Music concerts often start with an opening act. That’s the band that gets your juices flowing for the headliner to follow. Abram (later renamed Abraham) was the Gospel’s opening act. About 48 A.D. the apostle Paul wrote . . .
“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ In you shall all the nations be blessed'” (Galatians 3:8).
“Beforehand” was 2000 B.C. Abram was in Haran, a city in today’s Turkey, with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, when the LORD said to him . . .
“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” (Genesis 12:1).
The Gospel Beforehand. That’s “the Gospel beforehand”–“in you (Abram) all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” To be “blessed” is “to be granted happiness, health and prosperity”. The Gospel (Good News!) is that God intends to bless people from among all the peoples on earth with happiness, health and prosperity” (see previous post, “Welfare for the World”).
Why Knowing The Gospel Beforehand Is Important. The Bible can be a confusing book to read. It helps to know one major theme (among several) runs through it from start to finish: the Gospel. With Abram it’s like a concert’s opening act. It’s not what you came for. It’s a taste of what’s to come, but not the headliner. So–to change the metaphor–the gospel to Abram is a seed anticipating the flower, an appetizer looking forward to the main course. The gospel to Abram doesn’t tell us how God will bless all the nations, or when, or why. The LORD will reveal that progressively through the Old Testament to the New, from Abraham ultimately to Jesus.
Echoes of the Gospel Beforehand. So later God said to Abram, “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:4,5).
Still later, after Abraham obeyed the LORD and offered his only son Isaac as a sacrifice (only to be stopped by the LORD at the last moment, who then provided a substitute-sacrifice), the LORD promised Abraham, ” . . . in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:18).
Then the echo came to Abraham’s son Isaac: ” . . . I will be with you and bless you, for to you and your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven . . . And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed . . . ” (Genesis 26:3,4).
It echoed again to Abraham’s grandson Jacob: “Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 28:14).
The Gospel Beforehand in the New Testament. After Jesus was crucified, resurrected and ascended, the apostle Peter preached this ringing echo to the Jews in Jerusalem, “You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness” (Acts 3:25,26). This echo tells us that the “gospel beforehand” was preached first to the Jews in Jerusalem.
But it would not be limited to the natural descendants of Abraham. The apostle Paul wrote a resounding echo to the church: ” . . . Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness . . . Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7) . . . “Now the promises were made to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16) . . . ” . . . so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14). This echo reveals Jesus Christ is the offspring of Abraham through whom God now blesses the nations. It reveals that the content of the blessing: God the Holy Spirit comes to regenerate, indwell and transform people from among all nations. And it reveals that this blessing comes to those who believe (who trust, who stake everything on Jesus).
Do You Hear the Gospel Beforehand? For at least 4000 years God has been announcing this gospel, this good news. With Abraham he announced it like an opening act, like a seed, like an appetizer. Then he announced a little more here and there throughout the Old Testament. Then “the Headliner” appeared –Jesus Christ.
Do you see what God has been doing? Do you realize God started the concert with Abraham? More importantly, do you hear the beautiful, stirring, climaxing music in Jesus? Do you believe his gospel song so that you are part of the ongoing symphony?
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