God saw Abraham through some difficult times like famine and war (Genesis, chapters 12-14). Then he made another holy covenant with Abraham. Abraham had no son who would inherit his authority and wealth. God made a special promise to give Abraham a son:
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15.1-6
God also told Abraham that his children after him would go through a difficult time of slavery in a strange land for 400 years. However, God would surely save them and give them the land where Abraham was then living:
Abram fell face down, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Genesis 17.3-8
This is the land of Palestine. Through this promise, God was working to bring mankind back to the original purpose of creation. We could not do this for ourselves. God was working his will through Abraham to begin the great work of bringing goodness back to the world and defeating Satan. Abraham lived in a world of idols and corruption. However, God called him to be an example of true faith. God caused Abraham to serve as a light to the unbelievers everywhere. God said,
“And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 22.18