"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." - Galatians 3 vs 13 - 14 {King James Version}

Greetings to you dearly beloved of God in Christ Jesus. Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Patiently read this article.

The saying "Abraham's blessings" or "The blessings of Abraham" is one that is a mantra in the churches today, and it has been wrongly taught in the many church quarters for a long time coming, to mean material riches; the saying has been used to promise Believers a life of fortune and financial advantage, stating that because they are Abraham's seeds, then Abraham's blessings (financial & material riches) are theirs. They teach Abraham's blessings as material riches. But to start with, the Bible does not call it the blessings of Abraham, but the blessing of Abraham. The blessing is singular not plural. With this correction alone, we can already perceive that something is wrong with that teaching of explaining Abraham's blessing to be financial & material riches. Please pay attention!

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." - Galatians 3 vs 13 - 14 {King James Version}

  • the blessing of Abraham

Notice that it's 'blessing' not 'blessings'. This already gives us an idea that the blessing of Abraham is not things, but a thing! Singular. Pay attention! Now, the blessing of Abraham was in the promises which God made to Abraham. In other words, the promises which God made to Abraham spoke of a blessing. Pay attention! Now, let's see the promises, then we will study what the blessing is.

The Promises:

"And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him." - Genesis 12 vs 7 {KJV}

Here, we see God giving Abraham a promise, and this promise speaks of a blessing, which is referred to as the blessing of Abraham. Pay attention!

"For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever." - Genesis 13 vs 15 {KJV}

Again, we see God giving Abraham a promise, and this promise speaks of a blessing, which is referred to as the blessing of Abraham.

"And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be." - Genesis 15 vs 5 {KJV}

Again, we see God giving Abraham a promise, and this promise speaks of a blessing, which is referred to as the blessing of Abraham.

"In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:" - Genesis 15 vs 18 {KJV}

Again, we see God giving Abraham a promise, and this promise speaks of a blessing, which is referred to as the blessing of Abraham.

"And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?" - Genesis 18 vs 17 - 18 {King James Version}

Here, God makes a strong statement, He said that all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham. This gives us a huge clue about what the blessing of Abraham is all about: it's about the blessing of the nations. But we will find out exactly what that blessing is.

"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." - Genesis 22 vs 18 {KJV}

Again, we see God giving Abraham a promise, and this promise speaks of a blessing, which is referred to as the blessing of Abraham.

"And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed..." - Genesis 26 vs 4 {KJV}

Again, here we see God giving Abraham a promise, and we see that the promise is concerning a blessing, which the nations of the earth shall be blessed with. Pay attention!

I believe you read all the verses I showed you above. Now, take note of these words:

  • in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed

In Genesis 18 vs 18, God said, "all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham". Take note of the words:

  • in Abraham

'In Abraham' simply refers to 'in Abraham's seed', because God's emphasis has been on Abraham's seed and not Abraham himself.

Now, 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 vs 16 {KJV}

  • And to thy seed, which is Christ

From this verse, we understand that Isaac is not the seed of Abraham; Isaac was not the seed on God's mind when God spoke of it to Abraham.

"And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." - Galatians 3 vs 8 {KJV}

We are informed here that God preached the Gospel to Abraham. Remember that I have clarified to you that 'in Abraham' means 'in Abraham's seed'. So now we're getting to understand that when God was making the promises to Abraham concerning his seed and all the nations being blessed in his seed, it was the Gospel that God was making known to Abraham. That obviously means that Isaac couldn't have been the seed God was talking about. You see... We are told that Christ is the seed of Abraham.

Having known this, let's reexamine Genesis 22 vs 18 and Genesis 26 vs 4 in the light of this understanding:

"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." - Genesis 22 vs 18 {KJV}

Having understood that Christ is the seed that God was talking about, we can rearrange this verse thus:

"And in Christ shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." - Genesis 22 vs 18 {Rearranged}

  • And in Christ shall all the nations of the earth be blessed

You get it??

Okay, Genesis 26 vs 4:

"And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed..." - Genesis 26 vs 4 {KJV}

Having understood that Christ is the seed that God was talking about, we can rearrange this verse thus:

"And I will make Christ to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto Christ all these countries; and in Christ shall all the nations of the earth be blessed..." - Genesis 26 vs 4 {Rearranged}

HOW ARE THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH BLESSED IN CHRIST?

When they believe the Gospel. Know that 'the nations of the earth' as used in the promises means 'the peoples in the nations of the earth', it speaks of men. So, all the nations of the earth being blessed in Christ speaks of men receiving salvation in Christ.

"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." - Genesis 22 vs 18 {KJV}

So, revisiting Genesis 22 vs 18 with this understanding, it reads:

"And in Christ shall all the nations of the earth be saved; because thou hast obeyed my voice." - Genesis 22 vs 18 {Rearranged}

  • And in Christ shall all the nations of the earth be saved

Are you getting it? Okay. Now, How are men saved?

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16 vs 15 - 16 {King James Version}

  • He that believeth shall be saved

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3 vs 18 {KJV}

  • He that believeth on Him is not condemned (meaning he is saved)

Pay attention!

In Genesis 12 vs 3, we see that God communicated this to Abraham as the condition for the blessing to come upon all the nations of the earth. Let's take a look at it:

"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." - Genesis 12 vs 3 {KJV}

  • I will bless them that bless thee
  • I will curse him that curseth thee

Know that 'all families of the earth' as used in the verse is the same as 'all the nations of the earth' which we have seen earlier—they are speaking of men.

Now the word 'bless' which is used in the verse was translated from the Hebrew word bârak, which implies to congratulate, to welcome, to accept. The word 'curse' which is used in the verse was translated from the Hebrew word 'ârar, which means to execrate, to reject. Remember Galatians 3 vs 8, God was preaching the Gospel to Abraham. So, in the light of the Gospel, what God said to Abraham in the above verse {Genesis 12 vs 3} is:

"And I will accept them that accept your seed, and I will reject him that reject your seed: and in your seed shall all the peoples of the earth be blessed." - Genesis 12 vs 3 {Rearranged}

Remember, Abraham is not the focus of the promise, but his seed, which is Christ. So the gospel that God preached to Abraham is: those who accept the Christ will be accepted (saved), those who reject the Christ will be rejected (damned). You see it now?? It's coming clear now. These very words which God spoke to Abraham as the criteria for the blessing (salvation) to come upon men, are the very same words the Lord Jesus came speaking:

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16 vs 15 - 16 {King James Version}

  • He that believeth shall be saved

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." - John 3 vs 18 {KJV}

  • He that believeth on Him is not condemned (meaning he is saved)

So we can safely conclude that the blessing of Abraham is Salvation in Christ, for all men who believe. Salvation is what Apostle Paul was speaking of in Galatians 3 vs 14. Let's take a look at it:

"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." - Galatians 3 vs 14 {KJV}

  • That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ

Which means, 'that the Gentiles might receive salvation through Jesus Christ'. You see it?? Paul wasn't talking about material or financial riches, because the blessing of Abraham is not silver and gold, neither is it a good job or mega contracts, but Salvation in Christ. Pay attention!

And what is Salvation? Salvation is simply the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a man when the man believes the Gospel. That is why Apostle Paul added (in the above verse):

  • that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." - Romans 8 vs 9 {KJV}

  • if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His

Now we understand that Salvation is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a man.

Waow!

So, now we understand this matter: it's the blessing of Abraham, not the blessings of Abraham; and we now understand that the blessing of Abraham is Salvation in Christ, which is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in a man.

Glory to God!

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Jenning Uweye
Teacher,
Global Bible Study Community

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