TAL

The Hebrew word for dew (tal) refers both to morning dew and night time mist.

Dew was important to Ancient Near Eastern agriculture. The climate was so hot and dry that often only the dew kept vegetation alive during drought and heat.

With this in mind it is not surprising that the Bible uses dew as a symbol of God’s blessings in general.

It is among the blessings that Jacob received as the firstborn; Isaac promised Jacob that as the earth would produce its fatness of grain and new wine, so also the heavens would produce dew.

Gen. 27:27-29 “27 So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed.

28 May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness— an abundance of grain and new wine.

29 May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.””

Hence, when Jacob’s faithful remnant is restored to God’s favor after the exile, they receive again the blessings of Jacob, including the promise of dew

Zech. 12:8 “8 On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord going before them.”

As a symbol of blessing in general, it is fitting that dew is depicted as coming out of heaven, since all blessings come down from the Father of lights.

However Just as dew is a symbol of blessing, its absence is a symbol of cursing. Esau was to be “away from” the dew of heaven.

Gen. 27:39 “39 His father Isaac answered him, “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven above.”

Dew was withheld along with rain from Israel during the ministry of Elijah

1 Ki. 17:1 “1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.””

Because the restoration community left the temple in disrepair, God withheld the dew from them

Hag. 1:10 “10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops.”

Again an example of the withholding of dew being the withholding of God’s blessing.

Let’s look at What specific kinds of blessings are associated with dew?

First, dew comes from above.

It comes, according to the biblical worldview, out of heaven, from the clouds. This reminds us of the glory-cloud from which God sends His blessings. More generally, dew is a gift from a superior to his subjects. It is thus not only associated with God’s favor and love, but with the favor of a king

Pr. 19:12 “12 A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.”

Ps. 72:6 “6 May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.”

Why is it important that we associated blessings from above?....How can we live in a way where this is communicated as more than a cliche?

Second, dew is a symbol of the resurrection

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Is. 26:19 “19 But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise— let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy— your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.” Just as the earth brings forth its dew, so also it shall bring forth the dead to new life.

Dew thus is a symbol of the redeemed and resurrected people of God. God’s saints are those that are raised with Christ in baptism and thus become partakers of the first resurrection.

Rom. 6:4 “4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” ,

Dew is a reminder of our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection.

since it pictures by its renewal of the earth the “washing of regeneration.”

The connection of dew with baptism is strengthened when we note that dew is associated with the anointing of the priest.

In Psalm 133:2-3 a parallel is drawn between the oil that is poured over Aaron’s head and the dew that falls on Mount Zion.

Psalm 133:2-3 “2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”

This passage links dew with baptism in two ways. First, the priest is like the mountain, and the dew that falls is parallel to the oil of ordination. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture. Thus, dew is connected with the outpouring of the Spirit, which in turn is symbolized by the pouring of water in baptism.

Third, dew is associated with manna, and thus with food.

Ex. 16:13-19

“13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.

15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.

16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’ ” 17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little.

18 And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

It is also noteworthy that Moses prays that his inspired words would be like dew

Dt. 32:2 “2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.”

Manna too is compared to the Word of God

Dt. 8:3 “3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

Jesus compares manna to His own Body that is offered for the life of the world

John 6:49-51 “49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die.

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.””

Dew daily refreshes the plants and the earth, and recalls the refreshment of God’s Word and Sacrament.

It is through communication in Word and Sacrament that our strength is renewed like the eagles’, and we are equipped for our struggle with sin and Satan.

Fourth, dew is a symbol of the ministry of the people of God in the world.

Micah compares the remnant of Israel to dew among the nations

Mic. 5:7 “7 The remnant of Jacob will be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the Lord, like showers on the grass, which do not wait for anyone or depend on man.”

What are some thought on blessings of God that come to mind as we have explored Blessing as TAL dew of heaven?

What suggestions do you have for me to make sure we are more award of these blessings?

Dew is a window on the whole of the Christian life. It symbolizes the unmerited favor of our heavenly King; our induction into the covenant through baptism; our continuing refreshment in Word and Sacrament; and our task of ruling the earth through works and words of mercy.

Finally, the evanescence of dew is a sobering reminder of our sin, our faithlessness, and encourages us to perseverance.