Two Blessings

Blessings

Numbers 6:22-27, 2 Corinthians 13:14

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

“In digging within the compound of the Scottish St. Andrew’s Church on the western slope of the Hinnom Valley in 1979, the expedition led by archaeologist G. Barkai unearthed a late seventh to sixth century B.C. burial complex. Among the remains recovered was a phylactery containing two silver scrolls the size of a small cigarette, upon which were written two versions of the priestly blessing.” The blessing on one of these scrolls is nearly identical to the Aaronic Benediction/blessing given in Numbers 6:22-27. While most Israelites were familiar with this blessing it was not repeated as a “thoughtless cliché” for the words of this blessing are exquisite, poetic and emotive, and had such a profound comfort to the Israelite people that this text has become known as the “Old Testament’s Lord’s Prayer!” Blessings were “spoken prayers” (2 Chronicles 30:27) given by the priests at the “close of the service in the temple and later in the synagogues” in which they asked Yahweh, the source of all blessings, to lift up and make His face shine upon His people with not only material wealth but spiritual closeness! Some scholars see a Trinitarian focus in this blessing and as such have connected it to the blessing Apostle Paul gave to the church of Corinth (2 Corinthians 13:14). The following sermon is going to review both of these blessings not so that they can become a “catchy, Christianese cliché” at the end of one of one’s prayer, but so that one might understand how important it is to ask and receive from God a blessing for His people!

The Lord Bless you and Keep You (Verse 24)!

The blessings and protection of our Creator are of infinite value and are beyond all measure! While the promises God gave Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:1-3), specifically those of the Pentateuch, were primarily focused on material blessings such as fruitful land, prosperity, good health, and long life; the most staggering of blessings God has given to His own relate to our spiritual well-being and standing before Him. What a blessing it is to be pardoned from sin, righteousness imputed by the atoning sacrifice of His Son, and to born and adopted into His very own family as heirs! Our enemies and even the fiery darts of the Devil who roars like a lion seeking to devour us are not to be feared for Christ promises to give us “bread to keep us alive and nourish our souls” and when we stand on the Rock of our salvation or hide beneath His wings not even a single hair on our heads will perish without His permission (Luke 21:18)! And even when God permits us to go through trials and tribulations we are still blessed for He promises to never leave no forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) but also through perseverance of turbulent waters and the furnaces of affliction to strengthen our faith and spiritual maturity (James 1:2-8), for His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)! It is no small privilege that the Lord is our refuge for He has even sent angels to guard us in all our ways (Psalms 91:9-12)! It truly is a blessing when we fear temptation to pray “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13) or have our physical lives threatened to pray “yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me” (Psalms 23). So, let us rejoice for God has truly blessed us beyond measure!

May the Lord make His Face Shine on you and be Gracious to You (verse 25)

The words “the Lord make His face shine on you” takes us back to Moses on Mount Sinai when after having spent forty days and nights with the Lord his face shone so brightly with God’s glory that the Israelites dared not approach him (Exodus 34)! The metaphor of God shining His light upon His people is a sign that out of His grace and mercy God does as He promised and bless His people beyond measure! This Light metaphor is widely attested in Scripture for we are told that when God hides His face or turns away from a person they experience despair, destruction and death (Deut. 31:17, 18; Job 13:24; Leviticus 17:10) but to those who God’s light shines on them they receive mercy, salvation and His special favor (Psalms 27:1, 44:3, 4:6, 31:16)! The reason why God, who is pure light and there be no darkness in Him, can shine upon those who have fallen short of His glory is because we have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. We have received the promised new heart mentioned by Ezekiel and as such eternally belong to His steadfast covenant of undying hesed. And even when one experiences times when God gets angry and disciplines (Hebrews 12:6) this does not mean His mercy and grace has ended but merely that He is gently coaxing you back onto the narrow path in which His blessings are fully seen and received! Praise be to God “the shining of His face upon His people, by which His good pleasure and good acts will be exerted on behalf of His precious possession, is enhanced by the invoking of His grace” which has no limit and cannot be measured!