Abraham Adopted by God
Abraham Adopted by God. What actually transpires in Genesis 17? What does God mean? In reality, we see Abraham adopted by God and being promised a new nation.
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Genesis 17:3-8, NKJV
Abraham Adopted by God
What actually transpires in the verses shown above? What does God mean? In reality, we see Abraham adopted by God and being promised a new nation. God makes a covenant with Abraham promising to bless him and make his descendants as the sands of the seas and the stars in the skies.
How
has God kept that promise to Abraham even to this very day? The
Children of Israel knew that they were Children of Abraham, but they
only seemed to understand the physical relationship to Abraham. God was
speaking of a spiritual adoption not only to Abraham, but to all of his
spiritual descendants after him.
God reached down and plucked Abraham from Haran and said to him,
"Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."
In
other words, God said, leave your country and your gods behind you
because from this day on I will be your God. I am adopting you as my
child.
Think about the
significance of that. We are adopted by God to leave this world and its
gods behind us and from this day on to serve and worship only Him. He is
our God and we are His adopted children; our only desire is to please
and honor Him by being obedient to His commands. Whatever your calling
in life, as a Christian your number one calling is to worship and serve
God using whatever abilities and talents He has given you.
Pray
today that you will not be a rebellious son or daughter, but that you
will love and serve God, knowing that as a Christian He has adopted you
to receive His inheritance forever.
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