“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…”

Genesis 12:2

Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD and destroyed the city of Pompeii. Today it is a remarkable trip back in time. Buried under 13 to 20 feet of volcanic ash, pumice, and stone, the city was preserved for nearly 2000 years. You can visit the city today and portions of it that have been carefully excavated. You can walk through homes, explore markets, and wander on the city streets. Among the most remarkable things that you will discover in this town is that they had indoor plumbing. And public water fountains. In 79 AD!

Aqueducts channeled the water from the reservoir into the city. Ancient engineers figured out the power of water pressure and decreasing diameters of plumbing. The water flowed and the fountains bubbled so that you could drink out of them. And perhaps the most amazing element of this is that you’ve heard of Pompeii but primarily because it has been found and excavated and is an archeological gem. The history books don’t mention Pompeii too much. Meaning, it was a pretty basic town that was not the center of attention during its day. And it still had water fountains in the streets. I find this fascinating.

The Aqueduct and the pipes led water from the source to the public places for baths and for drinking. It was a remarkably sophisticated system. And it was effective because of these conduits. A conduit is a channel through which something flows from one place to another. Electrical conduits carry wires through walls and they allow for a much easier addition of new wires for future implementation.

Conduits are not the creator of the source. The aqueduct didn’t create the water and the wires don’t create the electricity. Conduits are carriers. Things flow through conduits.

Are you a conduit or are you a container?

This is the calling that God gives to Abraham in Genesis 12. He—and his offspring after him—are carriers of God’s blessings. He receives the goods and he passes the goods on to others. This is God’s distribution system for the world. Through Abraham and through the children of Abraham. You, my dear friends, are a child of Abraham. You are called to receive and to pass along the blessings from our Lord.

Genesis 12 begins a new section of our Bible. The first 11 chapters are called the primordial. It is global in nature and theological in its foundations. It answers the big questions and gives us a 30,000-foot view of creation and God’s work in it. Chapter 12 is when the story zooms in. It zooms in on Abraham and Sarah and their family—their eventual family. In chapter 12, things start getting real and specific.

And this is significant because Abraham is God’s response to the judgement He lays out. Chapter 11 is all about the tower of Babel. I’ve written about this before: mankind wanted to build a structure to climb up to God. But, God didn’t allow it because God is the one who comes down to us. It isn’t about our action—it is about His. Always has been. Always will be. To thwart the construction plans, God confuses the people by creating new languages and scatters them across the face of the earth. In essence, humanity is divided in the aftermath of God’s judgement at the tower of Babel.

And God’s restorative grace is the call of Abraham. In the immediate aftermath of God scattering the people over the face of the earth, the Lord begins the plan to draw everyone back to Him. Genesis 12 is God’s plan. The people are now everywhere, and God is going to use Abraham, Sarah, and their family to bring them all back. This is what plays out in Revelation as the multitude are gathered around the throne and singing praises to the lamb who sits upon it. The multitude is made up of people from every tribe, every tongue, every ethnic group, and every nation—the restoration of our unity after the tower of Babel.

As you know, we aren’t there yet. We are far from unified. Far from together. Though, despite ongoing reports and continuously unfolding realities, it is pretty remarkable to see Israeli and Iranian people rejoicing together in the streets as they sing and dance in hope of a new future. In this, we can find hope.

Back to Abraham. He is called into this purpose by the Lord. He is going to be the first in a long line of people who will bring about God’s final purpose in Revelation. The first of many—this is why we sang that VBS song with all those verses about the many sons of Abraham—He only had one legitimate son, Isaac. However, you and I are a part of Abraham’s lineage. We are a part of God’s unfolding plan.

But here is the real payoff for today’s verse. The who is vital—it is God that makes all of this happen. He is the source. The why is everything I’ve just shared. It matters. The real power for today is understanding the how. How will God use Abraham and all of us in bringing about this unity? The words of Genesis 12 are clear; it is through blessing. The blessings of God flow to you. And the blessings of God flow through you.

In giving thanks to God for the good He brings and the calling He bestows, we are better able to recognize that the power and purpose is not ours. It is His. Counting your blessings is the framing and forming your heart needs to flourish and grow. If you don’t see the goods as blessings—then you may as well join the builders of the tower because you are trying to do it yourself.

And the conduit of blessing for others is the power. This is the inoculation that spreads the healing hope of Jesus to others. When you bless someone, you are pointing to a plan and purpose that is bigger than you are. You are testifying to the source of blessing that will never run dry. Through blessing, you are joining in the healing work of God through the ages.

“So you will be a blessing…” This is your call—not just Abraham’s.

How will you live in the week ahead?