BENEDICTION Today’s Reading: Numbers 5-6 In 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in these caves in the region known as Qumran, next to the Dead Sea. The scrolls are a collection of 972 texts, consisting of Biblical manuscripts from the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). It has been considered the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th Century. Many of the Scrolls date back to the first century and earlier. They attest to the accuracy of the Biblical text through the centuries. Key Verse: Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace. Quarantine for communicable disease is an example of the care God had for His people. God gave instructions for physical blessings. Restitution for wrongs committed is an example of the social care God has for His people. God blesses His people by love and mercy, and because He cannot and will not tolerate sin, He makes provision for forgiveness through atonement. In this way He provides for restoration of relationships. “At-ONE-ment” is gained through restitution and a sacrifice for sin. Jesus provides all this for us through His life and death. We might want to read an example of the “Nazirite vow” in Judges 13:5, the story of Sampson. Let us also consider giving someone today a benediction. The meaning of benediction is to “say a blessing.” Our key verses are magnificent words of blessing.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 11:40:22 +0000