God’s Big Story: Land, Seed, and Blessing God promised to Abram, and the nations, also would be blessed in him (Genesis 12: 2-3; 15:5-6)

God created all that is. Therefore, all that is is His (Genesis 1-2).

Adam and Eve wanted to be their own; Rebellion in their hearts was sown (Genesis 3:1-3).

Judgment to the snake God spoke, And hope in Adam’s heart awoke (Genesis 3:9; 14-19).

So, “mother of the living,” he named his wife, For her seed is the source of life (Genesis 3:20-24).

People never did do good, but God saved Noah at the flood (Genesis 6-9)

Land, Seed, and Blessing God promised to Abram, and the nations, also would be blessed in him (Genesis 12: 2-3; 15:5-6)

God’s promised blessing to Abram is a promise to use Abram to bless the nations.

After the flood, God blessed Noah and his children and told them to be fruitful and multiply. By the time we read Genesis 12, ten generations have passed. Abram is a descendant of Shem, Noah’s son.

God promised Abram Land (Genesis 12:1)

Genesis 12:1 ESV

1 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.

God promised Abram a geographical blessing. The Lord spoke to Abram when he was living in Haran the Northwestern land of Mesopotamia. He had migrated with his dad and extended family, like his nephew Lot, from the land of Ur, some 700 miles south. Abram was seventy-five years old when God told him to leave his own country, leave the place of his birth, and leave all his family behind in order to go to a land he has never been to, but will one day belong to his descendants. The land God promised him was the Land of Canaan.

Why did God promise to give Abram Land?

God gave Abram land so he could dwell with his people. Just like the Garden of Eden, God wanted a special place where he could be worshiped and bless his people with his presence and ways to live. Furthermore, Promising Abram land was God’s way of reminding people that He still intends to keep his promise to reverse the curse and bless humanity.

One of the main themes in Genesis 1-11, are God’s curse and judgement. In Genesis 3:17 the ground was cursed because of Adam’s sin. In Genesis 12:1-3 and 15:6-7, God promises Abram he and his descendents will possess a land for themselves. In Genesis 4:12, Cain was cursed to be a wanderer for the rest of his life. In our text, Abram who was a wanderer, was given land to be his home. Cain and the Nephilim, built a tower and sought a name for themselves. God says to Abram, I will make your name great. At the Tower of Babel, the nations were scattered; in Abram all the peoples of the earth will be blessed. In the Old Testament, God’s blessing would flow from a special place, the Promised Land. Along with the land, God’s blessing would flow through special people.

God promised Abram Seed (Genesis 12:2; 15:5)

Genesis 12:2 CSB

2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

The word nation means people group. God will bless Abram’s seed. We’ve seen this word “seed” before in Genesis 3:15

Genesis 3:15 ESV

15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

God promised Abram a genealogical blessing. The word “seed” means offspring. God has promised Abram many children, grandchildren, and great great great great great great grandchildren to multiple generations. God promised to make Abram’s offspring a great that they will be as numerous as the stars in the sky;

Genesis 15:5 ESV

5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

This promise seems impossible. We’ve already read that Abram is seventy-five years old, which makes his wife somewhere around sixty-five years old. Also, Sarah his wife, has not been able to have children. She is barren. How can Abram have as many offspring as the stars in the sky if they are to old to have children and she is barren?

What is impossible with man is every bit possible with God. God has the power and wisdom to open her womb and give her a child in her old age. God is able to make his people increase into a great nation. With God all things are possible. What is even better is God is not just promising physical children.

In Genesis 12:7

Genesis 12:7 CSB

7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring, I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.

The word offspring is in the singular. Paul makes note of this and clarifies for us

Galatians 3:16 ESV

16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

God is going to make Abraham’s offspring as numerous as the stars through his Messiah, the Christ, Jesus. Jesus is the sinless descendant of Abraham who will save a people for himself who will be counted as Abraham’s offspring. God will create a new people for himself who will possess a new land with a new Jerusalem. And God will dwell with his people. In this way God will be a blessing to the nations.

God promised Abram Blessing (Genesis 12:2-3)

Genesis 12:2–3 ESV

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 dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The initial blessing for Abram is great wealth and possessions. But God also gives Abram a new purpose. God says, “I will make your name great.”

How did Abram reposed to God’s promises?

Genesis 15:6 ESV

6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

God’s blessings in our lives are designed to flow through us to others, as we participate in His redemptive plan for the nations.