“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. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

In our verse of the day, we have what is known in the Bible as the Abrahamic Covenant. The unconditional covenant by God with Abraham promises several blessings, including land, descendants, and prosperity. Did God keep His promises?

“I will make you into a great nation.” Abraham became the ancestor of both Jewish and Arab nations through his sons Ishmael and Isaac. More specifically, with Israel God’s promise is fulfilled in establishing a holy nation of people to whom God has revealed Himself, establishing true redemption for all in Jesus Christ.

“I will bless you.” God blessed Abraham and his descendants. He blessed them materially and spiritually. Through God’s people of Israel, the blessing extends to all nations in bringing forth Jesus Christ, the Messiah, in whom salvation is freely attained.

“I will make your name great.” This promise is fulfilled as Abraham is still revered today in all three of the great world religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

“You will be a blessing.” Abraham was a blessing to many, and the nation of Israel is a blessing to all, not only as a testimony of God’s grace, but also as a living witness to the world of the greatness of God. One can also make the case that God has used the great but tiny nation of Israel to bless the world as a leader and innovator of economic, agriculture, and cultural milestones and benefits. As for Christians around the world, we love Israel because it is the place where our blessed Redeemer was born.

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” History testifies of nations that have welcomed the Jewish people and found favor and blessing from God. In contrast, history is littered with nations who have had contempt for Israel and the Jewish people. I’ll let you do the homework on this matter. You will be blessed for it.

In the bigger picture of application, the Abrahamic Covenant is the place where God establishes His gracious plan of redemption through His Son Jesus Christ. All blessings come by virtue of God’s grace. Wherein God’s mercy means to spare one of deserved suffering, God’s grace means to get what one does not deserve. Abraham failed many times on his own efforts, but his faith assured that God’s grace was with him and upon him.

Blessings come by experiencing grace in relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is never in what you do, but always by what God does and is doing in the believer’s life. The ultimate blessing given in grace by God is salvation—the act of unconditional love. It is nothing of our own, but of God and God alone. The Apostles were given power over serpents and scorpions, their enemies and spirits, but they were told not to rejoice in such but rather rejoice because their names were written in heaven (Luke 10:20). Paul the Apostle declared he was not even worthy to be an apostle but went on to say, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect,” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

You are blessed, beloved in Christ. Go forth and walk mightily in the greatness of God, blessing others so they, too, can enter into the blessing of His grace and love.

By Pastor David Massie, Bible League International contributor, California, U.S.