“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.” This is an important part of this promise to Abram and you should remember it as you read through the rest of the Bible. Many things to come are only explicable in the light of this promise. The reason for this is in the last line: “And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” God is blessing a people to become a blessing to the earth. To curse this people, therefore, is to set oneself against God and his purpose of blessing. For this reason, a curse against God’s people, then and now, is reflexive. The psalmist expresses this when he says: “They dug a pit in my path, but they have fallen into it themselves” (Psalm 57:6). This is the promise that undergirded David’s faith when he heard Goliath cursing God’s people. This is the promise that caused Haman to be impaled on the pole he erected for Mordecai (Esther 7). It is the promise that spelled the doom of Judas Iscariot. And of course, it is the promise that would also have spelled doom for Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul). No wonder the theme of God’s grace has such prominence in Paul’s writings! Everything in the Bible happens in fulfilment of God’s promises and the promise to Abram in Genesis 12:2-3 is the core covenant promise. Memorise it, understand it, and you will understand a lot of what happens in the rest of the Bible. But, most importantly, base your life and your prayers on this promise. It is yours through Christ, and it is unconditional.
Pray for this promise to be realised in and through you.
Read and memorise Genesis 12:2-3
