ACH Study Groups
Ben & Fran Gilmore – Cofounders
7659 Gingerblossom Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621
916-722-2501 histbuff@garlic.com
www.ACHStudyGroups.com
March 11, 2018
This is a letter to our friends –
Aaron’s blessing
A new Christian in my late 30’s, I was attending a businessman’s breakfast. The speaker asked for our earliest memories. He pointed out that for some of us, our kids’ earliest memories might not yet have been created. That impacted me!
As Priest of my home, I began leading the family in nightly Bible reading. Everyone had an open Bible (including casual guests). There are 31 chapters in Proverbs and there are 31 days in the month. We went around the room, each reading a proverb. We joked about my son getting, “Spare the rod and spoil the child” and Fran getting the one about a nagging wife.
Later, when our third child came along I would put my hand upon her head at bedtime and pray. I chose the Aaronic Benediction, “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.” [Numbers 6:24-26]
It had a profound and lasting effect. Sometimes, when I would forget, my (then) three year old would put my hand on her forehead and wait. When the girls married, I was thrilled that the blessing was included in their wedding ceremonies.
For a time, before we moved to the Sacramento area, our pastor would invite me to close the service by blessing the congregation with that prayer. I was always impressed with the change that seemed to rest upon them as I prayed.
Recently, a friend sent me a book, “The Priestly Prayer of the Blessing” by Warren M. Marcus. The book is an in-depth study of Aaron’s Benediction. In it, the author points out that this is the only prayer in the Bible, the words of which are composed directly by the Creator God. – WOW! No wonder it has a profound effect!
Bottom line – Parents – Please add something like this to your kids’ memory chest.
These columns are archived since 12/10/09
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