We discovered in The Great Family Commission: Part I that the LORD wanted to bless the whole world through the offspring of Abram. Here was our first principle:
#1 The LORD wants to bless the whole world
The story continues in Genesis 18:
Abram’s now been renamed to Abraham. He and his family were camped at the oaks of Mamre and were sitting near the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day.
It was there that three men appeared to him and his wife, Sarai. Derek Kidner refutes the belief that these three men were the Trinity incarnate. Rather, he says, this was the Lord and two angels.[1] Abraham prepares food and water for the three of them while they deliver a shocking message: Sarai will bear Abraham a son. Sarai laughs and is rebuked for both her lying and disbelief.
In verse 16 Abraham sees the three men off. As they are overlooking Sodom, the LORD muses:
“Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.” Genesis 18:18 CSB
The LORD had His eye on other nations from the very beginning. But how exactly would the He use Abraham’s offspring to bless the other nations?
The answer is in the very next verse. The LORD tells us exactly how Abe’s children are going to bless all the nations of the world.
“For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. This is how the LORD will fulfill to Abraham what He promised him.”” Genesis 18:19 CSB
Did you catch that?
The LORD would bless the world through Abraham teaching his children to live out their faith.
This was the Old Testament Great Commission: Have lots of children, train them up in the teaching and way of the LORD, and the land will be filled with families who do what is just and right.
Here’s the second principle:
#2 His people are to fill the earth with offspring who live out their faith
I am sad to say that we have failed miserably at this.
We’ll examine this further in The Great Family Commission: Part III.
[1] Derek Kidner, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Genesis. IVP Academic, 1967, 131.