Last week I was reading the story of Isaac blessing Jacob rather than Esau in Genesis 27. Just feel the rawness of the situation in verses 33-41. Isaac has just spoken 25 words of blessing to Jacob (in Hebrew), and those 25 words changed everything. Esau is left with a blessing that really reads like a curse.
I am amazed at the power of a blessing. I just can’t see a scene like this happening today. I think in our society Isaac would simply claim deception, and the blessing would be null. Part of that is that we consider all of our acts to be undoable. We say or do something, realize we had poor information or were in a poor state of mind, and then we simply yell, “re-do!”
These blessings are speech acts. They are words that mean something and do something. I think of this every time I raise my hands at the end of the service to bless everyone. I’m not just wishing them a good day. I am giving them God’s blessing at God’s own request. That is why our blessings always begin, “May God…” and never “May you…"
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Amen.
The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Amen.
When God speaks, the universe is created and re-created.
