Emphasis Preaching Journal

In his book, Contours of Old Testament Theology (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1999), pp. 104-105, Bernhard Anderson discusses the nature of the universal and particular election or calling of God's people. Anderson argues that there is a tension between how "particular" (or exclusive) God's election is, and how universal his reign is to be. This passage reminds us that Abraham was to be ancestor to many nations (plural), not just a single people. This suggests some level of outreach beyond the immediate family circle.