The Definition
The word “blessing” is commonly used in everyday English. Where did it come from? What does it mean? I remember when I was a girl, if someone sneezed, just about everyone in the room (even at a store) would turn and say “Bless you!” or even in German, as an Americanism, “Gesundheit!” This is a request for God to bless you with good health.
An online dictionary defines it as: the act or words of a person who blesses; a special favor, mercy, or benefit (the blessings of liberty); or, a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.
This act of kindness is either given or received. It often brings happiness, which although not exact, is similar, to the word “bliss.”
In scripture, the act of blessing is a theme that runs throughout the Old and New Testaments. An online keyword search in biblegateway.com for “blessing” returns 94 results! In Genesis, Abraham and his descendents were blessed by God according to their faith.
We could spend countless hours reading in literature of characters who choose to bless, or not to bless, to receive blessing(s), or to ignore blessing(s).
The root of a blessing is goodness, as coming from God or God's people (godliness).
The Priestly Blessing
In the Old Testament, when Moses is preparing Aaron and his male descendants to be priests, the Lord instructed them how they ought to bless the Israelites, using the Lord’s name to bless them because the Lord’s name gives favor. In Numbers 6, we read:
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 “‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
When a minister reads this blessing as a closing benediction in a church service, it is a holy blessing from the Lord and gives favor to those present.
A Father's Blessing
The famous story of Isaac mistakenly blessing his son, Jacob, instead of the intended Esau, is found in Genesis 27:1-29. I wrote a previous blog entry about this story here.
The idea of needing a blessing is because someone is in a lowly state, uncertain about the future, or seeking favor. A blessing is a gift that encourages, strengthens, and sustains. As a parent, this teaches me how important it is to verbally bless my children, to encourage them and guide them by granting confidence in the future.
A Friendly Blessing
In Romans 15:1-13, the apostle Paul encourages the church in Rome to build up one another in love and peace in the name of Jesus. Verse 13 closes with a blessing,
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
An Irish Blessing
Since this is the week of St. Patrick's, I will find some Irish blessings, which are always fun! To be continued...
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