The blessings here are plainly associated with happiness and welfare, both for Abram and others. This is the profession of Job: And he said, Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I shall return there. Abrahams life had its own trials. Our text speaks only of Old Testament saints. Thats in the list: All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death. Death is yours. 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. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Selah. Use these Bible verses to remind you of the many blessing you can claim as a child of God! They knew these blessings would not come in life, but after death and resurrection: All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Living in the midst of a fallen world itself suffering from the curse of sin (Romans 8:18-25) results in a suffering of soul for the Christian. Perhaps best of all, our suffering for Christs sake deepens our love for our Lord and our fellowship with Him: More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. He blesses men out of His grace and curses out of His holiness. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Both were cursed with death by being banned from the Garden and the tree of life. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. But what of Gods eternal blessings? Three Advantages You Gain From Trusting In God, i love belivers portal.very inspiring and informarive, Thanks for the efforts to compile this. Thats the New Testament pattern: sacrificial generosity and service now; spectacular blessing later at the resurrection. 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. Blessings that we receive, whether material or spiritual, all have to do with the coming of God's Kingdom, whether here and now in small glimpses, or eternally when God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5, Isaiah 43:19). The writer to the Hebrews differs with such thinking. There will always be some among you who are poor. This was the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:5-7; 13:14-15) whose boundaries were more fully defined in Genesis 15:18-21. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. J 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. If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. While not a pleasant experience in itself, suffering can be the source of comfort and assurance. They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. These are not always material blessings, however. Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm Central Time. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. I am not happy. To me, it seems like the way God uses blessed or blessings in the Bible is very different from how its used now. Last week Art Lindsley referenced Hebrew poetry found in the Bible to give a more complete picture of flourishing. But in the case of these innocent sufferers, their suffering was not attributed to their sin but was the outgrowth of their righteousness. His teaching was different not as the result of a change in Gods plan, but due to the Jews misconceptions concerning Gods promised blessings. First the trial, then the blessing, the crown. And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. Gods temporal blessings are not inconsistent with suffering. To those who equated wealth and ease with piety and the blessing of God, the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) was shocking and disturbing. K It is the blessing which comes from faith in Jesus Christ and not from human effort or achievement. His desire was to demonstrate His blessings to all men so that men from every nation would seek blessing in Him. What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God? The very food we eat everyday would also be classified aphysical blessing. Few understand the blessings of God as they should. We must view such blessing and suffering as temporary and not eternal. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, God forbid it, Lord! Though Esau would not receive the physical blessings passed down from Abraham, Isaac did give him a smaller blessing of limited agricultural blessings . (11) Ultimately, blessing or cursing are the result of ones response to Gods provision of forgiveness and righteousness in Jesus Christ, the promised seed of Abraham (see Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-6; John 3:18; 14:6; 1 John 5:12). Thou dost make us a byword among the nations, A laughingstock among the peoples. So death works in us, but life in you. We will see God: They shall see God (Matthew 5:8). 1. Romans 4:3-8; 5:3-5; 8:18-25, 28; 12:14 He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Jesus teaching concerning His own suffering and death took His disciples by surprise: From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Blessing may be accomplished by what appears to be Gods cursing. For You make him most blessed forever; 102 This is not to say they do not believe in spiritual and eternal blessings, but only that their emphasis is on present material prosperity. Judaisms errors concerning divine blessings can be summed up in these statements. (17) The blessings our Lord accomplished on the cross of Calvary will not all be poured out on men in this life. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128:1-2 (NCV), Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 (NIV), If they listen and obey God, then they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. All of those referred to were people who obtained Gods approval through their faith in Gods promise. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. 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. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. The story of the rich man and Lazarus underscore this principle (see Luke 16:19-31). For our soul has sunk down into the dust; Our body cleaves to the earth. 1:3), God has also blessed us withphysical things. Gods blessings are based upon His grace and not our works. Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Our faith in God and in His promise will result in the obedience of faith (Genesis 17:9-14; Romans 4:9-24; Hebrews 11:13-31; James 2:14-26). on 03/30/2021. They are not experienced in time, but in eternity. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! For I was envious of the arrogant, As I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Gods common grace is extended to all men, without distinction. In fact, suffering can be a blessing in the hand of God. Abraham had a twenty-five year wait for the blessing of a son. Whatever he does prospers. Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV), Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Tools. For I will not trust in my bow, Nor will my sword save me. They think of Gods blessings primarily in terms of that which is physical and material.102 They believe that because Christ has come, every promised blessing can be ours, now, if we but believe and ask for them in faith. D The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness Thou hast afflicted me (Psalm 119:75). All their years will be pleasant. Job 36:11 (NLT), Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17 (NIV), Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. Psalm 1:1 (GW), Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:4 (NIV), Blessed are those who dwell in your house to worship; they are ever praising you. Psalm 84:4 (NIV), Give freely to the poor person, and do not wish that you didnt have to give. The writer may have meant that they were given promises, but they did not receive them. So it is today. When our Lord presented Himself as Israels Messiah, He taught a great deal about the blessings of God. Psalm 24:5. And as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. T I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. If suffering is meant to result in our spiritual growth, in a deeper level of commitment, and in greater intimacy and communion with our Lord, we must accept suffering as a part of Gods good and perfect plan for our lives, one purposed to result in our good, in a blessing for us. Blessings have to do with God's Kingdom. At other times, Israels suffering was not due to her unbelief and rebellion. The point I wish to underscore here are the two very different categories of saints. With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. 104 Harold G. Stigers, A Commentary on Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), p. 135. They suppose prosperity is ones reward for being spiritual and that suffering is the consequence of sin. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. 2 Chron 30:27. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. The difference between these two categories is not that one group has faith while the other does not. Rise up, be our help, And redeem us for the sake of Thy lovingkindness (Psalm 44:4-26). And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies. . There are no places to do pilgrimages in Christianity. C Rarely, if ever, do I see people posting about how blessed they are as poor in spirit or persecuted like we read about in the Beatitudes. (5) The Jews of our Lords time believed suffering was incompatible with Gods blessings. Compiled by The BibleStudyTools Staff All, as the writer informs us in verse 39, gained approval through their faith. All, as he also reminds us, did not receive what was promised (verse 39, see also Hebrews 11:13). Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Our very clothing is a physicalblessing. 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. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Zechariah 8:13; 14:11 The Christian life should be lived out in the light of the superiority of God's promised blessings in comparison to the "blessings" an ungodly world holds out to us (Hebrews 11:24-26). Christians often find their third tithe years to be abundant with all types of blessings and invaluable lessons learned. 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. 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. The son was just the beginning. As Asaph protested centuries ago in Psalm 73, the wicked may prosper, and the righteous may suffer. While we should not seek suffering in this life, we should expect it, recognizing it as a part of the plan of a loving God who is bringing about our good and His glory. Peter rejected the thought out of hand. Abraham had to buy a small parcel of ground for a burial site for his family (Genesis 23:1-20). Christ is the source of all our blessings; indeed, He is the blessing: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. The Hebrews were Christians who came out of Judaism by faith in Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him . The Bible teaches that all spiritual blessings are available only "in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). A Psalm of David. (4) The Jews of Jesus day thought of Gods blessings not in terms of grace but in terms of works. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! Faith and obedience are both necessary because each calls upon us to act, not on the basis of what we see, but on the basis of what He has said. When Jesus began to teach His disciples concerning His coming rejection, suffering, and death in Jerusalem, even His disciples reacted. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. In the context of prayer, Paul prayed that he might have theLords prospering on his physical journey to visit the saints atRome (Rom. And he will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. For the Christian, good includes the blessing of all those who are the called in Jesus Christ. Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. The ultimate good is that which manifests Gods glory. (14) God blesses all men physically and materially in this life out of His common grace. By tracing the fulfillment of this promise through the Scriptures we will better understand Gods blessings. In summing up his life before Pharaoh, Jacob gave an account not of unceasing bliss but of much affliction: So Jacob said to Pharaoh, The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty; few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning (Genesis 47:9). 5:18). For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. If His people forsook the Law, then earthly cursings were promised: See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. Now, Father, I need You to restore my heart. When God promised Abraham that his seed was to be a blessing to all nations, this was a part of Abrahams blessing. Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast taken hold of my right hand. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. We will be co-owners of the whole world: They shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, And washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long, And chastened every morning. Temporal blessings are incomplete and never without a measure of sorrow and suffering. In his lifetime, Abraham would not possess the land of Canaan. By paying to God what we owe Him (that is, His tithes), He rewards us with blessings. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. And he said, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10). The Israelites were greatly blessed in number while they sojourned in Egypt (Exodus 1:5-7). 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) Full and unhindered blessing can only take place in heaven, when Satan is bound, sin and death defeated, and the things corrupted by sin (including our bodies and this world) made new. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless. His blessings are offered in the form of a promise, and this promise must be believed by faith (see Genesis 15:1-6). This bundle contains the Year of Blessing annual . All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. (2) The Jews thought of Gods blessings in primarily physical and material terms and not in spiritual terms. He helps them out of their own troubles. Like Job, they would be badgered by their friends to find the sin in their life, and confess it so they could be blessed. Men are not only condemned because they are destined to destruction, but because they deserve it and have decided for it (see Genesis 12:1-3; Deuteronomy 28; John 3:18; Revelation 16:5-6). John 3:16. The reason, we are told, is that God wanted them to enter into blessings with us, at the same time. For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Philippians 4:19 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. Somehow, in Gods perfect plan and according to Gods promises, Gods blessings would not come apart from suffering. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. It is not that one group is more spiritual than the other. 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. Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. It is also only in eternity that the curse of God will be fully poured out on sinners. 103 Notice that while these saints obtained promises (verse 33) they did not receive what was promised (verse 39). And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning, Bible Verses about Blessings - Blessed Scripture Quotes. Email: berean@bereanbiblesociety.org 9:11 (CEV), Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:13 (NIV), They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed. Psalm 37:26 (NIV), The best of all the first fruits will belong to the priests. I believe this text provides the key to understanding Gods blessings, especially their relationship to suffering and adversity. Temporal blessings are not to be measured so much in terms of material prosperity, physical health, or the absence of pain, as in the enjoyment of Gods presence. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.. The Christian life should be lived out in the light of the superiority of Gods promised blessings in comparison to the blessings an ungodly world holds out to us (Hebrews 11:24-26). June 10, 2013. Job 1 and 2 How will Abraham be blessed, and how will he become a blessing to others? How they are destroyed in a moment! When Israel turned from God, the promised cursings came. We will be shown mercy: They shall receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also (John 14:1-3). The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. That plan incorporates all things (Romans 8:28), which includes pain, suffering, and sorrow. The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot. This means that you do not get all your blessings in this life, but that death itself belongs to you as a gift, as a doorway to infinite, eternal, immeasurable blessing. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places. Now the first thing we notice is that God lets us know that he is a healer. Oh, God, help us to live with faith. Ephesians 1:3-14 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. This shall never happen to You. But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan! This is what it means to be truly blessed. Jesus turned the teaching of the Jews upside-down. So too does history and our own experience. God blesses the Christian by bearing our curse in the person of Jesus Christ. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Not one of them received the promised blessing. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 21:1-8). When affliction comes into our life, we do not pray for Gods grace, nor do we ask God for wisdom, patience, or endurance. By no means let any of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God (1 Peter 4:14-16). (3) Gods blessing is opposed to cursing. What a verse! U Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! But just what has God promised to do for Abraham? Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. Were on a mission to change that. They would do especially well to give careful thought to this text in Hebrews: And what more shall I say? "Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Q We must live by faith trusting God to fulfill His promises, even when our eyes tell us the opposite is happening now. The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. 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. 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. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. Since the Mosaic covenant spelled out Gods blessings and cursings in this way in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28-30, this is not difficult to understand.
Simon City Royals Rules And Regulations,
James Otis King Jr Aka Jimmy One On One,
Slu Softball Coaches,
Ramsey County Death Notices,
Dolly Steamboat Wedding,
Articles P
English