From Promise to Peace: The Everlasting Covenant and Today’s Hope in the Middle East
“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.” (Psalm 33:11)
Introduction: When Prophecy Meets the Present
Today, the world watches a rare and sacred pause in the Middle East, a ceasefire that holds the promise of peace between Israel and Hamas. Hostages have been returned. Prisoners are being released. For the first time in years, a fragile stillness hangs over a region too long defined by sorrow.
For those of us who see history through Scripture, this moment is more than a political milestone. It is a mirror of God’s faithfulness across millennia. Peace in the land of promise always demands spiritual reflection.
On October 16, 2025, FaithBindsUs will release “Israel and the Palestinians: Ancient Promises, Modern Pain,” which is an in-depth exploration of God’s covenant with Abraham and its unfolding through centuries of exile, return, and redemption.
Yet in light of today’s historic peace agreement, we felt led to share this message sooner, that hearts might find biblical clarity amid global celebration. While Thursday’s article will provide deeper historical and theological context, today’s reflection speaks directly to this moment, when an ancient promise is tested not by war, but by peace.
This renewed covenant moment invites a question that echoes through time:
Did the promise God made to Abraham end when Jesus came, died, and rose again?
To seek the truth, we turn not to politics or opinion, but to the Word itself, where Scripture interprets Scripture, and the promises of God reveal their own eternal meaning.
The Promise to Abraham: Everlasting and Unconditional
God’s covenant with Abraham was more than a temporary arrangement. It was and remains an everlasting declaration of divine intent.
Genesis 17:7–8 (NKJV)
“And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”
Two key words define this promise: everlasting and possession. The covenant is not symbolic; it is enduring, physical, and spiritual. It is rooted in the character of a God who does not revoke His word.
Throughout Scripture, God reaffirms this covenant with Isaac (Genesis 26:2–5) and Jacob (Genesis 28:13–15), even amid disobedience and exile. It is not based on Israel’s merit but on God’s unchanging faithfulness.
“God is not a man, that He should lie.” (Numbers 23:19)
Christ’s Coming: Fulfillment, Not Cancellation
When Jesus entered the world, He came not to erase the covenants, but to fulfill them in their most whole spiritual meaning.
(Matthew 5:17)
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
Fulfillment does not mean termination; it implies completion of purpose.
The Abrahamic covenant contains two dimensions:
The physical promise: The land and lineage through Abraham’s seed.
The spiritual promise: The blessing to all nations through that same seed (Christ).
Christ’s death and resurrection opened the covenant’s blessing to the whole world without abolishing the promises made to Israel. Paul affirms this clearly:
(Romans 15:8)
“Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers.”
He came as confirmation, not cancellation.
The Spiritual Extension: Gentiles Grafted In
The gospel expands God’s covenant family beyond Israel, but it never replaces Israel. Through Christ, Gentiles are “grafted in,” sharing the spiritual inheritance of faith while Israel’s national destiny remains intact.
(Galatians 3:28–29)
“There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
The Church is not a new tree; it is a branch grafted into the one God planted in Abraham.
Paul explains this beautifully in Romans 11:
“If the root is holy, so are the branches… you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them.” (Romans 11:16 17)
Thus, Gentile believers share in Israel’s spiritual blessing without erasing Israel’s unique role in God’s redemptive story.
Israel’s Future in God’s Plan
The apostle Paul was unmistakable about God’s continuing purpose for Israel:
Romans 11:1–2 (NKJV)
“I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite… God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.”Romans 11:25–26 (NKJV)
“Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.”
The Abrahamic covenant remains active, physically, nationally, and spiritually, until the Lord Himself consummates all things. The Mosaic Law (the conditional covenant) was fulfilled in Christ. The Abrahamic promise stands because it is unconditional and everlasting.
The Peace Agreement: Fact and Fulfillment
As of October 2025, Israel and Hamas have signed the first phase of a historic peace accord brokered in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The deal includes a ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners, and steps toward demilitarization and rebuilding Gaza. We see 20 living hostages released, 1,900 Palestinian prisoners freed, Israeli forces began partial withdrawal to agreed zones, and a multinational summit convened to supervise implementation. This marks the first meaningful peace framework since the Abraham Accords (2020)—an agreement itself named after the patriarch whose covenant we now revisit.
Scripture Interprets the Moment
Prophets foretold that the nations would one day seek peace in Jerusalem and that human attempts, though noble, would never fully achieve it without God.
(Isaiah 2:4)
“He shall judge between the nations… they shall beat their swords into plowshares.”(Micah 4:1–3)
“Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
These words are not yet fulfilled. What we see today is a shadow, a whisper of the coming kingdom when the Prince of Peace reigns. And yet, even temporary peace is cause for gratitude. God uses every quiet season to remind us that He remains sovereign.
(Daniel 2:21)
“He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.”
Answering the Central Question
So, did the covenant God made with Abraham end at the Cross? It did not! It reached its spiritual fulfillment in Christ while its physical dimension endures as part of God’s eternal plan. The Mosaic covenant (Law) was temporary and fulfilled in Christ. The Abrahamic covenant was eternal and continues today. The New Covenant through Jesus Christ expands that promise, offering salvation to all who believe. This truth keeps Israel’s destiny and the Church’s calling in harmony rather than in conflict. The gospel does not erase Israel; it unites Jew and Gentile in the story of redemption.
Peace and Promise: What This Moment Teaches
The peace signed in 2025 does not mean the story is finished. It is, however, a moment to reflect:
God’s Word stands above the noise. Empires fall, governments change, but His promises endure.
True peace is both external and internal. Nations may agree on paper, but hearts must be transformed by grace.
The children of the region are God’s concern. Let us pray they grow up under sunlight, not sirens.
Believers must speak with compassion, not pride. Every side carries wounds. Every side needs the Savior.
Today’s peace, imperfect though it is, invites us to practice what the Apostle Paul urged:
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18)
Faith Over Fear: What We Must Do
We must pray for peace in Jerusalem. For safety in Gaza. For wisdom among leaders. For the children who will inherit what we shape today. We must observe as Jesus told us to discern the times, not fear them. (Matthew 24:6). Let the covenant of Abraham remind us that God’s redemptive plan always included blessing all nations; we have to embrace them and love them. Let us proclaim that the ultimate peace will not come through treaties, but through the return of the Messiah, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6–7).
Let us all consider what this means and pray!
The story of Israel is the story of God’s faithfulness. Every return from exile, every rebuilding, every truce, all of these events whisper of a greater peace yet to come. What began with a promise to Abraham has echoed through empires and centuries and now resounds in today’s headlines. The world’s peace tables are fragile, but God’s covenant is not. We must not see Israel’s survival or these negotiations as mere geopolitics; they are milestones on a divine timeline, each testifying that God keeps His Word.
A Prayer
Heavenly Father,
You are the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the Keeper of promises. Today, we thank You for a glimpse of peace in the land You set apart. Let no hatred undo what mercy begins. Let no ambition eclipse Your will. Protect the children who awaken to hope for the first time in years. Guide the leaders who speak of peace. Humble their hearts and steady their hands. And may Your Spirit breathe life into every heart, that all may know the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.
In His holy name we pray. Amen.