The blessings of Abraham

In the 20th chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, God spells out the conditions that His chosen people should fulfil in order to be blessed and stay blessed by Him. God intends to impact our lives in a visible and audible way but would like to make it conditional on our level of commitment to His word, and its practical observance. It is free and accessible on a platter for each and every one who wants to claim it. You do not have to earn or merit it; besides no one can, because we are all sinners – none is righteous. (Romans 3:10)

You can ask for it but make sure you can handle it. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13) God gives the right thing.

These conditions serve as guidelines and signposts so that we will not miss the opportunity of basking in God’s blessings. The rich young ruler who had observed all of God’s commandments since his youth certainly owed his wealth to the Almighty. God’s nature is to bless. “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45) God says He will bless us “in the city and in the country; the fruit of your womb will be blessed and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock…; your basket and your kneading trough; blessed when you come in and when you go out; the Lord will make you the head and not the tail;” (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)      

God takes care of our essentials, of our physical needs along with our health and our image – not forgetting our social standing. The things that preoccupy us, the things that border us are the things for which God gives us assurance. Here’s what He expects of us. “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you above all nations on earth.” (Deuteronomy 28.1) “If you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today – to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your strength – then I will send….” (Deuteronomy 11:13)

As the story of the Children of Israel unfolds parents get into the habit of blessing their children, prior to their demise. This was the case with Isaac when he said to his first born Esau; “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your weapons – your quiver and bow – and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.” (Genesis 27:2-4) Jacob, the younger brother in complicity with his mother, hijacked the blessing. “May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness - an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.” (Genesis 27: 28-29) Because he had blessed Jacob with Esau’s blessing, he blessed Esau thus: “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.” (Genesis 27: 39-40) Isaac had one blessing and that was for his firstborn. Unfortunately, through Jacob’s ruse Esau lost it and there was nothing left to bless him with.

How many of us have thought of or would take time to bless our children? Most often we are quick to shower curses on them, out of a fit of temper and lament that they have not progressed in life. Speak blessings on your children and God will grant them. We are the descendants of Abraham whom God has blessed immensely. James warns however about the use to which we put the tongue which is the instrument we bless with. He qualified it as a dangerous instrument. It can bless and it can curse.  “It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. …Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.” (James 3: 8,10)

At another instance Jacob driven to Egypt because of a severe famine in Israel meets with his son Joseph who had been declared dead. He is happy to have seen his face again and to see his grand children as well. He blessed Joseph, and blessed his two sons as well in these terms. “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm – may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth.” (Genesis 48.15-16) 

Some of us are struggling, tooth and nail, to get these blessings that God gives so freely. “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for He grants sleep to those He loves.” (Psalm 127:2)  Indeed, those whom God loves because they are obedient to His word have very little effort to make; God has blessed them already from the foundation of time. Could that be you? Why not? “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6.33)

God gave Moses a formula for pronouncing blessings. “Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you: the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you His peace.”  (Numbers 6:24-26)

God will bless you this new year and He will add no sorrow to it – start counting! “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and He adds no sorrow to it.” (Proverbs 10:22) One way you can be certain the blessing comes from God is when it is packaged ‘trouble-free.’