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The Tongue

by

Rocky Fleming

Day Three: Words that Bless

Have you ever heard the priestly benediction in Numbers 6:24-26? It is used today in many Jewish synagogues. It goes like this:

May Adonai bless you and keep you!
May Adonai deal kindly and graciously with you!
May Adonai bestow favor upon you and grant you peace!

I think this is a wonderful blessing to pray over a home, a family, a group Bible study, or a church. Adonai is the Hebrew name for God. Certainly as a member of God’s family through Jesus Christ, He is our Adonai and this applies to us.

The blessing above is known as the priestly prayer. Some would say that giving this blessing is reserved only for a priest. This is true. But we need to expand our understanding of the role of priest and who qualifies to be a priest, for the rules changed since this prayer was written in 1450 BC. The Apostle Peter cleared that up for us when he wrote the words in his first epistle in AD 65. It says:

“But you (Christians who happen to be Gentile or Jew) are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. " (1 Peter 2: 9-10 ESV)

Therefore, as a member of the royal priesthood, it becomes powerfully relevant with how we use our words. It is clear that our position in Christ and in this world as His priests gives us a load of responsibility to use our words to bless people and build them up, rather than cursing and tearing them down. As God’s family through Jesus Christ, we are royalty, we are members of the royal priesthood, we are God’s priests to a lost and dying world that needs to know our King Jesus! Our words can make a difference in their  lives—for their eternity. This is the priestly blessing that we bring to this world—if we use our words wisely. Make it your purpose to be a blessing with your words—for you are God’s messenger, a priest to people who desperately need Him.