“and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:18)

It had been the most difficult time in the life of Abraham. God had tested Abraham concerning his faithfulness to God, no matter what. God had given Abaham and Sarah a son in their old age to be his heir and the recipient of God’s promise to Abraham.

“’Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:5-6)

Now the son who would fulfill this promise, God asked Abraham to sacrifice. Abraham, who believed God, was willing to obey. Yet before the act of sacrifice, God stopped him. Now, because of Abraham’s willingness, God said that all the world would be blessed through his offspring. This promise was fulfilled through Abraham’s descendant, Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament there are two different genealogies of the linage of Jesus Christ. In Matthew’s Gospel, we have the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph. (Matthew 1:1-17) This is the legal genealogy of Jesus through the earthly father who raised Jesus, even though He was not the physical father of Jesus. Here the genealogy traces Jesus’ heritage through David to Abraham. In Luke’s Gospel, the genealogy goes back through Abraham to Adam, who was created in the image of God, and then to God. Jesus is the image of God. The writer of Hebrews begins his book by saying, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:1-3)

It is through Jesus Christ, the offspring of Abraham, where God would bless the world. “So also Abraham ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3:6-9)

This promise will be fulfilled when we are all around the Throne of God. “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” (Revelation 7:9-10)

This is the task of the church and every believer to offer the blessing of God to everyone, which brings God’s forgiveness, redemption and restoration of a relationship with Him. This is God’s commission to the body of Christ. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block