The Promise to Jacob
And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
(Genesis 28:13-14)
The Promise to Jacob is a significant covenant in the Abrahamic tradition. This Promise to Jacob, like the covenant with Abraham, is a testament to God's faithfulness and cornerstone in understanding the relationship between God and humanity. In the next few sentences, I want to explore the Promise to Jacob and its significance from a 21st-century perspective.
The Promise to Jacob begins with Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, and his wife, Sarah. God promised them a son, despite their old age, and after their son’s (Isaac) birth, God's plan unfolds. The key element of this Promise is that the descendants will become as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. This symbolism signifies an immense and uncountable lineage, a sign of God's unwavering commitment to humanity. From the Scriptures, God assures Jacob, Isaac's son, that He would bless him and provide a land for his descendants. The land, known as the Promised Land, is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. So, the Abrahamic Promise to Jacob through Isaac is not limited to one generation but extends to all nations. Such a universal blessing echoes God's intention for all nations. This blessing comes in full circle when Jesus begins His ministry in the New Testament because He restores humanity’s purpose of ruling over God’s creation. Remember, God created man to have dominion over His creation.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
(Genesis 1:25 KJV)
Therefore, the fulfillment of the Promise to Jacob fully unfolds when Jesus laid claims to the return of dominion for humanity:
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Mark 1:14-15 KJV
Therefore, Jesus initiated the fulfillment of the Promise to Jacob. Jesus conveyed that the Kingdom of God was not something that would occur in the distant future but rather in the present. Now, humanity can exercise dominion. In other words, Jesus proclaimed that God's rule became available to all nations right then and right now. The Kingdom of God, according to Jesus' teaching, is not a physical, earthly kingdom but a spiritual one that everyone can claim and benefit. The Promise of Jacob represents God's sovereignty and His reign over the hearts and lives of people. The Promise characterizes the righteousness, peace, and love demonstrated by Jesus. Therefore, Jesus, whose genealogy is traceable from Jacob through Isaac to Abraham, invites people of all nations to align themselves with the values and principles of the Kingdom of God while exercising dominion over God’s creation, our true purpose in life.
Overall, Jesus' message fulfills the Promise to Jacob and the Abrahamic Promise and offers all nations the opportunity to experience a deep and meaningful relationship with God. Each believer, as numerous as the stars, renders Lordship to Jesus as King and Lord of the Kingdom. Finally, the Abrahamic Promise made through Jacob gives hope of sustaining humanity's true purpose by claiming dominion over God’s created earth. When? Right here and right now.
