From one of the great patriarchs in the Scriptures, Jacob, we can discover how to positively impact our children. An instance in Jacob’s life provides a snapshot of Jacob’s godly love for his kids. Through this snapshot, we will observe how we can love our kids.
Jacob was a powerful and influential man, not only because of his ancestors and his sons, but because of the blessings he received and gave. He was a man with a prominent past who saw a bright future. That is reflected in what he did with two of his grandsons as told in Hebrews 11:20-21. The text reads, “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.”
We see Jacob at the end of his life. On his deathbed, Jacob’s last wish is to bless his children because he lived life with a view to the future.
But let’s ask a critical question: What do we mean by “blessing”? We often miss the supernatural significance of the blessing. Sometimes we become so familiar with a concept that we lose its concrete meaning. I am concerned that has happened to our understanding of the biblical concept of the “blessing.”
Think about it. We often use the word “bless” in familiar speech. The other day I sneezed and our 2-year-old granddaughter said, “Bless you!” The Irish have a blessing that says, “May you be in heaven thirty minutes before the devil knows you are dead!” We know the word. But what do we know about what it really means?
We learn the true meaning of the blessing from Jacob. When Jacob blessed Joseph and his sons, what was he doing? The basic meaning of the word “to bless” in the Scriptures comes from the Hebrew word barak, “to kneel.” And the word picture here describes a man who had his camel bend down on its knees so he could get on it (Genesis 24:11). In the Scriptures, when barak, “to bless,” is used in association with God, it means, “to bow with bended knee to express awe and value.” We’re familiar with the concept of blessing when we encounter royalty. In history, and even today in countries with a royal family such as England, a person bows or curtsies to express to royalty their inherent honor and value.
So when God blesses us, as He so often does, He says to you and to me, “I value you and I add value to your life.”
As we take this concept from the heavenly realm to where we live day by day, “to bless” simply means to recognize value in a person and to add value through a spoken word or a specific deed. And from this truth, we come to a working definition for blessing: a blessing is a positive and powerful influence on a person’s life through a word spoken or a deed done.
Jacob blessed his sons by the example of his life of faith and by his spoken blessing at the end of his life. As Jacob looked to the past and saw how God had blessed him, he then looked to the future and had faith that God would bless his family throughout generations. That’s the point of his blessing Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. He wants God to use him to bless his family. That’s why he lays his hands on the boys. He wants God to use him to be a blessing for his family, and he has faith that God will continue to bless his family.
We can learn from Jacob and join him in blessing our children. How do we bless our kids? Here are a few ways: 1) pray for them; 2) encourage them; 3) explain to them that they are special and God has a wonderful plan for them; 4) show them, by your own example, the joy of pursing God’s best in life; and 5) spend time with them, taking care to expose the truths of the Bible to them.
When we live out these very practical disciplines, we will discover the power of the blessing both in our own lives and in the lives of our children.
_____________
Claude Thomas is pastor of First Baptist Church in Euless, Texas.