BLESSINGS AND FAVORS Still, God’s people consistently forget the meaning of blessedness, confusing blessings with favors. Pay close attention to the difference: A favor is a cheap, short-lived present, usually given out of duty (think of a “party favor”). A blessing, on the other hand, is a conscious choice to open oneself to the possibility of pain and rejection. I can do a favor for someone and risk nothing. Not so when I bless someone. By commanding the Israelites to repeat the words, “May ADONAI