It is repudiated by Scripture itself

The vital importance of what we sought to present in the last chapter will appear still more evident when it be pointed out that believers in Christ have a joint heritage with Abraham, as well as a common standing before God. But many will at once object to this, That cannot be; why, the inheritance of Abraham and his seed was an earthly one—it was the land of Canaan which God promised them!

3. Our third answer, then, to the oft-made affirmation that the inheritance of Abraham and his seed was an earthly one, is that it is repudiated by Scripture itself. Was the inheritance of Moses an earthly one? No, indeed; for of him we read, “Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward” (Heb. 11:26). Was the inheritance of David an earthly one? No, indeed; for after his kingdom was established, he declared, “Hold not thy peace at my tears, for I am a stranger with thee; and a sojourner, as all my fathers were” (Ps. 39:12); and again, “I am a stranger in the earth” (Ps. 119:19). The “land of Canaan” is no more to be understood in a carnal way than the “seed” of Abraham is to be regarded as his natural posterity. The land of Canaan was no more given to the Jews after the flesh than the “blessing of Abraham” (namely, the Holy Spirit—Galatians 3:14) has come upon them.

“For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not made to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith” (Rom. 4:13). Observe two things: first, it was promised that Abraham should be not merely “the heir of Palestine,” but “of the world”; and second, this promise was made to Abraham and “to his seed,” which “seed” is defined in Romans 4:12 as those who “walk in the steps of that faith” which their “father Abraham” had. In perfect harmony with this our Lord declared, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit [possess, have dominion over, enjoy] the earth” (Matthew 5:5). If literalists have cast such a shadow over this verse that some readers find it hard to understand, then we suggest that they ponder it in the light of 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 and I John 5:4! In concluding this important chapter we feel that we cannot do better than give the spiritual Calvin’s comments on Romans 4:13, which are a refreshing contrast from the carnalizings of “dispensationalists.”

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

Not fulfilled in his natural posterity

We are not now concerned with considering the immediate ends which were served by the natural descendants of Abraham occupying the earthly Canaan —a consideration parallel with the temporal advantages enjoyed by those who lived under the literal exercise of the Aaronic priesthood. Whatever be or be not the future of Palestine in relation to the Jews, even though they again occupy it for a thousand years, certain it is that the promise of God that Abraham and his seed should have “the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession” (Gen. 17:8) has not, will not, and cannot be fulfilled in his natural posterity; for that land, in common with the whole earth, is to be destroyed! No, rather are we now concerned with the spiritual and antitypical meaning thereof.

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

Believers in Christ are Abraham’s children

Why not, then, apply this same principle to God’s promise to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his seed? Since believers in Christ are Abraham’s children and “heirs according to the promise,” then it clearly follows that they are interested in all that was said or promised to him. It is a great mistake to regard certain of the Abrahamic promises as being simply of a temporal kind and restricted to his natural descendants, and that others were of a celestial character and pertained to his spiritual seed. The fact is that the outward and the temporal never existed by itself nor for itself, but was appointed as an adumbration of the spiritual and eternal, and as a means for the obtaining thereof. The outward and the temporal must be consistently viewed throughout as the shell and shadow of the spiritual and eternal.

Nor is the establishing of this important principle left in any doubt as it applies to the subject of the inheritance of Abraham and his seed. In chapter 11 of Hebrews we find the patriarchs themselves identifying their prospects of a future inheritance with ours. “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city” (vv. 9-16). How clear it is from these verses that they looked beyond the literal purport of the promises, unto a heavenly and eternal inheritance, namely, to the same described in 1 Peter 1:4.

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

The Old Testament eventspossessed a higher meaning than their literal significance

When the young believer reads Leviticus 16, describing the elaborate ritual which the high priest of Israel was required to observe on the annual day of atonement, and is concerned to discover the spiritual meaning of the same, the ninth chapter of Hebrews will give him much light thereon. In like manner, those reading the historical account in Genesis 14 of Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, bringing forth bread and wine and blessing Abraham, to whom the patriarch paid tithes, may learn from Hebrews 7 that Melchizedek supplied a striking foreshadowment of the Lord Jesus in His official character.

Now let us point out two things which are common to all these three examples.

Second, but the New Testament does reveal that those Old Testament events possessed a higher meaning than their literal significance, that the historical was but a shadowing forth on earth of that which has its reality or antitype in heaven.

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

The New Testament teaching in nowise reduces those important Old Testament incidents to mere allegories

When the young believer reads Leviticus 16, describing the elaborate ritual which the high priest of Israel was required to observe on the annual day of atonement, and is concerned to discover the spiritual meaning of the same, the ninth chapter of Hebrews will give him much light thereon. In like manner, those reading the historical account in Genesis 14 of Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, bringing forth bread and wine and blessing Abraham, to whom the patriarch paid tithes, may learn from Hebrews 7 that Melchizedek supplied a striking foreshadowment of the Lord Jesus in His official character.

Now let us point out two things which are common to all these three examples.

First, the New Testament teaching thereon in nowise reduces those important Old Testament incidents to mere allegories: it neither repudiates their historicity nor evacuates their literality.

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise

“For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise” (v. 18). The inheritance was given to Abraham by God long before the law. The question now before us is, What was the inheritance which God gave to Abraham? Easily answered, replies someone: Genesis 12:7, 13:15, and so forth tell us it was “the land of Canaan”; and when God said “this land” He means that, and nothing else. Not quite so fast, dear friend. When a young believer reads Exodus 12, with its varied details of the slaying of the lamb, and the promise of shelter beneath its blood, and wonders what is the spiritual significance thereof, by far his best course is to turn to the New Testament, and prayerfully search for the answer. Eventually he will find that answer in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

There is no room left for a shadow of doubt as to whom the Abrahamic promises belonged

In the last verse of Galatians 3 the apostle drew the unavoidable inference from the premises which he had established in the context. Let us return for a moment to Galatians 3:16, and then observe what follows. There the plain statement is made: “Now to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made”; and, as we fully proved in our last chapter, the reference is to his spiritual seed. But as though to remove all possible uncertainty, the Holy Spirit has added: “and to thy seed, which is Christ”—Christ mystical as in 1 Corinthians 12:12 and Colossians 1:24; that is, Christ Himself and all who are united to Him. Thus there is no room left for a shadow of doubt as to whom the Abrahamic promises belonged—his carnal seed being expressly excluded in the “he saith not, and to seeds, as of many.” “And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect” (Gal. 3:17). The only difficulty lies in the words “in Christ.” Inasmuch as “the covenant” here mentioned was confirmed only four hundred and thirty years before the law (at Sinai), the reference cannot be to the everlasting covenant— which was “confirmed” by God in Christ ere the world began (Titus 1:2, etc.). Hence we are obliged to adopt the rendering given by spiritual and able scholars: “the covenant that was confirmed before of God concerning Christ”—just as eis Christon is translated “concerning Christ” in Ephesians 5:32 and eis auton is rendered “concerning him” in Acts 2:25. Here, then, is a further word from God that His covenant with Abraham concerned Christ, that is, Christ mystical—Abraham’s “Seed.”

Now the special point that the apostle was laboring in Galatians 3 was that the promises given by God to Abraham (which were solemnly “confirmed” by His covenant oath) were given centuries before the Sinaitic economy was established; and that inasmuch as God is faithful so that His word cannot be broken (v. 15), then there could be nothing in connection with the giving of the law that would to the slightest degree invalidate what He was pledged to bestow: “The law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.” Be it observed that here “the promise” is in the singular number, the reason for this being that the apostle was about to confine himself to one particular promise, namely, that which respected the inheritance (v. 18).

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

If the inheritance of Abraham was an earthly one, namely, then most certainly the Christians’ inheritance is an earthly one too

The vital importance of what we sought to present in the last chapter will appear still more evident when it be pointed out that believers in Christ have a joint heritage with Abraham, as well as a common standing before God. But many will at once object to this, That cannot be; why, the inheritance of Abraham and his seed was an earthly one—it was the land of Canaan which God promised them!

2. Our second answer is that, If the inheritance of Abraham was an earthly one, namely, the land of Canaan, then most certainly the Christians’ inheritance is an earthly one too, for we are all joint heirs with Abraham. Are you, my reader (no matter what you may have received from “deep students of prophecy”), prepared to settle this question by the plain teaching of Holy Scripture? If you are, it may quickly be brought to a simple issue: “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29). What could be clearer than that: “If children, then heirs” (Rom. 8:17)—if children of God, then heirs of God; and in like manner, if children of Abraham, then heirs of and with Abraham. There is no legitimate escape from that obvious conclusion.

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

Such was the firm belief of those who crucified the Lord of glory

The vital importance of what we sought to present in the last chapter will appear still more evident when it be pointed out that believers in Christ have a joint heritage with Abraham, as well as a common standing before God. But many will at once object to this, That cannot be; why, the inheritance of Abraham and his seed was an earthly one—it was the land of Canaan which God promised them!

1. Our first answer is, Such was the firm belief of those who crucified the Lord of glory; such is still the conviction of all the “orthodox” Jews on earth today—Jews who despise and reject the Christ of God. Are they safe guides to follow? To say the least, professing Christians who share this view are not in very good company! The very fact that this idea is so widely entertained among Jews who have not the Spirit of God, should raise a strong suspicion in those claiming to have spiritual discernment.

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant

The unbelieving descendants of Jacob were excluded from the Abrahamic promises as were the posterity of Ishmael and Esau

Thus, the unbelieving descendants of Jacob were as much excluded from the Abrahamic promises as were the posterity of Ishmael and Esau; whereas those promises belonged as really and truly to believing Gentiles as they did to Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. But alas this basic truth, so clearly revealed in Scripture, is repudiated by “dispensationalists,” who are perpetuating the error of those who opposed Christ in the days of His flesh. When He spoke of the spiritual freedom which He could bestow, His unregenerate hearers exclaimed, “We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man” (John 8:33). When He made mention of His Father, the carnal Jews answered, “Abraham is our father”; to which the Savior replied, “If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39). Alas, alas, that so many of our moderns know not who are “Abraham’s children.”

Arthur W. Pink- The Divine Covenants-Part Four-The Abrahamic Covenant