Learning the Hebrew Blessings (1)
“Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel”
(1 Chronicles 29:10)
Christians should bear in mind that they are recipients of the gospel plan of salvation which came through Abraham (Gal. 3:14,29; Rom. 11:18). Gentiles (non-Jews), therefore, share in the rich history and scriptural foundations of Israel (Rom. 15:4,27). The Hebrew blessings are a part of this illustrious heritage.
The Hebrew Blessings are precisely that-blessings which come through the Hebrew language and theological format (Gen. 14:13; 40:15; Ex. 3:15,18). The apostle Paul is an example of how this Hebrew style was perpetuated through the centuries (Acts 22:2; Phil. 3:5). Modifications and deviations from this were noted as pejorative (negative) according to Nehemiah 13:23-24. While the gospel has no one accepted language today (Acts 10:46), we are privileged, indeed, to have access to the Hebrew blessings.
The Hebrew Blessings often appear in simple Hebraic words: brief, pointed, and powerful. These attest to the God of heaven as Daniel 2:19-20 records-“Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said: Blessed be the name of God forever and ever…”
-Robert M. Housby