The Sand of the Sea, Dust of the Earth, and Stars of the Sky

The ethnic nature of the Jewish people is based on the passages in Genesis that clearly state that Israel is made up of the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There is no "spiritual Israel" or "true Jew" apart from believing Jews. Gentiles are never called the offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, rather, they are called spiritual sons of Abraham, not Isaac and Jacob.

The following passage explicitly states that "a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir" which is clearly a reference to the physical offspring of Abraham that will be as the stars in the sky.

Gen 15:3-5 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." (4) Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir." (5) He took him outside and said, "Look up at the sky and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

The Predictions

References to the "sand of the sea", "dust of the earth" and "stars in the sky" refer to the numerous descendants which are flesh and blood. This is clearly physical and ethnic, and has nothing to do with spiritual descendants as Gen 15:4 clearly states.

In Gen 13:15, Abraham and his children after him are promised all the land that he can see. The promise of the land of Canaan is only given to physical descendants, not Gentiles. The dust of the earth then is a reference to Abraham's physical offspring.

Note the references to the "land" in all these verses that speak of the numerous descendants.

Gen 13:15-16 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. (16) 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.

Gen 22:17-18 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, (18) and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

Gen 26:3-4 Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. (4) I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,

Gen 28:13-14 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. (14) Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

Gen 32:12 But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"

Exo 32:13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'"

The Fulfillment

That the descendants of Israel would become as the sand of the sea was fulfilled at the time they were called out of Egypt. The sand of the sea or stars of the sky is not a future prophecy regarding a spiritual progeny, but was fulfilled physically in Egypt.

Deu 1:10 The LORD your God has increased your numbers so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Deu 10:22 Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Deu 28:62 You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the LORD your God.

1 Ki 3:8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.

Neh 9:23 You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess

Heb 11:8-12 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (9) By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. (10) For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (11) And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. (12) And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Passages which speak of Israel becoming great in number refer to their physical numbers, not their spiritual numbers. This is not to say that Abraham's spiritual descendants will not also be great in number, they will.

Additional study can be found in Gal 4:21-31 and Gen 21:8-21.