Is it right for a man of God to end a prayer with the words, “May the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob follow the congregants of this church”?
Thank you for your good question. Let us first consider the nature of the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We read in Genesis 12:1-3, “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and 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 will be blessed” (NASB). God promised Abram in these verses that He would make Abram a great nation. God changed Abram’s grandson Jacob’s name to Israel. Therefore, Abram’s descendants would be the nation of Israel. When God says, “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed,” He is hinting that the Savior of mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ, would descend from Abram.
Let us also read Genesis 17:1-8. “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” The Abrahamic covenant was also confirmed to his son Isaac and to Isaac’s son Jacob.
In Genesis 12 God promised Abram that He would make Abram a great nation (Israel). In Genesis 17 God changed Abram’s name (meaning “exalted father”) to Abraham (meaning “father of many nations”). Coinciding with the name change, God promised Abraham that He would make him a father of many nations. This is further explained in Romans 4:18-25, where it is speaking about Abraham. “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: — He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” Abraham is the father of many nations because he set an example of believing God that all other believers follow. God makes us righteous, just as He made Abraham righteous.
Believers today are part of the one body of Christ, or Church. God’s Word explains the blessings that members of the Church enjoy. For example, we are the bride of Christ and will marry Christ in heaven. As we read in Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.” God’s Word also explains the blessings of Israel. For example, we read in Genesis 17:8 that Israel would receive the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession. The nation of Israel’s blessing are earthly and the Church’s blessings are heavenly.
Israel and the Church will always be separate groups of people with separate blessings. However, we both have the same Savior! To answer your question, if the man of God was talking about the blessings of faith that we receive when we follow the example of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob believing God, then that is a right thing to pray. However, if he was claiming the blessings of Israel for the Church today, then that is wrong to say.
How is it with you, dear reader? Have you believed God like Abraham did? God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Have you admitted to God that you are a sinner and trusted in the Lord Jesus as your Savior? Do so today and experience the abundant spiritual blessings that God has for you. (DJ) (489.2)