Often the Israelites seemed unable or unwilling to understand God's purpose for the heathen. Yet it was this very 368 purpose that had made them a separate people and had established them as an independent nation among the nations of the earth. Abraham, their father, to whom the covenant promise was first given, had been called to go forth from his kindred, to the regions beyond, that he might be a light bearer to the heathen. Although the promise to him included a posterity as numerous as the sand by the sea, yet it was for no selfish purpose that he was to become the founder of a great nation in the land of Canaan. God's covenant with him embraced all the nations of earth. "I will bless thee," Jehovah declared, "and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 12:2, 3.

Det så ofte ud, som om israelitterne ikke kunne eller ikke ville forstå Guds planer med hedningerne. Men det var netop for at gennemføre disse planer, at Gud havde gjort Israel til et særskilt folk og skænket dem deres eget land mellem jordens øvrige nationer. Deres stamfader, Abraham, som først fik pagtsløftet, blev opfordret til at forlade sin slægt og rejse til et fjernt land for at kunne blive et lys for hedningerne. Skønt løftet til ham indbefattede, at hans afkom skulle blive så talrigt som sandet ved havet, var det ikke for hans egen skyld, at han skulle blive stamfader til et stort folk i Kanaans land. Guds pagt med ham omfattede alle jordens folk. Herren sagde: "Jeg vil velsigne dig og gøre dit navn stort, og vær en velsignelse! Jeg vil velsigne dem, der velsigner dig, og forbande dem, der forbander dig; i dig skal alle jordens slægter velsignes!" 1Mos. 12,2-3.