Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy
father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:{2} And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee,
and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:{3} And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
If you ask any dispensationalist about who
Genesis 12:1-3 is speaking about, without batting an eye or even checking
their bibles, they will tell you that this is pointing to the nation of
Israel.This verse has been used
by deluded pastors and theologians to promote their crypto-Zionism from the
pulpit.Genesis 12:1-3 is not a
political group of verses but they are spiritual in nature and we will see
openly what they are pointing to.One of the greatest proponents of this view was C.I. Scofield and
there were others who worked with him on his notes.Two such notables from the dispensationalist movement were A.T.
Pierson and A.C. Gaebelein.It
must be noted that Scofield met with a man named Samuel Untermyer who later
became chairman of the American Jewish Committee, president of the American
League of Jewish Patriots, and chairman of the Non-sectarian Anti-Nazi
League.Untermyer was an
advocate of the Zionist Liberation movement and was also active as a member
of the Federal Reserve and actually prepared the Federal Reserve Bank law.Untermyer introduced Scofield to many prominent Zionist and Socialist
leaders such as Jacob Schiff and Bernard Baruch.In 1901 Untermyer helped Scofield join the Lotos club in New York
City which promoted literature and fine arts.It was here where Scofield came under the tutelage of Untermyer.Untermeyer and his cohorts were looking for a way
to get churches and Christians to accept Christian Zionism and they found
their way in through making a study Bible which was geared toward Zionism.
Scofield then went on to author and publish
the Scofield Reference Bible which made its first appearance in 1909.It was then revised in 1917. Below are notes from two editions of
that Bible the 1917 and 1967 edition of which I have in my possession.Let us look at the study notes on Genesis 12:1-3 in both editions.
1917 Edition - Genesis 12:1-3
12:1 Now the LORD had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy
father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
The Fourth Dispensation: Promise. For
Abraham, and his descendants it is evident that the Abrahamic Covenant
(See Scofield "Genesis 15:18") made a great change. They became
distinctively the heirs of promise. That covenant is wholly gracious and
unconditional. The descendants of Abraham had but to abide in their own land
to inherit every blessing. In Egypt they lost their blessings, but not their
covenant. The Dispensation of Promise ended when Israel rashly accepted the
law Exodus 19:8. Grace had prepared a deliverer (Moses), provided a
sacrifice for the guilty, and by divine power brought them out of bondage
Exodus 19:4 but at Sinai they exchanged grace for law. The Dispensation of
Promise extends from Genesis 12:1 to Exodus 19:8, and was exclusively
Israelitish. The dispensation must be distinguished from the covenant. The
former is a mode of testing; the latter is everlasting because it is
unconditional. The law did not abrogate the Abrahamic Covenant Galatians
3:15-18 but was an intermediate disciplinary dealing "till the Seed should
come to whom the promise was made." Galatians 3:19-29; 4:1-7. Only the
dispensation, as a testing of Israel, ended at the giving of the law.
12:2 And I will make of thee a
great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt
be a blessing:
And
For analysis and summary of the Abrahamic
Covenant, See Scofield Genesis 15:8
If you notice in these study notes, there
is nothing about the nation of Israel or anything overly-Zionist.Now let us see what the notes in the 1967 edition have to say.
1967- Genesis 12:1-3
Since the notes are quite long I am going
to include the pertinent sections which were added to the 1967 edition that
were not even intimated in the 1917 edition.These can be checked out and confirmed by any 1967 New Scofield
Reference Bible.
(2) God made an unconditional promise of
blessings through Abram’s seed (a) to the nation of Israel to inherit a
specific territory forever.(Gen
12:2; 15:18-21; 17:7-8); (b) to the Church as in Christ (Gal. 3:16, 28-29);
and to the Gentile nations (Gen. 12:3).
(3) There was a promise of blessing upon
those individuals and nations who bless Abram’s descendants, and a curse
laid upon those who persecute the Jews (Gen. 12:3; Matthew 25:31-46).
(1) The promise of a great nation: “I
will make of thee a great nation” (Gen 12:2). This had primary reference to
Israel, the descendants of Jacob, to whom the everlasting possession of the
land is promised (Gen. 17:8), to whom the everlasting covenant is given (Gen
17:7), and to whom God said, ‘I will be their God” (Gen 17:8).Abraham was also promised that he would father other nations (Gen
17:6, 20), principally fulfilled through Ishmael and Esau.
(3) Promises to the Gentiles. (a) “I will
bless them that bless thee” (Gen. 12:3).Those who honor Abraham will be blessed.(b) “and curse them that curseth thee) (Genesis 12:3) This was a
warning literally fulfilled in the history of Israel’s persecutions.It has invariably fared ill with the people who have persecuted the
Jew-well with those who have protected him.For a nation to commit the sin of anti-Semitism brings inevitable
judgment….The Abrahamic covenant reveals the sovereign purpose of God to
fulfill through Abraham His program for Israel, and to provide Christ the
Saviour to all who believe.The
ultimate fulfillment is made to rest upon the divine promise and the power
of God rather than upon human faithfulness.
As you can see the 1967 study notes focus
on the belief that the Jews are God’s chosen people and that no one is to be
at odds with them or else you will be judged.We find nothing like that in the 1917 edition but 50 years later, we
are told these things because the modern nation of Israel was formed in 1948
and these notes are basically telling us that we need to unconditionally
support Israel.If Israel wants
it, then God wants it is what the basic premise is.What despicable manipulation of the Scriptures to get gullible church
people to bow the knee to the Jews and Israel.Do the same judgments come on the Jews when they persecute the
Christians?I guess the Israel
worshippers would never countenance such a thought, especially in the
dispensational churches.Let us
look at what Genesis 12:1-3 is really speaking about.
Genesis 12:1
Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get
thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house,
unto a land that I will shew thee:
Terah, Abram’s Father had now died at the
age of 205 in Haran. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five
years: and Terah died in Haran.Genesis 11:32
This covenant points out how God
called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees and commanded him to go to a land
which God would show him. Within this covenant we see promises which must be
examined very closely to determine their meaning.Abram was now commanded by God to leave Ur and to leave his family
and follow God to the land which He would show to him.At this point, God did not tell Abram where he was going, instead
Abram followed God by faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should
after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing
whither he went.(Hebrews
11:8)
Genesis 12:2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and
I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Here God gives Abram a promise that he will
become a great nation. The word "nation" is the Hebrew word "goy," which may
be translated "Gentile, foreign nation, or heathen." Right at the outset we
see that the nation God has in view will not be limited to a single country.
We establish this because within this nation there are going to exist
Gentiles. We may conclude this nation will be worldwide in scope.Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from
you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matthew
21:43) Matthew 21:43 gives us an
insight as to what type of nation will be built through Abraham’s seed.The nation which will be bringing forth much fruit will be the
eternal church of Christ or the body of believers.The fruit in view is to make other believers as the Gospel is sent
forth to the world.It must be
worldwide if foreign Gentile nations are to be included. God also promised
to make Abram’s name great, and this has been fulfilled. The nation of
Israel proclaims him, the Arab world proclaims him, and the Christian world
proclaims him. God says he would be a blessing, but a blessing to whom?I believe the answer to that lies in the end portion of verse 3.
Genesis 12:3
And I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed.
And I will bless them that bless thee
There is probably no greater example of the
blessing of God on a nation than that of the United States.When we were founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, their first desire was
to advance the Christian Faith as they recorded in the Mayflower Compact of
November 11,1620.Our nation was
founded on Christianity and the majority of the founding fathers were
Christians.This nation was
blessed as even the unbelievers who lived here had a fear of God and did not
persecute the Christians as is being done today.The Government was formed according to Christian principles and the
acknowledging that Christianity was the true faith.This led to the formation and building of a mighty nation under God.God blessed this nation because it acknowledged Him as the Supreme
ruler over this country and He has protected it through the years.He blessed this nation as the breadbasket to the world and with great
wealth.People flocked to the
shores to start a new life here.
All of my grandparents came from Hungary around the turn of the twentieth
century.
and curse him that curseth thee
We continue to look at the fulfillment of
God’s promise to Abram, we need to look at countries that have cursed
Christianity and even showed desire for it to leave the shores.In India, Hinduism has been very physical against Christianity and as
a result they are a very poor nation worshipping cows.Saudi Arabia where Christianity is illegal, they may have much oil
wealth but their people worship a black box called the Kaaba.To have no gospel is a greater curse because there is no chance for
salvation.The old Soviet Union
persecuted Christians and in 1990 they dissolved.North Korea persecutes Christians and their country is just about
broke.Israel hates Christians
and the Lord Jesus Christ and they have become a haven for sodomites and
human trafficking which totally negates the ridiculous moniker of “holy
land.”
All one has to do is just look at who
persecutes Christians, whether corporately or individually, and you will see
God’s curse upon them.The
greatest curse that one can have is to be the enemy of God by means of
persecuting Christians.Remember
what the Lord Jesus said to the Apostle Paul when he was on his way to
Damascus. And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?{5} And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus
whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.(Acts 9:4-5) What these hate mongers fail to understand, that
when you hate Christians, you are in actuality hating the Lord Jesus Christ
who will be their judge on the last day.
and in thee shall all families of the earth
be blessed
Now we must look at what God chooses to
bless as these blessings are not man made but divine. Let us pose three
questions:
Has God blessed Judaism?
Has God blessed Islam?
Has God blessed Christianity?
The answer to the first two questions is no
because both of these systems deny Christ in His deity. Whosoever denieth
the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son
hath the Father also. (1 John 2:23)
The answer to the third is yes, because Christianity is not a world
religion with a cultic overtone. True Christianity exalts the person of
Christ, and God promised to bless those who are in Christ.
Now we must realize that the only way all
families on the earth can be blessed is if the gospel is preached to them.
There is not a country on earth which is void of Christians, Christianity,
or the knowledge of Christ. Now when Russia relaxed its strict control on
the people in 1990, the cry was to send Bibles, not other religious books.Wherever Christianity was permitted, it left an indelible mark on
that country.Many times
hospitals were built, schools were built, housing was built, humanitarian
aid was given in Christ’s name, when there is a tsunami or other disaster,
Americans are quick to offer help, whether believers or not.When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, there were many
Christian groups on the scene to help.The atheists in this country hate Christianity and yet I did not hear
of one atheist group on the scene in New Orleans.
It is common knowledge that whenever mission stations
were built in different countries, they became centers of refuge for people.They normally helped with their medical and dental needs, education,
clothing, and other necessities.
They were normally built in the poorer sections of a country.I have been saved for 39 years and have yet to see a humanitarian
station built in foreign countries by either Muslims or Jews.It is always the Christians who go in and not only help with the
physical but bring the eternal gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which when
indigenous people become saved, it changes their life eternally and they in
turn go out and preach the gospel to their fellow countrymen, thus
fulfilling God’s promise to Abram that all the families of the world would
be blessed.
Summary
Genesis 12:1-3 is in no way speaking of the modern
nation of Israel.When this
promise was given to Abram, Israel was 600 years from being formed as an
official nation. In these verses, God
is telling us that the Lord Jesus Christ would come through the nation of
Israel, the line of Judah and once He completed His salvation program on
Calvary and ascended back to Heaven, then would come Pentecost which would
usher in the last days and the sending forth of the Gospel to the entire
world.So God makes the promise
to Abram that it would be through his family line that the Messiah would
come and that is why neither Eliezer his steward or Ishmael could be the
child of promise.It had to be
Isaac who gave birth to Jacob who gave birth to Judah until his line came to
the Lord Jesus Christ.It is
unfortunate that so many Christians believe that the modern nation of Israel
is some type of holy land.As
stated before it has become a haven for sodomy.
Genesis 12:1-3 when interpreted properly yields only
one focus and that is the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ along with
worldwide evangelism in His Name.Those who try and claim that it is speaking of modern Israel are
doing disservice to these passages and will never come into truth on this
subject.This is also why so
many churches and Christians have been derailed into thinking that modern
Israel is the place to keep their eyes on for prophecy.The place to keep their eye on is the church and its persecution and
infiltration by false gospels.
No one is seeking to change Judaism but yet there is a great satanic
movement to change the truth of Christianity.This is why Satan has come up with counterfeit bibles, counterfeit
gospels like the emerging church with Rob Bell, Tony Campolo, and Rick
Warren and other unsaved deceivers who are vying for the souls of people and
seeking to derail the truth to lead astray the Elect.
When looking at the covenant in Genesis 12:1-3 and when we understand it
to mean the eternal church, then we will understand much better when God
states that He will give Abraham a land forever. For all the land which
thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. (Genesis 13:15) What is the only thing in Scripture
which will last forever?It is the
eternal Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and that is what is in view when we
read “forever or everlasting.”And I will establish my covenant
between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an
everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.{8} And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land
wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession; and I will be their God.(Genesis
17:7-8) When will we claim that
everlasting possession?It will be
after Judgment day when God remakes this entire world and universe.For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall
remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.(Isaiah 66:22)Notice the similarity
between Genesis 17:7 and Isaiah 66:22.They are both speaking of the seed.Who is that seed?Now to
Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as
of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.(Galatians
3:16) It is the Lord Jesus
Christ and all His followers, AKA Christians.It becomes so clear once we analyze these verses properly.Please do not get caught up believing false prophecy books and
dispensationalism which only spews more lies and causes more confusion and
get rid of those Scofield notes because they only cause confusion.