Why does God refer to Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

Answer

In approximately twelve instances in the Bible, the Lord God is mentioned as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (e.g., Genesis 50:24; Exodus 3:15; Acts 7:32). This title of God highlights the covenant made by God with Israel and the unique position of the Israelites as God’s Chosen People.

God reiterated the Abrahamic Covenant to three successive generations: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each received the promise of land, numerous descendants, and blessings. Initially, the Lord called Abram from Ur of the Chaldees to Canaan, establishing a covenant with him (Genesis 12:1-3). This same covenant was reaffirmed with Abraham’s son, Isaac (Genesis 21:12; Genesis 26:3-4), and later with Isaac’s son, Jacob (Genesis 28:14-15). The Lord who established and confirmed this covenant is rightfully known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

When God revealed Himself to Moses before leading His people out of Egypt, He identified Himself as “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” in Exodus 3:15. He also instructed Moses to refer to the Lord by that name when addressing the Israelites (verse 16). This designation carries significant implications. Firstly, by identifying Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God clearly sets Himself apart from the Egyptian gods worshipped in the land where the Israelites resided. Secondly, the mention of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hints at the reason for the exodus: the promise of land. God had pledged that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would inherit a specific geographical region. The faithfulness of God and the blessing of Israel are evident.

Being were directly tied to Israel’s possession of the Promised Land, and the name God uses for Himself harkens back to the covenant with Abraham.

Jesus alluded to God’s burning-bush appearance to Moses and used God’s name to teach a lesson on the resurrection to the Sadducees: “About the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Matthew 22:31-32). As Jesus points out, the verb am is in the present tense; God did not say, “I was the God of your fathers.” He said, “I am their God,” showing that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive (in heaven) in Moses’ day.

In Acts 3, as Peter preaches to the Jews in the temple, he refers to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, a name that his hearers would have commonly used in their worship. Peter and John had just healed a lame man, who was now standing before them. Peter attributes the miracle to the power of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, working through Jesus. In other words, Peter was careful to link the miracle they had just witnessed to the one and only God of their fathers. The same God who spoke to the patriarchs was at work in their midst, and Jesus should get the glory.

In explaining the miracle of a lame man walking, Peter also sets up a bold contrast: “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate” «The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. », (Acts 3:13). The God whom the Jews purported to revere treated Jesus of Nazareth much differently than they.

God glorified Jesus, and they killed Him. Peter emphasizes the contrast in verse 15: “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.” As he concludes the sermon, Peter reminds his listeners that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was fulfilling His covenant with them: “You are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers” (verse 25). Many Jews believed in Christ that day, but Peter and John were thrown in jail (Acts 4:1-4).

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has a plan for the ages involving a Savior who offers forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. That plan began when God called Abram and blessed him, and it was fulfilled when Jesus died and rose again. Through the offspring of Abraham, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob blessed all the nations of the world.