In his important work, Genesis helps pastors, teachers, and interested Christians help those they shepherd live the Story by applying it to real life. Abraham was known and respected in his day and still millennia later. Humans are blessed at the beginning (Gen 1:22, 28); they forfeit that blessing through their rebellion (Gen 3); and then God blesses humans when he seeks reconciliation through Abraham and his descendants (Gen 12:1–3). We live in a day of rampant selfism. So what does Genesis 12:1–3 mean and why does it matter to creatively and faithfully living it today? One of the newest offerings is a volume on the Book of Genesis, and by none other than venerable Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman III. Genesis 12:1–3 plays an important initial role in revealing and explaining God’s mission of rescue and re-creation in the world. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” a. “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. If you are looking for a helpful commentary that is as rich in its explanation of Scripture as it is in its application of it, then join Longman’s exploration of the prequel to the main story of the Pentateuch in Genesis to understand how this ancient text informs our present Christian life. By G. E. Watkins. As Christians we are the heritage of Abraham today (Gal. 26 and Deut. This involves more than name recognition. Universalism and 1 Corinthians 15:22 (2), A Vintage Christian Manifesto: We’re Not Talking Monkeys! 11:8-12). I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. Genesis 12:1-3 is speaking about, without batting an eye or even checking their bibles, they will tell you that this is pointing to the nation of Israel. The Call of Abram - The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. Categories: Bible Study Lessons. We have here the call by which Abram was removed out of the land of his nativity into the land of promise, which was designed both to try his faith and obedience and also to separate him and set him apart for God, and for special services and favours which were further designed. Abraham is one of the most important men in all of history. Not only would God provide for Abraham but he would make him overflow to others. Genesis 12:3(NASB) Picture courtesy of Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org. Longman directs our attention back to God’s original blessing of Adam and Eve in the garden: “Life in the garden defines what blessing looks like and it has spiritual, emotional, physical, psychological, as well as material aspects to it.” Deuteronomy 27–28 further refines our understanding, showing that those who obey God’s covenant will “have a relationship with God which leads to material and emotional wholeness.” (160). First, from the moment Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his household, “The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.” (Genesis 39:5) Longman remarks, “Joseph’s presence blesses the household of the Egyptian Potiphar…As Potiphar promotes Joseph and entrusts him with more and more responsibility, so the prosperity of the house only grows.” (479), Then, the nation of Egypt itself was blessed after Joseph was put in charge of Pharaoh’s storehouses leading up to the famine: “During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully.” (Genesis 41:47) Longman notes how this passage shows “that a descendant of Abraham would bring blessing on the nations (12:3)” (496), Ultimately, Jesus would fulfill the Abrahamic promise, and also the Church through our relationship with Jesus, mirroring the blessing that came to the nations through Joseph. (159). We usually interpret this as meaning a vast number of physical descendants, and God has certainly fulfilled that, considering the teeming popula Genesis 12:1-3 (1) The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. When God called Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, he received several promises. Does Paul Teach Universal Salvation? Why Use a Bible Concordance? “Thus, the book of Genesis lays the foundation for all of the history of redemption…This story of God’s work of redemption continues throughout the rest of the Old Testament.” (16), When we first encounter this passage, we are struck by the repetition of brk, the Hebrew root of blessed. A brief look at how Longman explains and applies Genesis 12:1–3 illustrates the power of this series—an important set of verses to be sure! Bible-believers: What does Genesis 12:1-3 mean to you, right here and now? Genesis 12:3. has been fixa�, When You Get Cancer Ministry Takes New Meaning, Why Did Paul Write Romans? Interpreters universally consider Genesis 12:1-3 to provide the key for the rest of the book. The verses constitute a fulcrum text, thoroughly theological in focus. There is no better place to start than in the beginning, Genesis. The final element of the blessing is found in these words: "And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 4:12b). Here Are 3 Reasons For You! God tells Abram to head toward a different land, which is linked with his people becoming a great nation. In Genesis 12, “God now seeks to address the sin problem and reconcile humanity to himself through the person of Abraham and promise he will give him.” (157), In the introduction, Longman explains how “blessing” is an important word that holds Genesis together and binds it to the rest of the Old Testament. Genesis 12:1-3 will begin to unpack all of that for us. What does Genesis 12:3 mean? To the Israelites this passages points back to their origin. The beginning of a nation is children and Abraham had none as yet (Gen. 15:2). A warning to those who are against Abraham. God called him while he was in Mesopotamia; however, Genesis 12:1–4 shows God calling Abraham in Haran after his father’s death. He followed the Euphrates against the flow of the river to supply water and forage for his herd. 20. Expository study of Genesis: God calls us to bless us and to make us a blessing to all the nations. It is hard to over-estimate the importance of the passage before us. This verse has been used by deluded pastors and theologians to promote their crypto-Zionism from the Genesis 12:1 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Genesis 12:1, NIV: "The LORD had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you." Here are 5 Possible Reasons, A Christian Universalist's Response to Mass Murder. Genesis 12:1-3 – The Call of Abram. (Read Genesis 12:1-3) God made choice of Abram, and singled him out from among his fellow-idolaters, that he might reserve a people for himself, among whom his true worship might be maintained till the coming of Christ. This magazine was primarily interested in why both Israel and the various Arab nations claim Abram as their forefather, and yet are constantly at war with one another. This was a trip of 800 miles at the speed of the slowest animal in the herd. “The church is a spiritual entity, but metaphorically that ‘great nation’ who receives and dispenses God’s blessing to the world.” (165). 15 | gandalfsbeardblog, Does Paul Teach Universal Salvation? KJV: Genesis Chapter 12 [1] Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: [2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: They will learn a great deal about God’s character seeing how God dealt with Abraham. Though he lived about 4000 years ago, he is still a prominent figure today. Faith involves hearing followed by trusting and obeying. Abram (later, Abraham) is introduced as one that God had special dealings with, much as He did with Noah. Many millions know the name of Lee Harvey Oswald but that doesn’t make him great. Analysis. Not necess… He had to leave all that was precious behind and go. Do College Students Think There’s a Difference Between Men and Women? Gen 12:1-3. From henceforward Abram and his seed are … A leading news magazine had him as their cover story article not too long ago. I will make you into a great nation. When you finish, read it again. [⇑ See verse text ⇑] Verses 1–3 introduce the beginning of God's relationship with Abram; this is the earliest history of the nation of Israel. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. [6] | jeremy bouma, A Vintage Christian Manifesto: Resist Progressive Christianity, Reclaim the Fundamentals [1], A Vintage Christian Manifesto of Hope: Did God Really Say? With graduate degrees in Bible and theology, a decade in ministry experience, and an author of more than forty books, Jeremy has dedicated his life to helping make the vintage Christian faith relevant to a new generation exploring deep questions about faith, life, and everything in between. Interpreters universally consider Genesis 12:1-3 to provide the key for the rest of the book. “God will bless Abram and then he in turn will be a blessing to others, ultimately to ‘all peoples on earth.’” (159). The Meaning of Genesis Genesis 12:1-3 - "Leave your country, your people and your father's household..." The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. Abram, Sarai, Lot, and all their household, depart from Canaan, Genesis 12:4, Genesis 12:5; pass through Sichem, Genesis 12:6. God tells Abram to head toward a different land, which is linked with his people becoming a great nation. We usually interpret this as meaning a vast number of physical descendants, and God has certainly fulfilled that, considering the teeming populations of his offspring. It’s even harder to be headed for a place that you’ve never seen and harder still when there’s no one waiting for you. However, that does not mean that Jews must possess Canaan at all times of history. On account of a famine in the land he is obliged to go into Egypt, Genesis … If you want to understand the Bible, start reading. It began at Ur which is in Iraq. We find first glimpses of God’s all-peoples-on-earth blessing in the story of Joseph. It’s in Christ “the son … of Abraham” (Matt. One cannot overestimate the important of these three verses not only for the Abraham story and the Pentateuch but for the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Without any recorded preamble, God shows up in Abram's life with a command to go away from where he is to an unnamed place. Longman reveals, however, that there is disagreement over the exact nature and force of the niphal verb in verse 3, which can have one of three possible renderings: Longman agrees with the NIV rendering: “A passive sense captures the fact that Yhwh directs this word of promise to Abraham, who will be the instrument bringing blessing to all.” (160), What does this blessing entail? God appears to him, and renews the promise, Genesis 12:7. Walter Brueggemann has described 12:1–3 as a second creation account, which clues us into the importance of God’s “I will bless” declaration. Abraham had to trust God. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. It is hard to over-estimate the importance of the passage before us. Genesis 12:1-3. Genesis 12:1-3 – The Call of Abraham Summary God calls Abraham to be a blessing to "all the families of the earth" and shapes the future of his family by numerous promises. Christians also hold up Abraham as our forefather. It’s never easy to leave the familiar surroundings. Genesis 12:1-3. Keep reading the find out. Genesis 12:1-3 Count Your Blessings Abraham . He camped at Haran for a time and then completed his journey by traveling south to Canaan. What Does Genesis 12:3 Mean? This promise is the reason God heard Israel’s cries in the land of bondage (Exo. 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. Genesis 12:3. Genesis 12:1, ESV: "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." The book of Genesis is a book of beginnings: the beginning of the cosmos and creation; the beginning of sin and death; and the beginning of blessing and the history of God’s redemption. A Case for Universalism in 1 Cor. The word “holy” comes from a word meaning to be separate or set apart. Why Should Modern Christians Study the Church Fathers? We certainly can’t understand the meaning of this text without knowing the rest of the story of redemption. Genesis 12:1-3 NLT The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. Join now to get weekly insights on the Bible, faith, and culture to help you explore the Christian faith. 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