The Promise
Jason Martin
From the Beginning... / Genesis 12:1–3; Genesis 15–17; Galatians 3
What is a covenant?
In the Bible, a covenant is a solemn agreement or promise between God and humans, often involving commitments and obligations. Covenants in the Bible generally are one of two types: unconditional and conditional.
1. Unconditional (cannot be broken)
a. Noahic - will never destroy the Earth by flood again
2. Conditional (each party must keep up their end of the deal)
a. Mosaic - promised blessings and curses based on obedience to the Law
*Marriage should be unconditional, but society treats it as conditional
The Abrahamic Covenant
Read Genesis 12:1–3.
1. What’s included?
a. Land is forever (Genesis 13:15)
b. Uncountable offspring (Genesis 3:16)
c. God will bless Abraham, and the families of the Earth through him (Genesis 12:3)
2. This covenant will be detailed and expounded on throughout Scripture
The man of faith
Abram has no children.
Read Genesis 15:1-6.
1. This is foundational for justification by faith in the New Testament
a. Read Galatians 3:1-9.
The Ceremony
Read Genesis 15:7-21.
1. Abram does not pass through, only God did - therefore the Promises rely only on God, not Abram
Abram’s compromise
Read Genesis 16.
1. Abram tries to force the Promise,
a. Galatians 4 says the true sons of Abraham are the children of the promise, not the flesh
Father of a multitude
Read Genesis 17:1-5
1. Abram means father, chief, progenitor of ancestors
a. Abraham means that multiplied
2. Father of Kings
a. Genesis 17:6 “6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.”
b. Along with the Arab nations descended from Ishmael, there will be kings through Isaac
i. Specifically the Davidic kings, culminating in Jesus
Details of the Promise
Read Genesis 17:7-9.
1. People
2. Nations
3. Kings
4. Land
5. Relationship with God
6. Everlasting
Covenant sign
Read Genesis 17:10-14.
1. Those who were without the sign of the Covenant were to be cut off
2. Circumcision will not save us - never has
a. Galatians 5:2–6 “2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”
Sarah’s blessing
Read Genesis 17:15-16.
1. God changes Sarai’s name to Sarah
a. Sarai = woman of high rank / princess
b. Sarah means that multiplied
Read Genesis 17:17-21.
1. Scripture distinguishes blessing from being in the Covenant.
a. Ishmael is blessed with 12 tribes and many descendants similar to Isaac
b. Isaac is the Covenant line
2. We might think that since God blesses us, that must mean that we are inside the Covenant.
a. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44–45 “44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
i. Not everybody will be
ii. Claiming ownership of the sun and causing it to rise is a power move
God went up
Read Genesis 17:22 “22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.”
1. If He went up, He came down first.
2. John 8:56 “56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.””
Circumcision
Read Genesis 17:23-27
1. Abraham obeys the covenant sign
a. Abraham was declared righteous before circumcision (The sign and seal of the covenant Romans 4:1-5:2)
2. The New Testament connects it this way;
a. Colossians 2:11–12 “11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
i. You have sinful flesh. The old sign of circumcision was to cut off a part of it.
ii. The new sign is “putting off” the entire body of sinful flesh (sanctification) - die to your old self and be born again / regenerated. (raised through faith / symbolized by water baptism)
iii. Galatians 3:27 “27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
1. Romans 13:14 “14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
iv. Is Paul talking about an internal or external action?
1. Galatians 3:28–29 “28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
a. There actually are Jews, Greeks, slaves, free, males, and females
b. So is Paul speaking internally or externally? I believe it is an internal circumcision / washing of the heart
i. Deuteronomy 10:16 “16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.”
ii. Deuteronomy 30:6 “6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”
iii. Hebrews 10:22 “22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
3. The New Covenant is both conditional and unconditional;
a. Jeremiah 31:33 “33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: 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.”
i. Romans 11 says that Israel is all who will believe that the Messiah is Jesus
ii. Galatians 3:7 “7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.”
iii. Galatians 3:16–18 “16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.”
iv. Galatians 3:29 “29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”
Exported from Logos Bible Study, 4:58 PM October 6, 2026.