Tag: Blessings

The LORD Bless You

Posted on by scott

 

“The LORD bless you.” – Numbers 6:24

Divine Words

As mentioned previously, these are the words of God.  Words He commanded Moses to have Aaron and his sons recite over the children of Israel.  What a contrast from the scene at Mt. Sinai, when the Ten Commandments were handed down.  “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, ‘You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.'”  With the thunder and lightning the sound of the trumpet and the smoking mountain, it is no wonder the people were afraid.  Could this God who is giving these laws to us under these conditions really love us?  Law after law, and litany regulations.  He must be angry with us.  Don’t let Him speak to us or we will surely die!  We need an intercessor.  Please, Moses, you tell us what God wants to communicate to us.  We know you.  We feel safe with you.  But God…?

Barakh

The word translated bless in the original is Barakh.  It literally means to kneel.  It is the same word used in Genesis 24:11 when Abraham’s servant has the camels kneel down by the well.  The form used here in Numbers typically means respect.  It is natural to think in terms of man kneeling before God out of reverence such as in Psalm 95:6 which says, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!”  Because God is worthy, He deserves our respect.  Because of His character, He deserves our reverence.  Why shouldn’t the created kneel down before it’s Maker?  In today’s passage, however, God shifts the imagery.   Instead of man kneeling before God, God says He will kneel before us.   Why?  To bring us a gift.  That is the literal meaning of the text.  The LORD bless you.  God offering a gift, out of respect, while on His knees.  Is this the God Israel feared?  Is this the God who would kill them by speaking to them?

Childhood Memories

Perhaps like most people in our culture, some of my fondest childhood memories are of Christmases. As children, we nearly burst with anticipation as Christmas approaches.  The Christmas tree stands sentinel, holding its ground until the presents are safely delivered.  Mitch Miller and the Gang ride a vinyl merry-go-round non-stop (surprised the needle never wore through).  Their only respite was the break offered by the Chipmunks Christmas eight track.  Christmas cookies to be washed down with milk, (which went down easier listening to the smooth voice of Mitch versus the squeaky little squirrels).  Friends to share the season with.  Parties to make sure we were well fed.  There is always a special “spirit” that seems to put everybody in a good mood for the season.  Perhaps it is facilitated by the manger scene with baby Jesus in the hay and the three wise men on their knees adoring Him.

Coming Down to Us

Of all these Christmas memories, one stands out above the others.  Under the Christmas tree was a gift that really excited my older brother and me.  It was a fort.  Nothing fancy.  Just some blocks to be stacked so we could be enclosed and safe from our imaginary enemies.  I still remember putting them one on top of the other and watching our fort take shape.  Our hands were busy and our hearts were merry.  I am sure that over the years we received “better” gifts than that fort.  What made that Christmas so memorable was our father.  He “blessed” us by getting on his knees and joining us.  To a child, there is something special about an adult getting on his knees and coming down to our level.  How much more so when it is our Heavenly Father. How much more son than when the gift He bestows is His son.  That baby in the manger scene.

We can’t turn back the clock.  We can’t go back in time.  We can count our blessings.  They are many.  God has blessed me with a great wife.  He has blessed me with precious children.  He has blessed me with the cutest grandchildren (no you can’t debate that)!!  I have been blessed with loving parents and siblings who helped to mold me.  God has blessed me with a job I enjoy and co-workers I consider my friends.  He has blessed me with health and I have never gone in need.  The list could go on and on, but nothing can compare to the spiritual blessings.  When I deserved to be struck and judged by the fear-inducing God of Sinai, God got on His knees and gave me a gift.  Salvation through His Son.  One who could intercede where Moses could not.  Dwell on the condescension of God to meet us at our level.  The love of God to give us a gift.  What a Christmas present.  What a blessing.  “If you knew the gift of God” (John 4:10).

The LORD bless you!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 1:3

Blessings

Posted on by scott

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” – Numbers 6:24-26

Precious Words

I am not sure that there are more precious words ever written than these (I know that is subjective).  I realize that John 3;16 and Psalm 23 may be more familiar, but there is something about this blessing that touches the heart and soul.  We commonly refer to this as Aaron’s blessing, but that doesn’t do it complete justice.  Listen to verses 22 and 23.  “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,…'”.  Don’t miss the importance of these verses.  The blessing does not originate with Aaron or Moses, or any other man.  This beautiful blessing originates in Heaven from the throne of God. This isn’t man’s hope that God will bless.  Nor is this man begging for Divine blessings.  Rather, this reveals the heart of the Sovereign God of the universe.   It is a reflection of His character.  It is an extension of His Grace.  He wants to manifest His love to His children through blessings.  It is His desire to bless us.  I find this very comforting.  I find this very humbling.

Priestly Channel

By any measure, Moses was a great leader.  He was a humble man (always a plus).  He was handpicked by God to lead His people.  He intimately communed with God.  He was used of God to confront Pharaoh.  God enabled Him to lead Israel out of Egypt.  But God did not ask Moses to pronounce this blessing on His children.  That privilege went to Aaron and his sons.  The blessing had to “flow” through the Priests. The male descendants of Aaron are referred to as Kohanim.  Traditionally, the priests blessed the people every morning after the sacrifice at the Temple.  When reciting the blessing, the priests would raise their hands, palms outward, and with their fingers form the letter Shin, an emblem for Shaddai (Almighty).  When the blessing was being recited, the congregation did not look at the priest or his raised hands, rather they looked down and concentrated on the words of God as recited by the priest.  It is said, “When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, the Divine Presence would shine on the fingers of the Kohanim as they would bless the Jews, and no one was allowed to look out of respect for God.  Today Orthodox Jews continue this practice as a reminder of what praying was like in days past.”

Divine Source

According to Jewish tradition, in the beginning only God could bless other people.  God first blessed Adam and Eve (Be fruitful and multiply…).   Later God blessed Noah and his sons when leaving the ark (Be fruitful and multiply…).  God blessed Abraham and gave our “spiritual father” the power of blessing.  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob each had the “power” to bless.  Jacob (Israel), blessed his twelve sons before he died.  Subsequently, God taught Moses that the power to bless others would now come from His appointed Kohanim.  The priest is to perform the blessing joyfully.  If unable to do so (i.e. if mourning the death of a loved one) the priest is not to say the blessing.  Rather, he is to leave while another priest, who is able to recite the blessing joyfully, does so.  His downcast spirit is not to influence the recipients of the blessing.  Not only is the priest to recite the blessing joyfully, he is also to do so out of love.  He is supposed to represent the love of the LORD for His people.  The blessing is not to be done mechanically, but with heartfelt emotion.  There is to be a “state of kavanah” (intention, sincere feeling, direction) in the heart.  This requirement is implicit in the original language but lost in the translation to English.  The priest is to sincerely desire to see the people blessed, and the hearers should sincerely desire to receive the blessing.

I don’t share this detail to bore you, but rather to lay the groundwork for a more detailed look at these precious verses.  I would encourage you to memorize these verses and to keep in mind the basic truths behind them.

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

In the midst of laws and regulations, this ray of Grace shines.  Perhaps it is implicit that if the laws are kept, the blessings of God will follow.

Note: Hebrew for Christians was used for historical background.