Introduction

“If you’re able...” Reading Genesis 11:27–12:3. “...Thanks be to God.”

The Chattahoochee River runs through Atlanta, GA. And since most of my schooling years were in Atlanta, the Chattahoochee was one of the regular spots of my youth.

In high school a few friends and I had heard about a spot where you could jump off a cliff into the river. So, Jeremy Edgar, William Joiner, and I headed off to the spot. This was not an “official” spot. River jumping at a new spot is always a bit exciting. You don’t know the depths. You don’t know if a tree has drifted there. So, you spend a good bit of time swimming around to make sure it’s clear.

Then you climb up. This wasn’t as high as some spots on the Chattahoochee. Maybe 30-40’ up. Somehow I ended up going first. But I stalled a bit.

Finally, I jumped in. A couple seconds in the air and then the cool splash at the end.

On a hot afternoon, it felt great. We all took our turns and then headed home.

Jumping into a river, you know two things. One is that this river is FROM somewhere. It didn’t begin right here. This massive river didn’t start here.

And the second thing you know is that it’s GOING somewhere.

At the place where we jumped in, the river had been flowing for 100 miles or so, creating the huge Lake Lanier in the process.[1]

And it was GOING somewhere—ultimately the Gulf of Mexico a few hundred miles south.

But to three teenagers on a hot afternoon, our spot in the river was just a refreshing, life-giving place to be.

The Christian faith is like that, you jump in because it’s refreshing and life-giving.

But eventually you realize, it’s FROM somewhere and it’s GOING somewhere.

This morning is our chance to see both of these—see how it’s FROM a man called Abram and a set of promises he received from the Lord. And it’s GOING to the great fulfillment of those promises in a future we haven’t seen yet.

Abram is known throughout the world as Abraham, which is the name he’ll receive from the Lord in Genesis 17. We meet him first as Abram, “exalted father.” “Abraham” means “father of a multitude.”

Abraham might be at the top of the list of the most famous people in history. That’s because of his prominence in three religions: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

To Muslims he’s “the Friend of God.” One of the five great prophets: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammed, Muhammed seen as the greatest and last. Muhammed claimed to be descended from Abraham’s first son Ishmael.

To Jews he is Father Abraham, and the great claim of a Jew is to be a child of his and to share in his promises.

To Christians he is also a kind of father of our faith, and one of our great claims is to be a son of Abraham, an heir to the promises made to him.

“Right from the Start” – Abraham right from the start receives the promises that shape the whole rest of the Bible’s storyline. The three promises in our passage echo till the very last page of our Bible’s. In some ways this is the source of the great river of our salvation. We’ll think about the source, and then the destination.

Sermon: God’s promises to Abraham and to you: (1) A Homeland; (2) A People; and (3) A Blessing.

Prayer: For our Muslim and Jewish friends, family, coworkers, neighbors.

I. A Homeland

The storyline so far: Adam, Cain/Abel, Noah, Babel. Offspring of Shem (son of Noah) in 11:10–26. In the line of Shem is Abraham.

Beginning at chapter 12 the book of Genesis takes a turn. Genesis 12:1–3 is a turning point in Genesis. We go from ALL HUMANITY to one family. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jacob’s sons.

God calls Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans. Journeys first to Haran. And then to Canaan (see Acts 7:1–4 for key info on the history). At 75 he makes the journey from Haran to Canaan.

The Promise: Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. (Gen 12:1)

“THE LAND” isn’t specified in these early verses. But in this chapter and the next it will be. The land is THE LAND OF CANAAN: Genesis 12:6–7 and 13:14–15. What we today call Israel.

This promise will have a powerful impact on Israel’s history. But it won’t be in Genesis that Israel really occupies the land. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be nomadic, sometimes in Canaan, sometimes not.

But this promise is a defining one for Israel. When Moses leads the people out of Egypt, he’s leading them to a place, the place promised.

And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” (Deut 34:4)

With the coming of Christ, we learn something about this land. We learn that it’s a type, a picture of something. It’s a symbol of a homeland that we’re all longing for and heading toward.

You can see this in Hebrews 11 as the author talks about Abraham:

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. (Heb 11:10)

13 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. (Heb 11:13-16)

Application: “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” #1 hit for U2. At about 700 million plays on Spotify. And on the same album, “Where the Streets Have No Name.” 200 million plays. These songs tapped into something. That longing for a place. Longing for a homeland.

For now, it’s Christ. But a day is coming when we’ll walk and live in “a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”

II. A People

The Second Promise: Genesis 12:2, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”

Don’t forget what we’ve already learned from Genesis 11:30. Sarai (Sarah) was barren and had no child.

Having a child heir will one of the dominant themes of Abraham’s story. And Isaac.

We see the expansion of the promise in the next chapter when Abraham is in Canaan:

“I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.” (Gen 13:16)

And in the history of Israel this promise gets fulfilled. At the Exodus, when the offspring of Abraham are leaving Egypt, we learn their size:

And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. (Exod 12:37)

But when Christ comes, we learn that this promise to Abraham echoes into the church and forever. The people promised ARE US! Galatians 3:

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham....So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith....And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:7, 9, 29)

Application: You are part of a people. You’re not alone. You belong to this global and multi-generational family of God.

III. A Blessing

The Third Promise: Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

This promise isn’t defined in the same way that the LAND and the PEOPLE are. But it means God’s lavish goodness poured out on the recipient. It can be the blessing of wealth and family—or the blessing of God’s protection and nearness. It usually means all of these.

We can see this blessing in the patriarchs. Blessing is for Isaac the younger born to Sarah but not Ishmael the older born to Hagar. Blessing is for Jacob the younger twin but not Esau the older. But then the blessing will pass to all 12 sons of Jacob, even if not equally so.

At this point the blessing is not connected to behavior.

We can see this blessing in the Old Testament. God’s blessing will be connected to keeping his commandments and covenant:

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. (Deut 28:2)

But as the river continues into the New Testament with the work of Christ, we see that this blessing is OUR BLESSING! Galatians 3:

7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Gal 3:7-9)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Eph 1:3)

Application: There are BLESSINGS in Christ! Joys. Peace. Hope. God’s presence. God’s fullness. And still physical and relational and material blessings. But even when these physical blessings seem to evaportate, the spiritual blessings in Christ remain. They are eternal.

Following Christ is not simply the RIGHT PATH. It’s the BLESSED path.

Conclusion

These three promises—foundational to Abraham, foundational to Israel, but foundational for us also.

A Homeland—a longing we feel. For now, it’s Christ. One day “a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”

A People— You are part of a people. You’re not alone. You belong to this global and multi-generational family of God.

A Blessing— There are BLESSINGS in Christ! Joys. Peace. Hope. God’s presence. God’s fullness.

John Murray on Abraham’s blessings behind all that happens:

It is this Abrahamic covenant...that underlies the whole subsequent development of God's redemptive promise, word, and action. It is in terms of the promise given to Abraham, that in him and in his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed, that God sent forth His Son in the fulness of time in order that He might redeem them that were under the law and all without distinction might receive the adoption of sons. 
It is in fulfilment of this promise to Abraham that there is now no longer Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, bond nor free, that Christ is all and in all, and that all believers are blessed with faithful Abraham. The redemptive grace of God in the highest and furthest reaches of its realization is the unfolding of the promise given to Abraham and therefore the unfolding of the Abrahamic covenant.
John Murray, The Covenant of Grace[2]

The river is flowing. It has been, and it will be. Jump in!

You jump in by believing in the greater Son of Abraham, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one who holds out to us not just water, but “living water” (John 4:10–11; 7:38–39; Rev 7:17). He offers us not just bread, but “the bread of life” (John 6:35). Not just enduring life, but “eternal life” (John 3:16).

THE PRACTICAL: Take 1-2 minutes a day for the next week. And pray these promises in Genesis 12:1–3. Pray them and ask God for more of them. More awareness. More faith. More experience of them.

Prayer and closing song

[1] 34.80501385275261, -83.79035192533496 is the northern most point of the Chattahoochee.

[2] Murray, Covenant of Grace, 4.