Herbert W Armstrong

   And if you're like me, and I imagine many of you are, you probably don't give a great deal of thought to what you really mean by 'all of your wonderful blessings.' When you say that to God, you probably are not too specific about it. As a matter of fact, chances are that if I would ask you to think about the blessings that God has bestowed upon you or sent your way, many of us, or each of us, would come up with things that are different. Blessings are different things to different people.

   Many times we think about them as something good - I guess always we do. 'Blessing' is sort of synonymous with something good, something that we would like to have, something that makes us feel good, something that keeps us from having problems and difficulties.

   You know, there are two whole chapters in the Bible devoted to cursing on the one hand for disobedience, and blessings on the other hand for obedience that were given to Israel. 'Blessings,' 'bless,' 'blessed' - those words are used many, many times throughout the Scriptures from front to back.

   Our blessing is something good we receive from God, like in Malachi 3 and verse 10 (Malachi 3:10). God says there, "Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Eternal host, if I will not open up or open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall be not room enough to receive it." And in our mind's eye, when we read that scripture, we can almost see the windows of heaven open up and the coins just come showering down like a heavy rain. We always think of something like that because here is a blessing that we, as human beings and carnal-natured human beings at that, sort of equate a blessing to be riches, wealth, plenty of money. Because with money, we feel like we can get everything else that we need or acquire something else that we might turn to be a blessing.

   And then a blessing is something special God did to the Sabbath, like in Exodus 20 when He said He blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. I won't turn there; we are familiar with the fourth commandment. But in Hebrews, the fourth chapter, He goes on to talk more about that. He put His presence in there, and He rested on that day, and there's a Sabbath of rest for us. And the Sabbath pictures that, and that's a blessing. And there is yet to be a Sabbath of rest for God's people, it says in Hebrews 4 chapter. So it's something special God did to the Sabbath day - a blessing. He blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

   And a blessing is something that David did or said to God in Psalm 16. Let's turn there. Psalm 16 and verse 7 (Psalm 16:7): "I will bless the eternal who has given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in night seasons. I have set the Eternal always before me because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." And so it's something that God did. He blessed God with whatever that might mean in your own mind - singing praises to Him in Psalms and praying to Him in thanksgiving. It's called a blessing that He gave to God or to the Eternal.

   And a blessing is something that we're to do to others when they do bad to us in Romans 12 and verse 14. Romans 12 and verse 14, something we're to do when someone else does something to us (Romans 12:14): "Bless them which persecute you, bless and curse not." So a blessing is something that we do, some restraint that we put upon ourselves, perhaps when we're reviled or persecuted or someone does something bad to us. That's a blessing if we can exercise that restraint.

   And a blessing is something which sometimes is bad for us - that is, we feel that it is. It's something sometimes which is unpleasant. And many times, I'm sure many of us think that blessings that we receive might even be curses. But we don't look at them that way - they are really blessings in disguise, brethren. But most of us seldom think about the blessings that we receive that seem to be, in our mind's eye, curses as blessings. We just don't do that. We always think of a blessing and the connotation that comes to our mind is something good, something that would make me enjoy better, life better, something that would take troubles and trials from my mind or give me comfort or something like that. That's what we equate with blessings.

   What do you expect blessings to be like? Now God's people were promised blessings for obedience back there in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. And yet many in God's church feel they only receive cursing for obedience. I've heard people say, "I don't understand why I have so many problems and why I have so many troubles and why I have so many trials. I obey God." Well, maybe we just think those curses are curses instead of being blessings in disguise.

   Now, during the Old Testament times, the patriarchs pronounced blessings upon their children, upon their progeny. And God looked at those blessings with a great deal of - what should I say? Well, He was concerned about them. He made them binding. Let's notice some examples. He honored those things that were spoken and uttered by the patriarchs when they pronounced the blessing upon people. And He bound those things, and they carried over throughout the lives of those people that He pronounced blessings on.

   Let's turn to Genesis 17 and notice some different blessings. Here, on the one hand, we'll see that the blessing that God in this case gave to Isaac was going to be tremendously different than the blessing that God gave to Ishmael - both children of Abraham, but Isaac was the chosen one. Isaac was the one to whom God was going to deal and raise up a nation to be His people, and not Ishmael. Ishmael was Abraham's son by Sarah's handmaid. But the blessing was still given or pronounced on Ishmael.

   And beginning in verse 19 of Genesis 17 (Genesis 17:19-20): "And God said, 'Sarah, thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him.'" Now, that's a blessing. Even though the word is not used there, that was the blessing that God was going to bestow upon Abraham's seed Isaac.

   "And as for Ishmael," verse 20, "I have heard you," because Abraham asked if he could have a blessing for his son Ishmael - he had love and compassion for Ishmael. After all, it was still his progeny, and he wanted him to have a blessing. And He says, "As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, now there has pronounced the blessing and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. And my covenant but my covenant will I establish with Isaac." Two different types of blessings here that God Himself pronounced because He was speaking here to Abraham. Verse 19 says, "And God said," and God blessed those two with different blessings.

   And Ishmael indeed - history bears out the fact that he did have 12 princes, and he did become a great nation, and the Arabs are the descendants of Ishmael. And we know about Isaac, what happened to Isaac. And that blessing was a bound thing in the mind of God. I mean, it was inexorable. He didn't change it. When it was pronounced and given, it carried on throughout eternity, as it were, throughout their age and their lifetime and his progeny after him, on down even through today. That blessing, that promise, that thing that was given by God to those two still goes on. It has great meaning for God when someone pronounces a blessing.

   Notice another example in Genesis 27. Now, in this case, Isaac himself is pronouncing this blessing. But it's just as though God was saying it because God bound it. God reckoned it as though it had come from His own lips. And I'm sure Isaac was inspired to say it from God.

   Genesis 27, beginning in verse 1 (Genesis 27:1): "And it came to pass that when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau, his eldest son, and said unto him, 'My son.' And he said unto him, 'Behold, here am I.' And he said, 'Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death. Now therefore take, I pray you, your weapon, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and take me some venison and make me savory meat such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless thee before I die.'"

   And so here Isaac, knowing he was going to die, just inspired by God, knew that he was to pass on a blessing to his children, to his sons. And we know the story then, going on to verse 20: "And Isaac said unto his son, 'How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?'" We know the deception that Jacob pulled at the behest of his mother. Jacob lied. Jacob deceived Esau who was having trouble with his eyesight, and he deceived him because Jacob knew the importance of that blessing to the eldest. Jacob wanted that blessing. It was a fantastic thing that he did not want to go without. And so he deceived and he conspired and went around to get that blessing that should have been Esau's perhaps.

   And he goes on, he says, and Jacob said unto his father, verse 19 (Genesis 27:19): "I am Esau, your firstborn." He just flat lied about that. "I have done according as you bade me. Arise, I pray you, sit and eat of my venison, that my soul may bless, that your soul may bless me."

   Now, while Esau was out getting the deer, here Jacob comes in with, I think it was a goat or a lamb or something that he prepared real quickly so that he could get it all done - all his chicanery done before Esau returned. And Isaac said unto his son, verse 20 (Genesis 27:20): "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because the Eternal your God brought it to me."

   And now notice verse 21 (Genesis 27:21): "And Isaac said unto Jacob, 'Come near, I pray you, that I may feel you, my son, whether you be my very son Esau or not.'" Isaac doubted. And Jacob went near unto Isaac, his father, and he felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau," because Jacob had put on some of the fur and made it look like he had very hairy hands. "And he discerned him not because his hands were hairy as his brother Esau's hands. So he blessed him."

   And so Isaac pronounced upon Jacob a blessing that should have gone to Esau. Well, verse 28 - and here it is, backing up to verse 27 (Genesis 27:27-28): "And he came near and kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his raiment and blessed him and said, 'See, the smell of my son is as the smell of the field which the Eternal has blessed. Therefore God give you of the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of corn and wine. Let people serve you and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brethren and let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone that curses you, and blessed be he that blesses you.'"

   And so here Jacob went around and got the blessing rightfully due to Esau from his father Isaac. And that blessing was pronounced there from Isaac's lips, and God heard that, and God bound that because it came to pass, and it was an important thing.

   Verse 30, let's read it (Genesis 27:30): "And it came to pass as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from the hunting." And now verse 33 (Genesis 27:33), notice it very carefully: "And Isaac trembled very exceedingly and said, 'Who? Where is he that has taken venison and brought it to me? And I have eaten of all before you came and have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.'"

   And you see, Isaac did what he thought was supposed to have been done. He thought he was blessing Esau. But when he pronounced those words on Jacob instead of Esau, he got the blessing and it was blessed and couldn't be undone. God held that blessing very, very importantly in His mind. He wasn't going to back down. Now, God knew that the deception was taking place. God certainly could have changed it. I'm sure He had a reason not to. And we all know the history, but He could have changed it, but He didn't change it. And that blessing held and it stayed with those two sons throughout their lives and the lives of their progeny.

   Let's read on though, verse 34 (Genesis 27:34): "And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry and said unto his father, 'Bless me, even me also, O my father.' And he said, 'Your brother came with subtlety and has taken away your blessing.' And he said, 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.'" All of these men knew the importance of that blessing. "And he said, 'Have you not reserved a blessing for me?'

   And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, "Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants, and with corn and wine have I sustained him. And what shall I do now unto you, my son?" And Esau said unto his father, have you not, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father!" And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

   An important thing here, and I want to emphasize that. And Isaac, his father, answered and said unto him, "Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above, and by your sword shall you live and shall serve your brother. And it shall come to pass when you shall have dominion that you shall break his yoke from off your neck."

   "And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, 'The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then will I slay my brother Jacob.'" Yes, this blessing that Jacob stole away from Esau was an important thing, even to engendering hatred between the two to the point that Esau even said that he was going to kill Jacob as a result. And we know prophetically that that came to pass - Esau and Jacob became exactly what that blessing said was going to happen. God held it as an important thing, and it was pronounced by Isaac, and as though it was said by God's own lips, and that happened from then on, brethren.

   Genesis 28, reading on a little further about that, verse 1 (Genesis 28:1): "And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him and said unto him, 'You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father, and take you a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee.'" Now, this is Isaac talking to Jacob now. "'And make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be a multitude of people, and give you the blessing of Abraham to you and to your seed with you, that you may inherit the land wherein you are a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.'"

   So Jacob got that fantastic blessing that should have rightfully been Esau's, and God allowed it to happen. God could have stopped it. But even after those words were pronounced and that blessing was given by Isaac, God bound that and honored that, and it stayed with them all the rest of their lives.

   Notice verse 13 of that same chapter, chapter 28 (Genesis 28:13): "And behold, the Eternal stood above it and said, 'I am the Eternal God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. And the land whereon you lie, to you will I give it and to your seed, and your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'" And that fantastic blessing goes on today.

   Yes, brethren. Notice also in Genesis 48, when Jacob's turn came to die. Genesis 48 - I might have said 28. Genesis 48 (Genesis 48:1-3): "It came time for him to pass on the blessings of God that he received on to his children, verse 3. "And Jacob said unto Joseph, 'God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me and said unto me, "Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make you a multitude of people, and I will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession." And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto you in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee in Egypt, are mine. As Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.'"

   So he inherited those two sons there. And in verse 15 (Genesis 48:15): "And he blessed Joseph and said, 'God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named upon them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'"

   And so this blessing was pronounced upon Joseph. And now notice in verse 49, chapter 49, excuse me, verse, verse 28 (Genesis 49:28): "All these are the 12 tribes of Israel." He went on to pronounce a blessing on all of these, his children, and told them what would be happening in their lives and to their progeny after them. And then he concludes: "All these are the 12 tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father has spoken to them and blessed them, everyone according to his blessing." He blessed them, and prophetically through time, and checking back through history, we can tell that those blessings came to pass - those blessings came to pass and those things which were pronounced as a blessing by Jacob here, God bound more or less. He held them dear and He made them come to pass.

   One final Old Testament example which would show you the importance - and that's what I'm trying to emphasize, the importance of a blessing - is found with regard to Balaam, Numbers 22. Numbers 22:1: "And the Children of Israel set forward and pitched in the plains of Moab on the side of Jordan by Jericho. And Balak, the son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was sore afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, 'Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.' And Balak, the son of Zippor, was king of the Moabites at that time."

   Verse 5 (Numbers 22:5): "He sent messengers before unto Balaam, the son of Beor, at Pethor. Now Balaam was the greatest pagan prophet at the time, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, 'Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.'"

   Verse 6 (Numbers 22:6): "'Come now therefore, I pray you, curse me this people.'" Now, in this case here, the Moabites wanted a cursing placed upon Israel by this pagan priest, Balaam. "'Curse this people for they are too mighty for me. Peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them and that I may drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.'" Now they're talking to Balaam here, pagan prophet, and apparently he had the power to curse and to bless, except he didn't have the power to do it against God's will, as we shall note later on.

   Verse 12 (Numbers 22:12): "And God said unto Balaam," you know, he inquired of the Eternal and God told him not to do it. You're familiar with the story. "And God said unto Balaam, 'You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.'" Now, God had already blessed Israel, and Balaam wasn't about to change that blessing into a curse for the Moabites. God would not allow it. "They are blessed," God says.

   Now Numbers 23, going on over - he tried his best to help out the Moabites and reverse that which God had done, that is, bless them by causing them to be cursed. But he didn't succeed. Chapter 23, verse 11 (Numbers 23:11): "And Balak said unto Balaam, 'What have you done unto me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them altogether!'" So even though Balaam wanted to curse Israel at Balak's behest, it came out to be a blessing.

   And he answered and said, verse 12 (Numbers 23:12): "Must I not take heed to speak that which the Eternal has put in my mouth?" So Balaam couldn't go against what God had already made up His mind to do to Israel.

   Verse 13 (Numbers 23:13): "And Balak said unto him, 'Come, I pray you, with me unto another place from whence you may see them. You shall see but the utmost part of them and shall not see them all, and curse me them from thence.'" So he still was trying. Balak was trying to get Balaam to curse them.

   And now notice verse 20, but we'll begin in verse 19 (Numbers 23:119-20): "God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. Has He said and shall He not do it, or has He spoken or has He spoken and shall He not make it good?" Verse 20, notice now: "Behold, I have received commandment to bless, and He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it."

   Try to explain that - he was powerless in this case to change a blessing which God had already pronounced upon Israel, that there was no way that he, Balaam, the high priest of the pagans, could change that blessing. They have been blessed, and he said, "I cannot reverse it." So he was powerless against the blessing of God. God counted it a great thing and an important thing when a blessing was pronounced upon His people or upon anybody. And He made it come to pass. It just happened. It came to pass. Balaam could not reverse what God had already determined as a blessing upon Israel.

   Well, in the New Testament times, when Christ came on the scene, He pronounced many blessings upon His disciples, and in particular, on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. We're probably all very familiar with them, but let's look at some of them just the same. Matthew 5 - blessings, brethren, the same word, the same thing in God's mind and eyes as in the Old Testament, something that He holds dear and He's going to bring to pass. I don't see why He should change blessings.

   Chapter 5, verse 1 (Matthew 5:1-6): "And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain, and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.' Verse 6: 'Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.'"

   "Blessed," Christ says. "Rejoice," verse 12 (Matthew 5:12), "rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." And so here Christ, the first time He came on the scene after He had conquered Satan, takes His disciples aside into a mountain place and He pronounces blessings upon them.

   And I don't think we equate the blessings the same way that the emphasis was placed on those Old Testament examples. God made those blessings come to pass that He pronounced through the mouth of His patriarchs in the Old Testament times. Why should we think that God won't make these blessings come to pass? Is there a difference with God? Does He change? Shouldn't we expect the same things from these blessings pronounced upon His people in the New Testament as we know came to pass when the patriarchs, uttering to God's inspiration no doubt, pronounced blessings upon their progeny in the Old Testament?

   Well, I think we ought to. God hasn't changed. He says in Malachi 3 and verse 6 (Malachi 3:6): "I am the Eternal, I change not, therefore because of that, that the sons of Jacob are not consumed." Because He doesn't change, He'd wipe us all out, brethren. But He's already made promises. He is going to bring them to pass. And we can expect that. Can't we expect that God will still honor blessings? Can't we be assured then that it's a blessing to be persecuted? For Christ said, "Blessed are you when you are persecuted." Can't we be assured that that's a blessing?

   Now, that's contrary to human nature. But He says it's a blessing to be that. Can't we be assured that it's a blessing to be reviled and to have evil spoken of us for Christ's sake? Can we be assured that that's a blessing? God honored blessings in the Old Testament times and He made them come to pass. Should we expect anything different than that now in the New Testament times when He said, "Blessed are you when you are reviled, blessed are you when you're persecuted," and on and on He went?

   We read several things that are blessed which don't seem to be blessings in our carnal mind's eye. We just don't equate those things with blessings. We always think of the good things - that money pouring out from that window in heaven. We can see that - we can just see that open up, that window, and have coins all falling down right out of heaven. And that we equate with a blessing. But we just don't equate a blessing with persecution, or persecution with a blessing, maybe I should say. And we just don't equate reviling with a blessing. We just don't do it.

   Well, Job asked a dumb (quote, unquote) question. He says, "Shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evil?" You know, that's when his wife was putting him down because he had lost all of his family and all of his possessions because he was put into Satan's hand for a time. And his wife said, "Why don't you curse God and die?" And he says, "Should we just expect to receive good from God's hands and not evil?"

   Well, that sounds like a dumb question to the carnal human nature. You find that in Job 2 and verse 10 (Job 2:10), incidentally. I won't turn there. But he asked that dumb question: "Should we expect just to get good from God's hands and not evil?" Can't some evil in our minds (quote, unquote) be a blessing just the same?

   Well, I think we can. Job lost everything in that little trial and test that he underwent - everything he had. And he was a miserable human being with respect to physical health for many, many days. But in Job 42 and verse 12 (Job 42:12), God blessed him. Let's look at that.

   "And his end was greater than his beginning." Job 42 in verse 12: "So the Eternal blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning, for he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 she-asses. And he had seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first Jemima," and the second so on and so on. And God blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.

   And so he asked the dumb question: "Should we only expect good at God's hands and not evil?" Well, God doesn't want us to have evil, brethren. And that's not the point at all. But should we expect that things would be different today, as my question, than they were back in the Old Testament times? Is God the same today that He was then? Yes. "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever," says in Hebrews - the same, doesn't change.

   But we don't look at blessings that way like they were in the Old Testament times, but we were promised certain things in the scriptures - and maybe the word "blessing" wasn't there, but certain things we should expect. II Timothy, third chapter, and we just have to recognize some things with respect to what God is doing. II Timothy, the third chapter, verse 12 (II Timothy 3:12): "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted," or "shall suffer persecution." And Christ said in Matthew 5, "Blessed are you when you are persecuted."

   So if you're going to live a godly Christian life, you're going to be blessed because you're going to be persecuted. Now, that sounds almost paradoxical, doesn't it? Because human nature doesn't like to think that way - just contrary to the way we are.

   And many things - Paul had many trials in II Corinthians 11 and 24 to 28 where he goes through all of his trials. I won't turn there for lack of time. But in Acts 9, when Paul was stricken blind and being called by God and set apart to do a work for God, let's look at that one. Notice what God told him - said, "You better expect some things, Paul," I'm paraphrasing it, but maybe the emphasis will be better said - "You better expect some things, Paul, I'm gonna use you."

   Verse 15, Acts 9 (Acts 9:15): "But the Eternal said unto him, 'Go your way, for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel, for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.'" Yes, Paul was told, "Look, expect to suffer, Paul. You're going to be used by me." And that's a blessing, brethren. That's what Christ said - it's a blessing to suffer. And so Paul had to look forward to those things. He was told by God to expect that it's going to happen.

   But what would life be like without problems? Huh? I can tell you the answer already that most of you would like to say: "I don't know, but I sure would like to try it for a while." Right? Yeah. But that one doesn't count, brethren. That answer doesn't count. I imagine - and I don't know this because I don't think I've ever experienced it either - that you'd get bored after a while. Really? That sounds terrible, maybe. But I really think that after a while, if nothing ever happened and everything was just rolling around heaven all day or laying down like a dog who doesn't have a thing in the world to worry about except sleep and eat and be petted by its master and wag its tail... My, I think that would be just definitely boring.

   Now, I'm not saying that I welcome problems, and I'm no different than you in that regard. We don't welcome problems. That's just contrary to human nature too. But the thing that we've got to remember, brethren, is what God is doing with us. The most important thing to remember - and I want you to make a note of this, please, or write it down and put it in your mind - is that God's ultimate purpose is to make us sons in His family, and He knows what we need to qualify.

   Now, we don't think He does. And we think the things that He sends our way for us to grow and overcome and develop and qualify are curses rather than blessings, but He knows what we need and what we need. And His ultimate purpose is to make us sons in His family. And if that takes a few quote-unquote "cursings," which are blessings in disguise, brethren, then that's what we need. That's what we need.

   Job needed them to qualify. God knew what he needed. Job was a righteous man - God says that more than once - but Job needed something, and we need something. I don't know what it is. God knows individually what you need and what I need to make it into His family and become a son, and those things, He's going to send our way. And if we think they're curses, well, that's just the way human beings think of it, but they're blessings, brethren, because God wants us to be in His family.

   And He's not all that concerned about what we seem to think are major problems. He's just not. He's not even all that concerned about death. He has the power over death, but those things are serious concerns for us. Major problems with us are not a concern with God because He knows what we need, and He sends our way the things that we need to be sons in His family. God sends blessings our way disguised as curses so that we can become qualified.

   Well, we have trouble doing some things that He calls blessings. We, as human beings with human nature, we just have trouble doing and accepting things that He calls blessings. Notice in Acts 20, Acts 20 verse 35 (Acts 20:35): "You probably haven't committed to memory - I have shown you all things how that so laboring ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Eternal or the Lord Jesus, how He said it is more blessed to give than to receive."

   And that's tough. You know, we struggle and we fight and we contend to eke out a living, and it seems like we can't ever make ends meet. That when we look - when it looks like we're going to just get ahead, then another trial, something happens. Right? The car craters, or we have to buy new tires, but everything is going along and we look like this payday we're going to have a few bucks ahead and the dryer quits. Right? That's the way it is, brethren.

   And it looks like we're struggling, always, constantly struggling to get ahead and eke out a living and survive. And then something comes that we as human beings don't accept as blessings. But Christ said, "It's more blessed to give than to receive." And so to give under those circumstances, that's tough for human beings, but it's still there, brethren.

   And I'm not speaking from experience - it's just as tough for me, but I know God's words too, and He says it's more blessed to give than to receive, and I believe it. And I've experienced it somewhat but probably not like I ought to have because I'm no different than you in that regard, brethren. But it's hard for human nature to accept. But that's a blessing. God says.

   Romans 12 and verse 14 (Romans 12:14), here's another one - hard blessings for humans to accept: "Bless them which persecute you, bless and curse not." That's tough. That's hard for human beings to do. That's hard for human nature to accept - not to fight back. That's just tough. We all want to make ourselves look good. We all want to get back at the other guy when he does something to us. But, that's not God's way. Christ said, "Do unto them as you would have them do unto you." That's the whole basis of Christ's teaching. Well, that's a blessing, but it's tough for us to do.

   And I Peter 3:9 just emphasizes it some more - that very thing. If I can find Peter here, I Peter 3:9 verse 8: "Finally, be you all of one mind, having compassion one for another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing, knowing that you are thereunto called that you should inherit a blessing." Inherit a blessing. Bless, don't curse, don't bite back. That's what Christ's way is, but that's tough for us to take.

   And there are many others. Even death to some people is a blessing. God says in Revelation 14:13 and in Isaiah 57:1, He says we don't understand that when the righteous are taken in death that they're taken from the trouble to come - to paraphrase it, and I have time to turn there, but check it out, Isaiah 57.

   But on the other hand, lest you think this is all negative, brethren, we have a great deal to be thankful for, of the things that we know and that we normally equate with blessings. And I don't want to overlook some of them.

   Romans 4, verse 7 and 8 (Romans 4:7-8): "Blessed are you if your sins are covered." Yes, brethren, we ought to be glad for that and thankful. Romans 4, verse 7: "Saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Eternal will not impute sin." We ought to be thankful. That is truly a blessing, brethren. We are covered from our guilt that would bring upon us the eternal death penalty.

   In John 20, verse 29 (John 20:28-29), we're blessed because we believe and haven't seen. You know, that's what Christ told Thomas, and it's tough sometimes because we look around and see so many things that are contrary to believing. And yet verse 28, John 20: " Jesus said unto him Thomas because you have seen me you have believed. Blessed are they, I bag your pardon, verse 28, and Thomas answered and said unto Him, 'My Lord and my God.'" Then verse 29: "Jesus said unto him, 'Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed.'" We haven't seen God. We haven't walked and talked with Christ, and yet we believe. And that's a blessing. And it's one of those that we understand about more than the quote-unquote "curses."

   And in James 1 in verse 12 (James 1:12), He says, "Blessed are those that endure temptation." Yes, that's a blessing when you can see a little bit of growth in yourself because you're tried and tested and you conquer that. It's a blessing, brethren. And we recognize that.

   In Revelation 19, verse 9 (Revelation 19:9), He said, "Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb." Yes. And we, in fact, are gonna be the bride, brethren. You know, uh, run out of time. Just can't, just can't do it. I would tell you a little story. But anyway, we're gonna be the bride, and at a wedding, the bride takes top priority, right? I mean, it's her day. Rather, it's going to be our day at the marriage supper of the Lamb - our day.

   But we're blessed to even be there. Revelation 22:7 and 14 says blessed are they that keep God's words, that obey God's way and go by His way of life. Blessed, brethren. We understand that and we recognize that as blessings, and we really ought to be truly thankful for those things.

   But on the other hand, let's don't forget God's purpose for you and for me. His purpose is to make us sons, and whatever it takes to make us sons, that's what He's going to give us. You know, I use that term very, very often in my work - whatever it takes to get the job done, that's what we do, whatever it takes. And that's the way God looks at it - whatever it takes to get the job done to make me His son, that's what He's going to do. Whatever it takes to get the job done to make you His son, that's what He's going to do, brethren.

   He's going to try His best. Now, if you don't want that, then He'll let you go. But He's going to try His best - whatever it takes to make you a son, unless you just don't want it, and He's not going to force it upon you. So when we see curses - well, that we think are curses - or blessings disguised as curses, we ought to be thankful for those too, knowing of a surety that the reward is promised with every one of those blessed blessings.

   And if you go back and read Matthew 5 and notice what God said, that with every one of those blessings, He said something else is going to happen - something is going to happen. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," and on and on it goes. All of those rewards that are promised after those blessings that were pronounced are surely going to come to pass. And we can look forward to that, brethren, and we ought to really rejoice that those things are going to come to pass just like those blessings that were reviewed in Old Testament times that were pronounced by the patriarchs surely came to pass.

   They surely came to pass, and God has not changed. He's going to make these come to pass in our lives too, or in the future. And so as James put it in James 1, verse 12 (James 1:12): "Blessed is that man that endures temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Eternal has promised to them that love Him."