Releasing Blessing
Taking Ground

1 Peter 3:8-9; Ge 27:18–33

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. - (1 Pe 3:8–9).

“Stop cursing ground I’ve called you to bless!”

18 So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” 20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 25 Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and 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 and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,

“See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!
28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” 32 His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”

(Ge 27:18–33)

Three Thoughts Concerning Blessings

1) Your Words Carry Weight

5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. 9 Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10 And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”
(Ge 27:5–13).

- Our Words Are Alive
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Pr 18:21)

A Blessing - a word of divine favor spoken towards a person, place or thing

A Curse - a word of divine harm spoken towards a person, place or thing

- Our Words Are Active

Our Words are Authoritative

2) Your Words Create Atmospheres

And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed! 28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.

Scripture teaches us that there are things you pray over, things you prophesy over and things you bless

Prayer - Petition for divine intervention in present circumstances

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer (petition) and supplication (intercession). To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, (Eph 6:16–18).

Prophesy - Speaking heaven’s word over a present or future circumstance

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Pe 1:21)

Blessing - A Binding word of divine favor spoken upon a person, place or thing

A blessing sets an atmosphere around a person, place or thing by speaking favorably towards it. And atmospheres attract.

(Nu 6:24–26) The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Rabbic teaching, Bless means "to shine the face"

3) Our Words Can Be Reinforced Or Renounced

“Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”

4 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. (2 Co 4:1–2).

Repent - Complete change of heart
Renounce - to cast away, reject or disavow
Restate - to state again, as should have been said

8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. - (1 Pe 3:8–9).

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

— JOHN 20:19-22 (ESV)


THE PRAYER
Self-quarantined, behind locked doors under their fear of death, the disciples were unlikely candidates for one of the greatest revivals in human history. This revival would sweep through Jerusalem and travel to most every city in the Roman Empire. We actually find ourselves in a similar place today. Like the disciples, we are battling fear and despair as we are distanced and quarantined in cities around the world. Yet, the same Jesus who walked through walls 2,000 years ago is even now walking through walls of our lockdowns today. He has come to revive our faith and strengthen our resolve for the battles ahead. His words have not changed: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”

Lord, we are thankful that even in those cities where church buildings are locked up, it is impossible to lock You out! There is no physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental barrier Your loving power cannot penetrate. Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, fill us with Your peace. Send us afresh into the harvest fields with the passion of Your love and the power of Your S¬¬pirit. Bring us out of the mire and into Your mission, we pray, for we are standing at the dawn of a brand-new day.

Lord, we have fought for breath month after month. For some of us, it has been physical. But for others, it has been social, ethnic, and economic. When You walked into the locked-down lives of Your disciples, You didn’t come with mere words. You breathed Your very Spirit into them. We are thankful! We, too, are desperate for fresh breath, and You are our only hope.

Breathe on us! Breathe on us! Breathe on us, we pray! Refresh our spirits and ignite our faith! Revive Your Church through a fresh outpouring of Your Spirit, which will shatter the gates of Hell and transform our nations. Drive back COVID through the blast of Your breath and heal our broken communities. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.