THE BLESSING OF GOD Larry W Peebles October 30, 2020 20.41
In high school and early years of college, I was a track athlete. I was small in weight and stature, but gifted with speed. I trained hard and gained speed every year, ultimately earning a scholarship the first two years of college. I loved the competitiveness of the race itself, an ages-old test between runners to see who is the fastest. From experience, I can say there is nothing like the exhilaration of overtaking someone at the finish line, and nipping them for the prize or position in the race. On the other hand, there is nothing more disappointing than to be nipped at the finish line by another runner, and to lose the race or drop in position. In both instances, there is nothing more that can be done. Elation or disappointment results depending on whether one is overtaking, or being overtaken at the finish line.
In Genesis Chapter 1, the Word of God tells the story of creation. Starting with verse 24, on the sixth day of creation, God populated the earth with living creatures- cattle, the beasts of the earth, things that creep on the earth, and man. Genesis 1:26-27- “Then God 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.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.”
What was the first thing God did after creating man? He blessed them. This reveals more than just His treasure- it reveals His heart and His generosity. Genesis 1:28- “Then God blessed them, and God 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.’” The blessing goes on to describe how seeds will yield plants and herbs for food, and trees will produce fruit for food. God’s blessing was comprehensive. It included complete dominion over the earth, air and sea, and everything on it and in it, and all the provision he would need to succeed.
The Hebrew word for bless is barak (Strong’s #1288), and it means to speak words invoking divine favor, or to speak of the excellence of someone (praise). From the KJV Dictionary, it means to express a wish or desire for happiness, success, and prosperity in temporal and future matters. It can mean to pronounce holy, or to pronounce a solemn prophetical benediction upon. With God’s blessing, someone is blessed indeed.
God’s plan for man’s dominion was interrupted by the introduction of sin into the earth, and the fall of man. However, God did not give up on man, the object of His love and affection. In the remainder of the Book of Genesis, we see how Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob among others were favored and blessed by God because of their love for Him.
Noah was chosen by God to save the human race from the flood. (Genesis Chapters 6-9). Abraham was blessed by God in Genesis 18: 9-15 and 21: 1-7. Though he had no children at the time, God told him all the families of the earth would be blessed through him, that his name would be great, and that He would multiply him exceedingly. Isaac was blessed by God in Genesis 26:2-5. He received the promise of Abraham’s blessing, plus “all these lands” to him and his offspring. Jacob was blessed by God in Genesis 35: 9-15. Following an encounter at Bethel, God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. Israel received the blessing of Isaac, and God told him nations would come from him, and he would be the ancestor of kings.
Jacob’s generation went to Egypt to seek relief from a severe drought. There was food in Egypt, and they stayed, eventually falling into Egyptian slavery. After 400 years, God used Moses to bring them out of slavery as a new nation of God’s chosen people, millions in number. After 40 years of the intense presence of the Lord in the wilderness, they came into the land God had promised.
God issued a mighty blessing to the children of Israel before they entered into the land God had promised, but it came with the condition that they obey the voice of the Lord, and carefully observe all His commandments. God’s love toward us is unconditional. However, His blessings can come with conditions. He is free to choose whom He will bless. (See Exodus 33:19). The blessing is found in Deuteronomy 28:2-14- “These blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed 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. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and when you go out. The Lord 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. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hands, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. And the Lord 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 the Lord swore to give you. The Lord 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. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them. So 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.”
This blessing is overwhelming in terms of scope and volume. If the children of Israel would obey the voice of the Lord and follow His commandments, He promised to bless them in every way imaginable. He promised these blessings would overtake them. The word picture is one of a giant wave or tsunami that suddenly crashes over unexpectedly. It goes beyond the image of a runner being overtaken by a “nip” at the finish line. Overtake means “come upon and lay hold of”. The blessings God spoke of are more than just enough. They surpass, overwhelm and lay hold of us. They come on us in a fashion such that we are changed forever.
God showed His heart for us (all mankind) when He blessed us with His blessing immediately after creating us. He was so pleased with His creation that from His heart He showered us with His blessing. When we respond to that love with our own love toward Him, we show our undying devotion by focusing on His every word, like a newborn baby loves to watch the mother’s lips and listen to her words. That love grows to the point we then want to obey every command out of respect and a desire to never disappoint—to never break the Father’s heart. We actually mature in love to the point we realize those commands are not harsh rules meant to restrict us, but rather are an expression of loving boundaries meant to protect us.
Studies of child behavior show an interesting illustration of this point. Picture a playground surrounded on all sides by busy streets. With no fence around the playground, children will naturally concentrate all their play toward a limited area in the center of the playground. With a fence, the children will tend to spread out and use the entire playground. They play more freely with defined boundaries. In this example, the children understand how far they can go and still be safe. God’s law does the same thing. His commandments actually cause us to live more freely.
When we respond in love to God’s love, we will listen for His voice, and we will obey His commands. When we listen and obey, He blesses us with a blessing that overtakes us. Our response of listening and obeying is an indicator of an internal change-we receive His love and are ready to love Him with the total devotion of our heart. He then showers us with a blessing that changes our external world in an overwhelming fashion. Everything we know, internal and external, is consumed and transformed. We are changed forever by His love and blessing. I pray we catch the wave. His blessing equips us to be a blessing to others. (2 Corinthians 9:8).
