Like Abraham, who left on a long journey trusting in God’s Promise, all who are “the Israel of God” follow God’s lead and cling to God’s Promise through faith in Jesus Christ. Like those delivered through the Exodus from Egypt by the power of God and with the sprinkled blood of the Passover lamb, God’s people today have been blood-bought and delivered from their bondage to sin and death. In Christ, both Jews and non-Jews are included in God’s Promise by grace through their faith in Christ Jesus. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female; we are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 5:26-29). As God’s people, we are the recipients of mercy and peace — mercy and peace that God’s people should practice with each other.

Lord God of the Covenant, thank you for our great Patriarchs of faith who kept the faith and trusted in your Promise. Thank you for fulfilling your Promise to us, and all people, in Jesus. Thank you for blessing me and including me as one of your children through my faith in Jesus. Now, may we, your people, bring you praise, in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.