God’s blessing to Abram was intended to be for the world (Genesis 12:3)
Look at the end of Genesis 12:3:
“In you [that is, Abram] all the families of the world shall be blessed”.
That’s a big claim that needs a little further attention.
Remember the context of Genesis 12; it has come just after a long list of nations and people in chapters 10 and 11. The tower of Babel showed that people were divided by God based on language. By Abram’s time, there were already many nations in the world. They were hopelessly confused, separated, diverse groups of people. And God says that this plan with Abram will benefit them, all these other people. In fact, because of Abram, all the families of the world shall be blessed.
Abram was the father of the Jewish people. He is claimed as the patriarch of the nation. And yes, the Jewish people were special, chosen people, important to God’s plan. But God’s plan was never supposed to be limited to Abram and his descendants, however blessed they might be. In context, it would also apply to those scattered through Babel, and those descended from the cursed line of Ham.
As we read through the Bible, we do see hints that the Jewish people saw this in their history. Moses in Exodus 19:5-6 calls them a kingdom of priests, a people through whom other nations can connect with God. Solomon prayed at the temple opening that other nations would also come to worship the true God. There are examples of people from other nations joining, like Rahab and Ruth. Yet all of this is in a very small way; the emphasis was on being separate from other nations, not being a blessing to them. All this changed after Pentecost in Acts 2. The message of Jesus was proclaimed to be for everyone.
Jesus was a Jew, a physical descendant of Abram. Yet he came to earth not only for the Jewish people. Jesus died for the sins of all who believe, whether Jewish or not. He rose again, for the price was paid. Notably, many Jewish people who did not trust in Jesus would not be blessed through Jesus. And many who were not Jewish and who did trust in Jesus would be included.
This plan of God to work to save people from all different nations must motivate us in at least two ways. It must drive us towards international mission work, for people of all different countries need to hear that this blessing is for them. And it must drive us to evangelism, for God loves to save all kinds of people, all through Jesus, the descendant of Abram.
Surely we in our modern churches know what this is like! There are people in my church family who were born in every continent. (Except Antarctica, but I am unsure if anyone has been born there!) We have people who grew up in Muslim homes, in atheistic homes, in Hindu homes, and in Jewish homes. We have people who have been blessed through Jesus who were born in villages, in megacities, and in the suburbs. All goes back to this promise to Abram. God has certainly carried this out, and He continues to do so.