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Galatians 3:28-29 says that no matter who you are, if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. Well let's go back to when the Covenant, which is understood as being the inheritance of Abraham first comes into being.
In Genesis 17, God establishes his Covenant with Abraham. In Verse 7, God extends the Covenant with Abraham to his offspring. Later, in Verse 18, Abraham basically asks God if the Covenant would then extend to his son Ishmael. God in verse 19 says no, but the Covenant will extend to his son Isaac and his offspring, forming the nations that God says will extend from Abraham.
But what of Ishmael? Well, God in Verse 20 says that He will make Ishmael fruitful and multiply greatly, and HE will be made into a great nation as well. But there is a difference...the nation that springs from Isaac will have the Covenant that God promised to Abraham, whereas in Verse 21 God makes it plain that it is with Isaac, not Ishmael, that the Covenant will extend.
Enter Galatians 3:28-29. Does this verse represent a change in who would be entitled to Abraham’s Covenant? Does it now include the nation of Ishmael as being entitled to the Covenant made with Abraham and extended through Isaac, in addition to everyone else who would be in Christ? Is it contradicting God who said the Covenant will not extend to Ishmael and his nation?
We recognize that there are certain passages in the Bible which can’t be explained, but there are certain others that, to the extend God will allow us to reason, may need to be seen from a different angle to satisfy our earthly curiosity. So, perhaps we should add to the equation that with strangers who have made themselves at home among Isaac’s nation, the intermingling results in God’s Covenant extending to others at least by a birthright of sorts. So perhaps Galatians 3:28-29 recognizes the intermingling among the different nations in the world, so it is possible that ‘the Greek, the master, the slave and the woman’ may have some blood lineage that extends from Isaac.
And perhaps when Lord Jesus implores his disciples in Matthew 28:19 to make disciples OF ALL NATIONS, it may be with the realization that at this point there is no distinguishing between Isaac’s offspring and Ishmael’s offspring? And if so, then God’s Covenant with Abraham through Isaac can truly extend to others without any real contradiction with Genesis 17:21, since how do you unravel the intermingling to determine who is entitled to the inheritance of the Covenant of Abraham through Isaac, and who would not be?
In Genesis 17, God establishes his Covenant with Abraham. In Verse 7, God extends the Covenant with Abraham to his offspring. Later, in Verse 18, Abraham basically asks God if the Covenant would then extend to his son Ishmael. God in verse 19 says no, but the Covenant will extend to his son Isaac and his offspring, forming the nations that God says will extend from Abraham.
But what of Ishmael? Well, God in Verse 20 says that He will make Ishmael fruitful and multiply greatly, and HE will be made into a great nation as well. But there is a difference...the nation that springs from Isaac will have the Covenant that God promised to Abraham, whereas in Verse 21 God makes it plain that it is with Isaac, not Ishmael, that the Covenant will extend.
Enter Galatians 3:28-29. Does this verse represent a change in who would be entitled to Abraham’s Covenant? Does it now include the nation of Ishmael as being entitled to the Covenant made with Abraham and extended through Isaac, in addition to everyone else who would be in Christ? Is it contradicting God who said the Covenant will not extend to Ishmael and his nation?
We recognize that there are certain passages in the Bible which can’t be explained, but there are certain others that, to the extend God will allow us to reason, may need to be seen from a different angle to satisfy our earthly curiosity. So, perhaps we should add to the equation that with strangers who have made themselves at home among Isaac’s nation, the intermingling results in God’s Covenant extending to others at least by a birthright of sorts. So perhaps Galatians 3:28-29 recognizes the intermingling among the different nations in the world, so it is possible that ‘the Greek, the master, the slave and the woman’ may have some blood lineage that extends from Isaac.
And perhaps when Lord Jesus implores his disciples in Matthew 28:19 to make disciples OF ALL NATIONS, it may be with the realization that at this point there is no distinguishing between Isaac’s offspring and Ishmael’s offspring? And if so, then God’s Covenant with Abraham through Isaac can truly extend to others without any real contradiction with Genesis 17:21, since how do you unravel the intermingling to determine who is entitled to the inheritance of the Covenant of Abraham through Isaac, and who would not be?