What is the Great Nation & Blessing promise?
The "Great Nation" and "Blessing" promise is important. Since it came from God, some of Abrams offspring are destined to become a Great Nation and receive some special benefits.
The famous "Blessing" phrase, "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you..." is often misused to mistakenly grant special blessings to Jews (alone).
Genesis 12:2-3 was addressed to Abram (later Abraham). Note that is has a number of discrete promises:
(a) I will make you into a great nation and
(b) I will bless you;
(c) I will make your name great,
(d) and you will be a blessing.
(e) I will bless those who bless you,
(f) and whoever curses you I will curse;
(g) and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
Abraham had many offspring through which these promises could materialize. But there were no Israelites at that time, and none of them would be called Jews for another ~1,500 years. So this promise was not made directly to anyone living at that time.
As we examine Israelite history it is clear that those few Israelites who are today called Jews were never a great nation, and are not a great nation today. When at their strongest, around the time of David, they were only 2/3 as large as their Northern Kingdom Israelite cousins, and they have severely shrunk in relative size since then. Today's Southern Kingdom Israelites don't come even close to ranking among the worlds great powers. (See also: How Many Israelites?)
However their cousins, the Northern Kingdom Israelites / Lost Tribes / Celts / Europeans / Americans are the Greatest Power (Nation) in the history of the world. And no "Nation" in history has been a greater blessing to all the people of the earth than the Northern Kingdom Israelites!
