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The Amish Voice 8
All these
are
the twelve
tribes of Israel: and
this
is what
their father
spake unto them
, and
blessed them; every one
according to his blessing
he blessed them.
—Genesis
49:28
Shortly be-
fore Jacob,
who was also
called Israel, passed away, he took the time
to formally bless his twelve sons. The giving
of a father's blessing is not something that
most people are familiar with in our own
day. Although, I am aware that this has be-
come more popular in some circles, but my
guess is that most people wouldn't under-
stand why something like this is important.
There are some people who think that our
lack of receiving blessing from our fathers is
the cause of many problems in our lives.
Concepts like "the father wound" attest that
there is a great need in our hearts for good
relationships with our fathers.
Our fathers have a special role to play in our
discovery of who we are in life. That is why
a father telling his child statements like
"You'll never amount to anything" has such a
devastating effect. On the other hand, a fa-
ther who lovingly affirms his child is giving
him a solid foundation towards developing
into a healthy, well-adjusted adult.
But if current trends continue, more and
more people will grow up without a father's
blessing. Not only that, many will grow up
with no relationship to a father at all. Some
will not even have a biological father as sci-
ence paves the way to make fatherhood ob-
solete. The result will be a level of lost-ness
in the hearts of people that has never before
been seen in history.
You might be someone who fully under-
stands all this. You long for your father's
blessing but have no hope of ever receiving
it. Maybe your father is no longer alive.
Maybe your father is alive, but the nature of
your relationship is such that you believe he
will never bless you. Maybe so.
Thankfully whatever your relationship is to
your biological father, there is another Father
who longs to bless you. God, the Heavenly
Father, has the ability to heal the father
wound in you. Not that you will be able to
satisfactorily address every unresolved issue
you have with your earthly father, but the
greater Father can mend every broken part of
your heart.
This is not to say that we should not hope for
resolution with our early fathers. In fact, al-
lowing the Heavenly Father to heal us will
most likely be the beginning of healing with
our natural dads. God's desire is for us to
have good, healthy relationships with our
natural parents. It is true that due to our bro-
ken state we will not see every relationship
flourish the way they were meant to. Still, if
we would receive God's blessing, we will
begin to see even our broken relationships in
a new light.
With what I have personally experienced, I
can say that The Heavenly Father's blessing
has brought much healing into my heart, and
I have felt much more secure in my earthly
relationships (protection). I have also been
able to discover who I am and what I am
here on the earth for (identity and purpose).
Another aspect that this father's blessing
brings into our lives is financial provision
and inheritance. Inheritance is much more
than financial blessing. Inheritance has to do
with receiving something that you did not
earn, but we receive it because of who we
are, and that may be financial, emotional, or
spiritual.
We all look for our father's approval, and in
Matthew 3:16-17 it says that Jesus received
the Heavenly Father's blessing.
And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway out of the wa-
ter: and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a
dove, and lighting upon him, and lo
a voice from heaven, saying,
This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased.
If it was possible for Jesus to receive the
Heavenly Father's blessing, then we can re-
ceive it too because of the atoning blood of
Jesus. We will never be good enough of our-
selves but, because of his shed blood, we are
reconciled back to the heart of The Heavenly
Father and can receive his full blessing. Re-
ceive and believe.
The LORD bless you, and keep you:
The LORD make his face shine up-
on you, and be gracious unto you:
The LORD lift up his countenance
upon you, and give you peace. Num-
bers 6:24-26
Jonathan Helmuth
4199 Old Rt. 14
Dundee, Ny. 14837
(607) 351-1593
A Father's Blessing
—by Jonathan Helmuth
The Two Covenants
—by Eli Stutzman
The
Old Covenant
was established when the
Law of Moses came down from Mount Sinai.
The children of Israel had just been delivered
from slavery in Egypt. They were now a na-
tion with a promise, but without land. And
the law they were about to receive would
contain many of the regulations and guide-
lines on how Israel was to govern the coming
land they were about to possess. As Israel
stood around the foot of Mount Sinai and
waited for the law to be given, they experi-
enced sights and sounds that were very
frightening to a group of slaves that had just
been freed. What a trip! Just a few days ago
they had been serving Pharaoh and his slave
masters. Now they were in the presence of
the God of all creation! Plus they were about
to become a special people through whom
the whole world would be blessed. God was
about to make a special nation out of slaves.
Remember, our ancestors were Gentiles
without any part in this promise. The law and
promises did not apply to us. We were on the
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