Blessed to be a Blessing

I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.” ~ Genesis 22:17-18

God's creation had begun in a garden, and with sin spread "east" of Eden. With further sin, God pulled the reins in and brought creation back to a small size with one family after the flood.  But before too many generations, once more creation spread and sin, with Babel, sent creation off near and far.

So when we meet Abram - already an old man - he is part of one of the many tribes that have formed on the face of the earth, spread away from each other after Babel.

And still, God is trying to save creation from their turning away.  With Abram, he finds a new way.  This time, rather than destroy creation, with one man, God will save creation.

And the rest of scripture will be the unfolding of this plan.

We all perhaps have a story in the Bible that we believe to be more significant to us than others. In the Old Testament this story of God and Abraham, as he became known, is one of the most important ones.  God is doing a new thing with Abraham, and it is an important thing that I think we sometimes miss.

God isn't calling Abraham to save him and his family.  God is calling Abraham so that through him, the entire earth may be blessed.

All of it.

One man and his tribe will be the vehicle through which all the other tribes of the world will benefit by God's blessing.

One tribe will be the yeast so that there is enough bread for all.  One tribe will be salt so that everything can be preserved.  One tribe will be the light so that everyone will see.

This is the inheritance we get through Abraham by way of Jesus. We are blessed so that others can be blessed.  We are salt and light.  

We are part of God's salvation plan not for the evacuation of our souls at death, but so that all the earth may be blessed.  So that the Kingdom of God may reign both now and not yet.

God's promise to Abraham has twists and turns, and the promise will be forgotten by Abraham's tribe over and over again.

But God will not forget.

Lord, bless us to be a blessing.  Make us salt and light not to save our selves, but so that we can show your love to the world.  Amen.