The Lord’s Promise to Abraham

“¹Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ²And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Ge 12:1–3

The promise that the Lord makes to Abram contains seven parts:

1. God will make of Abram a great nation
2. God will bless Abram
3. God will make Abram’s name great
4. Abram will be a blessing
5. God will bless those who bless Abram
6. God will curse those who dishonors Abram
7. In Abram all the families of the earth will be blessed

Through God’s promise to Abram, a rebellious humanity is offered the chance to return to a blessed relationship with the Lord God.

Now that some 4,000 years have passed since Abram received this promise from God, it is clear that it has been fulfilled. Today, several great peoples are descended from Abram, including the Jewish and Arab peoples, and few historical figures are held in such high esteem as Abram. Through Abram’s descendants, Israel and Jesus, Abram has become an invaluable blessing to all who have become part of the covenant. Today, saved people are found in almost every nation across the globe.

Those nations and peoples who actively bless Abram’s offspring, Israel and the church, can expect blessing, and those nations who choose to persecute God’s people can expect God’s curse sooner or later.

This has been proven time and again throughout history. Shortly after the Babylonians destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, they were conquered by the Persians. When the Greeks disgraced the temple, they soon lost to the Romans. After Rome destroyed Jerusalem, their empire fell. When the Nazis tried to annihilate the Jews, they lost the war. The list of empires that have tried to annihilate the Jews could be long, but what they all have in common is that sooner or later they perished.

Nations that have, on the contrary, blessed God’s people have themselves been blessed.

Prayer

Thank you Lord, for letting me be a part of the covenant you made with Abraham. I ask for the grace to be a blessing to my fellow human beings around me.