Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

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tonjun
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Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #1

Post by tonjun »

In the OT, God promises Abraham the land of Canaan for him and his descendants. Abraham settles in Canaan and lives there for a while. Then Abraham has to leave the promised land due to a famine.

Then Abraham comes back after some time in Egypt. Issac is born.

Then Issac leaves Canaan due to a famine again. He goes to Gerar. Then Issac comes back later to resettle in the land. Jacob is then born.

Then Jacob flees from Canaan to run from his brother. Jacob goes to Paddan Aram. Later he returns to settle down. Joseph is then born.

Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers and later on, his whole family has to move to Egypt to escape a famine once again. Mose is born later on.

Now Moses is leading the Israelites back to Canaan.

What gives? What kind of promise is this to make over and over again? Isn't the first time sufficient for God to have kept his promise to Abraham?

Why keep promising the Israelites the promised land every new generation in the OT?

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Re: Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #11

Post by JehovahsWitness »

tonjun wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 8:03 am Then God kept that promise, by letting Issac, Jacob, and Joseph's family live in Canaan.
Did you read my post above?
viewtopic.php?p=1013548#p1013548

God's promise was not to let Abraham and his descendants live in Caanan, his promise was to give the entire country to them.

In your opinion, is there a difference between letting someone live in your house and giving them your house?

GENESIS 13:14

"Raise your eyes, please, and look from the place where you are, to the north and south, east and west, because all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring as a lasting possession"- Genesis 13:14, 15




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tonjun
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Re: Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #12

Post by tonjun »

JehovahsWitness wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 9:02 am God's promise was not to let Abraham and his descendants live in Caanan, his promise was to give the entire country to them.

In your opinion, is there a difference between letting someone live in your house and giving them your house?

GENESIS 13:14

"Raise your eyes, please, and look from the place where you are, to the north and south, east and west, because all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring as a lasting possession"- Genesis 13:14, 15
Right, God gave Abraham's offspring the land of Canaan; Issac, Jacob, and Joseph.

So why keep promising to give that land to the Israelites when he already gave it to them? He promises Moses to give the land again.

It seems the promise is already fulfilled once Issac took hold of the land.

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Re: Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #13

Post by Zzyzx »

.
tonjun wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 8:03 am Why keep promising the land of Canaan when God has already kept his word?
Perhaps we shouldn't expect a great memory in a senile old guy -- many can't remember what they promised or did yesterday.
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Re: Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #14

Post by tonjun »

Zzyzx wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 3:22 pm Perhaps we shouldn't expect a great memory in a senile old guy -- many can't remember what they promised or did yesterday.
I just think a promise is already been fulfilled once delivered. I don't see the need for keep promising something already given.

Glad I'm not the only one going crazy over this realization.

:confused2:

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Re: Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #15

Post by Muffinmayne »

[Replying to tonjun in post #1]

Why not renew the promise? He was addressing different people. Why do people renew their vows? Why even ask this question? Seems pointless. He kept saying it because he wanted to.

There’s an actual answer to this question but the question itself is almost pointless if you’re using it as a point of debate.

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Re: Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #16

Post by tonjun »

So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. -Joshua 21:43

I don't understand why God would keep saying he'll give the Israelites the promised land he swore to give to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. How can you promise to give dead people the promised land? Is this a promise fulfilled? By finally claiming that the descendants taking over the promised land have made the promise come to pass?

So God never really gave Abraham, Issac, and Jacob the promised land? Kind of too late now to do so when they're dead, no?
Muffinmayne wrote: Sat Jun 20, 2020 8:56 pm
Why not renew the promise? He was addressing different people. Why do people renew their vows? Why even ask this question? Seems pointless. He kept saying it because he wanted to.

There’s an actual answer to this question but the question itself is almost pointless if you’re using it as a point of debate.
And where is there mention of renewing the promise? Where is that said in Scripture? Sounds like conjecture you postulate.

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Re: Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #17

Post by TRANSPONDER »

That's what I call great government. You guarantee your people something...Democracy, for instance, and take it away from time to time, just to remind them that they should value having it.

Come to think of it.... :?

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Re: Why does God keep promising the Israelites the same thing even after He already gives it to them?

Post #18

Post by Purple Knight »

Zzyzx wrote: Tue May 26, 2020 9:34 pmHow can land of others be legitimately 'given' to someone?
Humans take the land that belongs to animals all the time, always more and more space for us, always less and less for them. We think it's legitimate. We make it legal. We give people deeds and titles but kick them out if they can't pay their taxes.

People who already behave as if one life form is superior to another, can take from others, simply on virtue of being higher, shouldn't complain when the Chosen People come along and do the exact same to them, simply on virtue of being granted higher rights from God.

Nor should the Chosen People complain if aliens come along, with a God higher than their God, and gives to the aliens all of the Earth.

You're either in this system of deserving and having more rights than other life on virtue of being higher, or you're not. If you used it once, to justify anything, even squishing a cockroach, then some beings higher than you, with more rights than you, might come along and squish you. And you made it legitimate because you participated in the system.

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