In most cases, the face of the Lord is a reference to God’s presence. The word panim appears several times in the Old Testament in combination with God or the Lord. “The LORD make his face to shine upon you” (Numbers 6:25). In this post I will only deal with the first half of the second blessing. The Priestly Blessing is divided into three blessings and each blessing has two components. The Priestly Blessing is also called the Aaronic Blessing because Aaron and his descendants were given the responsibilities to bless the people: “At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today” (Deuteronomy 10:8 NIV). The blessing of Israel, in which God’s name was invoked upon the people, shows the extent to which God desired to be present with his people and live among them. Calling on the name of Yahweh was to call upon God’s presence, and in the case of the Priestly Blessing, God’s name, Yahweh, was being invoked upon God’s people as Aaron and his descendants blessed the people. In the Old Testament, the name of Yahweh equals the presence of Yahweh himself as can be seen by how God responded to Moses when he asked “who shall I say sent me?” God answered by telling him to say to the people that “I AM” has sent me. The purpose of the Priestly Blessing is for the priests of Israel to invoke God’s name upon the people: “So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them” (Numbers 6:27). A blessing is a prayer asking God’s favor upon an individual. Christians and Jews have used the Priestly Blessing in times of worship, celebrations, and other religious events. The Priestly Blessing is the most well known and the most widely recited blessing in the Bible. Thus, the concept of blessing and curse played a major factor on the faith of Israel. Eighty-seven times God is the one who blesses people. The word “blessing” appears almost four hundred times in the Hebrew Bible. The people believed that what happened to them was dependent on the will of God. The people of Israel believed God’s blessing upon them influenced their lives and the destiny of their nation. So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them: The Priestly Blessing is found in Numbers 6:24-27. Last Sunday in church the sermon was mostly based on the Priestly Blessing also called the Aaronic Blessing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |