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Written Excerpts:
Job 1: 21… the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Psalms 89 52Blessed be the Lord forevermore! Amen and Amen.
Cf. Psalms 113:1-3
Introduction:
We often talk and think about the blessings we receive from the Lord, and we often say to other people, “The Lord bless you. Or God bless you.” It is more rare for us to think about our privilege and responsibility to bless God. Yet, our Scripture verses we are considering today tell us exactly that. We are to bless the name of the Lord.
With the help of the Holy Spirit and by looking at a few different Scripture passages, I want to direct our thoughts on the theme of Blessing the name of the Lord and consider three questions:
What does it mean to bless the name of the Lord?
When and where should one bless the name of the Lord?
Why should one bless the name of the Lord?
I. What Does it Mean to Bless the Name of the Lord?
A. “Bless” – barak; A primitive root; to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason):— bless, congratulate, curse, kneel (down), praise, salute, thank. (Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries)
(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) “… there may have been a felt association between kneeling and the receiving of a blessing….
“To bless in the OT means ‘to endue with power for success, prosperity, [fertility], longevity, etc.’”
“In general, the blessing is transmitted from the greater to the lesser.”
“The verbal blessing… was normally futuristic. However, it could be descriptive; an acknowledgment that the person addressed was evidently possessed of this power for abundant and effective living." (Compare Gen. 14:18-20; 1 Sam. 26:25) This address becomes a formalized means of expressing thanks and praise to this person because he has given out of the abundance of his life. Very commonly, the Lord is addressed this way.”
A phrase in Neh. 9:5, “stand up and bless the Lord your God” indicates that the word is not to be understood literally in the sense of kneeling down, but to kneel in the heart with an attitude and spirit of worship. It appears to be closely related to the word “worship,” which is a word that also means to prostrate one’s self or to bow down; and includes the idea of giving praise and adoration to the only one worthy – the LORD.
In summary, to bless the Lord means that we acknowledge with humility, gratitude and adoration that God possesses every benefit for success such as power, prosperity, fruitfulness and long life. We are acknowledging that He has freely bestowed these benefits on human beings who are weak, limited and unworthy.
To bless Him is to praise Him and to worship Him.
B. “Name” – in the Bible, names of persons often signified some truth about the character of the person. The same is true of the LORD. There are a number of names ascribed to God in Scripture and every one of them reveal a great truth about His character. Every name reveals God’s provision and solution to a particular need of man.
Thus, blessing the name of the Lord implies the act of giving worship, praise and adoration to the One whose name, character and reputation is worthy of all praise. Blessing the name of the Lord is more than just saying words – it is living a life that honors his character or reputation.
Cf. The Lord’s Prayer: “hallowed be thy name.” This means “let your name be sanctified or sacred.” God’s name is already sanctified, so why should we pray that it be sanctified? So our lives and our witness would uphold and confirm the sacred reputation of the Lord.
II. When and Where Should One Bless the Name of the Lord?
The answer to this question is found in verses two and three of Psalms 113 – “Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. 3From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised.”
The simple truth of the matter is that our whole life should be a life of praise and worship to the Lord.
A. We should bless the Lord at all times – “from this time and forevermore” (v.2)
There is never a time when it is not appropriate to bless the Lord.
When we consider who God is and what he has done, it ought to bring the spirit of praise to our hearts and the words of praise to our lips.
B. We should bless the Lord in all places – “from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same.” (v.3)
This is not referring to when the sun is up, but where the sun passes, i.e., over all the earth.
It doesn’t matter where you or I may go in the entire world; God’s grace and goodness are still evident. His blessings are still new every morning and His benefits are still abundant every day. We may find ourselves in locations or situations from time to time that cause us to feel isolated and remote, but we can still be the beneficiaries of God’s wonderful love and grace.
Therefore, we need to bless his name in all places.
C. We should bless the Lord in all circumstances.
For example, the text we referred to in Job tells of his response in the times of great disaster and tragedy.
Another example is found in Psalms 89. We do not have the time to read through the entire Psalm, but if you want to turn to it we can scan it together.
The Psalmist begins by giving praise and adoration to the Lord. (1-18)
He recounts the provisions of the covenant between God and the nation of Israel
Then in vv. 38-51 the writer describes what appears as evidence that the Lord has not fulfilled the covenant promises. Yet, at the end, he concludes the psalm with the words, “Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.”
Dear friends, many of us are fairly quick to praise the Lord and bless His name when things are going well; when He has answered prayer in the way we had hoped He would; or if we have just been blessed with some great benefit. But what about when we find ourselves in circumstances like Job? What about those times when all outward appearances indicate that God hasn’t kept his covenant promises?
We need to bless His name during those times as well.
III. Why Should One Bless the Name of the Lord?
A. There is no one who compares to the Lord.
See Ps. 89:5-18; Ps. 113:4-6
Creative power and works; calms raging seas; destroys enemies; heavens and earth, including mountains are under His control; no one compares to Him.
B. He performs wonders for the children of men.
For example: Ps. 103: 1-14; 113:7-9
Forgives iniquities; heals diseases; redeems from destruction; crowns with blessings; administers judgment; provides mercy; raises the poor from the dust; lifts up the needy; cares for the barren woman…
C. It is an expression of our faith.
See Neh. 9 – The people of Israel
In this context the leaders tell the people to “stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.” Having just returned from captivity, they might not have much to give praise for in the way of current benefits and blessings. But they are still blessing the name of the Lord for what they expected Him to do for them.
In the example of Job, he believed that God was in control and would continue to work His will. Even though he went through a time of confusion, doubts and distress, he was able to say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him….” (13:15)
In Psalms 89, even though it appeared as though God had not fulfilled the promises of the covenant that He made with David, yet he gives expression to his faith that it will be done by ending with the words we quoted earlier, “Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.”
In a book titled, “Destined for the Throne” by Paul Billheimer, the author declares that praise is the highest expression of faith.
Conclusion:
God is worthy of all our praise. His Word is full of truths regarding his matchless character. It reveals His holiness, His power, His faithfulness and a multitude of other traits. God has poured out many blessings upon His creatures. He has especially blessed us with salvation through the blood of His one and only Son – Jesus Christ.
Even in times of severe testing and trials, we may have questions. We may have struggles with doubts, but through it all we can still bless the name of the Lord by faith. He is still in control and He will eventually bring us through.
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