Understanding the Genesis 12:3 Blessing

To understand the Genesis 12:3 blessing, you first need to understand:

• The covenant that was broken in the Garden
• God’s desire to restore humanity through covenant

In short, you must understand the importance of covenant and what it means that God is a covenant-keeping God.

The Broken Covenant in the Garden

In the beginning, humanity had a covenant with God. It was the first covenant, and sadly, it was broken in the Garden. We know this broken covenant event as “the fall.” This covenant was with Adam and Eve and is often called the Adamic or Edenic covenant, and it was conditional.

The covenant came with many blessings and a warning to Adam not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, for if he did, he would surely die (Gen. 2:16-17). Eating from the Tree of Knowledge brought a curse upon the earth. As we know, Adam and Eve ate from the tree and “surely died.” This broken covenant plagued the earth and mankind with sin. God’s warning held true.

Hosea 6:7 says…

• “But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant; there they have dealt treacherously against Me.” (AMP)

From this broken covenant, we lost our legal rights, handing them over to Satan. That is when he became the prince of this world (2 Cor. 4:4).

God’s Desire to Restore Through Covenant

Adam and Eve broke the covenant, but God had a plan to restore it. He started the restoration process with a man named Abram, who became Abraham. God made this promise, or covenant, to Abraham (Abram) in Genesis 12:3…

• “‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” (emphasis added)

Understand that this is a covenant statement.

• God made a covenant with Abraham and his seed, the Jewish people.
• Galatians 3:29 says that if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham’s seed, an heir according to the promise.

Your Position with Israel

The covenant statement God made in Genesis 12:3 relates to Israel. How we interact, think about, and pray for Israel is all about alignment. Our view of Israel will either bring a blessing or a curse.

When Yeshua came, His blood removed the middle wall of separation, creating in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace. Yeshua came and made the covenant available to us through the atonement and the redemption of all who call in the name of the Lord, not excluding or replacing the Jews, not excluding or replacing this covenant act.

Since Yeshua Made the Covenant Available to Us … 

Because Yeshua made the covenant available to us, we can now boldly approach the throne of grace, go into the Courts of Heaven and redeem what is ours through Him.

But we must understand this: If we curse Israel, it’s difficult to go into the Courts of Heaven because cursing God’s chosen people positions us as one cursing God’s covenant, making it difficult to ask Him for covenant favor.

In other words, if you’re cursing Israel and going into the Courts of Heaven with a curse on you, you can’t ask for a blessing that comes through that which you are cursing.

The Blessings and Promises Available to Believers Who Stand with Israel

I believe the nine blessings of Passover, according to Exodus 23, describe the promises and blessings for those who stand with Israel.

When you do it God’s way …

• He’ll bless you coming in
• He’ll bless you going out
• He’ll bless you in the city
• He’ll bless you in every way
• No harm shall come near your dwelling

You Can Get into Alignment Today

First, come before God and repent. Recognize if or how you’ve cursed Israel and confess to God. Ask Him to reveal to you the covenant rights and promises He made available to you through Yeshua. Ask Him to remind you of who you are and the family you’ve been grafted into.

Second, declare God’s goodness and our identity. We are still in a broken world, and God is shaping our character to resemble Yeshua more closely each day. He delights when we each come to Him and ask Him to shape us into the person He designed us to be—our true identity. We are acceptable to a holy and perfect God because of Yeshua. So, let us rejoice and declare His goodness, mercy, forgiveness and our identities in Yeshua.

Third, meditate on God’s covenant-keeping nature. Pause and get into your secret place with the Lord and meditate on passages that remind you that He will always uphold His covenant promises because He is a covenant-keeping God.

God is a Covenant-Keeping God

Here are a few verses to help you meditate on His covenant-keeping nature:

• Deuteronomy 7:9

“‘Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments…’”

• Exodus 2:24

“So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.”

• Psalm 111:5

“He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant.”

• Psalm 106:45

“And for their sake He remembered His covenant, and relented according to the multitude of His mercies.”

• Daniel 9:4

I encourage you to spend time in Exodus 23:20-33 and write down and decree the blessings God makes available to you. Stand with Israel and claim the promise of Genesis 12:3 in your life.

Curt Landry, founder of Curt Landry Ministries, and his wife, Christie, travel extensively, preaching and teaching about the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. Together, their passion is to empower families to live and leave Kingdom legacies and understand their own personal heritage.