Genesis

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NASB	Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
AMPLIFIED 2015	Genesis 15:18 On the same day the LORD made a covenant (promise, pledge) with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates--

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Bible Question: This area that God promises Abram would stretch from Egypt to Iraq. Why is it that the Israelites only wound up claiming much smaller area that became Israel?

Bible Answer: That is a very good question, and the implications of the answer are very important to us today. The primary answer can be found in Judges 1:21 - 2:3. Israel had become complacent, and in reality refused to TAKE the the land that Jehovah had promised them. In fact, driving out the pagan, wicked inhabitants was one of the requirements for taking possession of the land. Yet, greediness for slave labor and a desire to live the pleasure-seeking life of the Canaanites led the Israelites to seek covenants and to mingle with them. Judges 2:11,12 sums it up: "And the sons of Israel fell to doing what was bad in the eyes of Jehovah and serving the Baals. This they abondoned Jehovah the God of their fathers who had brought them out of the land of Egypt and went following other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them and they began bowing down to them, so that they offended Jehovah." Israel would reach its fullest extent only much later in the days of King David, but the nation would continue to fail God miserably by refusing to stay away from apostasy. The judges brought salvation and hope, but Israel turned aside as soon as a judge would die. Then the kings, except for a small few, would only serve to lead the people away from Jehovah. So while Jehovah did promise a great deal of land to Abraham's seed through Isaac and Jacob, Israel failed its commitment to do what was required (and deserved) to claim it.