A Word about the Blessing

 

Today, I want to share a word about the blessing as I comment on Genesis 27:26-29. This passage reads:

Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.”  So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!  May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth  and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

We all seek approval in our lives. In particular, we seek the approval of our spouses, and before them, the approval of our parents. The actor Burt Reynolds said, “In the south you’re not a man until your father tells you that you are a man.” We seek affirmation from those whom we love and respect.

The Jewish concept of blessing speaks to this need for affirmation, and it also challenges us to bless our children and other loved ones. It also reminds us from where we should seek our own blessing as well.

First, a blessing includes a meaningful touch.

In the 21st Century, we must be careful with touching others. An unwanted touch is a battery, which is a crime. In this case, however, we are considering family and close friends, among whom an appropriate touch communicates acceptance.

A handshake, or a hug, or a hand on a shoulder is an intimate gesture which demonstrates warmth and love. This can be especially comforting to those who are hurting or have suffered a loss.

To avoid touching someone is to distance yourself from them. Sometimes we decide to do that, and other times people, like the lepers of the Bible who cried, “Unclean, unclean,” distance themselves from us. 

In truth, people need an intimate touch. A church that I know has a ministry which sews quilts for patients undergoing chemotherapy, whose immune systems are compromised. The ladies who sew those quilts can’t hug those folks being treated for cancer, but they can provide them with the warmth of a quilt in the place of a physical human touch.

Next, a blessing includes a spoken message.

The spoken word is a powerful form of communication. James 3:2-12 tells us,

For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.  So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,  and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.  Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Words can be used to create deep and lasting wounds if they are intemperate and harsh. They are like bullets; once they are fired, they can’t be recalled, and they can cause massive damage. On the other hand, when we share positive words with our loved ones, we will edify them and encourage them. 

In many ways, our words become a self-fulfilling prophecy, like what happened one day when a teacher asked a young student what he wanted to be when he grew-up. He said, “I want to be possible when I grow up.” The teacher was confused and asked him to explain, and he said, “My parents always tell me I am an impossible child. So, when I grow up, I want to be possible.” 

We can’t ignore bad behavior, but we must also compliment good behavior.

In addition, a blessing includes attaching high value.

Low esteem is epidemic in humanity. People often feel bad about themselves, and they get plenty of help in person and by way of social media from people who criticize them. One appalling case of this was a school girl whose classmate wrote on her desk, “We all wish you were dead!”

In contrast to this, the Hebrew word that we translate as “bless,” literally means to bow before or to kneel before. It is evidence of the high value one has placed on the one being honored.  How do we do that today?

• Believe in our hearts and develop an attitude of cherishing the ones we love.
• Communicate that attitude by our words and actions.
• Spend as much time as possible with that person. Love is often best spelled as T.I.M.E.

One thing we must avoid is the myth of “quality time.” In terms of relationships, quantity has a quality all its own.

Also, a blessing includes picturing a special future.

A significant part of a blessing is the casting of a vision for the future. Children grow up, and spouses and friends continue to mature. Moving forward in life is a key to fulfilling God’s plan for each of us. A running stream has sweet water, while a stagnant pool is distasteful, to say the least.

We need to ask God for a vision for our loved ones. We need to seek His face to see what those we love could become, what they could achieve, and how they can become the best servant of God that they can be.

The greatest US Army recruiting slogan of all times was, “Be all that you can be!” This is what we should want for our loved ones and also for ourselves. God will give us this vision if we ask Him! And then He will help us achieve it!

Finally, a blessing includes an active commitment.

Endurance is a vital characteristic for success in many aspects of life. Nothing that is good and lasting is easy, simple, or quick. This is especially true in the area of relationships.

Many young men today think it is a sign of manliness to conceive a baby, but nothing could be further from the truth. Seeing that child grow-up to be an upstanding citizen is more the case. 

In fact, providing for those we love until they become mature is the human equivalent to the “chesed,” or stubborn love of God we see in the Hebrew Scriptures. Even when God saw Israel abandoning His teachings and His Way, He sent His Uniquely Begotten Son, Jesus, to save them. 

As Paul reminds us, “Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!” That is truly an enduring love!

Conclusion. 

The Hebrew concept of blessing included: A meaningful touch, a spoken message, attaching high value, picturing a special future, and making an active commitment to the one being blessed. When we do those things for the ones we love, they are encouraged, enriched, and edified.

God does these same things for us, also. The concept of blessing was not created by the Hebrews; it is a part of God’s own being, and it emanates from His personality. 

As wonderful as a human blessing is, just think how much greater and how much more wonderful the blessing of the Almighty God of the Universe is. And the most exciting and encouraging thought of all is that He offers that wonderful blessing to us, His people!

To reach our potential is Christ, seek the blessing of God! He will not deny it to His children!

Thanks so much for visiting with me today! I'll be back soon with another word from the Bible that we can share together.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt