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Rethinking Genesis 12:3
by
Brian Hennessy
“And I will
bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you
I will curse,
and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
(Genesis
12:3)
For Christians who love Israel, this Scripture has become almost a
mantra. It is the first answer we give to newspaper reporters who ask
why we so enthusiastically support Israel. It’s the explanation we
give our fellow Christians who wonder why we love the Jews who so
stubbornly resist the gospel. And it’s the reason we keep telling
ourselves to keep doing what we do.
But is it a valid reason?
If we say it is, we may want to reexamine another of our foundational
beliefs called unconditional love. Because blessing Israel to get
blessed is not an unconditional reason. It’s a way to get something in
return. It’s a way to get blessed, not be a blessing. Not that all our
activities don’t become a blessing for Israel and the Jewish people,
because they usually do. They translate into tours to the Holy Land
that bring much needed dollars to Israel’s economy. And financial
support for pro-Israel organizations. They also generate political
activism in support of Israel, stands against anti-Semitism, and lots
of prayer on their behalf. All good, but can God bless us if our
motive is self-serving?
The
fact is, the way many of us are using Genesis 12:3 is close to
fetishism. It’s like
Israel has become our good luck charm, our 4-leaf clover, our rabbit’s
foot. Caress it and it will bless you. Disrespect it and it will curse
you.
Is that what God meant when He made that promise to Abraham? Are we
missing something here?
I believe we are. I believe we are looking at this verse from the
outside in, instead of from the inside out. We still have an “us” and
“them” mentality, which sees us as “Christians” and them as “Jews.” Or
us as “spiritual Israel,” and them as “physical Israel.”
It is the same mistake we make when we say that we are glad God is
keeping His promises to Israel because that reassures us He will keep
His promises to the Church. As if we needed more proof than His word
that God keeps His promises.
So how should we treat Genesis 12:3?
If we look at the last part of the verse that God spoke to Abraham, it
says, “And in you all the families of the earth will be
blessed.” That means we have to be “in” Abraham’s family if we
want the blessings. But as New Covenant believers aren’t we included
in Abraham’s family? Absolutely.
“For if you belong to Christ you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs
according to promise.” (Galatians 3:29)
“Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of
Abraham.” (Gal. 3:7)
“And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise” (Gal. 4:28)
Besides these clear statements, Paul also goes to great length in his
letter to the Roman church to graphically describe the inclusion of
Gentile believers into the chosen line of Abraham’s family. Using the
olive tree as his analogy, he says, “you being a wild olive, were
grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root
of the olive” (Romans 11:17). You can’t get more into something than
that.
So if we are in the chosen line of Abraham’s family through faith in
Jesus then we already have the blessing! So why are we trying to
finagle something that is already ours by blessing other members of
the family, namely the Jews?
Because we continue to see ourselves outside the family looking
in, hoping we’ll be favored in some way for loving Israel. It is just
plain unbelief.
To really get a hold of this truth look at the complete promise God
made to Abraham, which was based on the condition he would step out in
faith and leave his father’s house and move to Canaan.
“And I
will make of you a great nation,
and
I will bless you,
and make
your name great;
and so
you shall be a blessing;
And I
will bless those who bless you,
and the
one who curses you I will curse,
and in
you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
(Genesis
12:2,3)
Five times the word “bless” is mentioned. Five is the
number representing grace, and graciousness is what God is extending
to Abraham. He is choosing him out of all the peoples of the earth to
receive a unique covenant blessing as an inheritance that would extend
even to his future offspring. Not just to Jews (descendants of the
House of Judah), but also those descendants who were gentiles. Because
God had told him that he would also become “a father of many gentiles
[nations]” (Gen. 17:5). That became possible, as I have proposed in
numerous articles, when the northern ten tribes were turned into
gentiles and scattered among the nations. And it is these lost sheep
of Israel who Jesus has “found,” and brought back into the family as
part of the all important chosen line of Abraham. In him we are all
entitled to share in all the inheritance promised to Abraham.
So what exactly is included in this inheritance to Abraham and his
seed?
Besides the wonderful promises of the land and a great name, God
assured us of an eternal mark of blessing, which included supernatural
provision and protection. It means wherever we go God’s presence will
be with us, preparing the way before us and watching our back. So
whenever we meet people in the course of life they will realize we are
His, and will just naturally want to bless our socks off to honor God.
And when they bless us, God in turn will bless them. And likewise,
anyone who foolishly decides to curse us will find himself cursed by
God.
Therefore we shouldn’t be trying to bless Israel to get a blessing
because that is something we already have. “Those who are of faith are
blessed with Abraham, the believer” (Galatians 3:9). Instead, we
should bless Jewish Israel because they are our brothers. And that’s
what brothers do.
It is the rest of the world who needs to realize if they bless Israel
(or us) they’ll get blessed. And needs to be warned that if they curse
Israel (or us), well, things are just going to get ugly for them.
That’s just the way it is.
But let me be clear. Whenever the church turns against the Jewish
people, whether those who live among the nations, or those gathered in
Israel, we will find ourselves falling under the curse as if we were
outside of Abraham. And when ever we love the Jewish people, even
those who still reject the Gospel, nothing pleases God more. And it
will be a blessing for us. For everything that the Church has it owes
to the Jews who brought us the Bible, the Gospel and the opportunity
to know their Messiah and be counted among God’s elect.
February, 2011
www.bhennessy.com
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