28th Week in Ord. Time, Saturday – 21st October 2023 – Romans 4,13.16-18; Lk 12,8-12
Designed Promise
In the first reading, Paul continues to speak of Abraham as a model of faith and trust. Abraham’s relationship with God began with a command and a set of promises. The promise God made to Abraham was that “he would inherit the world”. Since Abraham was in perfect harmony and union with God, God promised him and his descendants of inheriting the “world”, that refers to the whole of creation. Actually, in Genesis account of Abraham, what God promised was, “will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted (Gen 3,16).” In the immediate context, Abraham is promised possession of the land of Canaan and that all the peoples on earth would be blessed through him or his offspring. In view of the future, God worked out the destiny of the whole world. A promise that Abraham and his offspring would inherit the earth. Paul seems to be referring to these promises to say that God made this promise centuries before giving the law to Moses and has nothing to do with giving of or Israel’s keeping of the law. The full realization of this promise awaits the perfection of the kingdom when Christ returns to take all things to himself.
