Rev. E. Anderson
THE BLESSING OF GOD
Reading Hebrews 6
Text vv13-15
Introduction
GOD’S DESIGN:It can be rightly argued and stated that it is the will of God that the child of God should discover His will and intention for life and existence. One needs to be very clear and sure in relation to this matter. It is an indisputable fact, as far as God is concerned, that He wants His people to be fully aware of His great design for living. God’s Word brings a basic understanding of the entire and full expression of God’s plan and purpose. One of the main reasons for the Scriptures is to open up the mind and heart of the believer to what God requires of and what He intends to do for His people.
REALIZATION: Within this knowledge of His will is the sure and certain conviction that it is the desire and purpose of God to ‘ bless His people.’ This truth and assurance must come through to the Church, to its ministry and to the whole body.. The revelation must come to a place of full realization. The unveiling of God’s Word is that God is the ‘Blessed God ‘ and that it is His objective to bless His new creation with untold blessings.. He wants the world at large to know what He thinks about those who truly belong to Him.
The order and procedure is simply this: to bless His offspring in order that such should be made a blessing. This is illustrated and vouchsafed in God’s dealings with Abraham – c.f. Genesis12:.2 . Abraham was not to be a Dead Sea but a free, outgoing river, flowing in every direction, bringing blessing universally.
PRINCIPLE: The principle and pattern is set clearly out in the divine pages of truth. There is no need to be in the dark or in doubt concerning it. It comes out over, again and again..
- It is seen originally – Genesis 1:28-30 . Nothing was spared in giving the best to man at the outset. Adam was blessed of God mightily in his beginnings. It was the intention of God to continually to do so. God does not change His mind. Unfortunately, man originally in his sinful act lost sight of the nature and will of God and allowed himself to be deceived and perverted by the evil one. It was with deep regret and sorrow that God had to measure out a curse. That is always the price. of sin. He failed the covenant agreement.
- It is seen redemptively and eternally in Jesus Christ. There is no doubt that Jesus. Christ is the turning point with regard to mankind and the blessing of God. The great reason for the sending of Jesus Christ and His work was to remove the curse of sin and to institute a divine of blessing. In life, death,. resurrection, ascension and returning glory, He is the mediator of divine blessing. Note the purpose of Christ’s resurrection – Acts 3:26 . When a person is born again, in and through Christ, that person is part of Christ’s Family. It is God the Father’s intention to bless all those who are in Christ Jesus. See the important connection in the NT of. being ‘ in Christ.’
” Blessings abound where’er He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains;
The weary find eternal rest;
And all the sons of want are blest In what ways does the Lord will to bless His people. Let us consider it in the light of Abraham.
1/. PERSONALLY v14
It was God who said : ” Surely blessing I WILL bless THEE.” He gave assurance and went on record on this matter indicating to this man that as a person and as an individual being that he would receive divine blessing. God was to bless him as a person. The whole personality of Abraham was going to be enriched and enhanced by reason of this act of God. God wasn’t going to stunt and dwarf him as one of His creatures but expand all his powers and potential. He was not to become inhibited and knotted up within. his person but opened up with God’s blessing.
- All the fears and phobias would be effectively dealt with so that he would be a man of sterling, faith and quality. All his hatreds and bitterness would be eliminated so that he would be a man of glorious love and affection. All his inward deceits would be sorted out so that he could emerged a .true man through and through; one in whom there was no guile. He would be able to live with himself, conscious of the fact of the favour of God on him as a person. Mind, heart and will would know a constant refreshing and renewing from God so that he would be able to be revealed as a whole and complete person. There would be no-thing half-developed.
- God got through to Abraham first of all in terms of blessing, that is in the whole character of his person. Abraham allowed that divine blessing to shape and mold his thoughts, emotions and actions. It aided him in living out his life in conformity with the will of God. See the prayer of Jabez – 1 Chron.4:lO ‘ bless me indeed ‘.
2/. SPIRITUALLY.
One of the main areas in which Abraham enjoyed God’s blessing was in the realm of divine revelation. He knew what it was to be ‘the friend of God ‘ and stood in the intimate counsels of heaven. ‘ He ‘knew what was on in relation to his own life and the things all around him. The blessing of God was to open up his mind to the intentions and action of God in earthly affairs. His life was to be no meaningless existence, minus true conviction and purpose. That revelation uncovered many choice factors to his spirit. God gave promise to him that enriched his whole spiritual life. Revelation given in relation
- to the family. He was to be blessed with his own son at an extraordinary time in Sarai’s and his own life. God gave the promised blessing of a son – Genesis15-17 and in spirit prior to the birth of the child he was blessed with the spirit of faith – Romans 4.20 . The revelation was not wasted on him. Subsequent history would declare that here was a man who knew what it was to receive blessing on the family unit.
- to the nation. The revelation went much further than his own household; he would be the founding father of a great nation. There would be multiplication on a grand scale that would bring into being the birth of a renowned nation. The promise was “I will make of thee a great nation “Genesis 12.2 . There was the revelation of a nation and revelation to proceed through the nation through many famous,. God-blessed men. The birth of the scriptures came by this God-anointed people.
Illustration : Growth : Gen.48:17 “multiply like fishes.2 1 cod 9 million eggs
- to the whole world. There was no limit to it at all “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” This certainly must have blessed the spirit of Abraham. To think that his life in its blessing would affect the world of humanity. God was helping him to think and be big in himself. The spirit of Abraham would be perfectly revealed later in the person of Jesus Christ born of Israel and the Abrahamic line, whose life and ministry would penetrate and influence the world of nations. Abraham would not be forgotten.
3/. MATERIALLY.
The multiplication included material prosperity.. God so blessed Abraham that he was a man of great material substance. God willed in the blessing to make him a man of material means.( The same could be said with regard to Israel ). In Genesis 13.2 it declares “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold “ see also v6. Note that he had his principles in relation to getting wealth – Genesis 14:21-24. He certainly did not place a priority on his material assets.
There is no reason why a believer cannot be blessed on the material front. The God who created the person created the world of material things to be enjoyed. There ‘is no earthly or heavenly reason why the believer should not be blessed with riches of an earthly kind. Whilst one does not preach a prosperity gospel, there is no lawful or spiritual reason why Christians should not be blessed with material substance.
The rule of life should certainly be Matt.6:33.Greek word ‘ added ‘ – ‘ prostithemi ‘ -which means to add, superadd, adjoin. There is littlle doubt that God can bestow in this kind of manner. He can both add and super add on this front. Of course, the Christian knows contentment whatever his earthly lot, but there is no reason why he should not have more than enough.
J. Shelbourne “May God embarrass you with His generosity.”
There is indication that Abraham was not a mean, rich man. He was kind and hospitable. He allowed Lot to make first choice and did not grasp for things. He entertained the angels even though they appeared to be but strangers. The steward Eliezer found it a pleasure. to work for and be true to him. He was a man who gave and received in abundance – cf. Luke 6:38 .
4/. PHYSICALLY
God blessed this man in a physical way. He knew the blessing of preservation, from those who may well have had evil designs upon his life. On at least two recorded occasions he is wonderfully preserved. God intervened to safeguard the life of His servant. He vouchsafed a promise to him when the threat of retaliation by an adversary was close at hand – Genesis15: l “After these things the word of the Lord came, unto Abram in a vision saying, ‘ Fear not, Abram, ‘I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.’
When Abraham concluded his life it was when he had had a full life that had been greatly blessed – Genesis 25:7, 8 “Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, full of year’s; and was gathered to his people.” Newberry – ‘ full of years ‘ – ‘ satisfied’. All his days were crowned with the fulness and faithfulness of God. There is a need to take a positive outlook to one’s physical well-being – c.f. 3 John.v2: 1 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Note Deuteronomy.34:7.
5/. ETERNALLY.
As far as Abraham was and is concerned, the blessing of God did not terminate at death The temporal blessing was but a forerunner of bigger and more lasting considerations They were but the foretaste of much more to be known and enjoyed. His eyes were not focussed and fixed on the passing earthly things. He knew that there were blessings that outstripped and outlasted anything he could behold below. The bigger prize was, ever on view “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” – – Hebrews 11: 10
The blessing of God upon him was of’ a timeless order, exceeding anything that this world could reveal or express. The eternal world was before him. The eternal God was his blesser and there were blessings of an eternal character yet to be revealed and experienced – 1 Cointhians.2:9, 10. Death did not extinguish this flame of spiritual hope and assurance.
CONCLUSION
- God expects us to believe and behave in such a way that He can bestow His blessing in and through Christ upon us.
- His grace and favour is with us and He wants us to reign in life. No good will He wit-hold.
- The only person that hinders you from being blessed by God is yourself. God bless you.
Barnabas Ministries UK 