“Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 117:1-2 ESV.
Reflection: which nation and people are blessed by the Lord?
The greatest privilege a nation, a people, even an individual can receive is being blessed by the Lord, the Almighty God of all creation. But sometimes we might forget what that means; both what such a blessing looks like, and the responsibility that comes with that blessing. All the way back in recorded time, we remember God choosing certain people, even individuals, to bless and anoint. One such example is David, who replaced Saul as king. God removed the blessing, the anointing on Saul. Why? Because he was disobedient to God. He became too big in himself, as opposed to giving God glory, started idol worship and even was seeking divination to maintain power. Samuel, the prophet, told Saul, ““Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”” 1 Samuel 15:22-23 NIV
Notice the reason why the blessing was removed – Saul rejected the Word of the Lord. Let’s look at another example, from Jesus. In Matthew 23, we read ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” Matthew 23:13 NIV. And later, ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”Matthew 23:27-28 NIV.
Now remember, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees had been blessed with the priesthood role for the people, but they misused it for their own purposes, for power, control and wealth. They did not follow what the Lord had commanded. And, as a result, the Lord’s blessing of their role was removed, and they were held to account. ““You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.” Matthew 23:33-36 NIV. It is easy to forget that this was spoken by Jesus to His own people!
We can look at many other examples of God’s blessings recorded in the Bible, such as all the miracles of healing that happened by the hands of Jesus and His disciples. Have you noticed that most of these miracles led to something much greater? That the one who received the miracle healing didn’t just say thanks and then return to their old life. No, the healing not only transformed their own lives, but many others as they spread the goodness and glory of God. We see time and again throughout the Bible, that God’s blessing remains on those who honor God, who receive, respect and follow the Word of God. We also see what happens to those who use a blessing of God only for their own benefit, leading to pride and selfishness. Jesus told the Pharisees and teachers of the law “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12 NIV.
What do we do with the Lord’s blessing?
We read in the very short psalm 117, that the Lord’s favor is not limited to one nation, nor to one people or even a few individuals. It reads “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 117:1-2 ESV. Did notice the emphasis on all nations, all peoples? That includes our nation, our people, even us and our families. Want to receive and have the blessing, the favor of the Lord? Then seek Him and His commands, follow Him only, let others know, and give Him all the glory. David wrote “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.” Psalms 5:11-12 NIV.