Numbers 6:22-27
- 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."
The priests
had been given the difficult job of offering the sacrifices that people brought
to God. So God wanted the priests to
know how to send them away after the offerings had been sacrificed and it was
time to go home. God told Moses to tell
Aaron and his sons to use this beautiful combination of words…so that God would
place his name on everyone that left the tabernacle…so that all would leave
with a fivefold blessing from God.
The blessing
contains five requests of God…five different things we need him to give us if
we are to have full lives on this Earth.
The first thing we ask in the blessing is to be kept in his protection…to
have God’s very arms wrapped around us as we travel to and from our work…our
play….our worship. Then we are asking
God to fill our lives with joy…the kind that that radiates from our hearts...and
becomes contagious to those around. The
third thing we are asking God to bless us with is a gracious spirit…one that
would have us humbly give to others and guard against selfish pride. The fourth blessing is for God to show us
favor…to bless us with all that we need and more to do his work. And as if that were not a huge amount for God
to give us already…he throws in his directions for us to pray for peace….peace in our own lives that tells us that no matter
what happens it will be okay…that God is in control…and had great plans for us.
I remember
singing these words as a child in the church I grew up in. The sweet words…combined with the soft music
were sung almost every Sunday. They had
a calming effect…and put in the air around me an attitude of comforting. It was
a wonderful way to end a service….and it uplifted me as I left the building where
I had offered praise and worship to God…and went back to the daily grind of
school and chores and life in my wonderful home. I never really listened to the
words…you know…broke them down and understood what I was asking when I sang
them.
What a
better blessing to wish for everyone this Thanksgiving Day. …as I prepare to visit
with my precious family…share great food…and catch up on the latest happenings
in their lives. Come to think of it….since we are all our own priests now…God
wants us to give this blessing to everyone that comes into our lives…and has to
be separated for some reason. And lets go out on a limb here and say that God
wants us to pray this blessing even over those we don’t know….especially the
ones we have been made aware of…that need him more than most this day. I can’t help but feel compassion and empathy
for those who are missing loved ones….or have no home to go to. They need these
five things from God to heal…to start over…to find their new calling for this
season of pain God asked them to walk through.
Father...I
thank you for you this blessing you gave Moses.
I pray this day that you shower the world with the all the love and care
this blessing contained for the people of Israel. Help me to memorize it…and speak it over my
family…my friends…my church. Let me pray
it for the leaders of my town…my state…my nation…the whole world. Bless and protect us father as we travel to
and from our places of Thanksgiving. Help us t radiate your love as we go…..and
share the great blessings you have given us in graciousness with others. Show us favor oh father…and build our lives
strong with the things we need to do the work you placed us here to do. And
father…I pray for peace…peace to the trouble soul who is lonely and hurting
this day….peace to the soldier who fights for my freedom…peace for a world that
has left you in the background…and needs a great revival to rekindle the love
they once had for you and your ways. Amen.
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