1 Peter 2:21; 3:8-9, 13-17; 4:1, 14-16 Though Esau would not receive the physical blessings passed down from Abraham, Isaac did give him a smaller blessing of limited agricultural blessings . But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him (James 1:2-5). I believe this is the dwelling of which our Lord Jesus spoke just before His death: Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. Abraham had a twenty-five year wait for the blessing of a son. When God promised Abraham that his seed was to be a blessing to all nations, this was a part of Abrahams blessing. Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.". For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 4:4,5). You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. What the Bible teaches is that the physical blessings to these people will continue until and after Christ's return. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. The true view of temporal blessing seeks the enjoyment of Gods presence whether in pain or pleasure. The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. The Jews of old and many Christians and others today think of Gods blessings in terms of the immediate enjoyment of physical and material pleasures and the absence of pain. Divine blessing in the Bible is always physical and spiritual because it is fixed upon the reality of the fullness of life in the presence of God. The blessing of God directly relates to two matters: (1) the overcoming of Gods curse, and (2) the cursing of Satan which promises his condemnation and destruction. And besides Thee, I desire nothing on earth. One only needs enough faith to be confident God hears and answers our prayers as we desire. Strengthen and help me, Lord. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:32-40). Thus, the blessings of the Old Testament are partial and provisional. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. First and foremost, Gods blessing involves the forgiveness of our sins, the defeat and destruction of Satan, the passing away of that which is old and corrupted by sin, and the creation of that which is holy and acceptable. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your Gods, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. Deuteronomy 15:10 (Msg), Worship the Lord your God and his blessing will be on your food and water. Only God can make something good from that which seems evil at the moment. For He knows the secrets of the heart. And if it costs you your life, lay it down. Jesus says very plainly, Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33). In fact, suffering can be a blessing in the hand of God. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Death turned earthly, external appearances upside-down. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Verse Concepts. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Our blessings are in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Now thats a different discussion, one initiated by a discerning listener to the podcast named Jordan. To be spiritual they say is the assurance of earthly pleasures; to be sinful is to bring upon oneself pain and suffering. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. Let no one boast in men. God's blessings are meant to protect us, guide us to the path of righteousness, and give us hope. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Thy works (Psalm 73:1-28). The Book of Hebrews brings the Old Testament faith into focus and clearly describes the nature of the blessings God promised and for which believers waited in faith. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Things were bad and about to get worse. The apostle John heard a voice from heaven saying, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord (Revelation 14:13). Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. These saints also had faith, but their faith resulted in perseverance rather than in success or prosperity. The Lord will help you defeat the enemies that come to fight you. So remove evil from your house. Job 22:23 (NCV), Even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice. Luke 11:28 (NLT), (Help the unfortunate) and you will be blessed. Your infinite glory, greatness, grander, majesty, and unlimited ability. God is strong, and he wants you strong. Because he was just and right in all his dealings. Neither do we have basis for complaint if and when He withholds His blessings. A beautiful way to begin any new year is with a dox To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. All things are yours. Jesus said, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Luke 6:20-28; 16:19-31 Some Christians seem to be saying that we can be assured of receiving all the promises now. Few understand the blessings of God as they should. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. So it is today. I will take away sickness from among you. Verse Concepts. "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Salvation is "in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:10). All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. He struggled with Esau from the womb until the day he left Canaan. But just what has God promised to do for Abraham? Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Blessing may be accomplished by what appears to be Gods cursing. Christians often find their third tithe years to be abundant with all types of blessings and invaluable lessons learned. - THANKSGIVING FOR THEIR DIVINE ORDINATION TO THE BLESSINGS OF GRACE. L You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household. Ezekiel 44:30 (NIV), Give freely without begrudging it, and the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. Unlike many Israelites in the Old Testament, and most of the Jews of Jesus day, Abraham looked for a better blessing. They were blessed by God, through faith. Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. Your basket and your kitchen will be blessed. (14) God blesses all men physically and materially in this life out of His common grace. (20) If Gods blessing cannot be equated with prosperity and ease, neither can it be said that His blessing is automatically associated with asceticism (denying ourselves of earthly pleasures). Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of God! The land of Canaan was not to be possessed until Abrahams offspring had been oppressed and enslaved for four hundred years. I will take away sickness from among you. Exodus 23:25 (NIV), Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV), Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10 (NIV), Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. Biblical blessings are often associated with protection and happiness. Our Lords suffering and sacrificial death were Gods means of blessing us: It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. For you first, God raised up His Servant, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways (Acts 3:25-26). Blessings, Physical (9) Blessing or cursing are not necessarily evident in the means God employs to produce His desired goal. Philippians 4:19 trust Jesus. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. The common factor in all the blessings in the Bible is this: God's Kingdom. How they are destroyed in a moment! W They are not experienced in time, but in eternity. Gods blessings are not sovereignly bestowed in the way He chooses but are mechanically obtained by doing the right things. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Awake, do not reject us forever. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. (19) Gods promised blessings do not assure us we will escape the wrath of men toward God, but only that we will escape the wrath of God toward men. From later history, we know that because of Josephs ill-treatment by his brothers, he was enslaved in Egypt. Our Lord Himself took upon Himself the task of serving. Suffering is also a blessing because it is a part of Gods process of sanctification. You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on Gods interests, but mans. Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. Just a few - of many - New Testament texts make this clear: Mark 1:4-5 And so John the Baptist appeared . Only with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ does permanent blessing come into clear focus. But what of Gods eternal blessings? The suffering of some saints should be no more troublesome to us than the success of some saints, or even the success of some sinners. Philippians 3:8-12 The promised blessings of the Bible are the good which God has purposed and promised. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. "Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways." Psalm 128:1 (NIV) "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. (3) Gods blessing is opposed to cursing. May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Paul later put it this way: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. In everything [not just some thingsand not just spiritual things] give thanks: for this is thewill of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (I Thes. Gods blessings took time to fulfill, and the process of fulfillment involved suffering and adversity. Visit the Bible online to search for words if you dont know the specific passage yourre looking for. Abraham may not have left Haran immediately which would mean that Abraham was younger when the promise of a son was first given to him. Therefore pride is their necklace; The garment of violence covers them. Put the bounce back in my step, the smile back on my face, and the dance back in my feet. If a nation turned from God, its promised blessings would be taken away: At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; if that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me (Psalm 119:75). (1) The Jews thought of Gods blessings primarily in terms of the here and now, while Gods Word speaks of the fulfillment of His promised blessings in terms of the future. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. The Lord will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. Psalm 41:1-2 (NIV), Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands. Some toyed with the thought of turning back into Judaism to escape persecution. Well, normally we do rejoice in a merciful God who forgives. Then in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete (Genesis 15:13-16). In Genesis 22:16-18, God again blesses Abram, and adds that blessing is due to his obedience to God's commands. Blessing and cursing are both temporal and eternal, the temporal being partial and mixed with sorrow, while the eternal is full and complete. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. They are based upon His sacrifice at Calvary but are realized in His coming to judge the earth: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. They are His to give; they are also His to withhold. All things are yours.". And said, By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. Thou dost sell Thy people cheaply, And hast not profited by their sale. The Lord your God will bless your work and everything you touch. Deuteronomy 15:10 (NCV), Blessed is the man who trusts in you. Psalm 84:12 (NIV), If the place of worship is too far from your home for you to carry there the tithe of the produce that the Lord has blessed you with, then do this: Sell your produce and take the money with you to the one place of worship. Deuteronomy 14:24-25 (TEV), Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. Psalm 89:15 (NIV), Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Psalm 106:3 (NIV), Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. Psalm 128:1 (NIV), Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. For You make him most blessed forever; How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. It is the blessing to which Abraham and every other Old Testament saint looked forward. Publisher: OpenBible.info. They are paupers I mean, poverty-stricken paupers compared to the lowliest Christian. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; My steps had almost slipped. Gods blessing is found in trusting and obeying God and in the resulting enjoyment (blessing) of His presence and fellowship. Paul says, "The world is yours. Humanly speaking, men are blessed or cursed on the basis of their response to Abrahams seed, Jesus Christ (Genesis 12:3; Psalm 24:3-6; 32:1-2; 84:4-5; 89:14-18; John 3:16-18; 14:6; Acts 3:26; Romans 4:6-8; Galatians 3:9, 13-16; 1 John 5:11-12). It is by blessing Him that we enjoy Gods blessings, rather than the curse of sin. N Matthew 16:21-27 Why dost Thou hide Thy face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time. He leads me beside still waters. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! Blessings have to do with God's Kingdom. #blessed Its a social media tag for when someone feels blessed and who has, or is getting, everything theyve dreamed of getting. God's blessings are meant to protect us, guide us to the path of righteousness, and give us hope. Related Topics: Dispensational / Covenantal Theology, Theology Proper (God), Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Jacob struggled with Laban (see Genesis 31:42). And is there knowledge with the Most High? Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth. Foolishly, they sought to keep the Israelites subject to them as slaves and to keep them from leaving their land (Exodus 1:8-22). on 03/30/2021. Theres no great temple-like edifice in Christianity. There is no geographic center for Christianity. Just as our Lord suffered because of His identification with sinful men, so God has purposed that we who trust in Him should suffer because of our identification with Him. For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth. His desire was to demonstrate His blessings to all men so that men from every nation would seek blessing in Him. Perhaps the most puzzling passage in the Old Testament concerning Gods blessings comes from the Book of Proverbs: It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it (Proverbs 10:22). Abrahams life was not one of uninterrupted bliss, yet he was blessed of God in every way (Genesis 24:1). But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. Proud member When affliction and adversity comes into our life, we conclude that suffering is incompatible with blessing. For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.