The dispensation of Promise refers to the period of time in the Bible when God made specific promises to certain people. This dispensation covers the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in the book of Genesis.
God’s promises during this dispensation included:
- The promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and make him a blessing to all families of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3)
- The promise to give Abraham’s descendants the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:7, 13:14-17, 15:18-21)
- The promise to make Abraham’s descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5)
- The promise to establish an everlasting covenant with Abraham’s line (Genesis 17:7-8)
- The promise to make Isaac Abraham’s heir (Genesis 17:19-21)
- The promise to bless Ishmael and make him a great nation (Genesis 17:20)
- The promise to continue the covenant with Isaac (Genesis 17:21, 26:2-5)
- The promise that Abraham’s descendants would gain possessions from foreign peoples (Genesis 15:14)
- The promise that all nations would be blessed through Abraham (Genesis 18:18, 22:18)
A key aspect of the dispensation of Promise was that the fulfillment of God’s promises depended on the faith and obedience of the patriarchs. For example, Abraham had to leave his homeland and follow God in faith to receive the promises (Hebrews 11:8-10). The patriarchs’ obedience to God’s commands was essential for the promises to be fulfilled in their lives and through their descendants.
The dispensation of Promise set the groundwork for God’s future plans to form a chosen nation of Israel descended from Abraham and to send a Messiah for the salvation of the world. The promises given during this dispensation pointed forward to greater things to come through Abraham’s line. God’s covenant with Abraham was a critical step in His redemptive plan.
Some key points about the dispensation of Promise:
- It covers Genesis 12 to Exodus 18
- God spoke directly to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph
- God made unconditional promises to the patriarchs regarding land, descendants and blessing
- The patriarchs had to live by faith in God’s promises despite difficulties
- God began building the nation of Israel through Abraham’s family
- The promises set the course for God’s future redemptive plan
Abraham’s call and God’s promises
The dispensation of Promise began when God called Abram (later named Abraham) in Genesis 12:1-3:
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3 ESV)
This begins the story of God’s relationship with Abraham through the giving of promises. God promised to give Abraham a great name, make him a great nation, bless him and make him a channel of blessing to the world. This set the trajectory for the rest of Abraham’s life and the later nation of Israel.
Abraham obeyed God’s call here, leaving his home in Haran and traveling to Canaan by faith (Hebrews 11:8). Abraham’s obedience then opened the way for God to make further promises to him. The promises were unilateral or unconditional, based solely on God’s sovereign choice rather than Abraham’s merit. God took the initiative to shape His redemptive plan through Abraham.
The land promise
One of the central promises God made to Abraham was to give his descendants the land of Canaan. For example:
Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. (Genesis 12:7 ESV)
And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever… Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” (Genesis 13:14-17 ESV)
This promise is significant because it gave Abraham’s family a specific area to belong to. The land of Canaan would be the place where Abraham’s descendants could grow into a great nation, as God also promised. Having their own land allowed God’s people to develop politically, economically, militarily, religiously and socially as a nation.
The land promise also created anticipation and hope for the future. Canaan was not immediately given to Abraham. He had to live there as a sojourner, owning no property beyond a burial plot (Genesis 23:1-20). But he lived in expectation that one day his descendants would possess all the land, because of God’s promise.
Later, due to famine, Abraham’s descendants ended up living in Egypt for hundreds of years instead of Canaan. But the promise provided assurance that God would eventually bring them back to inherit the land. After the Exodus, this promise allowed Israel to conquer Canaan under Joshua.
The nation promise
Along with the land promise, God also made an important nation promise to Abraham. For example:
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2 ESV)
And I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. (Genesis 13:16 ESV)
This promise meant Abraham would have innumerable biological descendants. From Abraham alone would come a whole nation of people over whom God would watch providentially. The promise guaranteed the nation’s viability, despite obstacles like famines, slavery and warfare.
God repeatedly affirmed this promise to Abraham (Genesis 15:5, 22:17) and his son Isaac (Genesis 26:4, 24). The promise was fulfilled as the descendants of Abraham and Isaac multiplied greatly during their time in Egypt (Exodus 1:7). It culminated when Israel became a unified nation of millions after the Exodus.
The nation promise provided identity and purpose for Abraham’s family. Together they had a common ancestry, calling and destiny. Their growth into a great nation also showed God’s power and sovereignty to overcome obstacles like barrenness.
The blessing promise
A third major promise God made was to bless Abraham and make him a blessing to others. For example:
I will bless you…and you shall be a blessing…and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:2-3 ESV)
This promise had several key aspects. God pledged to prosper Abraham personally and spiritually in many ways. God also pledged to make Abraham’s name great, exalting him above his contemporaries. Additionally, God promised that all families on earth would somehow be blessed through Abraham. This pointed to Jesus Christ’s later incarnation as a descendant of Abraham to provide salvation globally.
The individual blessing on Abraham began during his life. God prospered him financially and protected him militarily (Genesis 13:2, 14:14-16). God also guided him and revealed His plans to him. Abraham’s name and reputation became renowned in his time (Genesis 23:6).
The wider blessing through Abraham was fulfilled in Christ. As Acts 3:25-26 notes, Jesus was the ultimate descendant through whom all families of the earth would be blessed. The Messiah came to provide forgiveness and eternal life open to all nations.
The covenant promise
One of God’s important promises to Abraham was to establish an everlasting covenant with Him and his descendants. For example:
And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (Genesis 17:7 ESV)
A covenant indicates a binding agreement between two parties, in this case God and Abraham’s family. God formally obligated Himself through this promise to be the God of Abraham’s line forever. He pledged to maintain a special relationship with them as their faithful, covenant-keeping God.
The covenant promise gave stability and continuity to God’s other promises. God’s commitment to the covenant relationship gave assurance that His promises would extend permanently to Abraham’s heirs. The nation of Israel could have confidence in God’s purposes across generations.
The covenant promise also revealed God’s eternal nature. Unlike man, God could genuinely pledge a forever commitment to Abraham’s line. His covenant love would persist long after Abraham died. God also showed His grace by initiating the covenant solely based on His own purposes.
Fulfillment of the promises
The promises God gave Abraham may seem incredible in scope. But in the biblical narrative we see God fulfill them exactly as spoken:
- Land: After 430 years in Egypt, Abraham’s descendants under Joshua took possession of Canaan (Joshua 21:43-45).
- Nation: Abraham’s descendants greatly multiplied in number, eventually forming the nation of Israel (Exodus 1:7; Deuteronomy 1:10).
- Blessing: Abraham became very wealthy and renowned (Genesis 13:2; 23:6). Through Christ his blessing extended globally (Acts 3:25-26).
- Covenant: God remained faithful to Israel across generations and sent Jesus Christ to fulfill His covenant (Luke 1:68-75).
Despite obstacles, God proved true to every promise made. This shows His complete faithfulness and the certainty of His promises. It also validates Abraham’s faith in acting on what God spoke to Him.
Inheriting the promises through faith
A key lesson from the dispensation of Promise is that the promises required faith to be inherited. Abraham and his descendants had to trust in God’s character and ability to fulfill what He promised:
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10 ESV)
Abraham lived in the land of promise as a sojourner. He never saw God’s promises completely fulfilled in his lifetime. But he endured by looking to God’s faithfulness and future purposes. His example teaches that inheriting God’s promises requires patient, persevering faith.
The other patriarchs similarly had to walk by faith rather than sight:
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth…They desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:13-16 ESV)
The patriarchs embraced the promises from afar, even though they never saw their complete realization. Their faith was oriented toward an eternal, heavenly hope in God’s promises. This hope enabled them to persevere as sojourners on earth.
Living by faith in God’s promises remains essential for believers today. We have promises of eternal life, transformation, provision and spiritual blessing that require patient trust in God to see fulfilled. The patriarchs’ example inspires enduring faith amidst difficulty.
Fulfillment through Christ
Ultimately the dispensation of Promise finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. As the New Testament explains, Christ is the climax of all God’s previous work:
Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring…who is Christ…And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:16, 29 ESV)
For all the promises of God find their Yes in [Christ]. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV)
Jesus Christ is the supreme descendant of Abraham who brings the greatest blessing to all peoples. He is the mediator of the new covenant providing salvation. And through faith in Christ, people from all nations become heirs of the promises made to Abraham.
The dispensation of Promise finds its completion in Christ, the Promised One. Looking back, the giving of promises in Genesis provides the critical early foundation for the coming of Christ for the world’s redemption. The dispensation that began with Abraham ultimately leads to Jesus Christ as its fulfillment.