Spurling Silver: The Blessing of Abraham, Genesis 12:1-3

As we open Genesis 12, we’re only a dozen or so pages (page 14 in my Bible) from the beginning; yet we’ve already traveled about 2,000 years from the creation of man.

However, from this point all the way through the Old Testament to the time of Christ and even to the very end when John writes the last “amen” in Revelation 22:21, (Page 1,799 in my Bible) we’ll only travel about, 2,000 years.

Now the pace slows, the focus narrows. For the next 14 chapters we’ll only cover about 100 years in the life of one man. Abraham.

He’s born 292 years after the flood. Noah is still alive until Abraham is 58 years old, then Noah dies at 950. Noah’s son Shem outlives Abraham by 35 years and dies at 600.

We don’t meet Abraham until he’s 75, yet his life has, and continues to, impact the planet in a powerful way.

See snowbirds, silver haired saints, you’re not too old. God’s not through with you. It’s not time to retire—it’s time to refire.

Christianity, Judaism and Islam, look to Abraham as father of their faith.

The furious fighting at least in part is due to a family feud with roots reaching back to Abraham.

However, even more than that, the heated hateful attack is aimed at the words of our text today.

The words spoken by God.

Thus, the pro-hamas, free palestine, protesting, attacking, isn’t only aimed at Israel, but a demonically fueled attack against, God.

Genesis 12:1

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.

This move wasn’t just across town but out of the country, away from kinfolk and family. Go to a land you don’t know, but don’t worry, I’ll show you.

They were in modern day Iraq and had migrated from Babylon to Ur of the Chaldeans, an ancient city about 150 miles south of Babylon. Then they moved to Haran, about 800 miles north northwest of Ur where Abraham’s dad, Terah, died.

Abram traveled another 600 miles from there to Canaan. What would become the Promise Land. Israel.

Leaving home and family was a big ask. Remember it wasn’t so long ago that the Lord confused their language and scattered them from the tower of Babel.

So, like today, going to another land probably meant they’d meet folks they couldn’t communicate with.

Walking with God, will go outside our comfort zone. He leads beyond our borders, outside our circle of old friends, family and stomping grounds.

Be sure not to confuse running to God’s calling, with running away from something.

Now, Abram’s family wasn’t exactly Godly. Joshua 24:2, tells us that Abraham’s family served other Gods on the other side of the Euphrates, (Babylon). That’s where they worshipped the sun and moon (Sin) and stars. The tower of Babel is the seedbed for demon worship, idolatry and the occult.

It appears God had been working on Abraham’s heart for a while. In Acts 7:2-3, Stephen states that God told Abraham to get out, while he was still in Ur of the Chaldeans.

We don’t know all the details but we know the character and pattern of God. When He wants to create something, He speaks it into existence.

His Word is Seed. His Word gives Life.

It appears that God had already planted the seed in Abram’s heart, to get out of the pagan worshipping land and follow the One True God.

So, this tells us a couple things.

Your pedigree isn’t important, your ancestry doesn’t matter to God. He uses flawed folks from messed up families.

But we can’t stop there, or we’re perverting grace.

There’s more. God looks for more. God saw something in Abraham, that grabbed His attention.

Faith.

Hebrews 11:6. Without FAITH it’s impossible to please Him.

God can look into the future and see that Abe will start packing when God says, go. (Gen. 12:4; Heb. 11:8).

He knows Abraham will direct his children and household to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Gen. 18:19.

He knows he will trust and obey, even when it comes to sacrificing Isaac, his promised son. Gen. 22:12.

Yes, God uses broken people; yes, He chooses folks who fail and fall, but He knows the end from the beginning and as sure as He knows every fall, He also knows every come back, every dust yourself off and go at it again. He knows who’ll hold fast, not quit, endure to the end.

Those are the overcomers, the ones in whom He sees faith outshining the tears and the scars and the mud and the blood.

Those are the ones He can do something with.

God is about to create a nation by planting a seed in the heart of one man; a man who will fall, who will fail, who will sin…but he won’t quit. He won’t stop getting up, he won’t quit trying to get it right.

One man, Abraham.

Maybe He’s looking at you.

Maybe He sees that seed He planted in you, a long time ago. Back when you still dared to dream.

Are you willing to water it? Let it see the Light of day? Take a chance, give it room, let it bud, let it grow?

² I will make you a great nation;

Did I mention, God’s plans look impossible?

I will make of one man, Abraham, a great nation.

Oh wait; I will make of one, 75-year-old man, Abraham, a great nation.

Actually it’s; I will make of one 75-year-old man, Abraham, with a 65-year-old wife, a great nation.

Okay, this is it; I will make of one 75-year-old man, Abraham, with a 65-year-old, barren, wife, a great nation.

Abe and Sarah couldn’t have kids. By now they know. Now he’s old, and she’s no spring chicken.

But she’s real pretty.

A Jewish legend says when Abram went into Egypt, he tried to hide Sarai in a box. When Egyptian customs officials asked what he had in the box, he said, “barley.”
“No,” they said, “it contains wheat.”
“Very well,” answered Abram. “I’ll pay the custom on wheat.”
Then the officers said it contained pepper. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on pepper. Then the officers said it contained gold. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on gold. Then the officers said it contained precious stones. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on precious stones.
By this time, the officers insisted on opening the box. When they did, all of Egypt shined with the beauty of Sarai.
These same legends say that in comparison to Sarai, all other women looked like monkeys.
She was even more beautiful than Eve (cited in Ginzburg).

Nevertheless, all the beauty in the world can’t make a mother.

But God can.

God is planting a seed in the heart of Abraham, that will blossom into a nation, called Israel.

This is the seedbed of that nation.

I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.

This may sound familiar. It’s what those at the tower of babel were after. It’s what lucifer was after. They wanted to make a name for themselves and make themselves great.

God promises to bless Abram and make his name (reputation) great; and then says, and you shall be a blessing.

Therein is the reason for blessing—to be a blessing.

³ I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you;

Historically speaking, nations that have blessed Israel, have been blessed.

And those who've treated her poorly... have been cursed.

Egypt was blessed beyond measure when they accepted the family of Israel; but wound up in shambles when they enslaved them.

Assyria threatened to attack Israel and in one night 185,000 were slain. 2 Kings 19:34-36. Even then they didn’t learn their lesson, and were soon conquered by Babylon.

Babylon took Israel captive and soon met their demise at the hand of the Persians.

The Greeks desecrated Israel’s altar and temple, and before long, Rome desecrated them.

Rome soon fell after martyring Christians and destroying Jerusalem.

Spain became a fifth-rate nation after the Inquisition against Jews.

Poland fell after the pogroms.

Hitler’s Germany collapsed after genocidal slaughter of the Jews.

Britain’s empire crumbled when she broke faith with Israel.

The world fell into the dark ages when the church thought it her mission to persecute the Jews.

America was blessed above every nation when she harbored and helped Israel.

Lord help us if we turn our back on her.

We as a Church, a people and a nation, are currently urgently called to bless Israel in this her greatest time of need since the holocaust.

No person can rightfully call themselves a Christian and stand in silence, or side with terrorists or those who support them.

Much of the world is cursing Israel right now.

Make no mistake God is not mocked. His Word is faithful and true, and those cursing Israel, are putting themselves under God’s curse.

Which is just one more sign that the time is near for judgement and justice to fall.

I don’t know, but it sure seems like the swords of Ezekiel 38-39, Gog and Magog war, can be seen from here shimmering on the horizon.

and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

“There, you see, was the missionary character of the seed of Abraham, if they had but recognized it. God did not bless them for themselves alone, but for all nations: ‘In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.’” (Prince of Preachers: Charles Spurgeon).

Martin Luther said this promise should be written in golden letters in every language.

This of course is the ultimate purpose of the promise, that through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, (whose name is changed to Israel), and then, seed after seed after seed, until…

The Seed, Jesus Christ, for in Him all families of the earth are blessed.