A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance
by Steve West
Table of Contents
1 Blessing and Curse, Life and Death
2 Blessing the World through Abraham’s Family
3 Covenant Blessing for God’s People
4 Every Spiritual Blessing
5 Eternal Blessings
Summary
Introduction
In contemporary culture, the term blessed is often used by someone who wants to boast about something while attempting to appear humble. It sounds like good fortune that comes through some type of spiritual force. Many in the church do not seem interested in defining blessings accurately, or studying Scripture to ensure that their understanding of being blessed is theologically correct. Blessing is often interpreted according to popular-level health and wealth prosperity teaching. Proper interpretation requires studying the whole Bible—not verses out of context—and paying attention to the continuity and discontinuity in blessings between old and new covenants. It is a mistake, however, to believe that the old covenant blessings were physical while the new covenant blessings are spiritual. Taking a biblical-theological approach, we find that God’s blessings are both physical and spiritual: “Divine blessing in the Bible is always physical and spiritual because it is fixed upon the reality of the fullness of life in the presence of God.” It is important to read texts about blessing not only in their literary context, but also in their location in redemptive history. Blessing cannot be reduced to having created things—it is having the Creator himself. In the Bible, there is a rich vocabulary clustered around blessing. To bless is an action; a blessing can be a thing; being blessed can be a state of being.
Genesis shows us that God blesses his creation, and blessing is vital for life. The two major contexts in which God blesses are creation and covenant. Blessing is not reducible to the creation and giving of things, but involves the relationship between Creator and creature. Blessing cannot be restricted to spiritual realities, but is often tangible and physical. God’s blessing produced harmonious shalom in every sphere. Early on, Scripture reveals that God sometimes uses people as instruments to bless others. The blessings uttered by people did not have intrinsic powers or magical properties, but, when authorized by God, they were effective channels for the blessings he provided. Our words never obligate God to act in particular ways. God authorized the priests to pronounce blessings over the people, but this blessing was dependent on God’s action. In Psalms, we see that the term bless is often a synonym for praise. In these contexts, people bless the name of God as the one who is infinitely worthy of blessing, and as the one who is blessed and blesses. In the New Testament, the language surrounding blessing focuses more on who receives blessing, and as a result on who is blessed.
Chapter 1: Blessing and Curse, Life and Death
The first three chapters of Genesis show us God’s design for the world, provide us with the foundations of a Christian worldview, and sets the trajectory for biblical theology. Creation was originally designed to flourish in harmony under the rule of God, but humanity rebelled against him and brought a curse into the world. God is self-existent and perfect, and he is the source of everything in creation. Without his act of creating, there would be no blessings. Genesis 1:22 records the first blessing, which enabled fertility and multiplication. Later, we are told that God created Adam and Eve in his image, and he blessed them. He gave them life and breath, and also the cultural mandate (1:28). Fertility and fruitfulness in having offspring is a significant component of blessing in Genesis. God’s blessing spoken over his image bearers empowers them but also establishes the parameters of what a blessed life will look like and entail. A blessed life must be conformed to God’s good design. Human nature is designed by God, and we must understand biblical anthropology to see how a creature like us can experience blessings.
Genesis 2:3 tells us that God blessed the seventh day, but we are not told what he said. How can a day be blessed? The text reveals that God blessed the seventh day by making it holy. The pattern of creation leads to this holy, blessed day, and God’s covenant people were to share in this pattern and rest. In creating the Garden of Eden, God made a home for Adam and Eve, and also a place in which he could dwell. Eden was a garden-temple, and Adam and Eve were to tend and care for it in priestly ways. It was in the presence of God that they were to be blessed, and they were to extend the temple-presence and blessings around the world. For the first two chapters of Genesis, God only shows a disposition to bless. Today, health and wealth prosperity preachers represent divine blessings as if we have a right to them. This misunderstands the nature of blessings, it misunderstands the privileges that are ours in Christ, and it ignores the fall and sin.
When humanity rebelled against God and disobeyed him, they brought a curse upon the world which also greatly affected themselves. In following the serpent, Adam and Eve came to know not only good but also evil, and they brought death to all humanity. They were affected physically and spiritually; death was introduced into both facets of their being. Their rebellion brought about separation from God and exile from the garden; they were no longer able to live in the presence of God. Given the events of Genesis 3, a huge question hanging over the narrative is whether God’s original creation design and intention to bless will be annulled due to human sin. Can God actually bless the world and the human race in the light of their rebellion and corruption? Before the end of the chapter, God reiterates his plan to bless and destroy the work of the serpent. God’s blessing for the entire world will come through a specific seed, a descendant of Adam and Eve. . . .
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