of, but he gains a great nation that was called his own.

God promised to bless Abraham. Even though he left what he knows to follow God, he gained multiples more in his obedience that those could have been his if he had not been obedient,

God promised to make his name great. Abraham left Ur as an unknown man named Abram, but God prospered His name among the nations and even gave him a new name.

God promised Abraham he would be a blessing. God not only promised Abraham blessing but that he would be a blessing to others. We can easily see this in his aid to Lot on multiple occasions. But this would ultimately culminate in the promised Seed.

We should also note that Abraham was a part of the fulfillment of the promise made to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:18). 

God, “contrasts this five-fold use of “bless(ing)” with the five-fold use of “curse” in Genesis 1–11” (Hamilton p. 82)

God’s plan was still on track, as we shall see, and He would begin again to show us pictures of the redemption that He would accomplish through His Son. This will be seen in the promised played out to the direct lineage of Abraham.

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