A blessing for All

 Read Genesis 12.

The end of Genesis 11 and chapter 12 are turning points in world history.  The story of the Bible tells of God initially working with one man, Adam, and then one man, Noah.  Here, the rest of the Bible's story line will be affected by this one man, Abram.  

The family of Abram lived with the Chaldeans in the city of Ur.  It was out of this pagan environment that God called Abram.  Of all humanity, God chose this man and sovereignly made a covenant with him and his descendants.  The covenant contains three parts: God will give Abram and his family a land for their own; God will make Abram a great nation of people; God will bless Abram to such an extent that the entire world will be blessed through him.

For the better part of history the land has been in some dispute with Israel's enemies.  In spite of many satanic attempts to annihilate the descendants of Abram and the nation of Israel, by God's grace they have survived.  Matthew 1 provides the genealogy to prove that Jesus, the Messiah, is humanly a direct descendant of Abram.  Indeed, the blessing to all the world has come and He will come again.

Such a promise to a man with no children humbled him.  Like other incidents in his life, his response was to build an altar and worship the LORD. 

That did not mean that Abram lived a perfect life.  The rest of chapter 12 displays his humanity.  And, like all humans, he sinned when he got out of God's will.  Sin may be characterized by one or more of the following from Abram's bad example: 

In the wrong place (Egypt, instead of the place God provided)

With the wrong thinking (fear, instead of faith)

With the wrong speech (lying, instead of truth)

With wrong actions (instead of being a blessing, he became a curse)

With wrong results (instead of building relationships, he was asked to leave in disgrace).

But God's promises were not dependent upon Abram's behavior.  In further reading of this book we find that God blessed Abram.  God still kept His promises.  Abram was still God's friend.  That is an example of God's grace and gives hope to all who trust Him.