Jerusalem Dateline recently featured an intriguing conversation between Chris Mitchell and Stephen Briggs, producer of the documentary series Blessing, Curse & Coincidence and co-host of the Israel Matters podcast. Their discussion examined whether Genesis 12:3 still shapes global history by lifting nations that bless Israel and humbling those that oppose or divide her.
Briggs explained the focus of his work by noting, “We have four films that talk about the outworking of Genesis 12:3 throughout history,” and emphasized how Galatians 3:8 echoes God’s promise to Abraham: “In you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” According to him, Genesis 12:3 is “actually a proclamation of the gospel” that reveals itself through time.
He pointed to Scripture as the initial proof case. “Pharaoh orders the Hebrew male babies to be drowned,” Briggs said, yet “Pharaoh’s men were drowned chasing the Israelites through the Red Sea.” In the book of Esther, Haman sought genocide, but “ends up on the gallows and the Jews and the land, the seed, and the blessing was restored.” These reversals, he explained, illustrate nations “reaping what one sows.”
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The question then becomes whether that principle ended in antiquity or continues today. “Has it been done away with or is it a perpetual statement in Genesis 12 affecting other empires, nations throughout history?” Briggs concluded that history offers consistent affirmation. “Every single empire that was once an empire … their comeuppance, if you like, has begun when they’ve started treating the Jewish people in a negative way.”
Britain’s imperial decline was offered as a striking example. Once ruling territories across the globe, it was tasked with facilitating Jewish restoration but instead partitioned the land. Briggs noted, “Winston Churchill took a pen and drew down the Jordan River and divided the promised land,” suggesting that this act “appears to precede the division of the British Empire.” He referenced Joel 3:1–2, which records God judging nations “because they divided my land and scatter my people.”
The exception to the pattern, Briggs added, appears to be Germany. Despite its role in one of history’s darkest chapters, “They are still a powerhouse of Europe,” a nation that paid billions in reparations and became deeply involved in Israel’s development. Its trajectory raises questions about mercy, restitution and national repentance.
For Christians who watch these patterns with interest, Scripture presents a consistent thread affirming God’s covenant with Israel. The Bible repeatedly describes Israel as chosen, called, preserved and restored.
From Genesis 12 to the prophets and the writings of Paul, the texts point to a God who keeps His promises. Briggs’ reflections echo that biblical theme: that nations are not merely acting on political terms but touching something sacred when they bless or curse Israel, and history bears witness to the consequences.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
