[Great Verses] Determining verses for your life and humankindSample

People that God will use to bless all people

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 12:1–3 is one of the most important passages in the Bible. This passage marks a new beginning in God’s dealings with humankind. God chooses a man, Abraham, to begin a people that God will use to bless all people.

In verse 1, addressed in the previous entry, God commands Abraham to leave everything. In the next two verses, God gives him seven promises, each promise pregnant with implications. Let’s look at the promises. There are four in verse 2, which will be examined here, and three more in verse 3, which I will cover in the next entry.

“I will make of you a great nation”: This is quite a promise, considering that Abraham was 75 years old, with no children and a barren wife. But this is just like God, who delights in doing the impossible. And against all odds, it happened. In fact, the nation of Israel still exists today, some 4,000 years later, with a power and influence far beyond its size.

“I will bless you”: God richly blessed Abraham for the rest of his life. In fact, Abraham becomes the most important man in the Old Testament and appears in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament figure. He is the father of the Jews and the greatest example of faith in the entire Bible. Yes, God blessed him.

“And make your name great”: Did this happen? Yes. This unknown man, a childless nomad, is known and revered throughout the world today, four millennia later, by Christians, Jews, and Muslims. When we exalt ourselves, like the people of Babel in Genesis 11 who cried, “Let us make a name for ourselves,” then God humbles us. When we humble ourselves, then God exalts us. Every time.

“You will be a blessing”: God blessed Abraham so that he could be a blessing to others. That’s why God blesses you and me, so we too can be a blessing to others. You are a river, not a reservoir. Each day, seek out people to bless. Look to bring God’s love and hope to the people you encounter.