Blessing for the New Year!

“The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you!” 

Numbers 6:24-25

This is called the Aaronic blessing, the oldest known Biblical text that has been found in amulets buried in graves dating from the First Temple period. In Old Testament times, only adult males descended from Aaron, Moses’ brother were allowed to perform this priestly blessing. As Christians, we are all

priests by virtue of baptism (1 Peter 2:5), and we can give this benediction to each other! We can also claim this blessing for ourselves and our loved ones on this first day of the new year 2018. We can speak it over ourselves and claim it. There is great power in God’s spoken Word! 

Isaiah 55:10-11  reads, “... so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

If we go to the original Hebrew,

the blessing would read differently. Let us take back and claim what is ours in Christ, God’s promises. 

“Yahweh will present gifts to you and guard you with a hedge of protection! Yahweh will illuminate the wholeness of His being toward you bringing order and He will beautify you. Yahweh will look upon you and He will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.”

Amen!