"Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”" (Genesis 27:2)
The FBI once conducted a study on several kids that killed their classmates in some little towns of America. They discovered that all the kids had something in common, a bad relationship with their fathers.
Many other studies have shown that there is a primal need in the heart of everyone for the love, acceptance, approval, presence, involvement and spoken belief of a father. The absence of these shows up in unpleasant ways in children who lack it. Apart from these emotional factors contributed to children’s lives by a father, there is also a spiritual force that fathers possess that can enhance the lives of their children. This is the father’s blessing.
In our text today, Isaac recognizing that he had the authority to bless his children sent Esau to prepare food for him so that Esau’s service could provoke this ability to bless. We will be studying this passage for the next few days but today our meditation will be on what the father’s blessing is.
To understand the father’s blessing, there are two laws you must understand. The first is the law governing sources and offspring. The law states that the offspring must stay connected to its source because the source of a thing also contains its sustenance. A river that gets cut off from its source eventually runs dry. A plant uprooted from the ground will wither and die. There must always remain an intact connection between the offspring and its source for effective functioning.
The second law is the law of authority. Every position has authority inherent in it that God honors, regardless of who occupies it. For example, no matter who the president is, the presidency must be honored and the authority inherent in the position holds when it is invoked by the president.
These two laws govern the father-child relationship too. A child must stay connected to his father or he or she will live under a curse. Fathers also have inherent in their position as sources, the ability to bless their offspring. God who respects authority that He has established will honor whatever a father utters over his children in blessing. This is the reason why the first commandment with a promise was regarding the proper treatment of sources.
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”" (Ephesians 6:1-2)
The proper treatment of sources, both spiritual and natural, will ensure that you live a life that is well and prolonged.
This was what Isaac was planning to do. He had received the blessing from his father, now he was about to pass it on to his child. But it had to be provoked with honor and service.
The blessing of a father is indispensable. If you are a child, don’t live without it. Crave it like Jacob did. "Scheme" for it if you will. Ask your pastor and parents to speak words of blessings on your life. Provoke it by service and honor. When it comes on your life, it will be worth it. It will be the difference between a life of frustration and a successful one. If you are a father or pastor, bless your children and spiritual wards. Consciously speak words of blessings over their lives. Exercise your God-given authority to enhance the lives of your offshoots. You will be leaving a legacy.
Decision of the Day
I understand the value of a father’s blessing. From this day, I will watch out for it. I will crave it. I will plan for it and ask for it. I will honor my parents and pastors. I will position myself to be enhanced by the God-given authority in their position. My life will be blessed.
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