Why Did God Choose Abraham?
After Adam and Eve sinned, the Bible records generations of increasing rebellion. By the time we reach Genesis 11, people are united at Babel, not to honor God, but to make a name for themselves.
Then, in Genesis 12, the story changes.
God calls one man.
His name is Abraham.
Why?
Not because Abraham was the only righteous man on earth, but because God chose to begin fulfilling His promise of redemption through one family.
God said to Abraham,
"I will make you into a great nation...and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:2-3)
That final promise is the key.
God's plan was never limited to Abraham's descendants alone.
From the very beginning, His purpose was to bless all nations.
As the story unfolds, God repeats and expands that promise.
Abraham's descendants would become a great nation.
They would inherit the land God promised.
But above all, one of Abraham's descendants would bring God's blessing to the whole world.
The New Testament tells us exactly who that descendant is.
Paul writes,
"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed...who is Christ." (Galatians 3:16)
Jesus is the promised descendant through whom God's blessing comes to every nation.
Those who belong to Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, become Abraham's spiritual children.
"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29)
This helps us understand why Abraham occupies such an important place in Scripture.
God's covenant with Abraham was never an end in itself.
It was another step in God's plan to bring the Savior into the world.
The story of Abraham is really the story of God's faithfulness.
God made a promise.
Centuries passed.
Empires rose and fell.
Yet God never forgot His word.
In Jesus Christ, the promise made to Abraham reaches its fulfillment, and the blessing promised to all nations becomes a reality through the gospel.
Continue Your Study
Why Did God Give Israel the Law?
If salvation would come through Christ, why did God give the Law of Moses?
What purpose did it serve?
And why was it such an important part of God's plan of redemption?
Related Bible Studies
What Was God's First Promise of Redemption?
The Kingdom of God
What Is the Church?
Why Does the Bible Interpret Itself?
Companion Video
Why Did God Choose Abraham?
Read First. Conclude Later.