Abraham's Story Was Always Going to Go Somewhere

Abraham's story was a story that was always going to go somewhere.

To where - to Israel?

Well yes, but - from the beginning it was always going to be about "all nations of the earth". That was promised before Israel was even born!

The promise centred on the Seed, singular - which was Messiah. A couple of generations down the line, Israel did become the custodians of that promise (and in the meantime were given a Law). So when the promised Seed came, the good news was proclaimed to the Jew first alright, but also to the Greek and to all the world.

Abraham's fatherhood was from the beginning always going to extend to becoming the father of many nations.

Abraham's promised land-inheritance was from the beginning always going to make him "heir of the world". Including of the world to come, with its heavenly characteristics.

The number of his children like the stars of heaven!

All this, through his promised Seed. What a lovely promise spoken to a man who was at first childless!

Abraham saw in advance the justification of the heathen through faith, Paul explained. God had preached the Gospel in advance to Abraham.

Abraham foresaw beyond Jacob's descendants, wider than Canaan land - to all families of the earth, the world. Abraham revelled in what would be procured to Abraham after that Seed would come, which is JESUS.

Therefore the good news - the Gospel - of Jesus Christ - the Messiah - and the Messianic body - the church - 'is' the very story of Abraham, fully unfurled. It's not just something else inserted temporarily while we wait for God to resume Abraham's and Israel's story at some time in the future.

The river was always going to overflow its banks like this, and flood the whole plain. And once it did, the river became indistinguishable within the floodwaters. Not because the river lost anything to the flood, but because the river had become the flood, and watered the whole earth - like it was always going to.

"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad," Jesus said.