Bless Me Indeed #2 (Meaning of Bless in Hebrew)

Bless Me Indeed #2 (Four Part Teaching)

(Meaning of Bless in Hebrew)

Please read part #1 as it will give you a foundation for this teaching.

Abraham the first of the forefather had the Lord bow His knee to him (bless him) and helped him to become as He is. He blessed Abraham and then said to him you will become as I am: "you will be a blessing to many nations". We see with Abraham the same concept of the Lord blessing him first and then Abraham bearing fruit and becoming a blessing to many.

Genesis 12:1-3 NASB Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so (therefore) you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Four times the Lord mentions "blessing" (bowing the knee) as He speaks to Abraham.

1. I will bless you.

2. As a result you will bless others.

3. I will bless those who bless you.

4. In you all the families of the Earth will be blessed.

We see a progression here. The Lord was saying to Abraham, in order for you to be able to give to others, I will give you first. Therefore, I will bless you, and as a result you will bless others with what I have put in you and who I have made you. I will also bless the ones who bless you back with what you have sown in their lives.

Meaning, as you bless others and they bless you back, I am going to bless them for yielding the fruits you have sown in them. As a result, ALL (not some) of the families of the Earth will be blessed in you. You are the one I chose to start a new family on the Earth. From My blessing in your life and the seed which I will sow in you, you will sow back, get a return and I will then bless them, and expand My Kingdom.

What did the Lord mean when He spoke to Abraham about blessing him and Abraham blessing the families of the Earth?

The Lord said to Abraham:

1. I will bless you – I will bow My knee to you. I will come to you as a servant. I will pour out into your life who I am. I will reveal to you who I am.

2. As a result you will be a blessing to others. You will become as I am and you will bow the knee to others to serve them and to reveal to them who I am in you.

3. Then, I will bow My knee to those who bow the knee to you. I will serve and reveal who I am to those who give you back My nature which you sowed in them.

4. This will lead to an expansion of My nature in all the families of the Earth. In you I will bow My knee to all the families of the Earth and serve them.

This is exactly what Yeshua has done as a servant. In Him all the families of the Earth were indeed blessed. He bowed down His knee, died for the sin of every human being and showed His children what it means to be a blessing to others.

Matthew 20:26-28 NASB "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The Lord's blessings (bowing the knee) to Abraham came with telling him to leave his country, his birth place and his father's house to an unfamiliar country. Leave your identity, what's familiar and known to you, your comfort zone, and follow Me to a new country you do not know. Let go of who you think you are, where you think you belong and who you think is your family, and I will show you who you really are as I give you your inheritance - Myself.

In Messiah, God is the One who blesses and gives FIRST, in order to set an example for us and help us bear these same fruits. He sows who He is in our heart first, and then we can bear the fruit He fed us with - whatever that fruit you cannot bear yet.

Change cannot come unless the Lord reveals His nature, His identity, His image, His face, to you. After you taste who He is for you, you will start becoming as He is.

Religion bears fruits by our own DOING - giving without BEING in the Lord and allowing Him to feed, give, pour out, bow down and serve us. In other words, the personal experience of who the Lord really is for us is missing but we still try to bear fruit on our own. We are driven by wanting to do for Him before we let Him bless us first.

Yeshua testified of this truth saying…

John 5:19-20 NASB Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.

Works, any works, not only miracles, is first originated and shown by the Father, so the son can become as He is. A believer who wants a relationship with the Lord will want to know who the Lord IS before focusing on what he can DO. A follower who wants to DO first will focus on the DOING and not on BECOMING as the Father. Remember those who prophesied in His name, and did miracles in His name? Yeshua says to them "I never knew you". In other words, you were interested only in what I can give you – power, but not in Me and who I am. Your hearts never changed. God is not interested in our DOING first, but in our BEING in Him, knowing Him, and as a result becoming as He is. Then, after we BECOME, we can DO. It will be a natural part of who we are in Him. We will do because we were transformed by revealing who He is for us as a servant.

There is a DOING that is done through our flesh and it does not bring transformation and change in our heart. This kind of giving exhausts you, makes you complain about it, and you give because you have to or because it is the right thing to do, but it is not a giving that comes from a transformed and renewed mind. This giving does not come out of a personal revelation of who the Lord is for you as a giver. (I am not focusing on giving money, but giving yourself).

There is NOTHING I can do or give, if I do not let the Lord sow His giving in my heart first. He blesses us so we will bless others. In other words, if for example, I have a financial need and I keep giving more and more I might reap more money because it is a law the Lord established. However, my giving will never bring a change in my heart. I can keep giving more and more of my abundance and my financial life will be changed, my possessions will increase, but my own works can never transform me.

A transformed heart always begins with encountering the Lord and having Him as our example. It is not enough to read about His example in His book, His word needs to become ALIVE in our life. We need to LIVE in His example. The word of God is a living word and the Lord makes it alive in our hearts as He takes us through a journey with Him and personally reveals Himself to us. We want to give back to the Lord what He sowed in our hearts - a transformed heart that becomes as He is. We can only give back a Lamb - Jesus in you.

Melchizedek gave to Abraham, and as a result Abraham yielded fruit and gave him back a portion (tenth).

When Melchizedek the king of Salem blessed Abram, he brought forth bread (flesh, body) and wine (blood). He came as a servant to Abram. As the type of our Lord Yeshua He came to bless Abram - give His flesh and blood and lay down His life so Abram will be the one who will also become a blessing to all the nations.

After Melchizedek brought the bread and wine and blessed Abram, Abram gave him back a portion of ALL. Abraham yielded fruit and gave it from his heart.

Hebrews 7:2 MKJV To him Abraham also gave a tenth of all. He was first by interpretation king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem, which is king of peace,

This is our relationship with the Lord. He pours out into our life (blesses) and we give Him back a portion of Himself in us. We love Him back with the love that He shows us first. The Lord does not expect us to love Him with the same measure He loves us. However, He does give us the freedom to give Him back a measure of who He is in us. Since the Kingdom of God is like yeast, the Lord will make sure that measure grows as we give and feed others with what the Lord fed us. He always feeds us with Himself and helps us to give Him His fruits in our heart.

Hebrews 7:6-7 NLT But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. 7 And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.

The Greater gave a blessing (bowed down, laid his life) to the lesser by becoming a servant, so the lesser will do the same.

The bowing of the knee (blessing) to others has to do with NOT regarding them with contempt and NOT judging them. This is who the Lord is with sinners. In the letter to the Romans Paul mentioned bowing the knee in relation to judging and contempt: "every knee will bow to Him and every tongue will give praise to God (Rom 14:9-13).

Paul was saying, why do you open your mouth and with your tongue you judge one another and think you are better? Why don't you bow the knee to the Lord who is the Judge who brings justice? They were judging one another which means seeking revenge. (see the study on Revenge "Wake Up Sleeper).

Paul was saying to them, don't you know that you will give an account to God for judging and dealing with contempt? Don't you know that every knee, even yours, will bow down to Him (who has bowed His knee to you)? Don't you know that every tongue, even yours, will confess Him as Lord (the One who did not open His mouth)?

In other words, the Lord came down to your mess, to your darkness, and did not judge you for it or looked at you with contempt, then why do you do it to others who are just as messed up as you? You are not better. (See the teaching "Dead Fish Stink").

Romans 14:9-13 NASB For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." 12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

When we judge, look at a brother with contempt, or put a stumbling block before him, we bow the knee, but not to the Lord. This is a service unto the enemy. We become as the accuser is.

The Lord bowed His knee low in obedience. Paul mentions to the church in Philippi that the Lord humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. He went through brutal death on the cross and paid the price of sin for all humanity.

Because he humbled Himself in obedience and laid down His life (served, blessed) God has highly exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name. Therefore at His name every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is the authority. The One who bowed His knee to all the families of the Earth, is the One to whom all will bow down low and their tongues will no longer have the authority to speak evil and accuse.

Philippians 2:8-12 NASB 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (He bowed His knee very low). 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

The bowing of the knee (blessing) always comes with an increase. This is why when the Lord speaks about blessings He mentions something more, an enlargement, an increase, growth, and a closer walk with Him.

Receiving a blessing from the Lord is always for the purpose of increase and multiplication. God blesses us (bows the knee) so we can become as He is and bless (bow the knee to) others who will be able to do the same to others. One generation passes on the heart of the Lord to the next.

This is why when the Lord blessed Abraham, He also increased him. The bowing down of the knee came with an increase.

Isaiah 51:2 MKJV Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.

Deuteronomy 7:13 NASB "He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.

Creation began with the Lord coming down to the darkness to bring His light. He created living creatures on the fifth day and blessed them. His blessing came with His desire for them to be fruitful, to multiply and to fill the waters and earth. Then He created man and blessed them with the ability to be fruitful, to multiply, to fill the Earth, to subdue it and to rule.

Genesis 1:28 NASB God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

These blessings did not come just by speaking them into their life. The Lord laid down His life for them as a Servant of all. This is why the Bible says that He was slain from the foundation of the Earth. His death blessed them with life, the ability to multiply and increase, and the power to subdue and rule. In His death He gave them authority and power. The man and the woman were made kings with their own domain (territory).

The Lord's blessings for them were not only about multiplication, but about dominion. This means He had to pour out unto them Himself as the One with authority and dominion over all. Since we know that the Lord leads by example, He had to feed them with fruits of rulership and leadership (seeing Him as Lord) so they would be able to bear such fruits and reign over the Earth. This is what He had done with His disciples as He cast out demons and healed the sick, rebuked the storm and walked on water. He showed His disciples how to rule and reign as the leaders of Earth. When they saw His example they marveled. They had never known or seen what it means to have dominion over the Earth and everything in it.

This is what we are learning as well. It is only the Lord who can show and teach us by example how to rule over the Earth. The blessings Adam and his wife were blessed with, were given back to us through Messiah. He wants us to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." How do we do that? We follow Him so He can teach us authority and by our own experiences with Him we will know who He is and who we are in Him.

Jabez was a man who wanted the Lord's blessings. He knew the blessings include the enlargement of his border, the hand of the Lord being with him, and keeping him from evil so he would not (respond) in his anger. God answered his prayer.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 MKJV 9 And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. And his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bore him with sorrow. 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that You would bless me indeed, and make my border larger, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, so that it may not grieve me (make me vexed, angry, sad, worship idols)! And God granted him that which he asked.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 HOT 9 ויהי יעבץ נכבד מאחיו ואמו קראה שׁמו יעבץ לאמר כי ילדתי בעצב׃ 10 ויקרא יעבץ לאלהי ישׂראל לאמר אם־ברך תברכני והרבית את־גבולי והיתה ידך עמי ועשׂית מרעה לבלתי עצבי ויבא אלהים את אשׁר־שׁאל׃

Jabez wanted the blessings of God because he had issues in his life. Imagine knowing all his life that he caused his mother's pain. I do not think his mother liked him much if that's the name she gave him. Whenever he heard his name he heard in his own name the accusation of causing pain. "Hey, The One Who Causes Pain, dinner is ready" – that does not sound good. That name became his identity. "I am the one who causes pain".

Jabez wanted God to bless him indeed. He actually asked for the Lord to come down (bend the knee) to his darkness and bring healing to his heart by personally knowing and experiencing God doe himself. He wanted to experience God's love so he can love back.

According to his prayer Jabez wanted the blessing of having the border of his heart enlarged so he can love more. This guy was seriously wounded in his heart. He wanted the blessing of God's hand of power to be with him because he probably had to deal with others mocking, or abusing him for his name and is low self esteem. Jabez also asked the Lord to keep him from evil so he does not get angry, grieved, or worship idols in his heart . It is obvious he had thoughts of revenge in his heart, bitterness, resentment, and hatred towards those who hurt and abused him. He did not want evil to rule and come out of his heart. God answered his prayer.

Our Father always answers prayers like that. There is nothing more He wants for His children than to have their hearts healed from wounds so they can LOVE Him back with the love he shows them. He even wants us to love our enemies.

Our Father's blessings (bowing His knee and coming down to our darkness) come with more of Him as our inheritance. His blessings leave us with the choice to let go of the confidence in our own ways and inherit more of Him in our hearts so we can love as He does. The increase in our hearts is always the ability and the willingness to give to the Lord more and more of who He is for us and in us, to receive it and give it back to Him. It is the ability to bear more and more of His fruits in us.

Next part on "Bless Me Indeed" will come soon…

God bless you indeed,

Elana