Tag: Individual blessing

Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Understanding Communal Purpose of Individual Blessing

Living in the Image of God M06S06

We learn from the life of Joseph (the 11th son of Israel) that understanding the communal purpose of individual blessing may entail lengthy and at times complicated human interactions with careful attention to the living experience of others. Joseph was blessed that he could bless his extended family. From a lowly position in his family in Canaan, he progressed to a position of highest executive authority in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He performed his responsibilities and accomplished the direct goals of his position. However, he did not know the purpose of his position and power in relation to his extended family in Canaan, until his brothers arrived in Egypt to buy food. Through lengthy and complicated interactions with them, he later understood that his individual blessing was a means to a great purpose for his extended family. He used his position in Egypt and good relationship with Pharaoh to protect his family (the young nation of Israel) from a severe and lengthy famine that ravaged the world. The events convey a message that understanding the communal purpose of your individual blessing would require human interactions with others, including sensitivity to needs of others; compassion; and a discerning mind to recognize when and how to intervene in events around you.

This bible study uses the life of Joseph (the 11th son of Israel) to learn that understanding the communal purpose of individual blessing may entail lengthy and at times complicated human interactions with careful attention to the living experience of others. Interactions with other people provide opportunities to understand them better, understand their needs and what you could do to alleviate the needs, and recognize when and how to intervene as determined by your capabilities and assessment of their capability to receive and positively utilize any favors extended to them.

The bible account of Joseph from his childhood in Canaan through the relocation of his extended family to Egypt tells of his incidental rise from a lowly position in his family in Canaan, through a position of highest executive authority in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. He was appointed to the position to run a program of grain collection and preservation during a period of abundance, and distribution during a following period of severe famine. The appointment was based on his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams regarding a seven-year period of abundance followed by a seven-year period of severe famine. He performed his responsibilities and accomplished the direct goals of his position. He had great power and personal wealth in Egypt but did not know the purpose of his position and power in relation to his extended family in Canaan, until his brothers arrived in Egypt to buy food.

Through lengthy and complicated interactions with them, he later understood their need and what he could do to alleviate the need. He understood how to harness his individual blessing to benefit his extended family. He used his position in Egypt and good relationship with Pharaoh to protect his family (the young nation of Israel) from the famine. The bible declares his understanding as follows [Genesis 45:4–7]: “Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’ When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.’”

The life of Joseph and his interactions with his brothers in Egypt convey a message that understanding the communal purpose of your individual blessing could entail lengthy and at times complicated human interactions with others. The interactions would require sensitivity to needs around you; compassion, that is seeking to do something to alleviate the suffering of others; and a discerning mind to recognize those that could be relied upon to utilize positively the blessing extended to them, in order to prioritize to reach those more likely to advance the fulfillment of God’s purpose.

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Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Custodians of Good News

Living in the Image of God M06S05

An angel’s interactions with night-shift shepherds regarding the birth of Jesus conveys a message of the individual responsibility regarding the communal purpose of individual blessing. The shepherds were each given information that is of great communal value but were not told what to do with the information. The angel promised to deliver to them “good news that will cause great joy for all the people,” delivered the news as promised, but did not tell them what they should do with the news. Based on the interactions, we learn that God may choose any person to receive individual blessing of any communal value; provides the recipient sufficient understanding of the communal value; and assigns to the recipient the authority to determine how to interact with others regarding the blessing he or she received: that is, regarding “what the Lord has given us” that is under the recipient’s control.

God chose a group of night-shift shepherds to receive a blessing that is of great individual and communal value to all people, revealed to them the blessing and its great value, but did not tell them what to do with the blessing or how to propagate its value. The shepherds were visited by an angel while they were tending their flocks at night at about the birth time of Jesus. The glory of God that presented with the angel confirmed to them that he was a messenger of God. They were terrified. The angel calmed their fear and explained he brought them good news for all people: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

The angel was there to provide the shepherds with information that will be of great value to them, others, and the community (good news that will cause great joy for all the people). The angel proceeded to deliver the information and left thereafter. He did not tell the shepherds what to do with the information. After the encounter, the shepherds, on their own decision, went to Bethlehem to verify the information and shared what they were told with as many people as they could reach.

This bible account conveys a great message regarding the communal value of individual blessing. First, God can choose any person to receive individual blessing of any communal value. He chose the night-shift shepherds as custodians of “good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” This kind of information would have been expected only from “high-caliber and high-influence people of God” but was instead provided to ordinary night-shift shepherds. Second, God will choose a way to reveal to you the value of any blessing that he has given you: value to you as a person, to other individuals around you, and to your community. Third, he will grant you full authority and freedom to decide how you interact with others regarding your individual blessing—“what the Lord has given us” that is under your control. You have full ownership, authority, and God mandate to determine when, where, and how to apply your individual blessing towards the needs of self, others, and community.

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