Being a Blessing
Genesis 12:1-3
June 10, 2007
Morning Service
Introduction
A certified public accountant did something that maybe all of us should do. He decided to open a journal with God. He wanted to write everything that God gave him and everything that he gave to God. He started keeping a debit and credit book with God.
If someone did him a favor, he put it down as God’s gift to him. He credited God with the sun, his food, his health, his friends and relatives, and a thousand other benefits he received.
On the other hand, he put down what he did for God. Finally he gave up saying, "It is impossible for me to balance the books. I find that God is indeed my creditor and what I have done for Him is next to nothing."
This leads us to an important question: what does it mean to be blessed?
Our English word bless: means to consecrate or hallow, to confer happiness or prosperity. The understanding that being blessed means that we are made holy or prosperous.
The Hebrew word for bless is barak which appears, with its derivatives, in the Old Testament 415 times. The word means to kneel or to bless.
The deeper Hebrew meaning of blessing is “to endue with power for success, prosperity, fruitfulness, longevity Thus, the implication of having a blessed life is to be given a life that is fruitful and abundant.
If you have your Bibles with you, please open them to Genesis 12:1-3. As we look at the calling of Abram and the blessings that God gave to Him.
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:1-3
God set specific conditions for His blessings
Before God pronounces his blessings, He issues two major commands.
These seem to be the conditions of the promise that God was about to give. This would have been an act of faith on Abram’s part. It would have been a designation of personal trust in God.
Leave your country
God wanted Abram to leave his country. Not because the people were pagan but because God wanted to separate a people of His own. The issue here is holiness. God separated Abram from the world to make a holy nation, a separated people. The reason for leaving the country was not that God could not use Abram there but that He desired to create a new nation using Abram
Go
God tells Abram to go from the country he was currently in. Abram was going to leave everyone and everything he knew to pursue God’s promises. The command to go was to make the separation complete.
God gives Abram five distinct promises that will bring him divine power to live an abundant life. God is peaking directly to Abram at this point and makes specific personal promises that will not only impact the life of Abram but the whole world.
God chose Abram for His personal blessing
Blessings were pronounced on children by their fathers. This was seen as an incredible gift to the children. Normally, this honor went to the eldest son. We see the value of blessing in Genesis when Jacob went to great lengths to steal his brother Esau’s blessing. Later in life, as Jacob was dying, he pronounced blessings on all of his children and both of Joseph’s sons.
Notice that God pronounces six promises
I will show you
God makes the promise to give Abram direction to find the new land. There is the promise that Abram will not wander alone searching for God’s place of promise.
I will make you into a great nation
God promises to do something new for Abram. The word make implies that there is something more that God wants to do for Abram. Remember Abram has not yet had his name changed. Abram means exalted father. This seems like a strange name for a man who has no children. God will later change his name to Abraham which means father of multitudes. The name change is one of the areas of promise that God gives to Abram.
God plans to take Abram from being the father of none to the father of multitudes.
I will bless you
God promises to give Abram a fruitful and abundant life. He promises that Abram will be empowered for becoming great.
I will make your name great
The promise here is to make the name of Abram known throughout the nations and through the ages
I will bless those who bless you
God makes the promise of this blessing being a universal or global event. The promise makes it clear that there will not be a single people group not touched by the blessing that flows through the life of Abram.
I will curse those who curse you
God promises protection on Abram by bringing His divine punishment on those who would be against him.
Blessings that God wants to give you
1. Divine direction through the Holy Spirit
2. A place in His kingdom
3. Empowerment to live an abundant life
4. True greatness through Christ
5. Divine protection
God blessed for a purpose
God makes the promise to Abram that he would be a blessing. God will not only bring blessing into the life of Abram but so much blessing that there would an outpouring into the world around him.
Notice how God was going to bless the world: the creation of a new nation. God was going make Abram into the nation that he would use to bless the entire world. Abram was going to be God’s change agent in his world that would impact not just his time but all of history.
How have we been blessed through Abram?
Without Abram there would have been no Israel. Without Abram there would have been no King David. Without Abram there would have been no Jesus. Without Abram there would have been no hope of eternity.
We are blessed to be blessing – How do we bless others?
We bless others through our graciousness (Luke 6:27-31)
27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:27-31
Jesus makes it clear that we are to show His grace through the way that we act and treat others. Jesus goes to an extreme to make His point and includes the need to love even enemies.
Jesus says that when others hurt you, whether it is through an actual strike on the face or striking you down with words or some other action, turn away from our human nature and the instinct that screams to get even. Change the direction that would seek retaliation and stop living with revenge in your heart. The only way to truly defeat the cruelty of this world is by doing good.
We bless others through our kindness (Romans 12:14-20)
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Romans 12:14-20
When you treat others with kindness it makes a great impact; especially when they don’t deserve it. Kindness will give you credibility. Kindness will give you influence. Kindness will give you accessibility. Kindness will give you durability.
Revenge will only lead to hurting not only the person that you are “getting even with” but it also hurts you as well. Paul says that treating someone who has done you wrong with kindness is like pouring burning coals on their head. Kindness will bring shame on those who mistreat you. Showing kindness to those who mistreat you will make them look like the fools that they really are.
Make a habit of getting even with people -- not those you think wronged you, but those you know who helped you. -- Kay Levin
This applies to everyone: the neighbor that causes you problems, the people at work that are just “hard to love”, the people that cause you nothing but endless grief and those who deserve your retaliation need your kindness the most
Conclusion
"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." -- J.M. Barrie
When we strive to be a blessing that means we try to bless everyone. We work to bring benefit to the lives of others.
