Blessings(Page 1 of 14)

Introduction

Everyone wants to be blessed.
When someone sneezes, another may say “bless you” (to ward off disease or prevent the soul from escaping).
But just what is a blessing?

Theactorwordsofoneperson or persons to provide special favor, mercy, benefit or recognition to another person or persons.

The act of declaring or bestowing favor; approval.

It results many times in good fortune to the receiver.

Part of a prayer before a meal (i.e. - saying “grace”).

A blessing often is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one’s hope or approval.
“To be blessed” usually means “to be favored by the Almighty”.
Blessings therefore are directly associated with Yahweh and usually come from Yahweh.
A curse…on the other hand… at least in its most formal sense… is the opposite of a blessing.

Blessings, From the Start

Our Creator, from the beginning, wanted to bless His creation.
Yahweh blesses the animals, birds and sea life after He created them on the 5th day. Genesis 1:21-22:

21So Elohim created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good.

22And Elohim blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

Yahweh wanted His creation to thrive… to prosper… to succeed.
The following day, Yahweh created His greatest creation… mankind: Genesis 1:26-31:

26 Then Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So Elohim created man in His own image; in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them.

28 Then Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 And Elohim said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.

30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

31 Then Elohim saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

The Great Creator also blesses another important aspect of His creation; the Sabbath day. Genesis 2:3: Then Elohim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which Elohim had created and made.
Yahweh blesses the good and righteous… wishing only for the success, prosperity and proper recognition for everything that is good.
Later, when Yahweh flooded the earth in order to cleanse it of evil, He once again blessed His work. Genesis 9:1-2:

1So Elohim blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

2And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.”

Abram, whose obedience would eventually prove monumental in Yahweh’s plan for the salvation of man, would receive the ultimate blessings due to that obedience. Genesis 12:1-3:

1 Now Yahwehhad said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.

2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Because Abram, now Abraham, remained obedient… even to the point of sacrificing his own son...Yahweh confirmed His earlier promise of blessings. Genesis 22:15-18:

15 Then the Angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,

16 and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son…

17in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.

18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,<why?> because you have obeyed My voice.”

Blessings Passed Down

Many in the Bible passed down or passed along blessings to others; many times to family lineage… sometimes to strangers.
Other times they attempted to pass along cursings.
For example, Jacob, also known as Israel, passed along the major blessings of the family to the Joseph and his sons. Genesis 48:15-22:

15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: “Elohim, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the Elohim who has fed me all my life long to this day,

16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; let my name be named upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

17 Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh’s head.

18And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

20 So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will bless, saying, ‘May Elohim make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh!’” And thus he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but Elohim will be with you and bring you back to the land of your fathers.

22Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”

The priests of Yahweh used a blessing for the people: Numbers 6:22-27:

22 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying:

23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

24 “Yahweh bless you and keep you;

25Yahweh make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

26Yahweh lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’”

27 So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

The Beatitudes

Many people are drawn to Yahweh as a source for their financial well being.
Today, we have what is called “Prosperity theology”, defined as“a Christian religious doctrine that financial blessing is the will of the Almighty for His followers, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will increase one’s material wealth.”
While this is true in the ultimate sense, Yahweh is not an ATM that we can draw upon because of our latest whim at financial increase.
Looking at the Beatitudes helps us to understand that blessings are much more than the instant “gimme, gimme, gimme”. Matthew 5:1-12:

1 And seeing the multitudes, He Yahshua went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see Elohim.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of Elohim.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

As you can see, it’s not necessarily a fast track to financial independence; works, trials and errors… even suffering on your part… may be necessary… if not required.
Why? As it was stated in film “A Few Good Men”… and is certainly applicable to most… “You can’t handle the truth”.
More specifically, from the “The Dirty Dozen”, when the prisoners complained about having to continue to sleep outside of buildings they made, they we told that they “we not ready to occupy them”.
In a way, we’re not ready to occupy what Yahweh has prepared for us.
How many of us consider it a blessing that we are being called to do at this point? Matthew 13:16-17:

16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

How many of us… in realizing that trials will come… but that they will help to refine us… to strengthen us… to purify us… to make us “ready to occupy”. Matthew 11:6: And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
We follow the Word… even to our worldly detriment… even to our worldly deaths!
The blessings that we ask for are usually very self-centered, but what about our extending blessings to others? Matthew 5:44-45:

44But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

Even beyond blessing your enemies, what about helping others in need? Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 10:

7 If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which Yahweh your Elohim is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,

8 but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.

10 You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing Yahweh your Elohim will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.

Our Supplier of Blessings loves those who bless others. Psalms 41:1-2:

1 Blessed is he who considers the poor; Yahweh will deliver him in time of trouble.

2Yahweh will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.

Blessings Versus Cursings

On an individual and national level, Yahweh outlines what we must do to receive His blessings. In addition, there are warnings of what will happen if we don’t do these things.
These are summarized in Leviticus 26… and again in Deuteronomy 28.
There are other, repeated promises and warnings throughout your Bible, both in the OT & the NT.
The blessings are listed at a high level. Leviticus 26:3-12:

3 If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,

4 then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.

7 You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.

8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.

9 For I will look on you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.

10 You shall eat the old harvest, and clear out the old because of the new.

11 I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.

12 I will walk among you and be your Elohim, and you shall be My people.

What is the reason for these blessings? Obedience! “If you walk in My statutes… and keep My commandments… and perform them”.
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 is even more specific on those high level blessings:

1Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of Yahweh your Elohim, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that Yahweh your Elohim will set you high above all nations of the earth.

2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of Yahweh your Elohim:

3Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

4Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

5Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

6Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

7Yahweh will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.

8Yahweh will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which Yahweh your Elohim is giving you.

9Yahweh will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of Yahweh your Elohim and walk in His ways.

10Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Yahweh, and they shall be afraid of you.

11And Yahweh will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which Yahweh swore to your fathers to give you.

12Yahweh will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.

13And Yahweh will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of Yahweh your Elohim, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

14So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

The latter parts in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 spell out what would happen if we… individually or as a nation… fail to live up to our obligation of obedience… devastating cursings that will ultimately lead to our total destruction.

Yahweh’s plan is a blessing

The destiny of men and women… the hope for mankind… is Yahweh’s plan for the salvation of humans.
Most do not understand it… even though it right in front of them!
America’s abundance is part of a promise that the Almighty made to our father Abraham for his obedience… not ours.
Yet… we think our blessings are of our own doing.
Many, such as Rush Limbaugh, today proclaim that America is great… because Americans are great.
Nothing is further from the truth.
We are in for a great awakening… and the start of our downfall is already in motion. Terrorism will be a major component. Deuteronomy 32:21, 25-30:

21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not from the Almighty; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation<e.g. – al Qaeda, ISIS; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.