阅读经文 

我们的故事开始时，人类蒙召去反映神的管理和统治。（参创 1:26-29）可惜，人类却背弃了神，改而尝试去建立自己的国度，转瞬间这便演变为暴力和逼害。现今世人都背叛神的管治，而不是与神和好并服从祂。（参创 3）

尽管如此，神仍然呼召亚伯拉罕和撒拉，祂进到他们的生命中，与他们立应许的约，重新建立他们，叫他们成为与神——这位君王和好的子民。

亚伯拉罕和撒拉是一对无儿无女的年老夫妻，神应许赐给他们的新开始看来希望不大，然而神往往会在没有希望的情况下赐应许给人的。神应许做他们的神，祝福他们，又使他们成为世人的祝福。

跟着，在这个祝福包装中藏了一粒有能力的细小种籽，神对亚伯拉罕说：“君王从你而出”，论到撒拉，神说：“必有百姓的君王从她而出。”听到神说你的后裔将要成为地上的君王和王后，你会有什么感受呢？

神致力于在世上重建真正的王权，有一天，祂对亚伯拉罕和撒拉的应许，将会在他们的后裔身上和在整个世界结出美好的果子。

Our story begins with humans called to reflect the rule and reign of God (Genesis 1:26-29). But people turned away, seeking to build their own kingdoms. This quickly turned to violence and oppression, and now humanity lives in rebellion rather than in harmony with God's rule (Genesis 3).

Even so, God called Abraham and Sarah. He came into their lives to make covenant promises, to reestablish them as a people living in harmony with God as King.

Abraham and Sarah were an old and childless couple. The new start God made with them didn't look very promising. But God makes promises in unpromising situations. God promised to be their God, to bless them, and to make them a blessing on the earth.

Then, tucked in with this packet of promises came a powerful little seed. God said to Abraham, "Kings will come from you," and God said about Sarah, "Kings of peoples will come from her." What would that have been like—to hear God say that your descendants would be kings and queens on the earth?

God is in the business of reestablishing right kingship on the earth. His promises to Abraham and Sarah would, in time, bear good fruit for their descendants and for the whole earth.