The Blessing Of God

The Blessing of God

In the first eleven chapters of Genesis we see a steady spread of sin from its origin in the Garden of Eden. Five times God pronounced a curse on sin and sinners. But in Genesis 12 God began the process of re-creating for himself a people by pronouncing a fivefold blessing on Abram: “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3).

These are the promises the entire nation of Israel was built upon. It was these promises they held on to and believed God would be faithful to when their circumstances seemed to give no evidence that they would come true. These promises to Abram encapsulated God’s vision not only for the children of Israel but for all of humanity. They were an expression of his love flowing over and enriching a guilty, dying world, starting with Abram; expanding to the nation of Israel; moving on to Israel’s greatest Son, Jesus Christ; flowing on to the church; and reaching out to the nations.

When the angel came to Mary and told her she would give birth to the Son of the Most High, she recognized this moment as God fulfilling his promise to Abraham (Luke 1:55). Her relative Zechariah understood it that way too, and he prophesied, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. . . . He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham” (Luke 1:68, 72-73).

After the ascension of Jesus, Peter made it clear to those gathered at the Temple that the blessing God had promised so many years before to their father Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus: “You are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’ When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways” (Acts 3:25-26).

Blessing of God, all my happiness is tied up with and produced by God’s covenant grace extended to me in you. I need look no further or make further demands for blessing. You, Jesus, are the blessing of God in my life!