“Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”
– Deuteronomy 33:12
Hi James and Ellen,
A prayer blessing is a forward looking affirmation that is pronounced on a guy, gal or kid. The guy or gal who has been prompted by God – as God the Spirit, to give a prayer blessing as a word gift to a guy, gal or kid may be a pastor, a teacher, a mentor, a significant other, a dad or a ma. The last five years that your grandmaa and grandpaa were missionaries with OC International, your grandmaa and grandpaa were asked by Sean Alfredson to be coaches for two or three of the OC International missionary candidate units during the time that these missionary candidates were participating in OC International’s annual five week summer internship program. Sean is the OC International missionary at OC International’s headquarters office – which is in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who is responsible for overseeing OC International’s annual summer internship program. Seam schedules on the final evening of each summer internship a time for each coach to give a prayer blessing to each one of the OC International missionary candidate units that he or she had been the coaches for during their five weeks of internship. Because Sean really wants this time to be a memorable moment, Sean sets up a room with chairs in a circle, he puts a cross that he has draped with a purple cloth, an open Bible, candles, water, basins and cloths to wash and dry feet and the elements for taking communion in the center of the circle of chairs. Sean gives time for each OC International missionary candidate unit who wants to say something to do so, Sean then has each coach give a prayer blessing to each guy and/or gal who he or she has been asked by him to coach. Because God has hardwired your grandpaa towards being very introverted which invariably has your grandpaa feeling awkward in group settings where and when there are expectations for him to do something, your grandpaa never looks forward to these times but . . . when these times finally end – which sometimes seems to your grandpaa that a time will go on forever, your grandpaa always knows that God – as God the Spirit, is manifesting Himself during these times.
Moses – probably not long before he died, gave prayer blessing gifts to each one of the Israelite people group tribal clans. Moses scribed in what is now Deuteronomy 33 these prayer blessing gifts. After Moses reestablished the role that God – as God the Father, had in choosing the extended family of Abraham – leading to his grandson Jacob – who had his name changed to Isreal by God, to be His specially chosen guys and gals, and after reiterating that God – as God the Father, had passed on to them – through him, when He met with him on Mount Sinai, a new worship paradigm that was comprised of laws and commands that God – as God the Father, had mandated them to obey and after reminding them that God – as God the Father, has a myriad of holy ones – who are angels, who are always at His disposal to help Him to do whatever for them, Moses began with Israel’s oldest kid’s tribal clan to pass on to them tribal clan specific word gifts. Moses’ word gift for Rueben’s tribal clan was that the Rueben tribal clan would live, not die and have many guys. Moses’ word gift for Judah’s tribal clan was that the Judah tribal clan would defend their own causes with their own hands. Moses’ word gift for Levi’s tribal clan was that the Levi tribal clan would have their hands blessed and their enemies routed because they taught God’s precepts to Jacob’s kids and God’s laws to the Israelite people group guys and gals and because they offered incense and burnt offering sacrifices to God. Moses’ word gift for Joseph’s tribal clan – which went to Joseph’s two kid’s tribal clans – which were Ephraim’s and Manasseh’s tribal clans, was that the Ephraim and Manasseh tribal clans would have their lands blessed by precious dew from heaven and from the deep waters that lie below the soil which would have both tribal clans becoming wealthy, majestic and powerful. Moses’ word gift for Zebulun’s tribal clan was that the Zebulun tribal clan would spend their time rejoicing outside their tents. Moses’ word gift for Issachar’s tribal clan was that the Issachar tribal clan would spend their time rejoicing inside their tents. Moses’ word gift for Gad’s tribal clan was that the Gad tribal clan would live on the best land resulting in their land size growing as they carried out God’s righteous will. Moses’ word gift for Dan’s tribal clan was that the Dan tribal clan would be like a rambunctious lion’s cub instead of being the timid tribal clan that it may have been. Moses’ word gift for Naphtali’s tribal clan was that the Naphtali tribal clan would have abounded favor with God that would have them inheriting the land southward to the lake. Moses’ word gift to Asher’s tribal clan was that the Asher tribal clan would be a favorite bro.
There is still one tribal clan that your grandpaa has not recounted the word gift that Moses gave to this tribal clan. Have you figured out which tribal clan it is? It is Benjamin’s tribal clan. Moses’ word gift to the Benjamin tribal clan is verse 12, “About Benjamin he said: “‘Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.”’ Your grandpaa does not know how the word gift that Moses gave to the Benjamin tribal clan blessed them – other than having Saul – who was from the Benjamin tribal clan, being the first guy to rule over the guys and gals who were living in Israel’s land area. Your grandmaa and grandpaa think that it is good to bless guys, gals and kids and to receive blessings from guys and gals.
Deuteronomy 33 (1159)