Friends: I will be away from access to a computer until next Monday morning, April 15. Daily Light will resume at that time, blessings to you. dh
(Con’t with David Niednagel in Genesis…S.O.A.P….study, observe, apply, pray)
Genesis 11:10 – 12:3 The most important passage in the OT
11:10 -32 This is the account of Shem’s family line. ….
This is the 5th Toledoth – the account of Shem’s family line, from after the Flood to the time of Abraham. It shows the shortened life spans of each generation because of the effect of the genetic bottleneck after the Flood, including the close marriages clear down to Abraham’s time.
12:1 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.” NLT
This has been called the most important passage in the OT. Of course, the account of Creation and Sin come first, and God had promised the “Seed of the woman” would destroy the Serpent in 3:15. And in the Flood and the Ark God showed that He could/would show judgment on wickedness while showing mercy to some. But here God explains the beginning of His plan for the rest of world history.Everything else in the OT and NT is the outworking of this passage.
God called one man and made a covenant with him that would affect all future humans who would ever live. (The covenant is renewed in Ch 15 and 17, and them with Abraham’s descendants later.) God made covenants with humans. He did not have to do that, but he wanted to communicate the seriousness of His plan, the reason for humans to take it seriously, and the incredible love that He would obligate Himself to humans.
Abraham’s father, Terah, was in idol worshiper, so Abraham almost certainly did not have much knowledge or loyalty for Yahweh. But God promised to bless him and use him to be a blessing to all the peoples of the world. When God blesses anyone, it is for the purpose of them being a blessing to others.
When God said if anyone cursed Abraham He would curse them, He did not mean that everything Abraham or his descendants would do would be right. Some Christians today think we should support Israel in everything no matter what they do, but that is not correct. Abraham lied to Abimelech and his descendants become idol worshipers. God brought other nations to judge Israel throughout the OT. God did not “support” them in everything then, and we don’t need to do so today. However, God did decide to use Abraham and his descendants to fulfill His plan of redemption and He promised to bless those who support His plan and curse those who try to hinder His plan.
Lord, I thank and praise You that You were (and still are) willing to provide forgiveness and redemption to wicked and idol worshiping humans. Thank You for Your plan and Your covenant which show us how important this is to You. Thank You that we have received the blessings from this covenant You made with Abraham 4000 years ago, and thank You that Your Messiah will rule forever. Help me still take this covenant seriously and proclaim Your plan, Your Messiah, Your Savior to the world today. There are so many who have never heard of Your plan or Your Savior, and our world desperately needs to know of Him. He is the ONLY hope for peace on earth. Amen
Let There Be Light 