Focus: The Land and the Seed

Text: Gen.12:7

"And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy SEED will I GIVE this LAND: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him."

The covenant of God with Abraham deals on two things - land and seed. God promised to give Abraham a land and a seed.

1. The Seed

Paul writes in Galatians 3:16, that the SEED refers to Christ. So Christ is the promised seed of Abraham, and it is through him that the nations of the earth are blessed.

Paul then makes it clear that faith in Christ is the means by which anyone can become Abraham's seed and also share in his blessing, and that is why in Christ the believer is blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm. So to answer a spiritual child of Abraham, faith is the key. Through Christ the believer is eternally connected to Abraham and his blessings.

2. The Land

God took Abraham on a journey to a land. On arrival, God says to him in essence, 'Here is the land that I told you about, and it is all yours. It's my gift to you.'

Moses describes the land as "a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass… a land that floweth with milk and honey" (Dt.8:9; 27:3). And in Deuteronomy 28, Moses says OBEDIENCE is the key to living in the land and enjoying its richness and goodness. Please, take time to read all of Deuteronomy 28, and see the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience.

In fact, Isaiah captures it well in the book which bears his name. He says, "If ye be WILLING and OBEDIENT, ye shall EAT the good of the LAND" (Isa.1:19). So to enjoy the land and last in it, obedience is the key.

Now here's exactly my point: while FAITH connects the believer to the SEED, it is OBEDIENCE that connects him to the LAND.

Once you believe in Jesus Christ you are entitled to all the spiritual blessings that abound in Christ. We simply connect and then collect.

But when it comes to the blessings of the land, obedience to God's principles is required. And what that means is that you can be a spiritual giant in Christ and still be materially miserable or impoverished in this life.

To succeed or prosper in the land we need to obey the law of sowing and reaping. Our land will yield increase to us if we are willing to sow in it. Labor and favor are meant to work together for great results. Divine favor makes human labor yield extraordinary success.

It is foolhardy for anyone to sit down with folded hands, just waiting for a big flash in his frying pan.

Faith and obedience are like the two sides of a coin. They are tied together as one. Faith is the key of access to the heavenly Canaan land while obedience is the key of access to the richness and goodness of the earthly Canaan land. Beloved, believe and obey God.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter