Jehovah’s Blessing
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
10/23/2016 AM
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Text:
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Numbers 6:22-27
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Psalters: |
378, 220, 30, 176 |
Sacrament of Baptism |
- Who blesses.
- The high priest is the one who is visibly blessing.
- The High Priest was one whom God appointed to stand between the Holy God and His people.
- A definite responsibility of Aaron (the High Priests) was to “bless” (Deut. 10:8; 21:5; I Chron. 23:13) as God’s ambassador.
- Jehovah” is the invisible One blessing and the priest was to bless in God’s name.
- The name “Jehovah” emphasizes that God is Self-sufficient, the source of all He is as God
- And this name declares that He is unchanging, both in Himself and in His attitude toward His people.
- The blessing.
- To “bless” is to speak well, and then to cause to prosper.
- God shows His favorable attitude in the shining of His face and in the lifting up of His countenance.
- God’s face “shines,” i.e., brightens and gives light, indicating a most positive attitude (Ps. 31:16; 67:1).
- His lifted up countenance (Ps. 4:6; 21:6; 16:11b with Acts 2:28) indicates that God remembers and does not forget them.
- Further, God’s favor is seen in a positive attitude toward us.
- First, He will be “gracious unto thee.”
- Second, He will “keep thee,” i.e., keep watch, stands guard, attentively keeps in custody, i.e., preserves us.
- Third, He will “give thee peace.”
- The result is that the children of Israel have God’s “name” put on them (cf. Deut. 28:10; II Chron. 7:14).
- The ceremony of the priest blessing the people is not empty and useless, but declares the reality of the relationship.
- The recipients are blessed indeed!