through Jacob

Pete Kersker - Dec 11, 2025

A covenant is an agreement between two parties. The LORD made a covenant agreement with Abraham, "...through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). This covenant (conditional) became a promise (unconditional) to Abraham's descendants (Genesis 26:2-5).

May God give you heaven's dew and earth's richness-- an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed" (Genesis 27:28-29 NIV).

Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. They younger son, Jacob, received received his father's blessing and became the heir through whom all nations would be blessed. God's promise continued into the third generation.

[Jacob] had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring" (Genesis 28:12-14 NIV).

The LORD would eventually give Jacob a new name: Israel. Jacob's twelve sons would become known as the twelve tribes of Israel. The Israelites, for generation after generation, were reminded of God's promise: through them all nations will be blessed.

"I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (Genesis 28:15 NIV).

Can you think of other promises the LORD has made to us?
Do you trust God to fulfill them, even if it takes many generations?