God's promise to make Abraham into a great nation and to bless all other nations through his descendants was propagated through his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. This promise of blessing is also the promise of a new kingdom, even a new kind of kingdom: God among men. It is something that starts in the very heart of God and is revealed in his creative efforts culminating with man with whom He has intimate community...walking together in the garden in the cool of the day. It is also a promise whereby God is calling forth and setting aside a chosen people, a royal priesthood, which will become the voice for announcing and the vessel for birthing the fulfillment of the promise in one word: Messiah.
But as we see through the remaining chapters in Genesis, the promise fulfilled has a rocky road to travel. It has to go through Isaac the son who was almost a sacrifice. It has to be the chosen Isaac and not the other son Ishmael. Then, the promise has to pass through Jacob. His very name, "he grasps the heel", foreshadows the great struggle that the promise will have coming forth through this "deceiver.' He will struggle with himself, his brother, his father-in-law and even with God before the promise is sealed in his life.
After Jacob has these great wrestling matches, he returns to the scene of where God first spoke to him, Bethel (Genesis 35:1-15). God reveals and seals with him there the promise first given to his grandfather, Abraham. God appears to Jacob once more and blessed him saying, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel...I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you."
Jacob becomes Israel. Israel becomes the seal of the promise that God will raise up a mighty nation, even a community of nations, from the offspring of Abraham. And they will be God's people and a blessing to all other nations. How will this all happen? The story continues...
Our next blog will be about Joseph, Israel's son, and the promise preserved...
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