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. 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). The prophets suffered themselves and also spoke of the Messiah to come as the One who would suffer for the sins of men (Isaiah 52:13--53:12). 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 Gods plan is purposed to bring glory to Himself and blessing to us. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Biblical blessings are often associated with protection and happiness. Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm Central Time. Three Advantages You Gain From Trusting In God, i love belivers portal.very inspiring and informarive, Thanks for the efforts to compile this. And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. But for Thy sake we are killed all day long; We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. These are not always material blessings, however. Just a few - of many - New Testament texts make this clear: Mark 1:4-5 And so John the Baptist appeared . The temporal blessings of Judaism were tempting in the light of the affliction they faced as Christians. God not only accomplished our salvation by the means of Christs suffering, but He uses suffering to draw men to Himself (Luke 6:20-23). I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. 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. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. Our Lord Himself took upon Himself the task of serving. He leads me beside still waters. 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). Put the bounce back in my step, the smile back on my face, and the dance back in my feet. Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Routinely, such letters go in the trash without my even opening them. Heres the principle: in Gods wisdom, the Jewish religion of the Old Testament was largely a come and see religion. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. We seek to obey God when we used to delight in disobedience. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. H Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. B (4) The Jews of Jesus day thought of Gods blessings not in terms of grace but in terms of works. 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. When affliction and adversity comes into our life, we conclude that suffering is incompatible with blessing. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Jesus simply did not fit the mold of Jewish expectations. This was the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:5-7; 13:14-15) whose boundaries were more fully defined in Genesis 15:18-21. All of us deserve to suffer for our sins. In order to receive God's spiritual blessings, one must be in the right spiritual location, that is, in Christ. Some Christians seem to be saying that we can be assured of receiving all the promises now. In this glorious anthem, in which the apostle, tracing all to the Divine Fountain, enumerates the glorious privileges of the Church, and blesses God for them, he first (ver. He leads me beside still waters. To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:8-9). 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) Yet our prayers betray us. Most of us are not quite this honest in our thinking, nor quite so bold in our rebellion against God and His Word. PO Box 756 But notice that in the list of things that belong to us is death. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (3) Gods blessing is opposed to cursing. Humble yourself as Jesus said: "Blessed are the 'poor in spirit': for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 5:3) Read this and the other eight blessings for you as they were explained by Jesus, in Matthew 5, which are keys to unlocking such personal blessings. Uphold me with Your generous Spirit. V Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast taken hold of my right hand. And righteousness from the God of his salvation. Our text speaks only of Old Testament saints. Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, Thou wilt despise their form. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Gods promise to Abraham was not merely the promise of a son. The Israelites of Jesus day also held a distorted view of divine blessings. 1. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. In Genesis 22:16-18, God again blesses Abram, and adds that blessing is due to his obedience to God's commands. Peter rebuked our Lord for speaking of His own suffering (see Matthew 16:21-22). Your basket and your kitchen will be blessed. Thus, his wait would have been more than twenty-five years. They mock, and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. He said, "I am the God that healeth thee." . There is a sense in which our suffering bears testimony to the end of sins dominion in our lives (1 Peter 4:1). All things are yours.". Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 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. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. In the early days of Davids life, he was misunderstood and chided by his brothers (1 Samuel 17:20-30). O God also promised Abraham a great land that his seed would possess. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (9) Blessing or cursing are not necessarily evident in the means God employs to produce His desired goal. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Israel was the showcase of Gods blessings among the nations. We will be part of Gods family: They shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9). One can imagine how shocked men were to hear Jesus teach about Gods blessing and cursing precisely opposite from their own view: And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. The blessings here are plainly associated with happiness and welfare, both for Abram and others. But Thou hast saved us from our adversaries, And Thou hast put to shame those who hate us. Few understand the blessings of God as they should. The Lord will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. You shall not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. Trust in Him, and you will be blessed. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. (8) Divine cursing or condemnation is based upon an individuals decision and works. He and his mother struggled with Isaac and Esau. He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor. Psalm 112:1-9 (NIV), Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. If you have not trusted in Gods promise of blessing in Jesus Christ, then you are under the curse of sin. "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. Compiled by The BibleStudyTools Staff God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. Gods earthly blessings were dependent upon Israels obedience to His Law. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Luke 14:14 (NIV), Give freely and spontaneously. Temporal blessings are experienced by sinners, living in a sin-cursed world. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Luke 14:12-14 (NIV), You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. They suppose prosperity is ones reward for being spiritual and that suffering is the consequence of sin. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. U They would do well to give more thought to the blessings of God as defined in Scripture. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. God blesses the Christian by bearing our curse in the person of Jesus Christ. By tracing the fulfillment of this promise through the Scriptures we will better understand Gods blessings. As I conclude this lesson, let me share a quotation by Harold Stigers in his commentary of the Book of Genesis: God designs certain tests and trials in regard to earthly things so that we may see that our inheritance resides in God Himself--in our finding them nothing without Him, and Him everything even without them.104. And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. E Abraham was one-hundred and sixty years old when Jacob and Esau were born. 1:9,10). Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. And the failure to recognize this distinction between Gods plan for Israel in the Old Testament and Gods plan for the church in the New Testament has caused a lot of people to put way too much emphasis on earthly blessings today. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. 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). See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Next we will look at our Lords teaching on blessing before turning to the rest of the New Testament to study divine blessing.