November 01, 2023 – Wednesday
Genesis 12:3 NKJV
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Genesis 12:3 ESV
3 I 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.
Comments
Above we have LORD GOD speaking to Abram, who would become Abraham. For context let’s look at verses 1-3 (NKJV), 1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
I have chosen verse three for us today due to all that is going on in the Middle East and especially in Israel. When I read what happened on October 7, I immediately thought of this verse and recalled how great the devastation of Germany was by the end of World War II. Then half of it was placed under the iron fist of communist rule by the USSR until 1990. Today, there is a serious secular prediction that Germany will cease to exist as a nation state within 10-20 years. It is no small thing to bring God’s curses down on you or on your nation.
We can expect that Abram took what God said very seriously as Noah was still alive when he was born. And of interest, according to the Book of Jasher, an extrabiblical book, Abraham went to live with Noah and Shem (Noah’s son) as a young child for 39 years. There is no evidence from the Bible that this did indeed occur, nor does it contradict it either. Certainly, it is within the realm of possibilities that Abram did meet and speak with them. Caution if you go looking for the Book of Jasher (also Jashar), while it is mentioned twice in the Old Testament, there have been forgeries and great arguments about it. Links for/about it are here and here.
Now before you dismiss this verse as if it does not apply to the world today, let me give you two examples from the New Testament where it is mentioned. First Acts 3:25, 25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ The last part of the verse is made real, but even more so and more powerfully in the next example. And here we have Galatians 3:8, 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” Our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, a promised blessing from the Father through Abram to all of us!
Bottom Line: God’s promises stand no matter what and the world ignores His promises at its peril. I have accepted His gift of grace through the Jewish rabbi Jesus of Nazareth. And I stand with Israel.
Prayer: Almighty God, Thank You for making Your promise come to life in my lifetime as well so that I can be at peace with You and look forward to entering the sea of eternity with Your blessings. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Still writing and working for the Glory of God