Even though Israel is a small country, we often hear about it in the news. We hear about Jewish people moving there, new inventions made there, and also about conflict and war with neighbouring countries.
But why is this?
The Bible, in the book of Genesis, tells us that 4,000 years ago, a man named Abraham (also called Abram) travelled to this area. His story still matters today, and the Bible says it will affect the future. The Bible records God’s first steps in fulfilling His primeval promise, taken with Abraham.
The Promise to Abraham
God made a promise to Abraham in the Bible:
“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.”
Genesis 12:2-3
Abraham’s Name Became Great
Some people today wonder if God is real and if He cares about us. Abraham’s story gives us a way to explore this. God made a clear promise to Abraham that his name would become great. The account records that The LORD directly promised Abraham that ‘I will make your name great’.
Today, thousands of years later, Abraham is one of the most famous names in history. Both Jews and Arabs say they come from him. A recent peace agreement in the Middle East called the Abraham Accords was even named after him. So this promise has really come true, literally, historically, and verifiably.
The Dead Sea Scrolls, which are ancient copies of the Bible from over 2,000 years ago (200-100 BCE), already had this promise written down. This shows that people did not just make up the promise after Abraham became famous. The promise has been in writing since long before the name ‘Abraham’ became known outside of the Jewish nation.
Abraham Did Not Do Big Things Himself
Abraham did not do the usual things that make someone famous. He did not build cities, write books, win battles, or rule over a kingdom. He was not a teacher and he had no impressive skills. He spent most of his time camping on his journey, praying in the wild, and having a son.
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If you lived during his time, in Abraham’s day, you would have expected kings or warriors to be remembered — not a man living in tents. But those kings are forgotten, and Abraham is still remembered.
His name is great only because the nations and descendants kept telling his story, and those descendants became strong nations. God’s promise came true: “I will make you into a great nation … I will make your name great.”
It Happened Because God Said “I Will”
Abraham’s people, the Jews, never built a big empire like other nations. They did not have great armies or giant buildings, like the pyramids of Egypt. They did not rule over many lands. They did not write philosophy like the Greeks.
But they gave us the Bible, some amazing individuals, and they have remained a unique people for thousands of years. Their greatness comes from what God did through them, not what they did by themselves.
The “I Will” Stamped into History
If you read the promise, God says many times, “I will …”. This shows that it was God, not Abraham or his people, who made the promise come true. The unique way of their greatness has happened because the Creator made it happen and followed through with this promise.
Today, Israel is still often in the news, even though it is a small country — just like God said.
We do not usually hear much about other small countries like Singapore or Bolivia, but Israel is different. That is another sign that God’s promise is still active today.
History could have unfolded for this promise to have failed in some ways, but instead it remains as declared thousands of years ago. Maybe the power of that ancient Promise-Maker can work through the confusion that controls our lives today.
The Journey that Changed and still shakes the World
The Bible says that Abraham obeyed God and left on a journey (Genesis 12:4). He walked with his family, animals, and supplies to a new land. This journey still matters today.
Cleveland Museum of Art, PD-US-expired, via Wikimedia Commons
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Blessings for Everyone
The Bible says not only Abraham would be blessed. It says:
“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:3
This means you and me. It doesn’t matter where you are from, how rich or poor you are, or what your religion is — this promise includes all people on earth.
But how are we blessed through Abraham? How? When? What kind of blessing?
We already saw that part of the promise came true: Abraham’s name is great. So we can trust that the rest of the promise — that we can also receive a blessing — is true too.
To understand this more, we need to keep learning about Abraham’s story in the Bible. It shows us how to receive this blessing and how his journey points to our lives today.
Let’s keep reading the Bible to follow Abraham’s story and discover what God’s promise means for us. We see this next.