The Priestly Benediction
22 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 23 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,
24 The LORD bless you and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
27 So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.
For the next few weeks, Shepastor will highlight the words that the Lord spoke to Moses to give to the Priest Aaron and his sons as a blessing over Israel. These verses are known as the “Priestly Benediction.”
Our focus for today highlights God’s desire for His people to dwell in peace. Even as they journeyed through the desert – the wilderness, God wanted to bless them. God spoke specific words that Aaron and his sons were to speak over the children of Israel each time they gathered for worship and prepared to go back to their every day lives. Verse 27 says, “So they shall put my name on the Israelites and I will bless them.”
The term “benediction” has latin roots. “Bene” translates as “well” and “diction” translates as “to speak.” Before going back out into the ups and the downs of everyday life, as they departed from the space of cooperate worship, the gathering of the saints, the collective worship of the people of God, the Lord didn’t want them to leave without receiving a “well word” spoken over their lives.
Even in the dessert, God was speaking a word of blessing over them. Consider each phrase of this five-fold benediction:
Phrase I
“The Lord bless you and keep you….”
God wanted them to remember that even in the desert, He was blessing and keeping them. This phrase offers God’s protection and favor. In other words, God was telling Aaron and his sons, “Tell my people that I am protecting them and granting them favor.” It can be difficult to see, hear or understand blessings in the desert. But just like the Israelites, God provided for their shelter, their food, their protection. Even though they did not realize it, even though they did not appreciate it, even though they did not give God praise for it, God yet kept and blessed them. Even when you are feeling dry, isolated, disappointed, tired and wondering when in the world you are going to enter your promised land, God wants you to remember that He is with you, He is keeping you. You may not realize it but God is carrying you through this season. You are called to continue to put your trust in Him, follow His path and obey His voice. Determine not to leave until you receive the “good word” that God wants to speak over your life.
When we are frustrated, weary, feeling like things don't make sense... because it may feel like the dessert, we may be tempted to leave before receiving the "good word" God has for us. But God wants us to receive all that He has prepared for us in His timing and in our season. Some of the Israelites did not leave physically, but they checked out psychologically. In other words, they stayed in the camp, but they were bitter, complaining, arguing, fighting, rebellious and ugly. As a result, God allowed them to go around and around the same place, literally feet away from the Promised Land but never actually taking hold of it. In their hearts they “left” without receiving the good word from the Lord.
We all get tired and frustrated. We all experience doubt, fears and discouragement. But that’s when we must determine to take every thought captive and bring it into subjection to the obedience of Christ. Just as we are about to receive our break thru, our healing, our deliverance, our greatest blessing, the enemy tries his best to convince us that God is not for us, that God will not deliver on his promises, that God will leave us languishing in the desert. But the devil is a LIAR!!! God's heart is to bless and keep us. God has promised to give His children a hope and a future, but we must yield to Him with our whole heart. The desert will happen. But God can and will see us through the desert! Remember God's blessing over your life - "The Lord Bless you and keep you!"
Next Week we will consider the next two phrases of this Priestly Benediction…
Post a comment or send me an Email at Revcsmith1@gmail.com
May you and your family have a blessed Christmas Season!
Until next Wednesday,
In Faith, Hope and Perseverance,
Pastor Chris
www.shepastorchris.org
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