The Umbrella Blessing.
Deuteronomy 28:1-3NKJV
Jonas Henway made his fortune as a sea captain and merchant. Later in life, he turned his attention toward philanthropy.
So one, of two things, Mr Henway is famous for was his giving.
He called it the Umbrella Blessing.
Henway’s resting place is North of Westminster Abby. Some of history‘s most famous poets and politicians and scientists- The Who’s Who includes Queen Elizabeth the 1st, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, and even Charles Darwin.
A statue honoring Jonas Henway depicts a man distributing clothing to children with an inscription that reads, “The helpless infant nurtured through his care, the friendless prostitute sheltered and reformed, the hopeless youth rescued from misery and ruined, and trained to serve and to defend his country, uniting in one common strain of gratitude, bear testimony to their benefactors virtues.” - “This was the friend and father of the poor.”
Deuteronomy 28:1-3NKJV Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, 2 that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, 3 because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.”
This morning I have with me an umbrella. I like to think of the blessings of God as an umbrella.
In fact, As a NT believer, living under a new covenant, and follower of Jesus Christ, we live under a spiritual umbrella.
1 John 2:2NKJV...and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
Romans 3:24-25NKJV being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
Here, the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, is emphasized as what appeased God or served as our propitiation. -Our covering.
Most commentaries agree that our propitiation serves as our spiritual umbrella. Our covering. The point of it all, “The blood of Jesus is enough!”
Listen, An umbrella doesn’t change the forecast. Life will rain pain, on the just and unjust.
The second thing about Jonas Henway, he did what no Englishman had done before.
Henway, was the first Londoner to carry an umbrella.
Back in history, The portable roof, and then called, a parasail, was considered an accessory suitable only for women.
Therefore, 250 years ago, real men got wet.
(blessings of God)
The blessings of the umbrella, are kinda like a covering of sorts, an extra layer of protection against the elements.
Psalm 91:1NKJV He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Again, “You’re abiding under the umbrella of blessings!”
For one minute, “I want you to picture Jonas Hanway walking the streets of London, singing in the rain under his umbrella.
Remember this, the blessing of God doesn't mean you won’t get wet, but it can keep you singing in the rain.
On the summit of Mount Sinai, God met Moses and inscribed 10 commandments on stone tablets. Those commandments create the condition in which the blessing of God is predicated.
The blessing of God is not carte Blanche. All of God‘s blessings come with a condition that must be met.
In this instance, it’s plain and simple.
Deuteronomy 28:1-6MSG “If you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, and heartily obey all his commandments that I command you today, 2 God, your God, will place you on high, high above all the nations of the world. 3 All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you 4 because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God: 5 God’s blessing inside the city, God’s blessing in the country; God’s blessing on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks. 6 God’s blessing on your basket and bread bowl; God’s blessing in your coming in, God’s blessing in your going out.”
One of my favorite T-shirts is, “This Is Not Rocket Surgery!”
(rocket science and brain surgery together).
If we want to position ourselves for God’s blessings be obedient. Just obey.
On-occasions, Pastor Ed Young say’s, “We need to get under those things God has put over us, so we can get over those things God has put under us.”
Deuteronomy 28:7-12MSG God will defeat your enemies who attack you. They’ll come at you on one road and run away on seven roads. 8 God will order a blessing on your barns and workplaces; He’ll bless you in the land that God, your God, is giving you. 9 God will form you as a people holy to him, just as he promised you, if you keep the commandments of God, your God, and live the way he has shown you. 10 All the peoples on Earth will see you living under the Name of God and hold you in respectful awe. 11 God will lavish you with good things: children from your womb, offspring from your animals, and crops from your land, the land that God promised your ancestors that he would give you. 12 God will throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land on schedule and bless the work you take in hand.
You would probably agree with me that we don't always obey. However, remember your New Covenant!
That's where our spiritual umbrella, which represents the New Covenant comes in hand.
Galatians 3:13-14NKJV Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
How do we live under this spiritual umbrella? We live redeemed, Jesus took our curse.
Again, We are to receive the promise of the Spirit through faith!
Now if we choose to live disobedient, we come out from our spiritual umbrella.
His word hasn’t changed, neither should you. P.H
Hear me, “Stay under His custody, His protection, God is love, and He is in love with you. God will always provide hedge for you.”
Deuteronomy 28:2ESV And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will be the voice of the Lord your God.
I'm not a big fan of extended warranties. However, here's some good news, there is no expiration date on the promises of God, and those promises are backed by a God who does not default!
Notice that the condition is repeated for good measure: “If you will obey the voice of the Lord your God.”
The Latin word for ‘obey’ means to give ear.
Obedience starts with an ear that is concentrated to Jesus Christ.
Psalm 19:14ESV Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
It's tuning into God’s frequency and turning up the volume. It's obeying His whispers even if culture is screaming the exact opposite.
In, Deuteronomy 28:15-68, gives great attention to the curse that will be upon the people who practice disobedience.
Again, Galatians 3:13MGS Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”?
I submit to your spiritual understanding that if you are in Jesus Christ, the blessings of God are yours!
Jesus bore, Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
The writer of lamentations said that God's mercies are new every morning. Listen to,
Lamentations 3:21-23NKJV This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. 22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
The Hebrew word for ‘new’ doesn't just mean again and again. -It means different. God’s mercies are different every morning.
This is its actual meaning, Today’s mercy is different from yesterday's mercy, which is different from the mercy of the day before that.
Illustration: If you truly want to appreciate the mercies of God, take out a calculator. Multiply your age by 365 days; then add the number of days since your last birthday period.
Mine is, 21,900 days. Plus the days since my last birthday is, 320 days ago. Grand Total of: 22,220 days!
Listen to me, “Each day's mercy is a never to be repeated miracle!”
There never has been, and never will be, anyone like you. But this isn't a testament to you. It's a testament to the God who created you. And the significance of that is; no one can worship God like you, or for you.
When we sing a song like, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”, we may be singing the same words, but we are singing a very different song.
If Blessing had a first name, I would call it, ‘favor.’ If Blessing had a last name, I would call it, ‘anointing.’
So remember, The blessings and favor of God have become your spiritual umbrella.
The favor of God is the X factor.
And God's anointing is the difference between the best you can do, and the best God can do.
It's gifting beyond natural ability! It’s Him in you.
God has been faithful to me in thousands of different ways. How about you? Can I get a witness? Decide today to live under the, Umbrella Blessing!
Benediction: I want you to consider this your altar call: If you want His blessings, If you want to truly follow the King, this altar is for you.
