Promises of Blessings to Abraham
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture.
Abram, later named Abraham, believed and obeyed God and was called His friend (Isaiah 41:8) and the father of the faithful (Romans 4:16). Because of Abraham’s faith and belief, God promised great blessings to him and his descendants.
This is covered in our Fundamental Belief #18 “Promises to Abraham”:
“God’s fulfillment of His promises to Abraham, a man called the father of the faithful, represents God’s enduring faithfulness and provides important keys to understanding biblical prophecy. As promised, God multiplied Abraham’s descendants so that Abraham literally became the father of many nations. God materially prospered his descendants: Isaac, Jacob (also called Israel) and Jacob’s 12 sons who were the progenitors of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel. Descendants of these peoples continue as prominent nations today (particularly the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh) because they have inherited the physical blessings of Abraham.
“In addition to the physical blessings promised Abraham, another promise was made by God to this patriarch—a promise of salvation through his Seed (Jesus Christ), which all people, regardless of their physical lineage, may receive. All who respond to God’s calling belong to Christ and are considered Abraham’s seed. Understanding these promises made to Abraham provides a more accurate understanding of the world today and the messages of the prophets.”
We will cover more biblical passages relating to the promises to Abraham in future posts. See also our article “Promises to Abraham.”
