Genesis 12:1-3 The blessing of righteousness demands radical changes in our core belief system
Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Background
God gives Abram the divine word of going forth from your country. The divine word is centred around the vision of building a great nation through which all the families of the earth will be blessed. In today’s devotion, we learn that the blessing of righteousness demands radical changes in our core belief system. Those who go forth by believing in Jesus and by living out His righteous attributes will be honoured forever.
Observation
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country…
Against the backdrop of death, orphaned children and barrenness, God’s sovereign call comes to Abram at a timely manner offering hope and vision of a glorious future. With his family being steep in idolatry, how Abram comes to recognise God as the Lord of all creation remains a mystery. Here, God’s instructions are every bit succinct and commanding emphasising the uncompromising and irresistible nature of God’s words. The call to leave his “father’s house” runs counter to the inherent responsibility and fidelity children possess towards their parents. This draws attention to the radicalness and costliness of faith and obedience.
In verses 1-3, the promises are subordinated under the command “Go…” God’s intention can be expressed as the following “Go… so that I may make you … and bless you.” The award of divine blessing is conditional upon the obedience of the hearer.
And I will make you a great nation,… And make your name great.
God’s blessing ordinarily comprises long life, wealth and good harvests, peace and posterity (see Deuteronomy 28:3-15). However, this series of promises are subordinated under the adjective “great” which suggest superlative nobility, might and importance. Here, Abram is predestined to become a “great nation”. A “nation” is a political entity with land and government. One can envision a “great nation” to possess spiritual character, military might, material riches, a source of help and a stabilising force to other nations. Therefore, it follows that Abram (as father of a great nation) must naturally possess in his name a full spectrum of divine endowment, substance, and ordination: make your name great.
And I will bless you,…
The word “to bless” in Hebrew carries an allusion to Abram’s name. Abarekeka “I will bless you”, is unmistakably similar to “abram”. In the play of words, we see the notion of blessing being embodied in the name of Abram. The way that God singles out Abram and blesses him suggests a peculiar endowment that is unique to Abram. How is this blessing different from the common blessing that humanity seeks? Genesis 22:18 speaks of this blessing as being embodied and expressed in a fuller sense through Abram’s seed, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” This seed (a singular noun) unmistakably refers to Christ and not the biological descendants of Abram (see Galatians 3:16). This blessing of eternal life as we understand from the gospel is found in Jesus Christ (see John 17:3). The apostle Paul also speaks of the gift of righteousness, the eternal life that is credited to Abraham because of his faith (see Romans 4:21-22).
And so you shall be a blessing…
This promise is frequently interpreted in an active and forward way: because Abram is blessed by God, he will in turn be a blessing to others. However, note another word play on Abram’s name: berakah “blessing”. In this context, “blessing” refers to the blessing reserved specifically for Abram to be differentiated from the blessing that the nations seek. Abram is to be the first recipient of righteousness, a kind of blessing never before seen by the world. And people will come to say, “May God give me the kind of blessing given to Abram”; the blessing of eternal life.
And I will bless those who bless you,…
God has taken upon Himself to preserve Abram: “I will bless those…” as opposed to a more impersonal presentation as in the case of Jacob, “Blessed are those who bless you…” Genesis 27:29. Here, God is seen actively intervening on Abram’s behalf and vouching for him.
And the one who קלל curses you I will ארר curse.
God uses a more benign term קלל “to disdain, to esteem lightly” to describe those who oppose Abram instead of ארר “to curse”. Hence, “and the one who disdains you I will curse” is a more accurate translation. To disdain קלל includes verbal assaults as opposed to invoking a curse as does Balaam who is intended on “cursing” Israel (Numbers 22:6). Here, we see God, who is jealously protective of Abram heightening the punishment by cursing those who merely “disdain” Abram. Abram, because of his unreserved loyalty towards God enjoys unreserved favour and protection from Him.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
This promise brings a triumphant conclusion for all humanity. That which begins as a promise for Abram, becomes in Abram’s name, an embodiment of blessing, the eternal life reserved for Abram’s seed. Then it develops into a promise of blessing for those who approve of Abram and his ethos. Then it follows that all families (humanity) who honour Abram’s seed, the Christ will be similarly blessed.
Truth
The blessing of greatness and righteousness demands radical changes to our core belief system.
Abram is faced with a divine command to go forth; to leave his place of belonging and comfort zone. The divine instruction is every bit radical and runs counter to the traditional values of fidelity towards nation, community and family. Leaving “your father’s house” is about changing one’s core belief system which in Abram’s case is to detach from his father’s house. The vision of the divine word is centred on the “land which I will show you” and the birth of a “great nation.” Abram has come to understand that an adoption of a great vision necessitates radical changes to our mindset and lifestyle.
Many in their peculiar reasons and motivations desire a vision that is as big as the world. And they are indeed willing to put in much time and effort to work towards that vision. However zealous and noble they may be, they are unwilling to do what it takes to fix their core belief system. Hence, they continue to make mistakes by yoking with the wrong people, and making commitments that are beyond their abilities to fulfil. Many have issues in their inner life that blurs the line between:
a. glamour and glory
b. gifting and authority
c. knowledge and wisdom of the Spirit
d. fleshly ambition and commission of love
e. natural abilities and spiritual maturity
Upon leaving his father’s house, Abram embarks on a course of discipleship under righteous men, and for this purpose Melchizedek appears at the scene. God continues to take Abram through a series of events purposed to build up his faith in His word. Abram’s journey culminates not in a victorious battle against a formidable enemy but at the sacrifice of Isaac. What determines the fate of humanity is not a war among great nations and superpowers but one man’s decision to sacrifice his only son in an obscure mountain of Moriah. It is the heart of Abram and his actions that justify God’s decision to save mankind not Abram’s abilities. That is the reason why believers must deal with the issues of the heart above all other pursuits.
God’s ultimate blessing is His divine nature, which is eternal life.
The first instance of God’s imputation of righteousness into man is found in Genesis 15:6, “Then he (Abram) believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it (to impute) to him as righteousness.” Notwithstanding the list of material blessings that is promised to Israel (see Deuteronomy 28:3-15), Abram’s blessing differs in that it relates specifically to the imputation of God’s righteous attributes in the inner life. Deuteronomy 32:4 speaks of God’s attributes as righteous and upright. The apostle Paul (see Romans 5:21) in a fuller sense develops the idea of righteousness as living the eternal life; spontaneously and continually springing up from within them Christ’s very essence – His thoughts, passion and authority. Jesus helps the Samaritan woman see the limitations of water drawn from the well, and the water that Jesus gives,
“Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14
In a fuller sense, righteousness in the New Testament is not just about forgiveness of sins; it is living the infinite life, the eternal life – the Christ’s kind of life.
Many churchgoers continually look for material blessings, but not the Abram’s kind of blessing. They are not able to detach their minds from the concerns of physical needs and material pursuits. Material wealth continue to serve up great expectations of bliss and prosperity, but no one is satisfied by it. Wanting more, they pierce themselves with great sorrows (see 1 Timothy 6:10). Proverbs 10:22 speaks about the blessing of God (not the blessing of world) that makes rich and He adds no sorrow to it.
While the majority of churchgoers seek earthly blessings, let those who are of the seed of Abraham seek eternal life in Christ Jesus.
Those who believe in Jesus and put on His righteousness will be honoured forever.
The blessing of Abram comes with the heritage of being respected and honoured by all people: And make your name great… And I will bless those who bless you. God imputes His righteous attributes into Abram and places a mark of sonship (an extension of Himself) upon Him. Hence, we can infer that honouring Abram is equivalent to honouring God. One can also imagine Abram being the source of blessing for the Canaanite community and respected by all. This principle is also seen in the ministry of Jesus; Jesus says, “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.” John 5:22.
In the New Testament, God has promised a way for all man to receive the blessing of Abraham, the imputation of righteousness and honour. It is by honouring Jesus, the Son of God, the mark of righteousness (Abram’s blessing) will be given to all who believe in Him. The apostle Paul says,
So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14
The above verse promises that those who believe in Jesus will receive the righteous attributes of Christ through the Spirit. In so doing, the world may see our righteousness and glorify God in heaven. Many churchgoers despise Abram’s blessing preferring material wealth to the righteous attributes of Christ. Such are short sighted and foolish. They do not realise that material blessings are temporal whereas divine attributes are eternal. In fact, the righteous attributes of the inner man will on the last day be revealed in a glorious resurrection body.
Application
Are you constantly focused on securing resources for your physical needs? Abram’s blessing is the imputation of righteousness through the Spirit. As you endeavour to live out the righteous attributes of Christ daily, God will provide all that you need for abundant living. Be diligent to receive the divine word daily by reading the bible in a systematic fashion.
What are the core issues in your life that has been hindering your progress towards righteousness? For most, it is the difficulty to submit to the call of discipleship. Because they unwilling to fully submit to God, they find it hard to listen to the divine word spoken through their cell leader or mentor. Do you suppose that you are directly accountable to the Spirit and hence refuse to submit to a human authority? God sends His human servants out into the world to make disciples by teaching them to observe all that I commanded you (see Matthew 28:20).
Dear Lord, I desire to know my calling and to fulfil it. I ask that you prepare me and mould me through your anointed servants. Reveal to me the core issues of my heart daily so that I may repent and be transformed. I receive the blessing of Abram; the gift of righteousness. Cause me to perceive with the wisdom of Christ, to persevere with the passion of Christ, and to influence with the authority of Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.