The prophetic Word that God gives Abram in Genesis 12:2-3 is one of the most significant in the entire Bible:
“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. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
This Word outlines four major ideas:
- God will make Israel a great nation
- Israel will be a blessing to the entire earth
- God will bless anyone who blesses Israel
- If anyone curses Israel, God will curse them
This major prophecy is critical for us to understand today. There is a blasphemous teaching that is rampant throughout Christianity today that God is through with Israel because of her disobedience over the years. That couldn’t be further from the truth. God has made it very clear in these verses (and in many more subsequent passages in Scripture) that He cherishes Israel, that she has an important role to play in His plans for the world, and that there are consequences for how someone treats Israel – both good and bad. Do not let anyone attempt to convince you that God has no further interest in Israel, and that He has reneged on His promise to His Chosen People. That position is contrary to the Word of God and is in itself a curse upon Israel that will have negative consequences for all who believe it.
Immediately following God’s promise to Abram, He demonstrates this principle. Abram will become God’s faithful and righteous servant. Although Abram isn’t that yet, God brings His promise into action through Abram’s foolish lie about his wife Sarai being his sister when they are in Egypt (Genesis 12:13). Pharoah sees the 65-year-old Sarai. Because she is beautiful, he takes her into his household (not knowing that Abram and Sarai are married).
Despite this being an unintentional curse upon Abram through this action, God curses Pharaoh and his house with plagues (Genesis 12:17). This alerts Pharaoh that something is wrong. He confronts Abram, learns the truth, and makes things right with Abram and Yahweh before anything further can go awry.
Watch how people and nations speak about and treat Israel. God is watching. He brings swift justice upon any who transgress His Word.