10 Weeks in Genesis: Lesson 6
WEEK SIX: WATCH EPISODE 7 FROM BIBLE IN A YEAR STUDY
ABRAM AND BLESSING:
The importance of Abram (henceforth Abraham) can't be overstated. He is the father of all who put faith in God as the provider of salvation. My temptation in this section is to be long-winded, but I know there will be future opportunities for conversations regarding salvation, righteousness, and faith, so I'll do my best to be succinct.
Abraham, when called by God, was a pagan idol worshipper. But God selected Abraham as the patriarch of the nation of Israel and the spiritual father to all people of faith. Genesis 12:2-3 says, "I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse. In you, all the families of the earth will be blessed."
Western Christianity has long taken this blessing to be one of practical and tangible things. The general line of thought has been, "If we are allies to Israel, then God will bless us; If we are enemies to Israel, then God will curse us." The problem with such a view is that it regards the earthly blessing as more significant than the spiritual blessing. The last phrase of verse three, "and in you, all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed," is a commentary on salvation and not on physical earthly blessings. If we take the first part of the text, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you" to be a commentary on the physical nation of Israel then we are compelled to conclude that, "In YOU all the families of the earth will be blessed" is a reference to the physical nation of Israel blessing all people.
However, Paul clarifies the meaning of this statement for us in Galatians, where he says, "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed.' So then, those of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." We see then that these words in Genesis 12:3, and therefore the words dealing with blessings and curses, have more to do with the spiritual truth of faith, in and through Christ, than the national perspective of wealth and wellbeing. As students of the Bible, we are often guilty of casting aside the profound spiritual truth in favor of the more tangible cultural implications. We see then the promise of "a great nation" has less to do with the nation of Israel and more to do with the nation of faith, those people who have put their confidence in God as the source of salvation so that "in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles." Does that mean we Western Christians should make ourselves enemies of the people of Israel? Never. Even a cursory overview of the Scripture would let us know that it is a terrible idea. However, we must be careful to elevate the truth of the Gospel of Jesus as higher than national pride. Remember that nearly the entire Old Testament deals with Israel as a rebellious, idolatrous people void of love for the living God of the universe. They were the ones who sought to put Jesus to death.
It is important to know that Israelites who have traced their lineage to Abraham are not automatically included in God's blessing, for "it is those of faith who are sons of Abraham." In John 8, Jesus lets the Pharisees know that though their family tree may begin with Abraham, they are not, in fact, "children of Abraham." Instead, having rejected Jesus and faith in him, they are found to be sons of the Devil. Only if one belongs to Christ Jesus can they be Abraham's offspring. Again, in Galatians, we find Paul saying, "It is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham." This is one of my favorite things in the New Testament. I highly encourage you to examine Jesus's usage of the language "son or daughter of Abraham." As I already stated, in John 8, those Pharisees who had a physical lineage connected to Abraham were counted not as sons of Abraham but sons of the Devil for their disbelief in the Savior. But you and I who have come to faith in Jesus are, by grace, added to the lineage of Abraham and are fellow heirs of his promises, having received the blessing of salvation and life. Consider Zacchaeus in Luke 19, particularly Jesus's words, "Today salvation has come to this house for he also is a son of Abraham." Or what about Luke 13, where Jesus heals a woman a spirit had oppressed for eighteen years? When Jesus heals her, the crowds object, and the Savior responds with, "And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day."
So we see that the New Testament's discussion of Abraham's heritage and blessing has virtually nothing to do with the physical land of Israel and everything to do with the believer's faith in Christ as the source of eternal life.
Personally, I think when Christ returns he will return to that little patch of land we call Israel. I believe the events of Revelation will unfold on that same piece of land. As long as the sun, moon, and stars exist, the purpose of God for Israel will not be done away with. But we must be careful not to elevate the physical above the spiritual.
Oh, and thanks be to God that from the moment God called Abraham out as a father of faith, the Gentiles were included in the promise and blessing.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Even in Genesis 12, the blessings and curses are attached to the gospel.
Anyone who puts faith in Jesus as the Savior is considered a child of Abraham. Those who deny Christ are children of the Devil (though they may have Abraham in their family tree).
We don't have to guess at how to interpret this text since Paul interprets it for us in Galatians.
DISCUSSION:
What, if anything, stood out to you today in the video? What thoughts were new or encouraging to you?
Why do you suppose people relegate the blessings and curses in Genesis 12 to physical, tangible national blessings/curses?
When confronted with how Paul uses this text in Galatians 3, why might people still choose to interpret Genesis 12 from a physical perspective rather than a spiritual one?
Given that Israel as a nation in the OT rejected God rejected the prophets, rejected the Scripture, rejected the covenants, and dishonored the Lord, what might that say about present-day Israel?
Knowing that Romans 11:25 says God has hardened Israel so that Gentiles could come to faith and that 11:29, speaking of Israel, says that God's gifts and callings are irrevocable, what conclusions might we draw for the present people of Israel?
What is a key takeaway from today's lesson you hope to hold on to?
PRAYER:
God, we acknowledge that you are good, gracious, and faithful. We thank you that salvation is for the Jew and the Gentile who come to you through faith. We praise you for still being at work in the world to bring people to salvation. We pray that the nations will come to you in grace by faith. Amen.
