The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: 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 shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:22-27 ESV)
Good Words
The word, ‘benediction’ comes from Latin, and means quite simply, “Good Speaking.”
Words these days get a bum rap. We think talk is cheap, rhetoric is useless, and actions speak louder than words.
But those cliches are not necessarily true.
God’s words count. He created the universe through His words. He gave us His Son, through His word. In fact, Jesus Christ IS the Word long before He did anything on earth.
The Father of Lies has worked hard through the ages to diminish the power of God’s words. But ultimately, Satan fails. God’s Word and words are still the most powerful things in the universe.
God blesses His people first by speaking to us. And what He speaks, His Word, is always good.
We like actions, we like proof, we like evidence, we like fulfilled promises. And while history and our society give us good reason to doubt the words of Emperors, Kings, Presidents, Senators, Mayors, husbands, wives, parents, siblings, neighbors, friends, and even Lassie, God’s Words are true, reliable, powerful, and all that we need.
So God blesses us in this benediction, this good speaking, and that can fill us with hope. God’s good words are greater than all the actions of everyone else.