Answering Social Media Myths with the Bible
“*Mrs. Miller, do you believe that Israel has a right to the land today?” asked *James, one of my Bible class students.
This question didn't surprise me. I had seen the trends on social media accusing Israel of stealing the land from the Palestinians, and noticed a growing number of students falling for this propaganda online. Knowing this was a hot topic among teens, I prayed the Lord would give me wisdom as I responded.
I asked him, “Let me answer your question with a question: is the covenant God made with Abraham conditional or unconditional?”
To answer, he needed to recall what he had learned in his Old Testament survey class. His response revealed to me that he had missed a crucial foundation of biblical literacy and the study of Old Testament covenants.
“Conditional?” he answered hesitantly.
“Grab your Bible and open to Genesis….” I told him.
As our conversation unfolded, I realized the immense need for deep biblical literacy among our youth. Beginning in Genesis, I walked James through the biblical narrative to show him that the Abrahamic covenant is in fact an unconditional covenant – instituted by God and kept by Him alone.
And this thread actually begins before Abraham was born. In Genesis 3:15, we see the "seed of the woman," which points to the coming Redeemer, while the "seed of the serpent" continually seeks to thwart God's plan before ultimately being destroyed. We see this conflict play out almost immediately between Cain (who represents the seed of the serpent[1]) and his righteous brother Abel (representing the seed of the woman). The family line through which the promised Redeemer would eventually come then continues through Seth, carrying the narrative all the way to Noah.
After the flood and the establishment of the Noahic covenant (Genesis 9:8–17), the following verses are an abrupt vignette that tells of Noah planting a vineyard and becoming drunk. His son Ham acts shamefully, humiliating his father. When Noah wakes, he pronounces a prophetic curse on Ham’s son, Canaan, and blessings concerning Noah’s other descendants, particularly another son, Shem:
“Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.” (Genesis 9:25–27)
Canaan’s descendants became the Canaanites, living along the Mediterranean Sea in modern-day Israel. Noah’s prophetic blessing and curse follow the line of history directly to Abraham, whom God called out of idolatry in Ur to inherit the promise given to the descendants of Shem. Abraham was not chosen at random; he demonstrates the outworking of Noah’s blessing upon the line of his son Shem.
Within that context, Genesis 12 takes on a whole new depth:
“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” (Genesis 12:1–3)
God promised Abram three distinct things: the land, the seed, and the blessing. Abram responded in faith; God spoke, and Abram believed and obeyed.
Later, after living as nomads, Abraham separated from his nephew Lot. Lot chose the lush Jordan Valley, while Abraham settled in Canaan. God spoke to Abram again:
“The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring FOREVER....’” (Genesis 13:14–15)
It is in the above passage that the Lord establishes the timeframe of the covenant. This was not a "til death do us part" agreement; it was a forever promise.
Finally, in Genesis 15, God "cut" the covenant with Abram.[2] Sacrifices were laid out, and a deep sleep fell upon Abram. While Abram slept, God alone passed between the pieces, showing that He would uphold the covenant unconditionally. God confirmed the covenant and prophesied what lay ahead for his offspring:
“Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years... And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” (Genesis 15:13, 16)
Notice that last phrase: the Amorites, descendants of Ham living in Canaan, would eventually lose the land through divine judgment when their accumulated iniquity reached its full measure.
Later, in Genesis 23, we even see a physical deed to the land established. When Sarah died, Abraham insisted on purchasing the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite for full market price, refusing to take it as a gift (Genesis 23:16–20). This field became the burial place for the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), a legal plot owned in the heart of the Promised Land.
After walking through these passages together, I turned back to James and asked him again: “So, is the covenant God made with Abraham conditional or unconditional?”
“Unconditional,” he replied, “because God set the terms and fulfilled what He said.”
“So, who gets to decide whose land it is?” I asked.
James thought for a moment. “Well, I guess if it's God's world, He gets to decide what to do with the land.”
“Exactly,” I responded. “Man will always try to make God bend to human desires, but we are the ones who need to submit to the Lord and His Word – not the other way around.”
I know this will not be the last conversation I have about this topic. Even as an educator in a Christian school, I can attest that our students are constantly bombarded with a barrage of social media posts, emotional narratives, and shallow slogans. But as educators, Sunday school teachers, parents, grandparents, friends – or whichever “title” you may hold – our job isn't just to counter this propaganda with political arguments. Rather, our job is to give the next generation an unshakeable foundation built on the Word of God. When we anchor young people in biblical literacy, we equip them to filter culture through Scripture rather than filtering Scripture through culture.
When we step away from God's Word as our ultimate authority, we put our faith in grave danger. But when we stand firmly on its truth, the next generation learns to navigate a confusing world with complete clarity, and confidence.
The same God who made an everlasting covenant with Abraham is faithful to His Word today. As we seek to know and trust His Word ourselves, may we be faithful in teaching the next generation to trust His promises, stand on His truth, and look to Scripture – not culture – for their answers.
Written by Kori, Life in Messiah Staff Member
*name changed to protect identityHow does understanding God's unconditional covenant with Abraham strengthen your confidence in His faithfulness to all His promises?
When you encounter conflicting messages about Israel or other issues in today's culture, do you turn first to Scripture for understanding?
What practical steps can you take to deepen your own biblical literacy and help the next generation develop a firm foundation in God's Word?
Endnotes:
[1] Cf. 1 John 3:12, where Cain is described as being “of the evil one.”
[2] The Hebrew expression in Genesis 15 translated “make a covenant” literally means “cut a covenant.” In ancient times, significant covenants were sometimes solemnized by cutting animals in two and passing between the pieces (see Jeremiah 34:18–19).