Light of the World: Day Four
Spotlight
Read Genesis 11:27 - 12:1-3
After Adam and Eve left the garden the world kept getting darker and darker in rapid succession. From their son Cain committing the first murder of his own brother (Genesis 4), to the increasing corruption on the earth that resulted in the flood (Genesis 5-9), to the tower of Babel (Genesis 11), it is evident that Adam and Eve’s sin nature stained mankind throughout the generations. And yet, because God is love, he never forgot his promise to send one that would take care of the world’s darkness.
In chapter 11 of Genesis, we are introduced to a man named Abram. We know very little about him other than: he was the son of Terah, he took a wife named Sarai (who was barren), they were on their way to Canaan but they stopped and settled in Haran. Chapter 12 begins with some of the most important words in all Scripture because God, seemingly out of nowhere, makes some pretty big promises to Abram. These verses are known as the Abrahamic Covenant.
The Abrahamic Covenant is three-fold:
1. It is a promise of land – Genesis 12:1
2. It is a promise of “seed” (offspring) – Genesis 12:2
3. It is a promise of blessing – Genesis 12:3
Each element of this promise to Abram is important. The land that God showed Abram would be his descendants' is the land of Canaan, which becomes known as the Promised Land. The promise that Abram will be made into a great nation means that Abram will have a large family. The final element is not only a promise of personal blessing and protection for Abram and his family, but it is a promise that through this specific family, the entire world will be blessed.
The ray of hope that dawns in Genesis 3:15 turns into a spotlight in Genesis 12:3 as God homes in on one specific family. The rest of the book of Genesis is the account of Abram (whom God renames Abraham), his son Isaac, Isaac’s son Jacob (whom God renames Israel), and Jacob’s twelve sons who become the 12 tribes of Israel. Genesis was certainly not written through rose-colored glasses. What we find in the remaining chapters of the first book of the Bible are the true accounts of flawed men and women who are imperfect and, often times, seem like unlikely candidates to be the family through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed.
Yet, as the world continued on in darkness, God was faithful to remain steadfast in his covenant with Abraham. Genesis recounts the growth of Abraham’s family and God’s continual protection and provision of Abraham’s descendants. God set the spotlight on the nation of Israel when he made his covenant with Abraham. Through this family’s genealogy God intended to bring forth the light of the world.
Action point: Take a moment today to reflect on God’s faithfulness toward you. In a year that has been unprecedentedly hard, how have you seen God remain faithful to his promises? As you prepare your heart for Christmas, praise him today for being a faithful promise keeper.