What Does It Mean To Be Blessed?
By Sharon Musgrove
“’But don’t you have just one blessing for me, Father? Oh, bless me my father! Bless me!’ Esau
sobbed inconsolably.” Genesis 27:38 MSG
My family has been in the habit of saying bless you when one of us sneezes. To be honest, it has
never really meant anything other than acknowledging an involuntary bodily function. But when
our kids were small, and someone didn’t say bless you when they sneezed, they would flippantly
ask are there any bless yous!!? As if they had missed out on something owed them.
Similarly, in the story of competing twins, Esau and Jacob, Genesis 27 tells of a grown man
wailing, despondent that his rightful blessing has been given to his brother. Esau’s explosive
reaction to losing out on his father’s blessing is a bizarre and foreign response to us today in our
current, blessing-less culture. What was the significance of a blessing?
The first blessing recorded in the Bible is given by God when He created the creatures that filled
the ocean and the air. Genesis 1:22 says, “God blessed them: ‘Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean!
Birds, reproduce on Earth!’” (MSG). The Creator repeats this blessing at the conception of
humanity.
“God blessed them: ‘Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the
sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of the Earth.’” Genesis 1:28
(MSG)
The word bless comes from the Hebrew word barak, which is literally translated to kneel. This
technical definition of barak is also used in Genesis 24:11 to describe the behavior of camels
kneeling down at the watering well, when Abraham’s servant went looking for a wife for his
master’s son.
So, how do we connect the dots between kneeling and a blessing?
In the beginning of the world, we see God giving living creatures, including humans, the go-
ahead to make more of themselves. To reproduce. And the Father has given His earthly beings
everything they require to succeed in doing so. In essence, God submits His authority so that we
can do as He has done and make more of what He has made.
This is God’s blessing: kneeling down so that others can step up in partnership with Him.
This transfer of responsibility is mirrored in the blessing Esau missed out on. His father, Isaac,
relinquished his patriarchy and handed the keys of the family legacy over to Jacob, leaving Esau
with nothing. Remember, Abraham’s legacy of God’s favor had been passed to his son Isaac.
Esau expected Isaac would turn over God’s legacy to him. Esau bawled because the fame and
fortune of his family line were not his right.
Esau had a heart of entitlement, resulting in hatred when did not get what he felt was his right. In
Jesus’ day, the Pharisees modeled that same spirit.
But the life of Jesus modeled what the Holy Father initiated in creation. Jesus lived a life of
servitude, bending down to lift others up. Humility being the blessing posture.
“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but
didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter
what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status
of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly
humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life
and then died a selfless, obedient death – and the worst kind of death at that – a crucifixion.”
Philippians 2:5-8 (MSG)
This passage in Philippians reminds us that we have been blessed via Christ’s acts of service.
And we’ve been handed an invitation into God’s Kingdom as a partner. There is nothing we have
done to earn that right, in fact, we’ve done all the bad things that should get us uninvited!
Nonetheless, the blessing stands. The opportunity remains: do as He has done and make more of
what He has made.
Blessings may have been lost culturally, tossed around without meaning, but God’s Kingdom
still offers us the ability to be as He intended us to be...a blessing. This was the order that was set
at the onset of life: that God’s creation would, like Him, kneel down in order to lift another up.
Author
Bio:
Sharon has
been writing and teaching biblically based curriculum, Bible studies, and
devotionals since 2007.
She has
had the unique position of writing curriculum and teaching for two private,
Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served
women in the homeless community.
Sharon has
traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the
rural Maasai communities. She’s been privileged to speak in Leadership camps intended
on encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often
abused young women.
Within
these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words
spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its
transformative power has become her passion.
Sharon and
her husband, divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown
children.
Currently,
Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, but prefers sharing
face to face. Additionally, she is working towards a degree in Ministry.
~*~
Connect
with Sharon:
Website: Sharonmusgrove.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharon-Musgrove-Untethered-102208978041060
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonmusgrove_untethered/
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Separated by centuries, the lives of two women intertwine through their shared pursuit of love, truth, and justice.
Carrie Turansky
