3 to 1000

This past Sunday our worship band opened with the song - The Blessing - which I highly recommend listening to again. It drove me to considering the character of the God who commanded that blessing:

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. - Deut. 7:9-10

…I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. - Exodus 20:5-6

…keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation. - Exodus 34:7

First note that there is no holding back of the justice and judgment of God. In each of these direct quotes, God is clear that he will repay. The Deuteronomy passage has an added edge: “He will repay him to his face.” Wow. There is no pulling of punches here.

And yet, check out the math…
• Punishment: 3-4 generation;
• Blessing: 1,000 generations.
3 / 1000!?! Those are incredibly favorable odds.

I remember several decades ago a series of tragic national events happening. My boss at work said - “It’s ok. Trouble comes in threes.” He was expressing a cultural concept that there is a limit to trouble. A quick Google search surprised me to see that the expression was even more prevalent than I was aware. 

Contrast that with the abundant good that we witness everyday in provision, beauty, life and hope. Our fear of death often focuses us on the negative, the evil around us. But life is happening in spades outside every window (clouds, sun, birds, shade, living things), and within our own bodies (heartbeats, cell replication, brain synapses, taste buds). God’s creation shouts his goodness and his mercy! His blessings are a thousandfold. It is who he is. 

And because it’s who he is, he directs his people to do the same - bless and be a blessing.

In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth… - Isaiah 19:24

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. - Romans 12:14

People should want Christians in their neighborhoods, at their workplaces. Oh, they may not understand our views, and even feel awkward around us, but if we are living and loving as we should, there should be an appreciation for the blessing we bring:

…praising God and having favor with all the people. - Acts 2:47

And a chief way we do this is by prayer:

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. - 2 Cor. 1:11

So as you listen to this song, receive the reality and power of the declaration of God’s blessing on you, and then turn around, and pray and proclaim it over others. Pray confidantly, knowing it’s our God’s nature to bless. Bless freely, love lavishly, knowing this is being like your Father who “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good…” (Matt. 5:45)