The blessing of Abraham refers to the blessings God promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. In these verses, God makes a covenant with Abraham, telling him that He will make him into a great nation, bless him, make his name great, and make him a blessing to all families of the earth. God also tells Abraham that those who bless him will be blessed, and those who curse him will be cursed. This covenant and these promises to Abraham are known as the blessing of Abraham.
There are several key aspects to the blessing of Abraham:
- God promised to make Abraham into a great nation. This began with the birth of Isaac, and continued with the growth of the nation of Israel.
- God promised to bless Abraham. This included material blessings, protection, guidance, and a special relationship with God.
- God promised to make Abraham’s name great. Abraham became the father of the Jewish nation and his name is honored by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
- God promised that through Abraham all families of the earth would be blessed. This is a reference to the coming of Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham, through whom salvation is available to all people.
The blessing of Abraham was passed down to Abraham’s son Isaac, then to Isaac’s son Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel), and then to the twelve tribes of Israel. God intended for Israel to be a channel of blessing to the world, through whom the Messiah would one day come (Genesis 12:3). Though Israel often failed in its calling, the ultimate fulfillment of the blessing to “all families of the earth” came through Jesus Christ, the descendant of Abraham (Matthew 1:1). Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection made salvation available to all people who put their faith in Him (Galatians 3:8).
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul discusses the blessing of Abraham extensively in Romans 4, Galatians 3, and other passages. Some key aspects of how the New Testament talks about the blessing of Abraham include:
- Those who have faith in Jesus Christ are children of Abraham and receive the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:7).
- The blessing promised to Abraham was redemption and justification through faith, not through works of the law (Romans 4:1-12).
- The promise to Abraham that he would be heir of the world was fulfilled spiritually, through faith in Christ (Romans 4:13-17).
- All believers, both Jews and Gentiles, receive the blessing of justification through faith as Abraham did (Galatians 3:8-9).
So in summary, the blessing of Abraham refers primarily to the promises God made to Abraham in the covenant of Genesis 12:1-3, which find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The blessing is justification and spiritual inheritance that comes through faith in Christ. All who put faith in Christ receive this blessing along with Abraham. Through the descendant of Abraham, Jesus Christ, salvation was made available to both Jews and Gentiles, fulfilling God’s promise that through Abraham all nations would be blessed.
Details on Key Aspects of the Blessing of Abraham
God’s Promise to Make Abraham a Great Nation
In Genesis 12:2, God promises Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation.” This promise begins to be fulfilled with the birth of Isaac, the son God promises to Abraham and Sarah in their old age (Genesis 21:1-7). Then Isaac has Jacob, whose name is later changed to Israel and who has 12 sons who become the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel. From these sons, the nation of Israel is born. God multiplied Abraham’s descendants into a vast nation, as He promised.
However, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to make Abraham into a great nation is expanded beyond just physical descendants. As Galatians 3:7 says, “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” All who share in Abraham’s faith are included in the great nation that God promised. 1 Peter 2:9-10 applies Exodus 19:6 to the church, calling the church “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” So the great nation promised to Abraham includes all believers in Christ.
God’s Promise to Bless Abraham
God’s promise to bless Abraham includes several aspects. First, Genesis 12:2 says God would bless Abraham personally. And indeed, Abraham was blessed with material possessions (Genesis 13:2), military victory (Genesis 14), and a son even in his and Sarah’s old age (Genesis 21:1-7). God also made a covenant with Abraham, promising to be his God and the God of his descendants (Genesis 17:7).
More importantly, the blessing of Abraham includes spiritual blessings that come through Christ. Galatians 3:14 says Jesus became a curse for us that “in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles.” This spiritual blessing of justification through faith was the most important part of God’s promise to bless Abraham.
Furthermore, God’s protection and preservation of Israel through countless attacks and oppression over thousands of years is a fulfillment of His promise to bless Abraham. Despite exile, persecution, and attempts to destroy them, the Jewish people remained intact. This is only because of God’s faithful blessing on Abraham’s descendants.
God’s Promise to Make Abraham’s Name Great
God promised that He would make Abraham’s name great (Genesis 12:2). And Abraham is a revered figure today in three major world religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jews see him as the first patriarch and father of their nation. Christians see him as a hero of faith and recipient of the promise of justification in Christ (Galatians 3:6-9). Muslims consider him one of the most important prophets before Muhammad. The name of Abraham is very great today, renowned by billions of people. His reputation continues to grow as time goes on.
God’s Promise of Blessing for All Families through Abraham
One of the most important parts of the Abrahamic blessing is that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). Paul explains this in detail in Galatians 3. Before Christ came, the Law “kept us under restraint” (Galatians 3:23). But when faith in Christ came, the blessing of Abraham was opened to Gentiles as well as Jews. Those who believe in Christ become sons of Abraham and are blessed along with him (Galatians 3:7,9).
Christ fulfilled what was promised to Abraham – that one of his descendants would bring blessing to all nations. As Paul said, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed'” (Galatians 3:8). The ultimate blessing comes through faith in Abraham’s descendant Jesus Christ, for both Jews and Gentiles.
The Blessing of Abraham Passed to His Descendants
The Book of Genesis details how the blessing of Abraham was passed on to Isaac and then Jacob. When blessing Jacob, Isaac said, “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham” (Genesis 28:3-4).
So Isaac passed on the blessings of fruitfulness, increase, and land possession to Jacob, along with the blessing given to Abraham. These blessings were both material and spiritual. God confirmed these blessings to Jacob as well, promising to be with him and bring him back to the promised land (Genesis 28:10-15). Jacob’s name was later changed to Israel, and the nation of Israel became the conduit of God’s blessing to the world, both in the lineage of Christ and in preserving the Word of God.
The Blessing of Abraham in the New Testament
The New Testament contains many references to the blessing of Abraham, especially in the writings of Paul. Some key passages include:
- Romans 4 – Paul says those who have faith like Abraham are children of Abraham. The blessing promised to Abraham was not through the law but through faith in Christ for righteousness.
- Galatians 3 – Blessing of Abraham comes to Gentiles through faith in Christ. We are justified by faith as Abraham was.
- Ephesians 2:12 – Gentiles were once separated from the covenants of promise, but now in Christ have been brought near.
- Hebrews 6:13-20 – God’s oath to bless Abraham was the ultimate basis for our firm hope in Christ.
A key theme is that the promised blessing to “all nations” is fulfilled in Christ. Also, the blessing of justification through faith originally given to Abraham extends to all believers in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles. Several aspects of the blessing of Abraham are emphasized:
Justification and Righteousness through Faith
Paul emphasizes most heavily that the blessing promised to Abraham was righteousness through faith. Abraham believed God, and his faith was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). Paul spends all of Romans 4 making the point that Abraham was not justified by works or circumcision but by faith. “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised” (Romans 4:11). If Abraham was justified by works, he would have had something to boast about – but his justification was through faith alone (Romans 4:2). Paul makes the same point in Galatians 3:6-9.
This was important because some Jewish believers were insisting that Gentile Christians had to be circumcised and follow the law to be right with God. But Paul stresses that all believers, like Abraham, are justified and blessed through faith, apart from works of the law.
Children of Abraham through Faith
Paul also emphasizes that all believers become children of Abraham and heirs of the promise through faith in Christ. “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham… So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:7,9). Because we share Abraham’s faith, we also share the blessing.
Romans 4:16-17 makes a similar point: “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring – not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham.” Believing Gentiles share the faith of Abraham, so they also inherit the blessings.
Fulfillment of the Promise to Bless All Nations
As mentioned earlier, verses like Galatians 3:8 show how Christ fulfilled the promise to Abraham to bless all nations. Romans 4:13-17 explains that the promise to Abraham to be heir of the world was not fulfilled literally in the land of Canaan. Rather, the promise is fulfilled spiritually through faith in Christ. Because of Christ, Abraham has become heir of the whole world and father of all believers. All nations are blessed in Christ as was promised.
Grafted in to Israel’s Blessings
Romans 11 explains how Gentile Christians have been grafted in to the tree of Israel. Because of unbelief, branches were broken off. Wild Gentile olive branches were then grafted in and now share the nourishing root of the patriarchs (Romans 11:11-24). Gentiles should not boast against the natural branches but realize the kindness of God in grafting them in (Romans 11:17-21). We share in Israel’s spiritual blessings.
No Longer Strangers to the Covenants
Ephesians 2:12 makes the point that Gentiles were once “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise.” But now “in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). So Gentile believers are no longer outside the covenants God made with Israel. All believers now share in the blessings promised in the covenants.
Key Points about the Blessing of Abraham
In summary, here are some key points about the blessing of Abraham:
- It originated with the covenant promises God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3.
- It includes Abraham’s descendants being a great nation, his personal blessing, his name being great, and blessing for all people through him.
- The blessing is passed on to Abraham’s son Isaac, grandson Jacob, and then to the nation of Israel.
- Ultimate fulfillment comes through one of Abraham’s descendants, Jesus Christ, bringing salvation to all nations.
- Those who have faith in Christ receive justification and the Spirit as part of the blessing of Abraham.
- Believers in Christ are children of Abraham and partakers of his blessing.
- The promise of justification through faith originally given to Abraham extends to both Jews and Gentiles who believe.
The blessing of Abraham is a crucial concept in both the Old and New Testaments. It gives continuity and unity to the Bible’s message of justification and salvation by grace through faith. Understanding the blessing promised to Abraham and fulfilled in Christ helps illuminate God’s overarching plan of redemption throughout Scripture.