Culture of Blessings
Friday’s Blessings
On Fridays, a Jewish father blesses his sons and daughters.
The western church has forgotten the power of blessing.
Today is Friday and the father on the eve of Shabbat before Kiddush gathers his sons and daughters around him and blesses them.
The father
blesses his girls with “May G-d make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah,” the mothers of the Jewish nation.
The father
The father blesses the boys with “May G-d make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. We are commanded to bless this way! Genesis 48:20 “In thee shall Israel bless, saying G-d make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh.
We bless the girls by saying “May G-d make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Lea” The question is why don’t we bless our sons by saying “ May G-d make you like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” who are the fathers of the Jewish nation? I will answer this question in a future recorded audio.
Blessings In A Jewish Community
Coming to faith in 1980, I immediately heard many sermons on the importance of the spoken word. However, I have never experienced practical blessing in the Christian Community as in a Jewish community.
On birthdays in a Jewish school, the classmates sit around the birthday boy (or girl) and one by one pronounce a blessing. This custom starts in Kindergarten and, of course, it is in our homes on a weekly basis at the beginning of every Shabbat.
By interpreting the dream of the cup bearer, Joseph was released from prison through his speaking by faith. Joseph’s speaking not only released him from prison, Joseph also obtained authority through the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams (41:25-44), and ultimately brought him to the throne to be ruler of the world.
We can also be released from our prison by speaking. Do not wait until you have the experience before you speak by faith. Andrew Murray once said that a good minister always speaks more than he has experienced.
Every year on the evening of Yom Kippur, we have another time of family blessings called “Kol Nidre.” More about this in another blog.
I would encourage you, not only to make proclamations in your personal prayer life, but bring the culture of blessing into your family and Christian community.