Living in the Image of God M02S07
The invitation to earn blessing through human service is open to every person irrespective of sin or righteousness. A person can earn blessing despite existing promise of punishment. Also, a person can incur punishment despite existing promise of blessing. Thus, one does not need to be perfect to earn blessing. Blessing and punishment are parallel promises of God, may coexist for a person, and will be fulfilled separately by God’s schedule as if for different people, excepting the forgiveness of punishment through repentance.
This bible study seeks further understanding of God’s invitation to every person to earn blessing by providing goods or services to benefit others. The invitation is open to all, irrespective of existing sin or righteousness. Further, God will fulfill every promise of blessing according to his schedule, irrespective of any incurred punishment. Consistent with his promise in the 2nd commandment, a promise of blessing can coexist with a promise of punishment and will endure through offspring generations.
Blessing and punishment are parallel promises of God and may coexist. A person can earn blessing despite an existing promise of punishment. Also, a person can incur punishment despite an existing promise of blessing. That means a person does not need to be perfect in order to earn blessing. Each promise will be fulfilled separately according to God’s schedule as if for a different person.
We discuss the 2nd commandment to link its promise with the coexistence of blessing and punishment. Also, we discuss several examples from the ancestral lineage of Jesus to understand the fulfillment of parallel promises.
The 2nd Commandment Promise
In the 2nd commandment, God proclaims his promise of punishment for sin and declared the promise will endure to be fulfilled in up to 3rd and 4th offspring generations: “…for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” [Exodus 20:5]. Also, his promise of blessing for those that serve him will endure to be fulfilled in up to a thousand offspring generations: “but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” [Exodus 20:6].
The language of the commandment could be understood to indicate that the promise of blessing and the promise of punishment apply to different people. Such understanding could arise from seeing the commandment as a one-judgment application, whereby “those who hate me” (from Verse 5) and “those who love me” (from Verse 6) always refer to different people. However, the commandment also could refer to judgment of individual human deed, whereby a person could at one time do something that God sees as an act of hate and at other times do something that God sees as an act of love. Given such understanding of the commandment, one also would understand that a person may at one time incur punishment for an act of hate and at other times earn blessing for an act of love.
We discuss examples from the bible that point to the second understanding of the commandment: that a person can earn blessing despite an existing promise of punishment or incur punishment despite an existing promise of blessing. The examples are selected from the ancestral lineage of Jesus. Each of the examples indicates an understanding that blessing and punishment are parallel promises of God, may coexist for a person, and will be fulfilled separately according to God’s schedule as if for different people.
Example from Judah Son of Jacob
Judah, 4th son of Jacob, inherited blessing from Abraham: passed from Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, and to Judah. Also, Judah incurred punishment for marrying a Canaanite and for going to bed with a woman he thought was a prostitute (Genesis 38). Furthermore, he earned blessing when he offered to be enslaved in Egypt in place of Benjamin (Genesis 44:33–34).
The blessing was fulfilled through his son Perez and was not affected by the punishment (Genesis 38:29 and Matthew 1:3).
Example from Rahab of Jericho
Because she feared God, Rahab protected people she believed were on a mission for God (Joshua 2:1–15). She earned blessing for protecting the spies, notwithstanding that she was a prostitute. Any punishment she incurred for prostitution had no effect on the blessing.
The blessing was fulfilled through her son Boaz, who was the father of Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David (Matthew 1:5–6).
Example from Ruth the Moabite
Ruth inherited blessing from Lot, the ancestral father of the Moabites, who joined Abraham on a mission to establish a home and ancestral lineage for the Messiah.
Also, she inherited generational punishment because of Moabites denying kindred care to Israel. The Moabites displeased God by presenting themselves as a source of temptation for alternative worship among descendants of Israel. Furthermore, they presented enmity when their prior relationships with Israel called on them to be friendly (see more under Enduring Blessing—Lessons from Israelite-Moabite Interactions). God frowned on their behavior and prohibited descendants of Israel from intermingling with Moabites.
Further, Ruth earned blessing through compassion for her mother-in-law Naomi.
Ruth’s blessing was fulfilled despite the Moabite generational punishment. It is possible the promise of punishment against Moabites had run its course prior to Ruth’s generation. However, whatever the reason, the Moabite generational punishment did not affect her inherited or earned blessing. She became a grandmother in the lineage of the Messiah: through her son Obed, father of Jesse, the father of David (Matthew 1:5–6).
Examples from David
David inherited blessing from Abraham, passed to him through his father Jesse and grandfather Obed. Also, he earned blessing through lifetime service that God announced to him through Prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 7:12).
Furthermore, David incurred punishment for seduction, adultery, murder, and covetousness in the affair with Bathsheba. The punishment was announced to him by Prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1–14). The blessing was fulfilled through Solomon despite the punishment. As we discuss previously under Parallel Promises—in David-Bathsheba Relationship, the punishment was fulfilled but did not prevent or diminish the blessing he earned or inherited.
Summary of What We Learned
The invitation to earn blessing through human service is open to every person irrespective of sin or righteousness.
A person can earn blessing despite existing promise of punishment. Also, a person can incur punishment despite existing promise of blessing. Thus, one does not need to be perfect to earn blessing.
Blessing and punishment are parallel promises of God, may coexist for a person, and will be fulfilled separately by God’s schedule as if for different people, excepting the forgiveness of punishment through repentance.