In Genesis chapter 12 God is dealing with a specific group of people. This is a change of emphasis. Genesis Chapters 1-11 God is dealing with man in general. God is the father of all mankind through Adam and though Noah.
Because God is calling the descendants of Abraham and Israel to be set apart. It is not as an end in itself, but to bless all the people who have been scattered. God announces his intentions to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham.
Now 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. 2 And 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. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.” 4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4)
Just preceding this call is the story of the Tower of Babel and the table of nations in Genesis Chapter 11. At the tower of Babel God scrambled the languages and scattered the people. At the coming of the Holy Spirit, Pentecost, there is a reverse tower of babel where the languages become intelligible to hearer of multiple languages.
God did not bring his Messianic plan, with the cross resurrection and coming Holy Spirit on suddenly. The setting of the stage was being set in Genesis 12. That is why John Stott said of this passage, “This is the key which opens up all of scripture. The previous eleven chapters lead up to them and the rest of the Bible follows and fulfills them.”
An understanding of this passage and the promise fulfilled here is important to understanding the purpose of God in history culmination in the fulness of time with coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Jesus came to make atonement the just for the unjust to bring us to God.
The call of Abraham. The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. (Genesis 12:1)
Everything that Abraham might find security in, he was to give it up and trust God by faith. Leave your country, your people, your father’s household, go to a foreign land. This required tremendous faith to go.
Because of this faith Abraham would receive the promise of becoming a great nation that as details unfolded meant descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky. He was 75 years old and still had no children yet.
He must step out and operate by faith. God had a plan but, he called Abraham to take a step of faith. Abraham became the father of faith and all of us who become children of Abraham will be called in to take a step of faith. and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but also follow the example of the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:12) When God calls us to a task God expects us to respond in faith.
God is still calling and God’s call is still exciting, still requires a step of faith. He is calling some to leave their families and move to a foreign land. He is calling some to take a stand at work, witness to a friend.
God’s desires went beyond Abram, the nation Israel, the promise land to all the families of the earth. That is so intensely relevant that a promise made to the patriarch Abraham was meant to bless us. If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, then you are a beneficiary of the promise God made to Abraham.
When you become a disciple of Jesus Christ you become a descendent of Abraham. So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:6-7)
Those who believe in Jesus Christ are children of Abraham. God announced the gospel in advance that the blessing promised to Gentiles come to us. This promise we see to Abraham was the gospel in advance! It was God’s plan in advance to send his own son Jesus Christ into the world to die on the cross and bless all the families of the earth.
John the Baptist was talking to the physical descendants of Abraham when he told them, “And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9) To the Jews that John the Baptist was addressing raising of children of Abraham from the stones was more conceivable to them than coming from the gentiles.
God chose Abraham and his grandson Israel because of his purpose to bless all the families of the earth. That is why Genesis 12:1-3, is considered a foundation passage for missions. The will of God is to reach all the families of the earth. The purpose of the church is to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham that all might know the promised blessing.
That blessing is faith in Jesus Christ. God is not a local, tribal deity. He created all mankind, and his purpose is redemption for all mankind. The Messiah is a blessing for all the families of the earth. Whoever puts faith in Christ.
Abraham obeyed God. So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. (Genesis 12:4) Abraham was promised a great name, great nation, land descendants.
It was not fully realized in Abraham’s lifetime. He lived by faith. Abraham responded to the call of God. He exchanged the known for the unknown. He inherited a great nation by leaving his family.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[a] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. (Hebrews 11:8-13)
God’s plan is to reach people. Take a step of faith. Following God will mean branch out to the unknown trusting God. Christ died to establish the church. Local churches are sharing the blessing to all the families of the earth.
Are you a beneficiary of this promise? Have you placed faith in Jesus Christ? Abraham is called to trust his future to God without knowing what all was involved. Are you responding to God’s call like Abraham did.
Abraham was called and tested. God is a God blessing. Not for us to hoard the blessing but to bless others. All God’s children are expected to walk by faith. Would you do something considered foolish by some because God is leading you in his purposes?
