Numbers of the Bible

Day 32 – Twelve People God Considers Blessed

This series has truly blessed me! It amazes me how God has used numbers throughout His Word to further bless us! Today’s especially blessed me. I did a search for the phrase blessed are they and came up with twelve times it was used throughout the Word. Twelve symbolizes:

Family, Mankind/Humanity (6) x (2) = (12) Family; the families and tribes of humanity are represented by their 12 leaders. Jacob’s family had 12 men/leaders/Patriarchs, so did Ishmael’s family, Likewise we the Family of the Church have our 12 Disciple Apostle leaders

How interesting that there would be twelve uses of this phrase to depict people. It’s like God confirms His statements in the Word even further with the use of numbers. Totally mind boggling!!

Let’s look at the twelve types of people who receive God’s blessings:

(1) People who “dwell” in God’s house. (Psa 84:4) Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah. Notice that this verse does not say “visit” but dwell. This has a connotation of residing at the house of God. The Hebrew word is:

H3427
ישׁב
yâshab
yaw-shab’
A primitive root; properly to sit down (specifically as judge, in ambush, in quiet); by implication to dwell, to remain; causatively to settle, to marry: – (make to) abide (-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell (-ing), ease self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit (-ant), make to keep [house], lurking, X marry (-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set (-tle), (down-) sit (-down, still, -ting down, -ting [place] -uate), take, tarry.

I love that this Hebrew word is defined as “causatively to settle, to marry”! Praise the Lord! The unsaved cannot “dwell” in God’s house – only the born-again Christian can do so because we are the bride of Christ! We are to be married to Him – hence, dwell with Him!

(2) People who keep judgment and do righteousness at all times. (Psa 106:3) Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times. Ouch! Even the born-again Christian cannot do righteousness at all times. But praise God that He does not see our own righteousness but He sees Christ’s. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (Rom 10:4) Only the believer can claim this.

(3) People who keep his testimonies and that seek him. (Psa 119:2) Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Those who obey the Word and seek Christ will be saved, therefore blessed with eternal life! So, again, the believer is the one who can claim this.

(4) People who keep God’s ways. (Pro 8:32) Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Even a moral society enjoys the blessings of God when they do right. However, the wicked receive His judgment. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Mat 5:45) However, the work keep is key here. The world does not keep God’s ways. This is evident all around us. Therefore, only the believer can keep God’s ways because of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we fail, however, Christ is our Advocate with the Father.

(5) People who mourn. (Mat 5:4) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. I am not certain that Christ was referring to people who mourn the loss of a loved one through death. The unsaved mourn and are not comforted. The born-again believer mourns at the loss of an unsaved loved one and we are not comforted because we know they are in torments. Personally, I believe that Christ is referring to those who mourn over their own sin and their own actions with true repentance. I believe these individuals are the ones who are comforted. We receive true comfort at salvation and are given the Holy Spirit, the true Comforter. Praise the Lord!

(6) People who thirst after righteousness. (Mat 5:6) Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. The Apostle Paul was a great example of this. He desired not to sin and desired to do right. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom 7:24) The unsaved thirst after sin because of their sin nature. We have a new nature which causes us to want to do what is right – thirst after righteousness. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Co 5:17)

(7) People who are persecuted for the cause of Christ. (Mat 5:10) Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We are seeing more and more people around the world being persecuted for their beliefs. We are beginning to see it in our own country: Christians attend gay pride rallies and are silently praying are being arrested! Only a believer would be persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

(8 ) People who hear God’s Word and keep it! (Luk 11:28 ) But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Only the born-again can fulfill this one. So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom 10:17) The unsaved can hear the Word of God but they cannot keep it.

(9) People who believe without seeing. (Joh 20:29) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Again, the born-again believer is the only one who can fulfill this one. Thomas got to see Christ and had visual proof. The born-again believer has not seen Jesus for himself and is blessed because he has believed without seeing Him in the flesh.

(10) People whose sins are forgiven and covered! (Rom 4:7) Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. The born-again believer’s sin is covered by the Blood of the Lamb! Praise the Lord! Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (1Co 5:7)

(11) People who attend the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Rev 19:9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. The born-again believer is part of the Bride of Christ. We will be at the marriage supper, bless God!

(12) People who have eternal life will have the right to the tree of life. (Rev 22:14) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Only the born-again believer can claim this. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 Jo 5:13)

I don’t know about you, but today’s devotional was a true blessing to me (no pun intended). We have twelve blessings given to us from God! How can we not stand up and rejoice!

Showers of Blessing
Fanny Crosby

Here in Thy Name we are gathered,
Come and revive us, O Lord;
“There shall be showers of blessing,”
Thou hast declared in Thy Word.

Refrain

Oh, graciously hear us,
Graciously hear us, we pray:
Pour from Thy windows upon us
Showers of blessing today.

Oh! that the showers of blessing,
Now on our souls may descend,
While at the footstool of mercy
Pleading Thy promise we bend!

Refrain

“There shall be showers of blessing,”
Promise that never can fail;
Thou wilt regard our petition;
Surely our faith will prevail.

Refrain

Showers of blessing, we need them,
Showers of blessing from Thee;
Showers of blessing, oh, grant them,
Thine all the glory shall be.

Refrain