Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

As indicated in the various translations and discussion of this verse that can be found at the web address https://www.biblehub.com/genesis/12-3.htm, God was telling Abraham that Abraham would find such great favor in God's eyes by faithfully obeying the instructions that God would give him that the way other people would subsequently treat Abraham would be, in God's eyes, the same as if those other people had acted that way toward God Himself.

This favor was so great that if a person would bless Abraham, God, in turn, would bless that person. By contrast, if someone were to show contempt for Abraham (even to the point of cursing him), God Himself would then subsequently curse that person in return.

God made those statements because, as He told Abraham on multiple occasions, all families of the earth would be blessed because of him, since it was going to be through Abraham's descendants that God Himself would subsequently be incarnated in the person of Christ.

August 06 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

In Genesis 12:3 God makes a covenant promise to Abram that carries both a blessing and a warning. He says He will bless those who bless Abram, but the one who treats Abram lightly He must curse. The Hebrew wording here is very deliberate. The verb for “treat lightly” is קָלַל (qālal) -- read right to left, which means to make light of, despise, or show contempt. The verb for “curse” is אָרַר -- read right to left -- (ʾārar), which is much stronger and means to devote to destruction or banish from blessing. The shift from the plural “those who bless” to the singular “the one who treats lightly” highlights God’s generosity in blessing many while His judgment is precise and focused. The grammar also shows that God is not simply saying He might curse, but that He is bound by covenant obligation to do so. In other words, God is pledging to defend Abram and His redemptive plan through him. To honor Abram is to step into God’s blessing, but to dismiss him is to reject God’s covenant and come under God’s judgment. This principle extends beyond Abram to his descendants and ultimately to Christ, through whom all the families of the earth are blessed. See bible.org for more details.

That promise reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the true seed of Abraham, who brings salvation to all nations. To reject Him is to place yourself outside of God’s blessing, but to receive Him by faith is to enter into life and eternal blessing. If you have never trusted Christ, you can do so today. Admit your need for His forgiveness, believe that He died and rose again for you, and call on Him as Lord. A simple prayer can be a starting point: “Lord Jesus, I confess my sin and my need of You. I believe You died for me and rose again. I ask You to forgive me, come into my life, and make me Yours forever. Amen.” Whoever turns to Christ in faith will be welcomed into God’s covenant family and share in the blessing promised long ago through Abraham.

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