God made a promise to Abraham and Abraham’s heirs. Two words serve as subheads for this covenant: seed and soil. First, God promised to bless the seed of Abraham and bless the world through Abraham’s seed. The Lord had said to Abraham, “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. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3).

Why would God make such a covenant with Israel? Not because of anything Israel had to offer. God chose Israel for the same reason he chose you and me: grace. Sheer, sovereign grace. He simply chose them as his billboards of grace.

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