God Bless You
We use the words “bless” and “blessing” pretty freely. Many finish letters with the word “Blessing” and how often has someone said to you “God bless you”?
The word is first used in the book of Genesis. God’s blessing is pronounced three times in Genesis 1 – over the fish and birds on day 5, the humans on day 6, and the Sabbath on day 7.
The first two blessings are immediately followed by the instruction to multiply and fill the seas and the earth. The third blessing is followed by the word of sanctification and rest that defines the Sabbath.
So, at the very beginning, blessing is defined by fruitfulness, abundance and fullness on the one hand, and by enjoying rest within creation in harmonious relationship with the Creator on the other.
Blessing then is set within relationships that are both vertical and horizontal. Blessing is dependent on relationship with God, and blessing is something to be shared in relationship with other people.
Vertically, those who are blessed know the God who is blessing them, and they seek to live in faithful relationship with God. Horizontally, the relationship element of blessing reaches out to those around us.
Those who are blessed are called to be a blessing beyond themselves. This is the very core of the way the word is used in both the Old and New Testament, where it will be used almost 80 times to describe followers of Jesus.
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