Pronounce a Blessing
| 2025 begins with instruction for blessing. How to bless others. To pronounce a blessing over God’s people. Did I think that God is the only one with the authority to bless? God is the originator of blessing, the author of the first blessing, but God does not reserve that right. God shares the possibility, the gift, of speaking blessing. YHWH God said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his heirs: This is how you will bless the Israelites. Numbers 6:22-23 (TIB) God instructs Moses to tell the priests to bless God’s people. To speak over them and into them. God shares the gift, the responsibility, of blessing others- with us. God gives this authority to the church servants and tells them how to use it. Reading this on January 1, I felt that I too was supposed to speak blessing to you for this new year. Grafted into God’s priesthood, I am humbled and honored to pray this for you, who are also adopted into God’s chosen family. Say to them, ‘May YHWH bless you and keep you! May YHWH’S face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! May YHWH look kindly upon you, and give you peace!’ Num 23-26 (TIB) In the book of Numbers, the question of blessing takes an interesting twist. The king of Moab was afraid of the Israelites, so decided the best approach was to hire someone to curse them. So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the Euphrates River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they have covered the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me. Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” Numbers 22:5-6 (NASB) Words are powerful. God spoke the world into being through words. God blessed creation to multiply and fill the earth. God shares the gift of being creators with us; we are invited to co-create with God. God also shares the ability to speak blessing. Numbers 22-24 is a fascinating story (talking donkey!) of God instructing Balaam to speak blessing (three times!) on Israel, instead of Balak’s intended curse. How might we be called to speak blessing to those around us in 2025? “Thus will they invoke my Name over the Israelites, and then I myself will bless them!” Numbers 6:27 (TIB) My prayer for 2025 is to follow God’s Instruction, to speak God’s name over you, God’s people, that God will bless you and keep you. That God’s face will shine upon you, and be gracious to you. That God will look kindly upon you, and give you peace. May you speak blessing in this new year to those around you. God has shared the ability to speak blessing with us. May we receive and share that gift with others. -Renée |
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