What did God mean in Genesis 13:16, when he spoke to Adram?

Question

In Genesis 13:16, God states to Abram (later Abraham):
I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.

Answer 1

That Abram's seed would become a great nation of people. Great in number and power.

Answer 2

We're given more details about that promise in the New Testament. In Galatians ch 4 Paul turned the facts of Abraham's offspring by Sarah, his wife, and Hagar, his bond-woman, into an allegory to show that the descendants of the free woman (Sarah) would far outnumber those of the slave woman (Hagar). The children of the promise were shown to mean spiritual children - i.e. those who, like Abraham, had faith in God and were brought into spiritual Israel. In Revelation ch 7 those redeemed by faith are called "a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (in heaven). Only God knows how many people will be in heaven. We only know the number will be vast!

Answer 3

To receive evolution instead of God's Plan of creation which He chanced directly to Adam & Eve, is to deny unique Sin, the finished tension on the lower back of the Redemption and Resurrection of Christ. Such women and men human beings are not "christians." they're apostates, not "christian" in besides. The bible isn't the "coaching authority" notwithstanding if the VERIFICATION of what the Apostles had alrready been coaching for 4 hundred years! The Church was once sturdy located, having survived the 4 centuries of Roman Persecution! It had sainted popes, docs and Early Fathers and a variety of of martyrs for the religion. The Church have been given right here first. Christ located His Church, and not in any respect reported any bible. Had it on no account been accrued from the assorted notes scattered throiugh the churches wherein the Apostles taught, there notwithstanding if may be no bible. however the Church may be precisely an analogous, ending in 1958, the beginning off of the great Apostasy. classic Catholics 33 A.D. to 1958 A.D. (Sacraments ofTrent --not Vatican 2)

Answer 4

It simply meant that the descendants of Abraham would be too numerous to count. This was a common simile in the Near East. Similar expressions used in the Bible are "as numerous as the stars in the sky" and "as the sand on the seashore".

Answer 5

Can we count the dust of the earth! no. It means that God will make his offspring many, to many to be able to count how many.

Answer 6

Genesis was presumably written by Moses, not God. Moses had his reasons for stating all that he did and the Churches have their reasons for believing it.

Any way, Genesis clearly states that there is more than one God.

More Peace

Answer 7

It means that there will be so many of them, that it counting them would be like trying to count specks of dust one at a time.

Answer 8

that means that Abraham will produce more people and it will multiply more and more that no one can count like a dust on earth.

Answer 9

He meant it literally. My Grandma was big on doing genealogy, before she died, and from her I found out that most people on the earth to day can trace their linage back to Abraham.

Answer 10

thats a good question... but i dont think you will find the answer on yahoo-try looking were you wouldnt usually or were you least expect and then you'll find the answer gud luck!