The next couple of posts are going to be about blessing. It is something we really don’t practice in a biblical way any more. I am not talking about blessing the meal. I am talking about casting a vision and an expectation of a future that is inextricably tied to God. To kick it all off, here is a blessing for your day:
“The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
“The LORD bless you
and keep you;
the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:22-27
We will unpack that blessing later. Have a blessed day!
0 Responses
You too, Matt
Thanks for the blessing!
Peace
Neva
Matt, I believe what you’re talking about here is HUGE. We’ve all been blessed (God pity the person who hasn’t been). It’s just that, nowadays, it’s not usually an expected, deliberate thing.
The ancients–starting with the Almighty–understood that blessing should be pronounced at pivotal times in the life of an individual or family.
The Numbers 6 passage might also be translated “In this way they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” I.e., says God, “Here’s how you put my name on people so that I will subsequently bless them.” It’s a short step from language like “Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins.” But I’m still waiting for those sermons on “The Essentiality of Blessing.”
Yeah, that last point’s a stretch. And, no, blessing is not exactly magic. But have you ever noticed how blessing works almost like magic in the Bible?
Thanks for the blessings.
You too enjoy the blessings of the Lord today.
Neva, Frank, Danny, thank you all for stopping by. I really look forward to our discussions of this subject over the coming days.