Blessings
The word "blessing" is used to translate several different Hebrew and Greek words in the Bible:
Hebrew:
* "Berakah" (בְּרָכָה) - This word refers to a gift or benefit bestowed, often as a favor from God. It is used frequently throughout the Old Testament.
* "Esher" (אֶשֶׁר) - This word means happiness or contentment. When used in the context of blessings, it refers to the state of being happy or satisfied because of God's favor.
Greek:
* "Makarios" (μακάριος) - In the New Testament, this word is usually translated as "blessed." It refers to the ultimate joy and contentment that comes from being aligned with God's purposes and receiving His favor. The Beatitudes use this word extensively.
* "Eulogeo" (εὐλογέω) - This verb means "to bless." It is used both when people bless God as well as when God blesses people. It is the act of asking for or bestowing favor and benefits.
So in essence, a "blessing" in the Bible refers to the gifts, benefits, happiness, and favor that come from God. As the originator of every blessing, God can define what blessings look like according to His will and purposes, not necessarily human desires. I hope this provides helpful context into the biblical meaning of blessings! Let me know if you have any other questions.
How do we bless God?
Great question! The Bible gives us guidance on how we can bless God in return for the many blessings He has poured out on us. Here are some key ways the Scriptures show we can bless and honor God:
1. Praise and Worship Him: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" (Psalm 103:1). We bless God through our worship, praise, music, singing, and adoration of who He is.
2. Live in Obedience: "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me" (John 14:21). As we obey God's commandments and walk in holiness, we show our love and respect for Him. This brings Him glory.
3. Use our Gifts to Serve: "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace" (1 Peter 4:10). When we steward our gifts well, we honor the Giver and bless His name.
4. Give Generously: “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce” (Proverbs 3:9). As we freely give to God’s work and the needs of others, He is blessed and glorified.
5. Share the Gospel: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Making disciples blesses Jesus and advances His kingdom purposes.
I hope these principles provide some guidance on the important issue of blessing our Creator. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
"Berakah" (בְּרָכָה) - This word refers to a gift or benefit bestowed, often as a favor from God. It is used frequently throughout the Old Testament. Is this a physical gift, probably so, if in the old testament, or a gift of future benefits?
You ask an insightful question about the nature of the Hebrew word "berakah" (בְּרָכָה) which is frequently translated as "blessing" in the Old Testament. This word indeed refers to a gift or benefit bestowed, often by God as an act of divine favor and grace.
When we look at how "berakah" is used throughout the Old Testament, it seems to convey both physical, tangible gifts as well as intangible future benefits. For example:
Physical blessings:
* "The Lord blessed Abraham in all things" (Genesis 24:1) - referring to prosperity, flocks, silver, and gold.
* "Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle" (Deuteronomy 28:4)
Intangible future blessings:
* "In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:18) - referring to the Messiah.
* "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven" (Psalm 32:1) - referring to redemption.
So in summary, yes "berakah" in the Old Testament often refers to tangible, physical, and material blessings that God bestowed upon people as a favor. Yet it also has a forward-looking aspect that points ahead to the ultimate blessing and favor that God would show humanity through the gift of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. This blessing would bring the forgiveness of sins and eternal spiritual blessings. I hope this analysis brings helpful insight into this meaningful biblical word! Let me know if you have any other questions.
"Esher" (אֶשֶׁר) - This word means happiness or contentment. When used in the context of blessings, it refers to the state of being happy or satisfied because of God's favor. How would man conceive of this? Is it generally described as elation, a feeling, or what?
That is a thoughtful question, my friend. When the Hebrew word “esher” (אֶשֶׁר) is used in the context of blessings and God's favor, it seems to convey a state of joy, contentment, and well-being that permeates one's whole being.
The blessed man in the Psalms gives us insight into how “esher” was conceived. We are told “Blessed - esher - is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked...but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3).
Here the blessed/esher state involves spiritual delight, constant nourishment from God’s word, stability, fruitfulness, and general prosperity. It touches the heart, mind, and outward circumstances.
I believe the ancient Israelites understood esher as a beautiful inner sense of well-being and rightness with God that expresses itself in joy, peace, purpose, and success in the ways of the Lord. It is more qualitative than quantitative. The blessed life is the fulfilled life of fellowship with God out of which His favor naturally flows. As King David wrote in the Psalms “In your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11) - capturing the esher concept wonderfully.
Does this help explain the subjective, felt experience behind the Hebrew idea of blessing and favor? Let me know if you have any other great questions!
"Makarios" (μακάριος) - In the New Testament, this word is usually translated as "blessed." It refers to the ultimate joy and contentment that comes from being aligned with God's purposes and receiving His favor. The Beatitudes use this word extensively. probably nearly like the former?
Yes, my friend, I believe the Greek word "makarios" used extensively in the Beatitudes conveys a similar sense of profound blessing, contentment, and favor from God as the Hebrew words do in the Old Testament.
When our Lord Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3), he uses "makarios" to describe the state of blessing, favor, and bliss that comes from alignment with God's values and purposes. There is both a present and future aspect to this, as the kingdom of heaven is ours now spiritually, and yet awaits its ultimate fulfillment.
Through the Beatitudes, we see makarios blessing tied to spiritual poverty, meekness, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking and persecution born nobly for Christ. Those who exhibit these traits "shall see God," "shall be comforted," "shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5-11). Like the Old Testament ideas, there is an inward sense of joy and satisfaction that makarios brings about through walking in step with the Spirit.
As Romans 14:17 reminds us: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." This joy (chara) arises from the makarios blessing of belonging to God's kingdom.
So yes, makarios seems to convey a similar idea - the favor and spiritual bliss that comes from fixed pursuit of the Lord and His ways. Let me know any other questions this brings up! God bless you richly!
"Eulogeo" (εὐλογέω) - This verb means "to bless." It is used both when people bless God as well as when God blesses people. It is the act of asking for or bestowing favor and benefits. You've shown how we bless God, how do we bless each other?
That's a wonderful question! The Bible gives great guidance on how we as Christians can bless and encourage one another in the faith. A few key ways the Scriptures instruct us to bless fellow believers include:
1. Praying for one another: "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed" (James 5:16). Lifting each other up in prayer allows God's blessing to flow.
2. Sharing words of encouragement: "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear" (Ephesians 4:29). Affirming words minister grace.
3. Demonstrating hospitality: "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another" (1 Peter 4:9-10). Caring for needs brings blessing.
4. Utilizing our gifts to serve: "As good stewards of God's varied grace...Whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies" (1 Peter 4:10-11). Bless others with the gifts God gave you.
5. Bearing one another's burdens: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Helping carry loads blesses.
In essence, blessing our fellow believers means imparting God's grace, care, strength, and love to encourage their spirits and meet felt needs. I hope these principles provide guidance as we build up Christ's body! What other questions can I answer?
God loves us all the same, no respecter of man. So when God blesses a man on earth how do we justify that in our mind?
You raise an excellent point. God does indeed love all people equally, as declared in Acts 10:34: "God shows no partiality." At the same time, Scripture affirms that God blesses and prospers some people more than others - for example, He gave Solomon great wisdom, wealth, and honor (1 Kings 3:13). How do we reconcile this?
A few key principles can help us understand:
1. God blesses people to equip them for His purposes. The gifts and resources He gives are meant to serve others and advance His kingdom (Genesis 12:2-3; Ephesians 4:11-13). They are not just for personal gain.
2. Material blessings in this life do not equal God's endorsement of everything that person does or believes. Nor do troubles equal God's disapproval. God allows each person to make choices.
3. Most importantly, this earthly life is not all there is. Our eternal destiny matters far more to God than temporal blessings. From an eternal perspective, "the first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew 19:30). God will balance everything out in the world to come.
In summary, God pours out more temporal blessings on some than others to serve His sovereign plans. But He loves all the same. Our focus should be pursuing God rather than questioning His distribution of earthly benefits. He promises to meet our needs and one day make all things right. Does this help provide a balanced, biblical perspective? I'm happy to discuss further if you have any other questions!
Yes. How is the first, last and last, first thought of in early Christianity, and in the Bible specifically?
That's a great question about a profound spiritual principle. The concept of the first being last and the last being first originates from Jesus himself in several statements:
"So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16)
“But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Mark 10:31)
“There are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last” (Luke 13:30)
In context, Jesus is teaching that the kingdom of heaven often defies human expectations and status. Those we think are important and "first" may end up being last in God's eyes. And those we overlook, think little of or see as "last" may end up having greater honor and blessing from God.
The early church picked up on this theme as they saw society's outcasts, sinners, slaves, and nobodies embracing Christ and entering God's kingdom, while the wealthy elite and powerful often rejected him. As Jesus declared, "The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you!" (Matthew 21:31)
James echoes this in saying God has chosen "those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him.” (James 2:5) The last become first through faith in Christ!
The takeaway is that worldly status, honor, and wealth do not determine a person's standing before God. With humble faith in Jesus, the "last" in society can be first in His kingdom. I'm happy to discuss this beautiful spiritual principle further! Let me know any other questions.
Wealth or prosperity, here on earth, does not disqualify us from being blessed in Heaven, surely. I suppose the scripture 'What we treasure, is where our heart is' comes to mind.
You raise an excellent point. Wealth and prosperity here on earth do not automatically disqualify anyone from God's eternal blessings in heaven. As Jesus said, "What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight" (Luke 16:15).
The issue is that money, wealth, and possessions so easily capture our hearts and become "treasures" that compete with God for our devotion. Jesus warned, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24).
However, the Bible also shows people like Abraham and Job who were incredibly wealthy, yet faithful to God and generous towards others with their means. Their security was not found in riches but in God alone. As Psalm 62:10 reminds us, "Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them."
So you make a good point. Wealth itself does not disqualify anyone from heaven or from living blessed lives. With God's help, prosperity can be properly stewarded and used for eternal gains by supporting God's work and meeting real needs. Our heart posture is key - God must have first place in our affections, not temporal things. As Christ said, “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). I hope this brings some clarity! Please let me know if you have any other questions.
So we have to be careful when telling others God has greatly blessed us, that we convey that it is spiritual, and not of earthly gain, so they understand it's not the prosperity gospel.
You make an excellent point about being careful when testifying about being blessed by God. The Bible tells us that true, lasting blessings from God have a spiritual emphasis rather than an earthly one centered around material prosperity.
As you mentioned, we must avoid conveying a "prosperity gospel" that claims God will shower wealth and health on anyone who has enough faith. Jesus himself said that "life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" (Luke 12:15).
However, the Scriptures make clear that those who follow Christ are incredibly blessed in the spiritual realm. Ephesians 1:3 says God has "blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." And in the Beatitudes, Jesus declared blessings on those who display spiritual virtues like meekness, righteousness, mercy, and purity of heart (Matthew 5:3-12).
So when sharing with others about God's blessings, it's wise to focus on spiritual matters rather than earthly gain - things like the grace of salvation, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the privilege of prayer, the fellowship of believers, the promise of eternal life. As 1 Peter 3:14 explains, "Even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed."
If God also blesses us materially, we can humbly thank Him for meeting our needs while stewarding those gifts to serve others. But the greatest blessings are not physical at all, but matters of the eternal soul. Does this help provide a balanced, biblical view? Please let me know if you have any other questions!
And also of miracles, such as healing, thus they do not believe that we have something that they do not.
You raise an important point about miracles and healing. As Christians, we believe God still performs supernatural works by His Spirit today, just as He did in biblical times. However, we must approach this issue with care, wisdom, and humility.
The Bible makes clear that all true healing and miracles come from God Himself, not any person or ministry (Acts 3:12-16). And Scripture warns about false signs and wonders that could deceive people (Matthew 24:24). So we should not boastfully claim power that is not ours.
At the same time, we know that Jesus healed the sick and commanded His followers to pray for healing in faith (James 5:14-16). God still answers such prayers today by His grace according to His will. Every good gift comes from above (James 1:17).
So when sharing our faith, we ought to avoid an “us vs them” mentality as though we possess healing power that others don’t. We must point people towards Christ alone. Our testimony should focus, not on elevating ourselves or any human vessel, but on giving glory and thanks to God who in His compassion heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).
Does this perspective help provide a balanced, humble approach regarding healing and miracles that still acknowledges God’s supernatural work today? I welcome any other questions you may have. God bless you!
I did not mean we were instrumental in their healing, except for prayer, just that because someone we loved was miraculously healed, and someone they love was not, that we are more holy.
You raise an excellent point. I should clarify - when someone we love experiences miraculous healing in response to prayer, that does not necessarily mean we are more righteous or holy than someone else whose loved one was not healed. Scripture warns against developing that kind of prideful mentality.
As Jesus’ disciples once questioned Him about a man born blind - “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus responded that his blindness was not due to anyone's sin, but so “the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:2-3). Every circumstance is an opportunity for God's glory and purposes to shine through.
While we rejoice and give thanks when God graciously chooses to heal in response to faith-filled prayer, we must not boast as though we somehow earned that grace. All good things are gifts from above. And when suffering and illness remain despite our pleading, God still promises to be with us and work in that situation too for our growth and His glory.
As you wisely noted, the most important thing is to avoid projecting a holier-than-thou attitude if healing comes to our loved one but not someone else’s. We all depend fully on God’s mercy and His perfect timing and will. Our part is asking in faith, and God’s part is answering according to His supreme wisdom and purpose.