Numbers 4:21-7:89 (NASO or Take)
From: The Tapestry of Torah ~ Lessons from the Wilderness
This is the Lesson of the Blessing of the Name of Adonai! When the new Tribal orders of the Levites were delivered, with them came new layers of lessons commanded for each sub-clan of the tribe of Levites as they served in the Tabernacle. The warnings regarding horizontal sins (man against fellow man) would defile the Nation, just as the vertical sins (man against God) would defile the Nation. The Priests (Cohen) were trained by Adonai through Moses to perform atonement sacrifices for their sins and the sin of their families, and the entire Nation of Israel.
Now, moving into perfect alignment with the Shekinah Glory of the Lord, there was given a new command by Adonai to the Priesthood called Birkat Kohanim or The Priestly Blessing, which calls forth Adonai’s blessings over the Nation of Israel. This new command to bless the Nation after the atonement of their sin is a glorious picture of the unlimited grace from our heavenly Father. Adonai knew every way the people would fall into sin against one other, and stumble into sin by failing to keep the Laws or Mitzvot of the Lord. The command to bless the people after their sin atonement provided a way to call forth the holiness and continual blessings of Adonai over the Nation of Israel. This was to be a call for grace!
This is the Lesson of the Blessing of the Name of Adonai! The Priests were warned to bless the Nation, only when their hearts were full of love for Adonai. Love would be the conduit as they lifted their spread hands to heaven and over the bowed heads of the Nation. The love in the hearts of the Priests would flow into the hearts of the Nation, and God’s Shekinah Glory would shine through the openings between the spread hands of the Kohanim, and onto each believer bowing low in humble adoration of Adonai. The Lord invited the Priests to become One with His Shekinah, by calling it forth in love, as their hands made the sign of Shaddai, and His Glory pierced the heavens to flow through the fingers of His priests.
This is the Lesson of the Blessing of the Name of Adonai! As a Nation of Priests today, grafted in by the power of Jesus, we are also invited to call forth, in love, the blessings of Adonai over our people!
“May Adonai bless you and keep you. May Adonai make his face shine on you and show you his favor. May Adonai lift up his face toward you and give you peace”. (Numbers 6:24-26 CJB)
May we remember, when our hearts are FULL of LOVE for ADONAI, to lift our hands over those whom we love and call forth the Priestly Blessing from our heavenly Father, sending forth the light, life, love, and peace of God, over our people!
The Birkat Kohanim is sung around Shabbat Tables all over the world, and over the children seated beneath the raised hands and spread fingers of their loving parents as they invoke the blessings of Adonai over their families! This, dear seeker, is worthy of imitation!
CANDLEGLOW MESSAGE:
When we learn of Adonai’s instruction to the Priesthood to express their joy in the Lord as they lifted their hands to heaven to call forth blessings upon the Nation of Israel, we may also be filled with joy because of the magnanimity of our God, as He waits for us to call to Him for blessings for our own people! Not only are we encouraged to pray for God’s face to shine upon those whom we love, upon our communities, upon our nation, and the world, we are called to do this with joy in our hearts at the prospect of asking the Lord to turn toward us and those we love, with His face shining upon us, and His best plans for us blossoming from the words of the Birkat Kohanim! May we approach the Lord’s Sabbath, with our hands raised and fingers spread as we usher in our requests for His bounty and beauty to flow in us, through us, and onto all whom we intercede for. May our hearts be full, and our spirits light, as we find our Sabbath rest in a God this good! Shabbat Shalom!
Sydney