What is a benediction in the Bible?

The original meaning of the Hebrew word for blessing (‘barak’) is ‘kneel’ and is used in two different senses: ‘to bless’ (when God acts) and ‘to praise’ (relating to man when he ‘blesses’ God). In the New Testament the relationship between these two acts becomes clearer, since the Greek word (‘eulogeo’) is a compound of ‘good’ (‘eu’) and ‘speak’ (‘logeo’). When we praise God, we are expressing good things about Him. When He expresses good things about us, He is blessing us.

It is impressive to note how God has approached man as a God of blessing from the beginning. The report of creation already shows how God blesses – first the creatures in the water and the air (Gen. 1:22), then man (Gen. 1:28; cf. Gen. 5:2) and the Sabbath Day (Gen. 2:3). After the flood He blessed Noah (Gen. 9:1). Then He called Abraham and blessed both him and those who would bless him (Gen. 12:2, 3). With Melchisedek we find both senses of the word: he blessed (praised) God and pronounced God’s blessing on Abraham (Gen. 14:19-20). It is not possible to list here all the passages where God is mentioned granting blessing (the word occurs over 300 times in the Old Testament), but it is impressive to see God’s intention of blessing mankind.

In our passage it is a specific matter of the blessing that the people of Israel should experience from the God who had entered into a covenant with them. This reminds us of Psalm 134: ‘Jehovah ... bless thee out of Zion’ (Ps. 134:3).

There are two distinct applications of the word 'blessing.' God blesses His people, and His people bless God, the same word being constantly used for both. It is obvious therefore that it must be understood in more senses than one. Again, we read that "the less [or inferior] is blessed of the better," Heb. 7:7; and though this refers to Melchisedec blessing Abraham, the same thing is true respecting God and His creatures: in bestowing favours God is the only one who can bless. The Christian can say, God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ," Eph. 1:3; but the same verse says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," meaning "Thanks be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." This signification is further made clear by the records of the institution of the Lord's supper. In Matthew and Mark the Lord took bread, and 'blessed.' In Luke and in 1 Cor. 11:24 He took bread and 'gave thanks.' "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." James 1:17. This is God blessing us, and for which we in return bless God by giving thanks, by praise and worship.

One other Bible word will contribute to our study. Blessing (eulogia and eulogeo) is often given a special meaning when addressed to God, and this meaning is nearly allied to worship and priestly service. The first Bible priest was Melchizedek, of whom we read in Genesis 14. He came out to meet the victorious Abram, and not only blessed Abram, but also blessed God. This dual blessing, coming out from God to men, and then rising from men to God in response, is seen very beautifully in Ephesians 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us." To bless means to "speak good." God's speaking good regarding His people has enriched them beyond all man's golden dreams; it has given them all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Our speaking good to God cannot and does not enrich Him, but such a response to God the Father from His children, answering to His love and giving Him his true place, ever rises as a sweet savour to Him. Blessing, in the special sense of rising from His children in response to the love of God the Father, is thus something very close to worship. In the Revelation, blessing ever rises in connection with the worship of those who, in heaven, prostrate themselves before Him that sits upon the throne and before the Lamb.

A blessing was in the hand of Melchizedek in Gen. 14; as again, long after, there was a blessing in the hand of Aaron in Num. 6. These instances we may easily understand — these blessings were conferred or pronounced by reason of office. They were delivered through priesthood ordained of God. There was nothing prophetic or oracular in them. The words which these priests used were rather prepared than inspired; words already prescribed by divine provision, rather than communicated at the moment by divine illumination, at least in the case of Aaron.

The well-known benediction brings the three Persons of the Holy Trinity together in a striking way:

Once I was at a meeting at which an old Christian, thinking that it had lasted long enough, said the Benediction, supposing that that would close it, but it did not. Up to that point it had been slow and normal, but the Benediction put new life into it, the praying did not really begin until then; that was the true beginning and not the end of the meeting. The threefold blessing was Paul's last word to the Church at Corinth, it was valedictory as well as benedictory; but I am persuaded that it was not the end of what he had said to them. If its full meaning came home to them they would turn back and read again his earnest words to discover what was involved in this threefold birthright of every soul that is born of God. That is the way with the God-inspired Word. As we read we are continually turned back to consider afresh what we have read, for every fresh unfolding of the truth throws new light upon what precedes it.

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" was shown in the past by His becoming poor for our sakes (2 Cor. 8:9). It is not, however, confined to that, as if it were a mere matter of history. It is warm, tender and true today, and the prayer of the Benediction is that it may be with us, that is, that we may have the reality of it, and the consciousness of it, wherever we go.

But so likewise is the church blest in Him, the benediction pronounced upon the saints formally and fully running thus — "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all."

"And the Lord spake to Moses, saying, Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, On this wise we shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them, The Lord bless thee and keep thee; the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious to thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them."

This copious blessing flows through the channel of priesthood. Aaron and his sons are commissioned to pronounce this wonderful benediction. God's assembly is to be blessed and kept of Him, continually; it is ever to bask in the sunlight of His gracious countenance; its peace is to flow as a river; Jehovah's name is to be called upon it; He is ever there to bless.

Take another word (Num. 6:22, 27): "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them." How Jehovah here profusely bestows His blessing upon the people, His heart gushing out towards them! He calls Moses before Him to enact this special ordinance, and to impose upon him this new and distinguished function. As king in Jeshurun - the prophetic, the priestly, and the royal officer combined in his pre-eminently typical person - he must be the medium of displaying to Aaron and his sons the style and character of the blessing in all its fulness and richness, in all its depth and amplitude, which God would have pronounced on the people of His love. Not until we get to Deut. 7:7 do we read of Jehovah's love to Israel, and then how touchingly is it presented, "Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people; 'but because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

Is it not fitting that a people so beloved and so distinguished should be taught the real delight of heart that Jehovah had in blessing them? "On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee." Here we have the first character of their blessing. It is the blessing of Jehovah of hosts, and its initial feature is security from evil, immunity from that to which all else were exposed. "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous." (Ps. 125:2-3.) For us how much more blessed a thing it is. Bodily, earthly, temporal deliverances belonged characteristically to Israel as the preserved of the Lord; but ours is a salvation marked by eternal security, not of a physical but a spiritual order, and which reaches to our very hearts and minds. Thus says the apostle, "The peace of God, which surpasses every understanding, shall guard (or garrison) your hearts and minds by Christ Jesus." Through the grace of God, the eternal security of the believer carries with it a present salvation of the soul (1 Peter 1:9), a future but no less equally assured salvation of the body (Rom. 8:23), and intermediately the heart and mind kept by "the peace of God" in the unbroken serenity and profound calm which prevails in the atmosphere of His own essential presence. This is what the Holy Ghost ever seeks to make good to the faith of the children of God.

The next character of blessing is found in verse 25, "The Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee." It is evident, from the frequent way in which this shining of the face of Jehovah is found in the Psalms, that it was a familiar thought in Israel. The most remarkable instance is that in Ps. 80: "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock: thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh," (the three tribes nearest to the Ark), "stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." (vv. 1-3); also in verse 7, "Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." And again in verse 19: "Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." The differences in name and title used in these verses clearly indicate the augmenting intensity of the plea for the shining forth of Jehovah's face as the Shepherd of Israel. To us its application is nothing short of the direct enjoyment of Himself, and as such expresses a specific character of blessing which ' no hearts like ours could or ever shall so appreciate. He never blesses us so supremely as when He makes Himself the object of our hearts, today and for eternity