“The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26, NKJV) The above verse is probably the most familiar in the Bible. On Sunday mornings in many churches, it is the final benediction or blessing before people leave the service. On the Sabbath (Saturday) in synagogues around the world, this particular blessing is also used as a way to end the service. However, it doesn't stop there but is also carried on into the home. For example, when the Sabbath starts on Friday night, parents say this blessing over their children. Today, Jews who are in attendance for morning prayers will have this blessing said over them by the rabbis. ![]() Do you remember when Spock would say, "Live long and prosper" when addressing someone in the Star Trek universe? Leonard Nimoy (the actor who played Spock) was Jewish, and it was from the rabbis in his synagogue that he first saw the sign of the spread fingers. In fact, he told a story where, as a young boy, he was admonished never to look at the rabbis while they were saying this prayer. Why? According to Jewish tradition, the Divine presence would shine through the priests' fingers as they blessed the people, and no one was allowed to look out of respect for God. Interestingly, the symbol of the spread fingers is the letter Shin in the Hebrew alphabet, which is the first letter in Shaddai (El Shaddai means the All-Sufficient God), and it is the prayer above where the priests/rabbis would spread their fingers. But what is so special about this blessing in particular? This blessing is said in several Jewish traditions. For example, besides being used as a benediction, it is used during Jewish weddings when the couple stand under a chuppah (a canopy), where they would be blessed by their parents or the rabbi in attendance. It is also used during the circumcision ceremony (brit milah) when a baby boy is eight days old. So there are many ways the blessings are used, but it began with a command from God to Aaron (Moses brother) that it was to be a blessing from God said over the people of Israel. Initially, it was said only by the priests (the kohanim) of God, but nowadays, it is accepted that people will use it as a blessing over their loved ones. So let us look at this verse closely because I want you to grasp the vital significance of such a blessing. One thing I want to stress is that the priests were not giving their own blessing. This was a blessing from God Himself. The priests/rabbis were merely the conduits to transmit this blessing. This is confirmed by the verse immediately following the prayer. "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them" (Numbers 6:27). There are three parts to this blessing: The Lord Bless You and Keep YouWhat does it mean "to bless?" The word bless in Hebrew conveys the idea that our weaknesses are strengthened by God's strength. In fact, the root word for bless is barukh and means to kneel or humble ourselves as an act of adoration. So in our weakness, we kneel before God, and He blesses us or strengthens us through His mighty power. When said as a benediction at the end of a service, the blessing above is meant to convey the idea of sending us out into the coming week with the strength of God resting on us. To accomplish what we cannot do on our own because we are weak. Most Hebrew prayers begin with Barukh atah Adonai, "Blessed are You Lord," which reminds us of God's power and strength, at the same time humbling ourselves before Him. And the first verse goes further. Not only is God blessing us with His strength, but He is "keeping" us within His care. "Keep" in Hebrew is shamar and means to "keep, watch over, guard or protect." So these first words of blessing from God mean, quite simply, that God is blessing us with His strength and watching over us. This does not mean we will never experience tragedy. It simply means God's eye is upon us, watching over everything we do and blessing us as we carry out His work here on earth. The Lord Make His Face Shine Upon You, |
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