You will be a blessing.

 

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost _ 2021. 9. 26.

 

You will be a blessing.

Genesis 12:1~3

 

 

[A] We must be the channel of a blessing.(v.2)

 

◎ Peace be with you!

Today I want to share a message about the true blessing.

 

◎ The theme of today’s text is that “you will be a blessing.”

Let’s read the verse 2 together one more time, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”

 

◎ In today’s text, we need to focus on three sentences. In verse 1, the land I will show you. in verse 2, you will be a blessing. and in verse 3, all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

 

◎ First, let’s focus on you will be a blessing in verse 2.

God said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house, so that you will be a blessing.”

 

◎ What is the meaning of the sentence, “You will be a blessings?”

Does it mean that if we obey God’s commandment “go from our country, relatives, and father’s house,” then “we will be blessed too?”

 

◎ We can refer to another translation of the English Bible. We can also read, “you will be a blessing to others.”(NLT, CEV) or “you shall be a source of a blessing to others”(AMP)

 

◎ You will be a blessing! This sentence is a little vague to understand. Rather you will be a blessing to others is better to understand. Like Abram, God called us as a blessing to others. We must be the channel of a blessing.

 

◎ Let’s think about it. What is the purpose of God’s calling us and giving us blessings? The purpose of God’s blessing and prosperity is not to make us eat well and live well alone.

 

◎ A person who delivers blessings to needy neighbors, and a person who serves as a channel of blessings to one’s family and community. It is God’s will to become such a person.

 

◎ What is the true blessing? Am I the only one who eat well and live well? Or do I become a channel of blessings and become a person who gives blessings to others? Answer is easy right? We must be the channel of a blessing. This is the will of God.

 

[B] The problem is to stay only within the boundaries of blood ties.(v.1)

 

◎ Then in here, do you happen to know what the problem is?

The problem is to stay only within the boundaries of blood ties.

Let’s read the verse 1 together, “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”

 

◎ God’s commandment, “leave your country, leave your family and leave your father’s house” is meaningful. We should not stay inside the fence of blood relatives. In order to become a channel of blessing, we must leave the shield of blood ties.

 

◎ God made Abram leave the boundaries of blood relatives to become the source of blessings. The most important reason for this is that people trapped in the fence of blood ties only think of the interests of their own relations.

 

◎ In other words, the world of blood relations, acquaintance relations and school relations comes from the desire to protect their own well-being.

 

◎ As we know, God changed Abram’s name from Abram to Abraham. This is very significant meaning. In Genesis 17:5 says “God told Abram, ‘I am changing your name. It is no longer Abram(exalted Father), but Abraham(Father of many nations).’(LB)

 

◎ It is good to be a respected father in a family. Furthermore, however, it is more important to be the father of many people. That is to say, it is good to be blessed alone, but it is also better to be a channel of blessing and to bless others. This is the will of God to change the name, Abram to Abraham.

 

[C] Build up the kingdom of God.(v.1)

 

◎ Let’s read the verse 1 together again. “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.’”

 

◎ Let’s focus on the words, “Go to the land I will show you.”

Take a look at it grammatically. In here, the verb “I will show” is imperfect tense. That is to say, it does not mean that God alone has made it all. It means that God and Abraham must make it together.

 

◎ So the Bible says, in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans 8:28, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.”(NASB) “Good God co-operates with all those who love him.”(JB)

 

◎ In other words, God shows the blueprint and we have to follow it. God shows the map and we have to walk along with it. That’s how the kingdom of God is built up.

 

◎ In the Gospel according to John 5:17 says, “Jesus replied, ‘My Father is always working, and so am I.’”(NLT) “Jesus said, ‘My Father has never stopped working, and that is why I keep on working.’”(CEV) “Jesus replied, ‘My Father is still working, and I am working too.’”(CEB)

 

◎ God said that “go to the land I will show you.”

We have to build up a family that God shows.

We have to build up the church that God shows.

We have to build up the kingdom of God that God shows.

 

[D] God protects those who are used as the channel of blessing.(v.3)

 

◎ Finally, let’s read the verse 3 together, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

 

◎ “I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who slight you.”(JB)

“I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.”(LB)

“I will bless those who bless you, those who curse you I will curse.”(CEB)

 

◎ The meaning is that God protects those who obey his commandments.

God keeps those who are used as the channel of blessing.

God is responsible for God’s children.

 

◎ Let’s take a look at Joseph’s life.

Joseph sold by his brothers to Potiphar the Egyptian.

Potiphar was the captain of Pharaoh’s bodyguard and his chief executioner.

Then Joseph served Potiphar’s household.

 

◎ In Genesis 39:2 and 3 says, “The Lord greatly blessed Joseph there in the home of his master, so that everything he did succeeded. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph in a very special way.”(LB)

 

◎ This is the very good example of a channel of blessing.

Later Joseph became a ruler of Egypt.

And he saved his father, Jacob’s families. Joseph was a channel of blessing.

 

◎ Like Abraham and like Joseph, we want to be used as a channel of blessing.

In the name of the Lord, I pray, that we will be a channel of blessings

that conveys joy, peace, and life of salvation to many people.

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ESV

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

2 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.

3 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.”

 

NIV

1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

 

NLT

1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.

2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

 

CEV

1 The Lord said to Abram: Leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.

2 I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will become famous and be a blessing to others.

3 I will bless anyone who blesses you, but I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you. Everyone on earth will be blessed because of you.

 

AMP

1 Now [in Haran] the Lord had said to Abram, “Go away from your country, And from your relatives, And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;

2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];

3 And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you, And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you. And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed.”