THE CONCEPT OF BLESSING DEVELOPED IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS

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A Paper Presented to Dr. James E. Allman Dallas Theological Seminary

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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Course BE102D Old Testament History I

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by Matthew O. Walker May 2003 Box #1715

Introduction God bless you. It is a common three-word phrase used in every section of American culture today. Some people say a blessing before they eat a meal while others say bless you after someone sneezes. Whether religious or not, people around the word will claim to either be a blessing or have been blessed by something or someone in their life. Where does this concept of blessing find its beginning? Without this abstract concept of blessing being clearly defined and thus being made applicable to daily life, it does nothing. Its value and meaning rapidly diminish with ever expanding use. So, then, one must examine just exactly how blessing was first presented back in the beginning. Intertwined throughout the book of Genesis, the concept of blessing develops significantly. The thesis of this paper is that concept of blessing in the book of Genesis takes the form of three main types; God blessing man, man blessing God, and man blessing man. All three of these types are continually exhibited throughout society today. Ross states that even a casual reading of the Book of Genesis reveals the prominence of the theme of blessing.1 The Hebrew word, _______, means to bless and occurs 79 times in Genesis. A study of its uses in Genesis shows that the giving of a blessing bestowed prosperity with respect to fertility of land and fertility of life.2 Throughout Genesis there are three distinct concepts of blessings presented. The first concept of blessing is when God blesses men. God is the source of all blessing and he chooses whom to bless and whom not to bless. The second concept is when men bless God. This is when they ascribe to him those characteristics which are his, acknowledge his sovereignty,

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Allen P. Ross, Creation & Blessing. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), 65. Ibid, 66.

express gratitude for his mercies, etc.3 The third and final concept that is present is that of man blessing their fellow man. God Blessing Man The first and most prominent concept of blessing presented in Genesis is that of God blessing man. It is important to note that no matter what form blessing takes, God is the author of all blessing. True blessing only and always originates from the Creator. The first time the word appears in Genesis is chapter one verse 22 which says, God blessed them, referring to the sea creatures and birds. In Genesis 1:28 the same phrase is used for the first time in reference to the man and woman he created and again in Genesis 2:3 when he blessed the seventh day. The blessing in Genesis enriched that which was good. In Genesis 1:1-2:3, for example, God blessed animal life, human life, and the seventh day all part of the creation that he had pronounced good. Everything in creation was good, but that which was blessed was enriched beyond its normal quality.4 When God blessed the man and woman he said to them, be fruitful and increase in number.5 Mitchell explains that certainly it is true that fertility is the most common benefit God bestows. However, the reason God blessed by bestowing fertility, dominion, prosperity, etc., is that these were the most valued benefits during the biblical period.6 Mitchells observation remains consistent with the next use of blessing in Genesis 9:1 where God blesses Noah and repeats the command to be fruitful and increase in number.

3 4 5 6

Merrill F. Unger, Ungers Bible Dictionary. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1977), 148. Allen P. Ross, Creation & Blessing. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), 65. Genesis 1:28, NIV.

Christopher Wright Mitchell, The Meaning of BRK To Bless in the Old Testament. (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987), 165.

The most dramatic and well known blessing in Genesis is contained in Gods covenant with Abraham. In Genesis 12:1 God tells Abram, Leave your country, your people and your fathers household and go to the land I will show you. God then issues a seven fold promise to Abram in 12:2-3, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. What did Abram do to deserve blessing from God? Mitchell explains God promised to bless Abraham as an expression of his good will toward him. Blessing here is not a reward for Abrahams prior conduct. The immediate purpose of Gods promise to Abraham was to draw Abraham into a covenant with himself.7 Thus, as Mitchell states, Abram did nothing to deserve the initial blessing from God. Mitchell continues to say, the promises of blessing are to motivate the patriarchs to obey God, leave their residences, and enter into a covenant with God.8 The concept of Gods blessing being independent of our obedience to Him is sometimes a hard concept for some people to grasp. This isnt surprising since many Sunday schools and even church services today preach that if we are obedient to God then He will bless us. People are led to believe that if they obey God and do something for Him then He somehow owes them something. However, we are the ones that owe everything to God. He is the One who created us and gave us life. He owes us nothing. Now, this doesnt mean that there isnt a connection between obedience and blessing. In the case of Abraham, blessings from God came with the requirements of obedience to God. The promise of blessing can also be used as a motivation to serve God. Gen 17 describes how God used the promise of the blessings of

Christopher Wright Mitchell, The Meaning of BRK To Bless in the Old Testament. (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987), 165. Christopher Wright Mitchell, The Meaning of BRK To Bless in the Old Testament. (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987), 29.
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descendants and land to motivate Abraham to accept the covenant of circumcision.9There is a huge difference between being obedient to try and gain blessing, and being obedient because you are blessed. What, then, is the ultimate purpose of Gods blessing? Genesis reveals the ultimate purpose of Gods blessing to be something other than a reward for our obedience to him. Mitchell writes, the ultimate purpose of Gods blessing is to bring himself the praise and respect of all nations.10 In other words, God brings blessing to the things of this world in order to promote His glory to all creation. Thus, God blesses Abraham and his descendants so that other nations will see Gods provision and blessing and will bring glory to Him. What is it that makes a blessing from God a blessing? Mitchell says what, makes a blessing a blessing is that relationship between God and the person blessed. God blesses because of his favorable attitude toward a person or group of people. A blessing is any benefit or utterance which God freely bestows in order to make know to the recipient and to others that he is favorably disposed toward the recipient.11 The true blessing is not composed of the good things that God bestows, rather the relationship between God and the person blessed. Man Blessing God The second concept of blessing clearly presented in Genesis is that of man blessing God. Although not specifically mention by name, this concept of blessing is first eluded to in Genesis 4:3 when Cain brought an offering to the Lord. By bringing this offering to God he was acknowledging His sovereignty and expressing gratitude for his mercies and provision. Thus,
Christopher Wright Mitchell, The Meaning of BRK To Bless in the Old Testament. (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987), 30. Christopher Wright Mitchell, The Meaning of BRK To Bless in the Old Testament. (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987), 36. Christopher Wright Mitchell, The Meaning of BRK To Bless in the Old Testament. (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987), 165.
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like the previous concept of blessing, Cain was attempting to show his favorable attitude toward God. In this case, the good things were the offerings being presented to God. The first time that blessing is used by name in reference to man blessing God is Genesis 9:26 when Noah says, Blessed be the Lord. Noah was expressing gratitude to God and attempting to establish a relationship with God through that expression. This concept of blessing is a vital concept to understand. When man blesses God it is an attempt to glorify God by ascribing to Him all of his characteristics and thanking Him for his mercies. Not only does it bring glory to God from the mouth of the person blessing, but it also esteems God among all those who hear the proclamation as well. Man Blessing Man The final concept of blessing in Genesis is that of a man blessing another man. Multiple instances exist throughout the book where a human blesses another human. There are a myriad of reasons why an individual would bless someone else. However, typically, the blessing takes place to offer good wishes and or welfare to the hearer. It is important to note that when someone blessed someone else it did not mean that the receiver would be blessed by some mystical power emanating from the words of the giver. Mitchell says it this way, The patriarchal blessing promises are unique in that they are transmitted diachronically. They are not transmitted by the soul power of the patriarchs, nor by the magical power of the spoken word. Rather, God renews his promises of blessing to each patriarch.12 The gift of divine blessing included the empowerment to achieve what was promised. God was therefore always the ultimate source of the blessing, even when it was communicated by an individual.13 The first instance of a man blessing another man in Genesis
Christopher Wright Mitchell, The Meaning of BRK To Bless in the Old Testament. (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987), 34.
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Allen P. Ross, Creation & Blessing. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), 66.

is a prime example of how it is God who is the source of the blessing. In Genesis 14:19 Melchizedek said, Blessed be Abram by God Most High. Melchizedek knew that Abram was under the blessing of God and that God was the ultimate source of that blessing. One of the more famous examples of a man blessing another man is the story of Jacob and Esau. In Genesis 27:27-29 Isaac inadvertently blesses Jacob instead of Esau because Jacob tricked Isaac into believing he was Esau. The blessing Isaac gives Jacob states that God will bless him and is a continuation of the Abrahamic covenant. Jacob continues this pattern of blessing children when he blesses his sons, the fathers of the twelve tribes, in Genesis 49:1-27. Thus, the Abrahamic covenant is passed down from Abraham to the tribes of Israel. The most important part of this concept to understand is that the ultimate blessing comes from God. Conclusion The concept of blessing manifests itself and develops significantly throughout the book of Genesis. It is much more than an abstract thought casually dealt with. The very foundations of the book of Genesis are constructed around the concept of blessing modeled from beginning to end. Each of the three concepts of blessing introduced in Genesis are still widely understood and practiced today. God still blesses man. As believers in Christ we are partakers of His ultimate blessing, the forgiveness of sins through His Son. Indeed, through Jesus Christians are now partakers of the blessing promised through Abraham. Men also still bless God. Whenever God is praised through worship and prayer, His glory is proclaimed throughout His creation. Finally, men also bless men. On a daily basis, individuals today offer blessings to others. Whether it is through a phrase such as God bless you, or an act of service to bring glory to God, the three concepts of blessing in Genesis still exist in todays culture.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Dyer, Charles and Merrill, Gene. Old Testament Explorer. Nashville: Word Publishing, 2001. Mitchell, Christopher Wright. The Meaning of BRK To Bless in the Old Testament. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987. Ross, Allen P. Creation & Blessing. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988. Unger, Merrill F. Ungers Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1977. Walvoord, John F. and Zuck, Roy B. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty. Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1985.