Jehovah’s Blessing

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