Whenever Dr. Gordon Isaac supplied the pulpit at the Goodwins Mills AC Church he would close the service saying, “Keep your eyes open for the benediction.” Then with his hand extended over the congregation he looked from one side to the other making eye contact with each person present and pronounced this blessing. I always left the service feeling blessed indeed. Surely he followed in good biblical tradition for in Leviticus 9:22 we read that “Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them.” So it is that God declares in verse 27 “I will bless them.”
Aaron, who went into the presence of God on behalf of the people, now comes from the presence of God to bless them. It is the Lord, the creator of heaven and earth who wants to bless his people. In this benediction, the word “Lord” appears three times and scholars suggest that the threefold use of that name indicates that it represents the three persons of the Trinity who are all involved in giving us this blessing. My Bible concordance says that the Hebrew word for “bless” carries with it the meaning of “kneeling to minister to someone.” It reminds me of Jesus who knelt to wash his disciples’ feet.
Meditate on this benediction and ponder how it is that God wants to bless you today. He wants to keep you; he wants to smile on you and be gracious to you; he wants to look on you with favor and give you his peace. So much could be written about each of these blessings which God wants to give us but space will not permit. As you meditate on these things remember that Jesus continues in this tradition. After he made the sacrifice of himself for our sins his final act on earth was to lift up his hands and bless his disciples (and us) as he ascended back into heaven (Luke 24:50–51).
I like to think that the blessing Jesus gave was the priestly blessing of today’s text. Re-read it keeping your spiritual eyes open and see Jesus with his hand uplifted over you, and pronouncing this blessing upon you.
Rev. Bill Monroe
Extended Scripture: Numbers 6–7 (NIV)
