BLESSINGS – by Raphael ben Levi
The Hebrew word “bracha” is normally translated as “blessing.” But, there is a fine yet distinctive difference between the two words in the English interpretation that is not reflected within the original Hebrew. A blessing is a noun that can include a good deed or encouraging words, to a special favour or benefit; a gift from God or grace prayed before a meal. However, to bless in the ancient Hebrew script presents the image of bringing a gift to another on bended knee. But there is more. Most Hebrew words are made up of a three letter root from which a Hebrew word is conjugated. Words with similar root letters are related, and using these letters in a sequence can create or describe a concept.
Bracha is connected to the word barak, barad, breicha, and lehavriech. “Barak” is a Hebrew word meaning lightning, “barad” is hail, “breicha” is a pond or pool and “lehavriech” is a process used by farmers when they take their grapevines and put part of the vine underground to sprout roots in order to begin a new planting.
In Judaism, the word “baruch” is incorporated at the beginning of a blessing. (e.g., “baruch atah Ad-onai Elo-heynu …”) When using the phrase, “Blessed are You Lord…” or, “We bless You Lord…” in prayer or worship, it is usually assumed that we are blessing God. But in a restricted sense, God does not need our blessings since He is perfect and lacks nothing. So how can we make sense of this?
Scripture clearly states that God inhabits the praises of His people (Ps. 22:3) and dwells in the atmosphere of worship directed towards Him. As we offer up our prayers and worship to the Living God, something special happens; we are bringing down God’s goodness and abundance from being concealed and hidden into full view. This is what occurs every time we reveal the love of God that is concealed and camouflaged in this dark world – God in us, the hope of glory! (Coloss.1:27) God does not need our blessings but nonetheless it is something He desires.
The true nature of God is unlimited. However, for us it is impossible as mortals to fully comprehend the unlimited because it goes way beyond our limitations. But Yeshua deposits within us His gift of the holy Spirit. All things now become possible according to His perfect will through Him.
The laws that God fixed in creation from the beginning of time are generally unmovable and unchangeable. When we ask for a blessing we are requesting Him to pour upon us His heavenly repository of abundance (his pool or his pond – breicha) since He transcends all things that we are bound to in our mortal bodies. When we meet His conditions, the impossible becomes Him-possible!
Now we can confidently experience the full reality of breicha through Yeshua who provides all our needs according to His unlimited riches! This is something available to every believer, recognising that though many are called few are chosen because few choose. Time for a change?
