400 Years Covenant

The 400-year covenant between Abraham and God is outlined in Genesis:

• Genesis 15:12-16 – “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.”

The verses above are a detailed breakdown of the covenant between Abraham and God. The covenant outlines that Abraham would have a child who would become a great nation and wander for 400 years—both in Egypt and Canaan. The statement, “be sojourners in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years,” applies to the time in both Egypt and Canaan. By applying the 400 years to the time spent in Egypt and Canaan, the timeframe would not end with the Exodus from Egypt but with the receiving of the first land promised by God. The statement, “in the fourth generation they shall come hither again,” implies that Israel would reside in the Promised Land in 400 years as stated in Genesis 15:7, which says, “I am Jehovah that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.”

God gave Abraham a timetable of 400 years, covering four generations. The interaction between God and Abraham included details that Abraham could not have understood, so God summarized His promises in terminology that Abraham would understand:

• Genesis 15:18 – “In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”

The covenant made between Abraham and God gave his descendants the land of Canaan, a land currently possessed by the Amorites. Regardless, this fulfillment would not occur until after 400 years.

The covenant was reinforced in Genesis 26:3-4 and again in Genesis 28:13-14. This covenant is echoed by Moses to Israel while in the wilderness, indicating that it had not yet been fulfilled up to that point:

• Exodus 13:5 – “And it shall be, when Jehovah shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
• Exodus 3:7-8 – “And Jehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.”
• Exodus 32:13 – “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.”

God swore to give the land to Abraham: “And Jehovah spoke unto Moses, Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, unto thy seed will I give it” (Exodus 33:1).

Moses confirmed the land covenant in Exodus 34:9-11, which says, “Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance. And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been wrought in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of Jehovah: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.”

The land was given to those who “walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation, even the men of war that came forth out of Egypt, were consumed, because they hearkened not unto the voice of Jehovah: unto whom Jehovah swore that he would not let them see the land which Jehovah swore unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that flowed with milk and honey” (Joshua 5:6).

The promise from God to Abraham was complete with the receiving (inheriting) of the Promised Land.

• Judges 6:9 ­– “I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.”

Israel had the land as a possession; they just had to take it with the help of God.

• Deuteronomy 1:8 – “Behold, I have set the land before you: Go in and possess the land which Jehovah swore unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.”
• The verse above references the first time Israel came to the Promised Land and turned back. Forty years later, they were given another chance. The only thing they had to do was take possession.
• Joshua 1:11 – “Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare your victuals; for within three days ye are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Jehovah your God giveth you to possess it.”

Israel first took possession of the land of Canaan as the Promised Land just before the first Passover in the Promised Land.

• Joshua 21:43 – “So Jehovah gave unto Israel all the land which he swore to give unto their fathers; And they possessed it, and dwelt therein.”

Three actions are presented: God gave, Israel possessed, and Israel settled. First, God promised Israel the land. Second, God brought Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land where they then possessed it. Lastly, Israel must remove all inhabitants so they can settle the land.

• Judges 2:1 – “God said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swore unto your fathers.”

When all Israel crossed the Jordan to possess the Promised Land, the promise made 400 years before was fulfilled.

God has given Israel all the land promised; however, they must possess it, which is Israel’s responsibility.

• Deuteronomy 7:1-2 – “When Jehovah thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and shall cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; and when Jehovah thy God shall deliver them up before thee, and thou shalt smite them; then thou shalt utterly destroy them: thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them.”
• Deuteronomy 8:1 – “Go in and possess the land which Jehovah swore unto your fathers.”
• Deuteronomy 9:1-3 – “Hear, O Israel: thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the sons of Anak! Know therefore this day, that Jehovah thy God is he which goeth over before thee as a devouring fire; he will destroy them, and he will bring them down before thee: so shalt thou drive them out, and make them to perish quickly, as Jehovah hath spoken unto thee.”

The entire land promised would not be conquered until King David and his son King Solomon as seen in 2 Chronicles 9:26 and Kings 4:21. All the land of Canaan was given to Israel, but it was their responsibility to take it. Moses warned them that if they did not take it all, they would not live in peace.

The moment Joshua laid rocks of remembrance from crossing the dry Jordan and performed the religious Passover, they were awarded their first lot of land in the Promised Land. From this, they branched out in conquest of the whole land of Canaan. Joshua and the Israelite battle the inhabitants of Canaan until the land was divided, ushering in the first Jubilee. Scripture highlights the moment of the fulfillment of the 400 years:

• Joshua 1:2 – “arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”
• Joshua 1:11 – “Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Jehovah your God giveth you to possess it.”
• Judges 2:1 – God said, “I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swore unto your fathers.”