This Sunday, we are beginning a new series entitled: “Israel: God’s Timepiece” …. that is, that when you look at the prophecies that have been fulfilled, and are about to be fulfilled that lead up to the return of Christ, Israel is God's stop-watch that is counting down. You can look at what's going on in the nation of Israel, and biblical prophecy that is being fulfilled and understand that the coming of Jesus is very soon.
I want to start in the book of Genesis today because it all begins there at a time after the flood. God begins again after the flood with Ham Shem, and Japheth who were the three sons of Noah.
Abraham, from Shem’s line, was called out of a nation, the Chaldeans, and told to go to foreign country, a thousand miles away in order to become a nation and a people that would belong to God.
Genesis 12:1 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. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 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.”
So God says to Abram, as a token of My favor, because you have an obedient heart…I will bless you! This is not only a word for him personally while he lived…this is a word for the generations that will follow:
1.God’s 4 -fold blessing on Abram: Land – “to a land I will show you” - this is an eternal allotment…
Nation – “I will make you a great nation” - this is singular, but later would become “nations”
Personal – “ I will bless you”- personal wealth and influence, protection, offspring
Name - “I will make your name great”- a name and reputation that is unsurpassed
2. Abram’s blessing on others
3. Third party blessings/cursing - by blessing/cursing Abram / Israel
4. Blessings to the entire world through Abraham Genesis 12:3b “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Messiah)
This is the first prophecy given to Abraham regarding the coming of Jesus. Jesus the Messiah, through the seed of Abraham, from the tribe of Judah, and the nation of Israel would bless the entire world. How did Abraham respond to the challenge to leave all? The Bible says: “So also Abraham ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’
Galatians 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.
All those who respond in faith to Christ are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith”. The faith of Abraham led to his justification, and that is the blessing of Abraham that we share today. As people of faith, we are justified in Christ.
Join us in person on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. or via livestream by going to https://www.firstbaptistsudbury.com and clicking on livestream for Israel: “God’s Timepiece.”
Blessings,
Kevin
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