After Lot had separated himself from Abram, God came to Abram and said, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you."
Gen. 15-9-21. In verses 9-17 prediction of the land was further supported by a solemn ceremony in which blood was shed, certifying that this covenant with Abram would have literal fulfillment. Further the boundaries of the land were indicated in verses 18-21, "On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates (which was at that time) the land of the Kenites, Kennizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites."
Gen. 16-7-16. The problem of who would inherit the land was complicated when Abram had a son, Ishmael, by Hager, the handmaiden he had brought from Egypt. Hager, attempting to flee Sarai, was instructed to return. Her child was to be named Ishmael. She was told her son would live in hostility in relation to his brothers. After Ishmael was born, scriptures were silent about the next 13 years.
Gen. 21-1-21. Impossible as it seemed, Abraham and Sarah were the parents of Isaac. Hager and Ishmael were sent away with Abraham's blessing, but without the promise which Isaac would inherit (v.v.9-20). The promises to Ishmael were also fulfilled (1 Chron. 1-28-29).
Gen. 22-15-18. Because Abraham had obeyed God, he was promised again many blessings, victory over enemies, and that all nations would be blessed because of him. This is fulfilled in history and prophecy.
Gen. 24-1-26-6. Isaac was promised that the blessing on Abraham would pass to him and he would fulfill in part the promise of a great nation and blessing on the whole world. The place of blessing was in the land that God had promised to Abraham. In the land God provided a bride for Isaac (24-1-66). Isaac and Rebekah were childless for 19 years, and it seemed that Isaac would have the same problem that Abraham had of having a suitable heir. Twenty years after marriage when Isaac was 60 years old, Jacob and Esau were born (25-20,26). The promise of the land was also repeated in Genesis 26. Isaac, like his father, sought to go to Egypt because of the famine in the land. In confirmation of earlier prophecies, verses 2-6 repeated the promise of the land. "The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for awhile, and I will be with you and bless you. For to you and your descendants will I give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees, and my laws." So Isaac stayed in Gerar."
Gen. 27-1-40. Though Jacob was not the firstborn, he connived with his mother Rebekah to deceive Isaac, who now was old and blind, into giving the blessing that normally would be given to the firstborn. It was the will of God however, that Jacob and not Esau should be the one who inherited the Abrahamic promises. These promises were fulfilled in history and prophecy.
Gen. 27-41-28-22. The promise of the land however, continued to be the magnet around which the history of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would unfold. Because of Esau's hatred of Jacob, his mother Rebekah arranged to send him back to her people. On the way the Lord repeated the promise of the land. "I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (28-13-15). This prophecy is of upmost importance because it makes clear that the promise of the land, as well as other promises are given to the promised seed of Abraham, were given to Isaac, not Ishmael, and to Jacob, not Esau. While some of the promises of blessing extended to all of Abraham's descendants, the promises of the land was limited to Jacob and his heirs.
Gen. 36-1-37-36; 39-1-48-22. The latter chapters of Genesis described the history of Jacob. It was summarized in Gen. 37-1, "Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan." As the story of Jacob and his children unfolded, Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt (v.v. 1-36) and in the end rescued his people and brought them down to Egypt to escape the famine (41-1-43; 45-9-46-7). In Joseph's prophetic dream (37-5-7) it was predicted that his brethren would bow down to him (v.v.8-11). This was later fulfilled in Egypt (42-6). Toward the close of his life Jacob pronounced his blessing on Joseph and his sons (48-15-20).
Gen. 49-1-28. Jacob had gathered his sons about his bed to give them his final prophetic blessing. Jacob predicted that Judah would triumph over his enemies and be strong like a lion (v.v.8-9). The most significant prophecy was given that the scepter, referring to the future Messiah, would come from the tribe of Judah. Jacob predicted, "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his" (v.10). This was fulfilled in Christ. In general, the prophecies that Jacob bestowed on his children were fulfilled in their subsequent history. Scripture is clear that the promise of the land was limited to a particular line of descendants; Isaac, Jacob and his 12 sons.
Four books were dedicated to the Exodus from Egypt, the years of wandering in the wilderness, and the death of Moses. Though mainly historical books, numerous prophecies were revealed throughout this portion of the history of Israel. In most cases the prophecies described events that were to be fulfilled soon.
Exodus 12-31-36. After the tenth plague Pharaoh allowed the children of Israel to leave and they were delivered from Egypt as God had prophesied to Moses. The Israelites were able to take silver and gold and other plunder from the Egyptians because the Egyptians were eager to see them leave after the tenth plague (v.v.33-36). The Exodus from Egypt was the most important move in Israel's history until the 20th century movement of Israel back to the Promised Land.
Exodus 19-1-13. The favored status of the people of Israel in the world was revealed in connection with the giving of the covenant, the children of Israel were warned not to approach Mt. Sinai.
Exodus 23-20-31. God directed Israel to follow the guidance of the angel of the Lord who would go ahead of them and lead them to the promised land. God promised to establish their borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines and from the desert to the Euphrates River.
Numbers 33-51-66. God directed Israel to drive out the inhabitants of the land and prophesied that those they allowed to remain "will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them."
Deut. 28-1-68. In this sweeping prophetic revelation of Israel's future, God promised to bless them if they obey the Law but to curse them if they do not. To some extent this chapter charts the course of Israel's history from here on. The closing verses of Deuteronomy described the worldwide dispersion of the children of Israel. As brought out in many other passages, their ultimate restoration is assured (Jer. 23-5-8;30-8-11). The worldwide dispersion predicted in Deuteronomy 28 has been literally fulfilled. So also their ultimate regathering that began in the 20th century.
Joshua 1-1-9. After the death of Moses, God announced to Joshua his purpose of giving the promised land to Israel. The Lord said, "I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great River, the Euphrates-all the Hittite country-to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you" (v.v.3-5). The prophecies concluded, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go"(v.9). The rest of the book of Joshua recorded how Israel conquered the land. The promises are seen as being fulfilled in Joshua's lifetime (21-43-45).