God’s People Are a Blessing to the Nations

Introduction

Today we fast forward the story from creation to the call of Abraham. But to understand this extraordinary call, we must see Abraham’s call within the context of the whole story. So let’s make a quick tour of what happened in Genesis 3 to 11.

Genesis 3 tells us how evil and sin entered into the world. There is now radical brokenness in all the relationships in creation. Genesis 4-11 show how sin and evil increased and spread through the world. In Genesis 11 there is trouble again. Humankind became arrogant. They wanted to make a name for themselves. They wanted to be gods. They disobeyed and resisted God’s will. They did not fill the whole earth as God told them to. The result is chaos and dividedness.

Genesis 3-11 show how every dimension of life has drifted away from the original goodness and blessing of God’s purpose. “The earth lies under the sentence of God’s curse because of human sin. Human beings are adding to their catalogue of evil as the generations roll past – jealousy, anger, murder, vengeance, violence, corruption, drunkenness, sexual disorder, arrogance. Every inclination of human hearts is shot through with evil. Technology and culture are advancing, but the same skill that can craft instruments for music and agriculture can also forge weapons of violent death. Nations experience the richness of their ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and geographical diversity along with confusion, scattering and strife.” (Wright)

Where can the mission of God go from here? What can God do next? It is not enough to find a way to get humans to heaven when they die. Death itself must be destroyed to remove the curse on creation. The love of God must address the totality of evil in the world, and not just the sin of individual people. What will God do?

1.  God’s Surprise!

Big surprise! God does something that only God could have thought of. God sees an elderly, childless couple in Babel. He decides to make them the launch pad of his mission to save the whole cosmos. Imagine — There was a sharp intake of breath in heaven among the angels when God’s plan was revealed. Really? An old man and his old, barren wife. This is the beginning of God’s answer to the evil in human hearts, to the strife of nations, and the brokenness of his creation. This is the beginning of God’s mission and the mission of God’s people. 

Isn’t this amazing? With the call of Abram and Sarai God begins a pattern, a way of acting, that we see throughout the Bible. God does not choose perfect people, powerful people to accomplish his mission. God uses imperfect, weak people, ordinary people like you and me. Although Moses became an extraordinary leader, he was not like that from the beginning. He was a murderer, a refugee, scared, and slow of speech and tongue. David was not Samuel’s first choice among his brothers. But he was God’s choice. The prophets were not perfect guys either. They had issues—broken marriages, anger issues, depression. The twelve disciples are not the team I would have selected. And then there is Mary and Jospeh, and Paul. These and other examples from the Bible and history confirm the truths of 2 Corinthians 4:7 and 12:9 — “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. … My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Like Abraham these men and women believed, they obeyed, they left and went. These were ordinary people who fully surrendered to God. Their life goal was to love God with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul. They did so imperfectly and inconsistently, as we all do. But God used these ordinary people to do extraordinary, unbelievable things. And even today God uses ordinary people like you and me to be a blessing to others. Not one of us must ever say, for whatever reason, that God cannot use me. God can! He will! He is using you! Wherever you live, work, and play, there God is using you to be a blessing. As long as you abide in Christ, walk in step with the Holy Spirt, and love God with your whole being, you will be empowered and have courage to be a blessing to others. When you live as God’s child—extraordinary.

Abraham’s story is part of our story. In Christ and in Abraham we are the people of God. What does this mean for who we are and what we are here for?

2.  What is Blessing?

First, we must understand what blessing means. We must look at blessing in the wider and full biblical context. Then we will see that blessing is more than just material, physical or spiritual blessings. Blessing is the central theme in Abraham’s calling. The Hebrew root for blessing is repeated 5 times in these verses.

Blessing is creational. In Genesis 1 blessing involves fruitfulness, multiplication, abundance and fullness. It means enjoying rest within creation. All of these are experienced in a holy and harmonious relationship with our Creator God. This is God’s wish for the nations. Blessing is physical—health and wealth. 

Blessing is relational. Blessing happens when we live in a faithful relationship with God. We live with faith, love, joy, peace, hope and confidence. When we live the deeper life with God, God blesses us. And then an interesting thing happens. The blessing flows to the people around us. Examples— Jacob and Laban. Joseph and Potiphar. (Gen 30:27-30; 39:5; 47:7,10)

There is a historical dimension to blessing. The Bible story presents us with the blessing of God’s faithfulness through history. After Abraham the story of human sin continues. But we see footprints of God’s grace, footprints of blessing in history. These show us that God is active. He is moving history and his mission forward to his final blessing. God will fulfill his promise. He will bring about blessing for all nations through Abraham and the people that came from him. 

And it is this promise that drives forward the mission of God’s people. Blessing is, therefore, missional. Those who are blessed are called to be a blessing for others. Verse 2 is actually a command. Be a blessing! Verse 3—all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you. This is the bottom line. Who are we and what are we here for? We are a vehicle of God’s mission and God’s blessing to the nations.

3.  One Nation to Bless All Nations

God choses and calls one nation to bless all the nations. This is God’s mission. And the vision of his mission is universal. This vision, to be a blessing to the nations, is repeated five times in God’s promises and covenants with Abraham and his sons. (Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14) God calls one man. From that one man will come one nation. And from this one nation will come one man, Jesus Christ. And through Him and in Him, will come one people, the church, through whom God will bring his blessing to the nations. One man, one nation is chosen and called. One nation to bless them all.

This universal vision of God’s mission is a unifying theme that runs through the whole Bible. Please read at home the text listed to see this. Let’s look briefly at Revelation. There is a clear link between the tribes, languages and nations of Genesis 10 and Revelation 5:9-10 and 7:9. Revelation 21 and 22 speaks of the nations. Purified of all sin and evil they bring their splendor, glory, and honor into the city of God. The tree of life will be the healing of the nations who have been sick since Gen 3-11. The blessing of Abraham will bring all nations who believe into the shalom of Christ, the Redeemer, the Savior and Healer of all nations. Imagine at that time, when it is all finished, “God turning to Abraham and saying, “There you are. I kept my promise. ‘All nations,’ I said, and all nations it is. Mission accomplished.” (Wright)

4. Who are we?

Who are we then? We believe in Jesus as the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world.  God kept his promise to Abraham. Through Jesus Christ God provided the way by which people of all nations can enter into the blessing of being reconciled with God. Through Christ they can experience the blessing of living in a right relationship with God. Through faith in Jesus we have become part of the people of Abraham. To be in Christ is to be in Abraham, no matter what ethnic, national, cultural, or social identity you have.” Gal 3:28-29—“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

We are the descendants of Abraham. As God promised, Abraham became the father of many nations, of us all, in and through Jesus Christ (Rom 4:16-17). The church, then is that multinational community that includes all believers. The church is the people chosen and called in Abraham to be God’s people. The origin of the church goes back not just to Pentecost, but to Abraham. As children of Abraham we have received the blessing of Abraham. And we are now the means of passing this blessing on to the nations.

5.  What are we here for?

Galatians 3:8 — “Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3  — “Go … and be a blessing … and all the nations will be blessed through you.” This is the beginning and the basis for God’s mission and for the Great Commission in Mt 28. God elects and calls us to be a community of blessing in the world. We have a mission like Paul “to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations” (Rom 1:5; 16:26). We must respond like Abraham by leaving and going, by believing and obeying.

Leaving and Going — a radical departure, a radical new restart is required. Jesus said — you cannot pour new wine into old wine skins. Jesus asks us to leave everything behind. When we believe and follow Jesus radical change happens. We are new creations. We become kingdom citizens. We must leave and go out from the world. We must leave our idols behind. We must abandon worldviews that are not biblical. What is holding us back? What idols are we clinging to? What is Jesus asking us to leave behind?

And then we must go back into the world. If we are to make disciples of the nations, we have to go to them where they are. That does not mean that you have to go overseas. Everyday, you rub shoulders with the world, with the nations. Are you a blessing to them? Are you sharing the gospel? Are you loving them? 

Believing and Obeying — Abraham is our model of faith and obedience. We are called like Abraham to exercise saving faith, and like Abraham to demonstrate costly obedience. There is no blessing without faith and obedience. What are we here for? We exist in the world for the sake of the world, for the sake of the nations, for the sake of God’s creation, for the sake of God’s kingdom, for the sake of God’s glory.

How are we a blessing to others? We make disciples of all peoples. We share the good news, plant churches, create and develop communities, churches, who walk in the obedience of faith among and before all the nations. We are the light and salt of the world. We must live as God’s people. And God’s people walk in God’s way. At the heart of living in God’s way is love. That is how we bless the nations — we love them no matter who they are and what they do. When we are persecuted for Christ; when we are falsely accused; when we are attacked; when insults are hurled at us, when we are called all kinds of names — what do we do? We forgive. We love. We respond with humility, patience, gentleness, kindness and mercy. We rejoice and are glad. Then we are blessed and are a blessing to others. (See Mt 5:3-16) Believing, obeying, and living the Great Command is how we bless others. Love!

Blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you

The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace

The Lord bless you and may you be a blessing to others