The Blessedness of the Benediction Psalm 67:1-2. This prayer of the psalmist parallels the well-known Aaronic Benediction,

Transcription

1 The Blessedness of the Benediction Psalm 67:1-2 This prayer of the psalmist parallels the well-known Aaronic Benediction, which is frequently used at the conclusion of our worship services: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with His favor and give you peace. We are familiar with these words, but do we understand their significance for our lives and for the whole world? This morning we look at this benediction prayer to see its ramifications for our lives. We see at the outset that the blessedness of this benediction is meant to enrich our lives: God be merciful to us, and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. This benediction is loved by us, because in it we are calling for God s blessings to be upon us. But what are the blessings we are seeking and receiving from God through these words? to us. First, we are requesting the blessing of God s forgiveness: God be merciful This statement is really the foundation for all the prayers and petitions we offer to the Lord. If God is not merciful to us, we will receive nothing from Him. The Prophet Isaiah declared in chapter 59, verse 2: Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you. Without God s mercy, we would be lost in our trespasses and sins. This is

2 why, when we do call upon God s mercy, it is proper for us to seriously take time and look at our lives in the mirror of God s Law. Repentance is not a mere acknowledgement that we are sinners, but it is to be a heartfelt regret for each and every sin of which we are guilty. We are not to be satisfied with a general acknowledgement of our sins, but each of us is to look reflectively into our hearts and lives and behold our sinfulness with regard to how we have dealt with God, and how we have related to our fellowman. As Christian we are not to close our eyes to sin or easily brush over them, but with broken spirits and contrite hearts we are to bring our sins to Jesus. We know that as we call upon God s mercy with repentant hearts there is forgiveness for us. The heart of the word mercy has connected with it the idea that the stronger bends down to the weaker. God s mercy is seen in that Jesus, true God, bent Himself down from heaven to hang upon the cross of Calvary and there endure the punishment of our sins. It is through the shedding of His blood and the laying down of His life that we are forgiven of all our sins. Praise the Lord for His mercy! Second, in this benediction prayer we are requesting the blessing of God s providential hand: God bless us. God is the source, the only source, of all that is good. We read in James 1:17, Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the

3 Father of lights. We have already noted that Jesus is the One through Whom we receive the forgiveness of all our sins. Besides this spiritual blessing, God bestows upon us the gift of faith, the treasure of His Word, and a place in His heavenly kingdom. God blesses us spiritually so that in the midst of all life s situations we can live in the assurance that we belong to God and He is taking care of us. Besides spiritual blessings, God is the source of all temporal blessings. He gives us all that we need to support our body and life. This includes the health we have and the ability to work. Without God s blessings of physical strength, we would be unable to accomplish anything. He is the source of our earthly life, material goods, and earthly comforts. Praise the Lord for His providential care! Third, through this benediction prayer we are requesting the blessing of God s continual loving presence: God cause His face to shine upon us. The face displays the expression of our deepest feelings. If one is angry, the face is very tight and fierce looking. If the face wears a smile, happiness and contentment fill the inner being. As the benediction speaks of God s face looking down upon us, it considers our need for the Lord s continual love to be present in our lives. We know that through life we do not always encounter days of sunshine. There are days when our lives are filled with storm clouds and strong winds. That

4 we may stand strong even in those difficult times, we need to know that the Son is still shining behind the clouds. What a wonderfully comforting assurance we have that the Lord in His love does not leave us nor forsake us. His love shines down upon all situations, so that we may rest in the assurance that all things work out for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28). Praise the Lord for His continual loving presence! Truly great comfort comes to us through the benediction of the Lord. Yet, what our text teaches us is that these blessings of God are not only for us. The psalmist states in our text: God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Many times as we reflect upon the benediction of the Lord, we only think of its blessings for our lives. We treat God s benediction as if it were a pool that we are to enjoy for ourselves. It brings us comfort and assurance and that s where we leave it. But God s benediction is not to be a pool, but a river. It is to be a lifegiving river that flows in our lives and then through our lives to touch the lives of other people. Have we faithfully been sharing the blessings from God with other people? Have we spread the precious blessings of God s forgiveness, providential care, and loving presence to the unbelievers in this world?

5 The Lord tells us that His benediction is to show itself in our lives so that the world will know the Lord s way, His salvation. This way, of course, specifically refers to Jesus Christ. He said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, but by Me. Jesus is the only way of salvation and so we are to use the blessings of God s benediction to deliver the message of salvation to all nations. The benediction prayer that is here before us has a worldwide emphasis. It is just like the high priestly prayer of Jesus in our earlier reading, where Jesus prayed for His disciples and then for those who would come to faith in Him through their ministry. The blessedness of God s benediction offers us great comfort, strength, and assurance. But it is not meant to be a blessing just to us, but it is to be a blessing we share with the world. May God strengthen our faith that we live in His benediction and be faithful in sharing that benediction with the world. Amen.