Context – Abram’s father, Terah, set out to Canaan (Israel) from Ur (Iraq) with his family but settled in Haran (Turkey) instead. After his father’s death, God gave Abram this command and promise despite his wife Sarai’s inability to have children:

Genesis 12:1-3 – 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. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 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.”

Context – In this part of Paul’s letter to the Gentile (non-Jewish) church in Galatia, he reminds them that salvation comes by faith and not works, just as it was promised to and exhibited by Abraham:

Galatians 3:8,14 – Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”… 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Context – The apostle John is given a vision of what eternity will look like. In the midst of God’s servants from Israel and several heavenly beings, he also sees all nations:

Revelation 7:9-10 – After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

• What did God promise to do through Abraham?
• How did God accomplish His blessing to all nations?
• What does God’s blessing through Jesus mean for the future?