January 24 Abram - A great nation

Part 4 - God has invited us into the process of redeeming all things back to him. 

 

Genesis 12:1-9

 

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 

 

“I will make you into a great nation 

And I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

And you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you, 

And whoever curses you I will curse;

And all peoples on earth 

Will be blessed through you.”

 

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. 

 

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

 

From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the lord. 

 

Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

 

 

This is the beginning of God’s plan. 

 

He set apart Abram so that he would be a nation. 

 

But the promise wasn’t for Abram. 

 

It wasn’t even for his offspring. 

 

It was for ALL PEOPLE. 

 

So this is the extent of God’s desire to dwell with mankind. He set up Abram so that he would start to be a people. “I will make you into a great nation.” 

 

God was looking to show his desire for community with mankind but starting to build a great people. And from that group of people, God would bless all of mankind. This would happen when eventually Jesus came from this family line. But don’t miss the point here. This wasn’t about making the name of a people. The Israelites weren’t better than other people, they were just the vehicle in which God chose to bring redemption to mankind. And he did it by involving Abram and his family. 

 

See, God wanted to redeem us. 

 

But he also wanted to invite us into the process of redemption. 

 

So before the coming of our savior into this world, he set the patter. Mankind would be involved in redemption. As shares in this creation that was brought into existence, God started by inviting Adam into the process by naming the animals. Then he instructed Adam and Eve to rule over the land and have dominion. Then he invited Abram into the process of bringing redemption to all people. Eventually, Joseph and Mary, the disciples, the apostles on the day of pentecost, and you and I today would all be invited into the redemption of all things. 

 

See, this simply follows the pattern of how God has always done things. HE invited us into creation, he invited us into creating a name for his people, he invited us into the birth of the messiah, and he invites us into his work today. 

 

God desires redemption for all people. 

 

But he desires to work through us to make it happen. 

 

See, if you want to know God’s plan for you life, it is simply this.  - To love him, and help others know the love of God as well! 

 

So if you want to do his will - help redeem all things back to him! 

 

And that happens, by being a people filled with he presence of the living God! 

 

So be filled with his spirit, and let him use you, to bring redemption to the people around you!