在创世记十五章以前，亚伯拉罕所经历的一切，都是神为着他的生存所给的祝福。但神呼召亚伯拉罕，并非仅仅要他生存，乃是要藉着他达成神永远的目的。从十五章开始，神来指示亚伯拉罕，他需要恩典以达成神永远的目的。亚伯拉罕不仅需要环境中外面的祝福，也需要生命中里面的恩典。
亚伯拉罕要达成神的目的，需要两件东西－后裔和地。你若再读创世记十五章，会看见那里一再题到后裔和地这两件东西。我们已经看过，后裔和地都是基督。这后裔首先是个别、个人的基督，至终是团体的基督。加拉太三章十六节启示，基督是亚伯拉罕的后裔。这后裔起先是个别的基督，最终成了团体的基督－基督是头，我们众人是祂的身体。这就是达成神的目的所需要的后裔。
基督也是地。基督是地的观念也许相当新奇，因为过去我们许多人听说，迦南美地是天的豫表，象征。许多基督徒持守这观念。但我们若回到神纯正的话里，就能看见地实在是象征基督。在豫表上，地是神子民得着安息的地方；也是神能击败祂一切的仇敌，并建立祂的国度同祂的居所，使祂得着彰显并代表的地方。请记住以下关于地的各点：它是神的子民能得安息的地方；是神一切的仇敌能被杀败的地方；是神建立祂的国度并建造祂的居所，使祂在这背叛的地上得着彰显并代表的地方。
有甚么彀资格作这样一块地？没有别的，只有基督。在基督里，我们得着安息，并杀败仇敌。在基督里，神建立祂的国度，并建造祂的居所－教会，作祂的彰显和代表。你有没有看见，后裔和地都是基督？神应许亚伯拉罕的后裔，在今天就是团体的基督；神应许他的地，就是那奇妙复活高升的基督，在祂里面我们安息并杀败仇敌，在祂里面神建立祂的国度并建造祂的居所，使神得着彰显并代表。
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God’s Covenant with Abraham (1) — Gal. 3:14,16
Before Genesis 15, everything Abraham experienced were blessings from God for his existence. But God’s calling of Abraham was not merely for his existence; it was for the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose through him. Beginning from chapter 15, God came to show Abraham that he needed grace to achieve God’s eternal purpose. Abraham needed not only outward blessings in his environment but also inward grace in his life.
To achieve God’s purpose, Abraham needed two things — the seed and the land. If you read Genesis 15 again, you will see that these two things, the seed and the land, are mentioned repeatedly. We have seen that both the seed and the land are Christ. This seed is first the individual Christ and ultimately the corporate Christ. Galatians 3:16 reveals that Christ is the seed of Abraham. This seed was first the individual Christ, but eventually became the corporate Christ — Christ the Head and all of us as His Body. This is the seed needed to fulfill God’s purpose.
Christ is also the land. The concept of Christ being the land may be quite new, because in the past many of us heard that the good land of Canaan was a type or symbol of heaven. Many Christians hold this view. However, if we return to the pure Word of God, we can see that the land is actually a symbol of Christ. In type, the land is the place where God’s people find rest; it is also the place where God can defeat all His enemies and establish His kingdom and His dwelling place, so that He may be expressed and represented. Please remember the following points concerning the land: it is the place where God’s people find rest; it is the place where all of God’s enemies are defeated; and it is the place where God establishes His kingdom and builds His dwelling place, that He may be expressed and represented on this rebellious earth.
Who is qualified to be such a piece of land? None other than Christ. In Christ, we find rest and defeat the enemy. In Christ, God establishes His kingdom and builds His dwelling place — the church — as His expression and representation. Do you see that both the seed and the land are Christ? The seed God promised to Abraham is today’s corporate Christ; the land God promised him is the wonderful resurrected and ascended Christ. In Him, we rest and defeat the enemy; in Him, God establishes His kingdom and builds His dwelling place, so that God may be expressed and represented.