Genesis 12:1-3

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”

4 So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, 6 Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites.

7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants [literally, "seed"].” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

God was not going to let Satan win and He was not going to let the children He loves, suffer for ever. He had a plan.

There was a man named Abram (later, Abraham). God chose him to be the father of a great nation. Significantly, God said that all nations on earth would be blessed through Abraham. The whole world had been cursed because of Adam and Eve's sin but God had a plan to bless all nations.

A little later, God reiterated this promise. In Genesis 18:18-19, God said, "18 “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 19 I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”

The nation descending from Abraham was Israel. They were to be God's chosen people - different from every other nation. They were to know and honour God, modelling for the nations what godly living looked like. They were to "keep the ways of the Lord by doing what is right and just".

We are going to have to continue our journey to see how this worked out but, at least, Abraham had this promise from God. God was going to do something to bless all nations and it would be through Abraham - one of his descendents perhaps.

Abraham himself was to model obedience. He was required to leave his home and family in Mesopotania and travel to a land God said He would show him. He had to set out not knowing where he would be led. He had to simply trust God and obey Him.

For Reflection

1. What nation would descend from Abraham and in what ways would the world be blessed through them?

Make an advent wreath. Decide what the candles will represent. At regular intervals, light the next candle and share some thoughts about what it means.

Your advent wreath could even be drawn on a piece of paper and a flame drawn on. It doesn't have to be elaborate. Be inventive.

Loving Father, we thank You that you did not leave the world in its broken and sorry state. Thank You that You had a plan and that You put that plan into action. Thank You that your plan will succeed.

In Jesus' name, Amen.