Chuck Norris and the second most important person in human history (Genesis 12)

The third most important person in history.

Who is the greatest person in history? It's not Chuck Norris, but good guess.

For the Christian, that person in Jesus Christ, though Chuck Norris is also in the top five. However, who is the second most important person in history? The answer would surprise you. It's a guy who lived in the Middle East some 4,000 years ago. His name was Abram, (later Abraham). He is the father of three of the most significant religions of all time. To the Jews, he is Father Abraham, (who had many sons as the song goes). Abraham was the first patriarch of the Jewish faith. Abraham had Isaac, who had Jacob, who had twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel. Abraham is also significant to the Islamic faith. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Muslims trace their faith back to Ishmael. Finally, Abraham is significant to Christians because from Abraham comes the promise of a "seed" who would bless the nations. Abraham is the primary example of saving faith that Paul refers to in Romans 4. Ultimately, he is the father of Jesus Christ. Paul refers to Abraham in Galatians in terms of the promise of salvation by faith over works. He is a cornerstone of three of the world's greatest religions. Therefore he is a very significant man in history who we should seek to understand from the Bible's perspective. That being said, we're looking today at Genesis 12.

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3. 

Remember how we got here? Humans up to this point have, for the most part, sought to do it their own way, not God's way. This has led to death, jealousy, murder, strife, immorality, and judgment. In the last chapter, men tried to make themselves a great name and unite everyone in one place with one language. God dispersed mankind by confusing their language. Man has failed, throughout the pages of the Bible, to walk with and honor God. Previously the Lord had worked throughout all mankind, now God comes to reveal himself to and work through one man. Through this one man God is going to bless the entire world.

So what does God tell Abram to do? He tells him to leave his country, leave his relatives, and leave his father's house and go to the land that God will show him. He has to leave all that is familiar and follow God.
So what does God promise to Abram? God promises to make Abram a great nation. God also promises to personally bless Abram, make his name great, and work in Abram's life so that he will be a blessing to others, (v2). He also promises to curse everyone who curses Abram. God promises to be Abram's provision and protector.

I would like you to see something here. God is the one who initiates this promise with Abram. This should remind us of the many times throughout Genesis so far where God has been the one to initiate blessing or reconciliation with man, (see also Adam and Eve, Cain, Noah). God is good. He is kind. He wants man to "make it", so to speak. He wants man to be restored to fellowship with him, so he initiates relationship with mankind.

It is also very important to see that God is the one who promises to bring this agreement with Abram to fulfillment. See what language God uses here. God says over and over again, "I will", "I will", "You shall", "I will", "will be blessed". This covenant with Abram is not based on Abram's actions, faithfulness, or unfaithfulness. God has promised that he will act. This is not a conditional agreement based upon Abram fulfilling a certain list of duties. This is a divine and one sided covenant. "I will".

I can hear you saying, "So what? Why does this matter, why should I care about a guy that lived a really long time ago? I get it. He was old, God promised him some stuff and it all worked out. So what? What does this have to do with me? You said this guy was more important than Chuck Norris and only second in importance to Jesus in terms of Christianity? I don't get it? WHO COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHUCK NORRIS?!"

First of all, your imaginary questions are very angry.
Second of all, I NEVER in any way disrespected Mr. Chuck Norris. I know what happens to those who disrespect him and I would never do that in any way.
Thirdly, I will now answer your questions.

- This is called the Abrahamic covenant. God is going to elaborate on this covenant later, but this is the first glimpse of it in the Bible. It is a very important covenant in the Bible, therefore we should pay close attention. So there.
- Remember a few blogs ago where I talked about how God has been tracing a line throughout the pages of the Bible of the future Savior of mankind? If not, go back and read it. We looked at the genealogies, not as unimportant parts of the Bible, but as a road map pointing to the line of the Savior of men. So now, in Abram, we see another road sign which points us ahead to God's chosen Savior.
- We should also care about Abram because he is going to show us a model of how God saves men. Will it be by works, by Abram's good deeds, by Abram's faithfulness, by a magic crystal, by suffering, or will it be by faith and the grace of God? We're not there yet, but the way in which God spoke with Abram in these verses provides a clue. God initiates the relationship with Abram and God promises, unilaterally and without condition, to accomplish his will in and through Abram. It will be by God's work for God's glory. Therefore Abram's descendants, (Isaac, Jacob, the tribes of Israel), had a firm promise to rest on. They could rest on the promise of God to bless Abram, to give them the land, and to make them a blessing to the world. They could also rest in God's promise to curse those who cursed them. Pretty significant stuff.

So we have the introduction of a very important Biblical agreement between God and man, (Abram). We have the unconditional promise by God to bless and work in this man's life. We have the hope of another man walking with God in a world of men who do not walk with Him. We have the hope of a Savior coming through this man to bless the world. Stay tuned. Good stuff.

You know who else is good. This guy.