From the Pastor’s Study
The Imperative of the Blessing Sept 29, 2021
In order to appear diplomatic and polite, we often avoid the use of direct commands. When I was living at home with my parents, my father would often avoid giving a direct command. He would say, “Would you like to clean out the calf pens today?” The calf pens were inaccessible by tractor, so the only way to clean those calf pens was with a fork and wheelbarrow. It was a full day’s work because the calves were housed on a thick bedding pack. Emptying those calf pens was like forking layers of carpet. I can’t remember a single time I wanted to clean calf pens, but when my father asked my brothers and me if I wanted to clean calf pens, he wasn’t asking how we felt about it; rather, he was giving a command. By the end of the day, the calf pens would be empty. It was fully understood in our family that such a question was not a question; it was command. But a question sounds more diplomatic than a command, at least when it comes to cleaning calf pens.
We do seem to try to avoid command statements in the way we speak. Even if we are in a position of authority, we want to soften the command so that it doesn’t sound so authoritarian. We may form the command as a question, or we may make it sound like a suggestion: “Why don’t you pick up your clothes before you vacuum your bedroom floor?” Clearly the parent is revealing his/her will to the child but is avoiding the use of a direct command.
Normally, when we seek to have someone do what we ask, we address them directly. If and when we do form our sentence into a command, it is called an imperative. “Wash your hands before you come to the table.” There are times, however, when we use a kind of imperative statement when speaking of a third person. A mother may say to her child in the presence of the father, “Your father will take you to work.” She may not have discussed it with her husband, but he knows that he is being told that he is going to have to take their daughter to work in a few moments. The command is for him, but it is spoken to the daughter. Still, the father understands what is expected of him.
There is one good example of this kind of imperative in the Bible which is for God but is spoken to the people. In Numbers 6:24 we have the familiar blessing, “The Lord bless you and keep you.” This is an example of a command that is given to God even while it is spoken to the people. Often, we hear that blessing softened down a little so that it does not sound so much like a command: “May the Lord bless you and keep you.” That sounds a little better to our ears because it is expressing a wish or a hope or a suggestion. If the Lord sees fit, we are saying, may he give to you his blessing.
But that is not what the Bible says. Written in the Hebrew the verb is actually a command given to God but spoken to the people. It is not a “may,” expressing a hope or possibility, but it is a command to God. Hearing someone give a command to God (even while it is spoken to the people) sounds rather audacious. How can we command God to do anything, especially when it comes to blessing us? God does what he wishes, and we don’t have the authority to tell him what to do, do we?
Yet, the blessing in Numbers 6:24,25 is much more like a command to God than it is like a request of God. This is not a prayer of request, hoping that God will be so inclined as to bless his people; rather, it is a command telling God to bless his people. If spoken directly to God rather than to the people, it would sound like a command, “God, bless your people.” This is not a softened down, diplomatic, polite form of speech that we often prefer. It is an imperative.
Human beings do not have the right to command God except in one situation: if God commands us to speak in the imperative, we must. And that is exactly what God did. “God said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, “This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you. . .’” God commands that he be commanded to bless the people. We might be a little uncomfortable with the force of the words, but this is what God wants to happen. He wants to be commanded to bless his people.
What is the force of all of this? Simply this: that God wants us to know that we can be assured of his blessings. We can be assured that God will always look on his people with favour and show us his grace. We can be assured that God will take notice of us, and he will give us peace. This is not a faint hope that perhaps might answer our prayer that he be concerned about our situation. No, we are assured beyond doubt that when we are counted among his covenant people (as all who are in Christ Jesus are), God will not abandon us but will provide us with all that we need.
Thus, at the end of our worship services, when it comes time for the blessing, know that the blessing is not a request of God that should he feel so inclined, he takes notice of us. Rather, it is a word of assurance that God will watch over our lives no matter where we are or what we are doing. God commands us to command him to bless us, thus assuring us of that blessing.
So, let’s not tone down the imperative, at least not here. God doesn’t want us to change the imperative to something else so that it sounds more diplomatic or polite. He wants us to tell him to bless us, for that is what he does for his covenant people.
Pastor Gary
