God’s Benediction

Monday Reflection –  2017

The Lord bless you and keep you. Numbers 6:24

In most of my conversations with others, I usually end with the words, “Bless you”. This is really my prayer that God would bless the individuals; thus it is not my blessing but offering God’s blessing. When we speak of God’s blessings, I believe we are talking about the favour of God for which we have so graciously benefitted.

In Numbers 6, God gave Moses instructions regarding how the Nazarites were to prepare themselves for worship and conduct worship at the Tent of the Meeting. The Chapter closes with the instruction to Aaron as to the specific words he should use for the Priestly Blessing or Benediction. This Blessing begins with the words of today’s Watchword – “The Lord bless you and keep you.”  

According to the Matthew Poole Commentary, “Bless you” means to bestow upon you all manner of blessings, temporal and spiritual. “Keep you” iscontinue his blessings to you, and preserve you in and to the use of them; to keep you from sin and its bitter effects.

For Matthew Henry, “The priests were solemnly to bless the people in the name of the Lord. To be under the almighty protection of God our Saviour; to enjoy his favour as the smile of a loving Father, or as the cheering beams of the sun; while he mercifully forgives our sins, supplies our wants, consoles the heart, and prepares us by his grace for eternal glory; these things form the substance of this blessing, and the sum total of all blessings.”

 This is one of the Benedictions pronounced at the close of our worship services. What we are declaring then is for God to bestow his favour on us, enable us to maximize his blessings, and protect us from sin and its consequences.

What then is an appropriate response to God’s manifold blessings and constant keeping? We are called to be a blessing to others i.e. share God’s favour and reveal God’s presence in the world. When people ask, “Where is God?” They should see God in and through us.

 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Till next week, receive God’s blessing and be a blessing to others.

Jermaine Gibson