We know that God desires to have us blessed by God’s anointed, and that God honors the blessing; but what does that blessing say? Consider Today’s Holy Nougat
“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 Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27 NRSV
Blessed and Kept
We’re somewhat familiar with ‘ya Baraka’, which refers to a blessing. Essentially, we are speaking God’s honor upon the person as I don’t know that God worships us. In whatever situation we face however, of we’re blessed by God, we know that God’s Spirit is with us.
But it’s not just the presence of God’s Spirit, because by virtue of the blessing, we are kept. [I recall hearing about ‘kept women, who lived lavish lifestyles at the expense of their ‘keeper’. Of course, they had to earn their keep] In the Hebrew, that term is used once. And ‘shawmar’ refers to the act of keeping watch.
I was reminded of the shepherds who received tidings of Jesus’ birth. They were ‘keeping watch over their flocks…’ It involved talking turns throughout the night, maybe every three hours, to ensure the safety of the sheep. It suggests that we are under
protection by Heavenly Security. We are under God’s watchful eye and need not be afraid. Not watchful for punishment, but watchful for protection.
So how does it feel to be blessed and kept by God, and what is our response to this knowledge?
I pray we bask in the knowledge that we’re blessed and kept.
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May all we seek be found in Christ