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April 27th, 2023
Scripture
Devotion
The first three verses of Genesis 12 are well known for God’s calling of Abram. Abram is told to leave his family and go to a place he has not seen. God promises to build a nation from Abram, and that Abram’s name would be a blessing. Verse 3 culminates with, “I will use you to bless all the people on earth.”
But when did this happen? The second part of chapter 12 tells a devastating story of Abram lying to people in Egypt and putting his wife in danger in order to save himself. As Abram’s family grew, so did their problems and their conflicts with neighbors. When exactly would people on earth be blessed because of Abram?
Of course, there are many Old Testament stories of people who weren’t Israelites being blessed because of their interaction with one of Abram’s descendants (as in the story of Jonah, for example). But the mission of bringing God’s blessings to all the people on earth is only fulfilled in Jesus. As the Messiah, Jesus represents all of Israel. In Jesus, people from all countries on earth are brought into God’s family. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, please think about the history of Israel that led to Jesus’ birth
Inspirational Image of the Day
