How many times have you heard prominent preachers say, ‘if you bless Israel you will be blessed’ in reference to the state of Israel, or the Government of that country or the Jews living there now, who openly reject Jesus. Below is the passage they quote to justify this statement, please read it. They often only use the last verse (3) and you will see why once you read the first two.
Genesis 12: 1-3 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Abram is Abraham, God later named him Abraham in Genesis chapter 17, if you would like to read about that, if you have not already.
So where does it say in the Bible that if you bless the ‘State of Israel’ you will be blessed (reference made to land mass, country, area, building, or group of unbelievers who do not accept Jesus)? Well, it doesn’t. Not anywhere in scripture can you find that. The promise was to Abram, who later became Abraham. He says he will make Abram a great nation and that he will be blessed by God, and Abram was truly blessed. It is a simply a false teaching for some, and an all out lie and twisting of scripture for others. If you have not yet read my post, Is the modern day state of Israel ‘the Israel of God’? Please do so, as it will help you understand the, why.
So lets find out who the heirs of Abrahams seed according to the promise are. This is found in Galatians Chapter 3 below.
Galatians Chapter 3 KJV
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Notice the last verse, If you have faith and belong to Christ you are Abraham’s seed and heirs of the promise. In fact, it would be more Biblical and truthful to say, ‘If you bless a believer in Jesus you will be blessed’, or, ‘If you bless the Church of Jesus His body of followers, you will be blessed’. It has nothing to do with a country, physical place or building, let that sink deep into your ears.
In fact, you could even consider the church the Lord’s Body of true believers to be Israel, and I will do a later post on that topic.