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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. 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. 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.’”
What is a covenant?
1. a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement
2. a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action
Conditional Or Unconditional?
There are several covenants mentioned in the Bible as well as many promises that are not identified as covenants. Some covenants are conditional, others are unconditional. A conditional covenant is one where there is a condition that must be met before the promise is kept. Unconditional covenants are exactly that. They are free of condition. God will keep his promise regardless of man’s behavior. The covenant made in the verses above is unconditional.
All the families of the earth shall be blessed
This is an early Biblical reference to Jesus. God called Abram out of his home country so that he could begin the process of bringing the Messiah to the earth. The path that God chose to bring the Messiah is simply amazing. It is not what a human mind would conceive, but it is exactly what a God who is much greater than us, would choose. Here, God set in motion the process by separating a particular individual and by making a unique promise.