Genesis 12:3 – ‘I will bless those who bless you’

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Genesis 12:3 records a great promise made by the Lord to Abraham – “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse”.

Some interpreters argue that this promise to Abraham can be applied to modern Gentile attitudes towards the secular state of Israel.

C.I. Scofield says of this promise:

‘Wonderfully fulfilled in the history of the dispersion. It has invariably fared ill with the people who have persecuted the Jew – well with those who have protected him.

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Abraham in the New Testament

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In NT times Abraham was honoured as the ancestor of

  • Israel, Acts 13:26
  • the levitical priesthood, Heb 7:5
  • the Messiah himself, Mt 1:1

The popular Jewish superstition that racial descent from Abraham brought divine blessing with it is refuted by

  • John the Baptist, Mt 3:9
  • Paul, Rom 9:7

Nevertheless, the unity of the Hebrews as his descendants was a picture of the unity of believers in Christ, Gal 3:16, 29.

God’s children now inherit by faith those things granted to Abraham, including

  • the oath, Lk 1:73
  • the covenant, Acts 3:13
  • the promise, Rom 4:13
  • the blessing, Gal 3:14

Abraham’s faith was a type of that which leads to justification, Rom 4:3-12, a pre-Christ proclamation of the universal gospel Gal 3:8.…

Israel and the Church

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Stephen Sizer illustrates the continuity between the OT people of God (Israel) and the NT people of God (the church):-

Israel: The Church in the Old TestamentThe Body of Christ: The Church in the New Testament
Righteous live by faithfulness (Hab 2:4) Righteous live by faith (Rom 1:17)
Holy people (Deut 7:6; 33:3; Num 16:3)Holy people (Eph 1:1; Rom 1:7)
Chosen (Deut 7:6; 14:2)Chosen (Col 3:12; Titus 1:1)
Called (Isa 41:9; 2 Chron 7:14) Called (Rom 1:6-7; 1 Cor 1:2)
‘Church’ = Assembly in Greek (Mic 2:5)Church (Mt 16:18; 18:17; Eph 2:20)
Flock (Eze 34:2, 7; Psalm 77:20)Flock (Lk 12:32; Acts 20:28)
Holy nation (Ex 19:6)Holy nation (1 Pet 2:9)
Treasured possession & kingdom of priests (Ex 19:5-6)Special possession & royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9)
Children of God and People of God (Hos 1:10; 2:23)Children of God (Jn 1:12); People of God ( 1 Pet 2:10)
People of his inheritance (Deut 4:20)Glorious inheritance (Eph 1:18)
My dwelling place = tabernacle (Lev 26:11; Eze 37:27)Dwelling among us = tabernacle (Jn 1:14; 2 Cor 6:16)
God is a husband betrothed ( Isa 54:5; Jer 3:14; Hos 2:19)Christ is a husband betrothed (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25-30)
Twelve tribes (Gen 49:28; Rev 21:12)Twelve Apostles (Mk 3:14; Rev 21:14)

As Wayne Grudem (Systematic Theology, pp859-863) explains, Evangelical Protestants have held different views on the relationship between Israel and the church.…

Foreknowledge

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Arminian theology teaches that God’s election of individuals to salvation is based on his foreknowledge of their faith. God knows beforehand that they will believe, and on that basis elects, or predestines them, to eternal life. This approach has the apparent advantage of relieving the tension between divine election and human freedom.  A key text here is Rom 8:29 –

Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.…

Christian Zionism

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The International Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is to be held this year [2008] on 5th October.  Details can be found here.

It would seem churlish to have reservations about any call for prayer.  However, the resolution includes the following affirmations:-

RECOGNIZING… that G-d [sic] has kept his word to Abraham and His descendants and settled them in their homeland again, according to the word of the prophets (Amos 9:14-15), (Ezekiel 36: esp.

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Wayne Grudem on election

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Election is ‘God’s decision to choose us to be saved before the foundation of the world.’ Or, more fully, ‘election is an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure.’

The term ‘predestination’ is a broader term, including as it does God’s leaving of the non-elect to the consequences of their own sins. …

J.C. Ryle on election

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John Charles Ryle ministered in East Anglia in the middle years of the 19th century before becoming the first (Anglican) bishop of Liverpool.  His writings are refreshingly clear, robust, and heartfelt.  He explains, defends and applies the evangelical faith with deceptive simplicity.  Ryle deals with the doctrine of election in his book Old Paths.  Here’s a summary:-

We are familiar with the idea of a general election to Parliament.  But there is a greater election.…

J.I. Packer on election

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Election is such a hot potato that we can end up resenting the very existence of the doctrine, and almost reproach God for putting it in the Bible at all.  Because we find many of our arguments about election to be unedifying, we are tempted to conclude that the doctrine itself is unedifying.

But look at the attitude of Paul: he is neither embarrassed nor ashamed of election.  The thought of election leads Paul to praise, Eph 1:3ff, to encouragement, Rom 8:33ff, and to ethical appeal, Col 3:12.…

Top Audio Downloads on Christianity & Islam

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Mark Ryan has a helpful series of lectures called, ‘An Islam Primer’.  The first four talks are mainly descriptive, giving a balanced and informative account of Islam and its beliefs and practices.  The last lecture is, as the title suggests, more evaluative but even here the discussion is irenic and even-handed:-

  1. Islam’s Holy Prophet
  2. The Qu’ran
  3. The Pillars of Islam
  4. Islam’s One and Only God
  5. Why I am not a Muslim

 Jay Smith engages in regular debate with Moslem scholars, and offers a more forceful – but still respectful – critique of Islam. …

Col 3:18-4:1 – ‘Wives, Children, Slaves…’ – sermon notes

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Well, it’s not looking too good for wives, children and slaves, is it? Nor is it looking too good for the preacher who’s got to try to explain all this.

So I decided I needed a bit of extra help from the bloke who wrote this stuff:-

Dear Paul. We’re studying your letter to the Colossians at our church, and we’ve reached 3:18-4:1 – the bit about wives, children and slaves. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?…