The Gospel was preached in the days of Abraham. Not only so, but we who live in this nineteenth century are admonished to take heed to that Gospel and that preaching. It is the same Gospel that has been preached in all ages,--the Gospel which is "the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes." (Romans 1:16)
Of this preaching we are told that: "The Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed." (Galatians 3:8)
It was preached also to Abraham's descendants, those "whose carcasses fell in the wilderness, ... [who] because of unbelief," (Hebrews 3:17,19) could not enter into the promised rest. The promise of rest and inheritance is the Gospel, since it comes through the righteousness of faith. "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." (Romans 4:13)
And now the exhortation comes, "Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them." (Hebrews 4:1-2)
In preaching the Gospel to Abraham and to them, God also preached it to us, who are the children of Abraham by faith. Very profitable is it, therefore, to consider Abraham and the promises made to him. Unless we do, we shall be ignorant of what the Gospel means, and of what it has for us.--Present Truth, May 24, 1894--Genesis 12:3.