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

[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?

[JehovahsWitness]

Hello,

God kept repeating his promise to Abraham to encourage him and remind him. The fulfillment of the promise didnt come when Abraham and his family arrived in the country, indeed God didn't give the land to Abraham's descendent for about another 450 years.

All the time Abraham lived in Caanan, the land didnt belong to him, he (Abraham) was just a foreigner, but God kept reminding Abraham that he would give the country to his descendants. Think of it as the difference between renting and owning; All the time Abraham lived in Canaan he was just a tenant. One day God promised, the whole land would belong to Abraham's children. So all God actually gave Abraham while he lived in Canaan was a promise, nothing more.

ACT 7:5 New Living Translation
“But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants

Hope that helps,

JEHOVAHS WITNESS




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[Zzyzx]

.

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?

Old age, senility?

How can land of others be legitimately 'given' to someone?

That illegitimately happened again in 1948 -- not by 'god' but by victors of WWII -- and created an ongoing problem.

[JehovahsWitness]

How can land of others be legitimately 'given' to someone?

We can only give that which is in our legal possession, in short, that which belongs to us. Biblically YHWH (Jehovah) as the Creator of the universe is the rightful owner of everything, thus He has the right to give any part of the earth or indeed the earth entirely, to whomever he chooses.

EXODUS 9:29b
...that you may know that the earth belongs to Jehovah.

JW





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[Willum]

That's just great.
We have responsible governments making decisions based on creatures we can't even show exists.
I can't believe that anyone would ever kill based on something abstract, or they can't actually point a finger to.

I mean is there anyone, even on this site, willing to kill because of a God they can't show exists?

[Zzyzx]

.

How can land of others be legitimately 'given' to someone?

We can only give that which is in our legal possession, in short, that which belongs to us. Biblically YHWH (Jehovah) as the Creator of the universe is the rightful owner of everything, thus He has the right to give any part of the earth or indeed the earth entirely, to whomever he chooses.

The Big Book of Leprechaun says that the Great Leprechaun owns everything; therefore, the Jehovah character doesn't own anything.

[bluegreenearth]

.

How can land of others be legitimately 'given' to someone?

We can only give that which is in our legal possession, in short, that which belongs to us. Biblically YHWH (Jehovah) as the Creator of the universe is the rightful owner of everything, thus He has the right to give any part of the earth or indeed the earth entirely, to whomever he chooses.

The Big Book of Leprechaun says that the Great Leprechaun owns everything; therefore, the Jehovah character doesn't own anything.

Let us all praise the omni-owning, omni-amorous, and omni-flatulent Great Leprechaun:

"Oh! Great Leprechaun, you are just the best. In your name we prey, laymen."

[tonjun]

All the time Abraham lived in Caanan, the land didnt belong to him, he (Abraham) was just a foreigner, but God kept reminding Abraham that he would give the country to his descendants. Think of it as the difference between renting and owning; All the time Abraham lived in Canaan he was just a tenant. One day God promised, the whole land would belong to Abraham's children. So all God actually gave Abraham while he lived in Canaan was a promise, nothing more

Is there anywhere in the Bible that states that God said Abraham and his descendants would live in Canaan as foreigners?

He only mentions in Genesis 15:13 that the Jews would live in Egypt as foreigners.

Yet Issac, Jacob, and Joseph lived in Canaan without being told they are there as foreigners anywhere in the Bible.

[JehovahsWitness]

All the time Abraham lived in Caanan, the land didnt belong to him, he (Abraham) was just a foreigner, but God kept reminding Abraham that he would give the country to his descendants. Think of it as the difference between renting and owning; All the time Abraham lived in Canaan he was just a tenant. One day God promised, the whole land would belong to Abraham's children. So all God actually gave Abraham while he lived in Canaan was a promise, nothing more

Is there anywhere in the Bible that states that God said Abraham and his descendants would live in Canaan as foreigners?

Did I say "that God said Abraham and his descendants would live in Canaan as foreigners"? I think I stated the fact that ABRAHAM lived as a foreigner in Canaan, which can be confirmed by the narrative.

I made no mention of his descendents living {quote} "... in Canaan as foreigners"{end quote}





JW

[tonjun]

Did I say "that God said Abraham and his descendants would live in Canaan as foreigners"? I think I stated the fact that ABRAHAM lived as a foreigner in Canaan, which can be confirmed by the narrative.

I made no mention of his descendents living {quote} "... in Canaan as foreigners"{end quote}

Right, but Issac, Jaocb, and Joseph are descendants of Abraham. God said to Abraham that he will give Abraham's descendants the land of Canaan. Then God kept that promise, by letting Issac, Jacob, and Joseph's family live in Canaan.

Why keep promising the land of Canaan when God has already kept his word?