God bless you! (Part II)

The other clear and powerful concept conveyed in scripture by the word “blessing” is to speak a benediction over someone. This is seen clearly in many passages throughout the bible, and it is the foundation for the common practice of priests speaking a blessing over people. Unfortunately this aspect of blessing has been largely denuded of its power in our day, and has been reduced to an almost mindless and certainly often faithless repetition of certain words or phrases.

As an example of this incredible aspect of blessing, lets look again at the life of Isaac. In Genesis 27 Isaac calls His firstborn son Esau and asks him to prepare him a meal after which Isaac will bless him. At this point Jacob, prompted by his mother, disguises himself as Esau in order to steal his brother’s blessing. But it is easy to overlook what is perhaps the most powerful aspect of this story – the actual blessing itself.

In Genesis 27:27 Jacob, pretending to be Esau, comes close to his father Isaac. Believing him to be Esau, Isaac then blessed him in verses 28-29, with these words:

“Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and an abundance of grain and new wine; may peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; be master of your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you.

Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you.”

Shortly after Isaac finished blessing Jacob, Esau came in with the meal he had prepared and asked his father to bless him. Isaac realized at once what had happened, and told Esau that Jacob had stolen his blessing. Esau tried to get his father to simply speak another blessing upon him, but Isaac told him,

“I have made him your master, an all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him.”

This verse shows the incredible power of a spoken blessing! Isaac realized that once his words were spoken, there was no taking them back. Notice how he tells Esau “I have made him” and “I have given to him” and “I have sustained him.” In Isaac’s mind these statements were as good as accomplished fact, and they were just as incapable of being changed as something that had already happened. Isaac understood something that many people don’t realize today – that mankind, being made in God’s image, is designed to create things with their words!

When God speaks, what He speaks happens! Therefore, when God speaks good words to someone, or “blesses” them, there is a certainty that those words will be fulfilled because His word will achieve the purpose for which He spoke it. If we are going to understand what it means to bless and be blessed, we must begin to think the same way.

Because God has chosen to focus on His people, He has spoken many promises of good things, or “blessing” upon us. While we tend to think of only material blessings, God has actually “blessed us with every spiritual blessing…”(Eph 1:3). And it is because God has conferred these blessings upon us through His word, that we can now confer them upon others as his representatives! And so I say again, “God bless you!”