May His name be blessed forever, and endure in the sight of the sun. In Him shall be blessed every race in the world, and all nations will call Him blessed. Psalm 72:17 [NJB]
I love to trace interconnecting themes throughout the Bible. So many prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament find direct fulfillment in the verses of the New Testament. Our verse today finds its heritage in the angel’s message to Abram in the book of Genesis. It then points forward to a conversation with Mary in the Gospel of Luke.
In Genesis 12:1-3 [NRSV], God calls Abram to leave his hometown and his people and journey to a land that God would reveal to him. The Lord then promised: 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 the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Abraham was blessed by God, and all families of the earth would be blessed through him—the Messiah they waited for would come through the lineage of Abram, bring a blessing for “all families of the earth.”
The Psalmist proclaims that the Savior’s coming would bless “every race in the world,” and reiterates that all nations would call Him blessed. Fast forward to Mary’s visit to her pregnant cousin Elizabeth. When Mary arrives at the house, Elizabeth declares that Mary is blessed, and the Child in her womb is blessed as well. At which point, Mary breaks out into song, proclaiming that all future generation would call her blessed. As my dad would say, “That’s a whole lotta blessing goin’ on!”
The best part of it all? We are a portion of "all families of the earth" who are immeasurably blessed through the coming of the Christ Child in the manger. May you experience that blessing in your life today.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me bless His holy name!
And all that is within me bless His holy name!
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