The Greatest Blessing For Our Family

I suppose every parent here today can relate to the question, at some point, what does the future hold for my child? In fact most parents worry about it more than our children do.

It’s kind of like the story of the father that came home one day and found out his child had been watching TV all day and he said to them if you are ever going to amount to anything in your life you are going to have to get your face out of the TV set. When Abraham Lincoln was your age he chopped wood all day and did his chores. The child looked up at the father and said Yep and when he was your age he was President!

Parents in the Bible believed that there was something that they could do that would profoundly impact the lives of their children, it was called a blessing. Each child was given a general blessing and the firstborn was given a special blessing. How important was this blessing to them? We all know the story of Isaac giving a blessing to his sons Jacob and Esau. As we remember Esau was the firstborn and was to receive the firstborn’s blessing, but Jacob deceived his father.

Genesis 27:24-34 (NKJV)

24 Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.”

25 He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” 27 And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:

“Surely, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed.

28 Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth,

And plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.

Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s son’s bow down to you.

Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!”

30 Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also had made savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.”

32 And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”

So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed.” 34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father

I feel that this world needs to wake up and recognize the need of every child to receive a blessing. God designed us to live under a blessing, and that’s how we function best. Jesus recognized that and demonstrated His knowledge of the genuine need for children to be blessed. Remember when the little children were trying to come to Jesus and the Disciples thought He was too busy to be interrupted by these children and their problems.

Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)

13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

All God’s children want to know that their parents believe in them, that they have a future, that they are loved and special.

Genesis 1:27-28 (NIV)

27 So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”