The Biblical Blessing: Understanding What True Blessing Entails

Biblical blessings encompass divine favor, spiritual riches, and God's consecrated benediction upon believers, leading to fruitfulness, multiplication, and filling the earth.

As a younger believer, I thought being "blessed" meant only good things like wealth and comfort. But exploring the Bible showed me a more profound truth. A true biblical blessing is different from what many think. It challenged me to understand true blessings in a new way.

The word "blessed" means being made holy or consecrated. It's about receiving divine favor and protection. The Greek word "Makários" means being in a good position to accept God's grace. While getting earthly gifts is excellent, the ultimate blessing is to be set apart through Jesus. This is what biblical blessing is all about.

The Bible talks a lot about God's blessings, from Genesis to Revelation. It is about His goodness and favor for us. Yet, we often miss the point. We focus on what we can get from God rather than the profound spiritual blessings He offers.

I learned that true blessing means more than what we see. It includes things like having a prosperous relationship with God. It's about spiritual blessings that cannot be seen with our naked eyes.

Key Takeaways

The true blessing of God is not just about earthly prosperity but about being made holy and endowed with divine favor through a right relationship with Him.

The biblical understanding of blessing emphasizes the importance of multiplying, filling the earth, and exercising dominion, as we are created in God's image.

Blessing is fundamentally about the believer's relationship with God and not just material wealth or earthly comfort.

The blessings of God are often misunderstood by believers.

True blessing involves a spiritual transformation, where we are made holy and consecrated through salvation in Jesus Christ.

The Meaning of Blessing

The true meaning of biblical blessing is profound. The English dictionary says "blessed" means "made holy; consecrated." It also means being "endowed with divine favor and protection." In Greek, "blessed" (makários) shows believers receive special provisions and grace from God. So, while material gifts are blessings, the core of blessing is about becoming closer to God through Jesus Christ's salvation. This is the ultimate form of blessing from God.

"Blessed" could mean something that brings joy or relief after hardship. Divine blessings can change our view of what being blessed means. It's not just about wealth or comfort.

A Welcome Contrast to Previous Experiences

In the Bible, blessing focuses on our relationship with God, not just our wealth or health. The best blessing given to all people is the shared spiritual blessings we gentiles share with the Jews through Jesus Christ as stated in Romans 15:27. This spiritual relationship is more valuable than any material blessing.

 The Divine Blessing From Creation

The book of Genesis beautifully tells a story of biblical blessing. It starts with God's blessing the living creatures in Genesis 1:22. When God blesses, it means it will multiply, increase in number, and fill the earth. As a result, we see multiplication in God's work on the face of the earth.

According to the second source, divine blessing means God gives special rights or favors to all creations. For humans, being blessed means increasing in number, filling the earth, subduing and ruling over the earth, and being fruitful. Having God close is what matters as far as blessings go. 

Blessing as Relationship with God

The third source underlines that in the Bible, God's blessings are mainly about relationships. Even though blessings can seem like a good harvest or wealth, what really matters is the bond with God. In Genesis, God's blessings always come with His presence and help for His people who fear and obey him. To obtain God's blessing, you should be willing to abide by His principles.

 

 

The biblical blessing

The biblical blessing is more than riches or a life without problems. It leads us to understand what being genuinely blessed means to God.

Blessings in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, "barak" is the Hebrew word for "bless" or "blessing." It covers praising, congratulating, or even cursing someone. The first biblical blessings in Genesis are given to sea creatures, birds, and people. God tells them to be fruitful and multiply. Blessings are later tied to happiness, welfare, and having control over the earth. The patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob bless their descendants. They connect blessings to God's nearness, forgiveness, and keeping His promises.

Blessings in the New Testament

In the New Testament, "Makarios" means "happiness," while "Eulogeo" refers to saying good things about others. The Gospels' Beatitudes highlight the happy state of those deeply connected to God. The New Testament also points to the ultimate blessing—the new life and forgiveness found in Christ. This speaks about both now and forever blessings.

Blessings and Forgiveness in Christ

The biggest blessings are new life and forgiveness from God through the blood of his son, Yeshua. While earthly blessings are brief, spiritual blessings in Christ last for eternity. Remembering this, the Psalmist describes how blessed the person who obtains help from God is and has made the LORD his God (Psalms 146:5).

 

Conclusion

We've seen how the biblical blessing theme runs through the Bible, starting in Genesis. However, the heart of this divine favor and godly affirmation can be confusing. Some think being blessed means only having wealth, comfort, and no troubles.

But the true consecrated blessing is much more profound. It connects us right with God. This leads to spiritual blessings coming into our lives from His presence.

The peace and blessings, wealth and blessings, or riches and blessings given to us by the Lord, are very powerful. They bring fruitfulness and increase in number, dominion, and subdue. Understanding this deeper meaning shows us the life-changing power of spiritual blessings.

These blessings are more than temporary or earthly. They bring us closer to God, the one who loves us. This starts a life-giving relationship with him. A bond where He says we are indeed His.