Genesis 12:3, “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.”

By the time we reach Genesis 12 in the Old Testament God has covered the first 2,000 years of human history. He’s covered the fundamental topics such as creation, marriage and family, the fall, the flood, the Tower of Babel which was man’s attempt to reach God on His own (Babylon is symbolic of man’s religion), and therefore God used different languages to scatter the human race throughout the face of the earth.

We now come to the lineage of Abraham – the Jews. Abram (his original name) is first mentioned in Genesis 11:26 and interestingly enough the rest of the Old Testament will virtually focus on this man and his descendants. You might wonder why? Is it because He loves them more than He does the rest of the world? No, that’s not the reason. Although they ARE a chosen people to be a sign and sent to the rest of the world, the truth is God loves everyone equally. We read in Galatians 3:28,“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” That passage teaches us that although there are distinctions, there are no spiritual advantages, it doesn’t matter if you’re Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.

So…why is the Bible (especially the Old Testament) all about the rise and fall of Israel? And the simple answer is because it was through the Jews that Jesus would come. Our passage for today is Genesis 12:3,“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.”

God chose and preserved the Jews because it was through them that Jesus would come who would be a blessing to all the families of the earth.

I pray you would enjoy your journey through the OT, that you would have a special place in your heart for the Jews and Israel, and most of all, that you would know, love, and be blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Love you! Your brother in Christ,
– Manny