Words are extremely powerful tools and can be used used to build up or tear down. Words can encourage or discourage, heal or wound, bless or curse. This is revealed in
Proverbs 18-21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue…", and
James 3:8-10, "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therefore bless we God, even (Gr. which is) the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."
Words are powerful, indeed, whether or not we ever fully comprehend this power is irrelevant. The fact remains that it places us with a tremendous responsibility to say the right things…that which will build up, encourage, heal, and bless.
Unfortunately, some have neglected their responsibility. How many have heard, "You're stupid! You're ugly! You look just like your no-good daddy...he never amounted to anything, and neither will you! Why can't you be like so and so? Get away from me, boy! Shut up and sit down...you're bothering me!” The words spoken in haste, anger, fatigue, and bitterness are remembered long after the individual is dead and gone. Though they are no longer present, their words remain for a lifetime.
The word 'bless' means to
endow, favor, or enrich; a prayer, asking for divine favor; invoking God’s favor. In today’s society, a lot of time is spent on naming a child. Some parents will agonize for months, buying books on names, asking for advice, and often will make the final decision based solely on how well it fits with the last name.
This wasn't the case in days gone by. People who lived in biblical times did not have last names, so that was something that never entered into the picture. To them, a name meant something, and usually depicted the event of birth, or explained what the child was to be in life (Moses:
to draw out; Samuel:
asked of God; Judah:
praise; Ichabod:
the glory is departed). We are able to see by this that children were often blessed or cursed at birth simply by the name chosen for them.
The biblical examples of blessing were ceremonies which were for the purpose of instilling faith and committing the promises of God to their offspring. The blessings and promises were part of their inheritance, with the eldest having the right hand placed on his head.
The time of blessing was a momentous occasion, and was not something to be taken lightly. When Isaac realized that he mistakenly blessed the deceiving Jacob, he trembled greatly, and Esau sought to kill his brother over it (
Genesis 27:26-31). Their mother, Rachel, connived to steal one son's blessing to give to another, not only favoring one child over another, she practically ordered Jacob to lie to his father (vs. 8-13).
Genesis 48:1-20 describes the blessing of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, by their grandfather, Jacob. When Jacob crossed his hands, blessing Ephraim with his right hand, it displeased Joseph, as Manasseh was the firstborn. The right hand blessing displayed the destiny of life of an individual. In extending Ephraim the right hand blessing, Jacob spoke prophetically into his life, again setting one brother before another (48:14-19). The tradition continued as a dying Jacob blessed his sons, and gave final instruction regarding his burial (49:1-33).
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