But with Abraham, the expectation of the “seed” became the all-prevailing chief thought.
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, And to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one, And to your seed, that ids Christ. (Gal 3:16)
The prevailing thought of the Patriarch’s life “the expectation of the seed” which occupies scarcely little of his personal life, but almost exclusively, in nearly every chapter, with his expectation of the promised heir. The sight of Messiah’s day was the summit of his life.. The Lord Jesus in the N.T speaks of the joy of Abraham.
“Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56)
What most remarkable point about Abraham’s faith, is that he looked forward to Jesus’s day Hebrews reminds us Ch11:13
all these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance
We on the other hand look back and see the whole outcome of that faith secured for us at Calvary, we are a privileged people in that we can see the complete plan of salvation recorded for us in Scripture. Abraham only had a veiled view and yet had tremendous faith to believe.
Although the promise of blessing to Abraham was given in Gen Ch.12 and re-confirmed in Ch.13 It wasn't till Ch.15 that the most significant event happened.
In Gen Ch.15 God concludes with Abraham the covenant of faith, and it is in verses that we the Divine declaration of Justification.
In the Divine promise, the Lord gave assurance through his seed , but the human predicament of Abraham was that he was childless and advancing in years. In the natural situation the situation was hopeless (v1-3)
But the promise of an heir through Abraham was most significant (v4)
And behold, the word of the LORD came unto him saying, This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own loins. Shall be thine heir.
The seed was to come forth from his line, (no substitute, not Eliezer nor Ishmael these were of human effort)
The Lord showed him the starry sky and confirmed his descendents would be in such number
Abraham grasped God’s promise which ultimately centred in the greater Isaac (the Messiah) and resulted in justification.
Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him for righteousness. (v6)
Rom, 4:3 For what saith the Scriptures? Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (Righteousness can be described as justified)
Justification may be defined as the judicial act of God whereby He justly declares and treats as righteous the one who believes in Jesus Christ. The justified believer has been declared by the judge Himself to have nothing laid to his charge.
Psalm 32 How blessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven, Whose sin is covered
How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does impute iniquity.
From these verses it can be clearly seen that salvation is without human merit and that redemption is purely of Grace. God’s dealings with Abraham was long before the law was introduced.
To attain to the temple of salvation, the Gentile not first pass through the ant-room of the Jews - that is, through the law. But the Jew must first pass through the ant-room of the same faith which Abraham had.
God did not reserve this salvation by faith to Abraham alone. But to whole nation of Israel also.
Psalm 51:16 -17 reminds us.
For you do not delight in sacrifices, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart You will not despise.
What the verse is reminding us is , that our response to God’s saving grace must come from the heart and not from any external observances,
Had Abraham looked upon his own dead body (with respect to fatherhood) he would have found it impossible to believe such a promise, but he looked upon the stars, believed what God said, and his faith was reckoned to him for righteousness.
Because he believed God God declared him a righteous man (see Romans Ch.4 and Galations Ch3
Directly the sinner believes God’s testimony about His beloved Son. He is not only declared righteous, but he is made son and heir. Sonship is introduction into the family; heirship into the kingdom.
In these verses we see the vital and sole condition of Salvation. “Man is without righteousness. The covenant was unconditional, God was the one and only contracting party, but its foundation was grace.
Also we must note that God’s method of Salvation is not variable or shifts with time, but is timeless as eternity we cannot or taken anything from it.
Thus the gospel given to the Church age was foreshadowed in the covenant with Abraham. The new covenant is the continuation and glorious perfection of that former covenant.
The life of Abraham - the Father of all Believers
Read for background Genesis Chapter’s 13 to 24
Abraham is the Father of all believers (Rom 4:11). As such he is not only the beginning but the pattern of all believing experience.
There are 4 chief principles which in connection with him are plainly introduced for the first time into the history of Salvation.