God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us—Selah.
Psalm 67:1
A beautiful blessing, yes? Do you remember when God told Moses to speak this blessing over the Israelites?
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron and his sons, This is the way you shall bless the Israelites. Say to them, The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. And they shall put My name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them.
Numbers 6:22-27
Numbers 6:22-27
This blessing had particular meaning because Moses and Aaron had been giving many ‘rules and regulations’ to the people from God. Some of the instruction they received also included ‘cursings’ (consequences that would come due to sinful behavior). And so, God gave grace to them and had Aaron speak this blessing over them.
Note the seemingly odd word at the end of Psalm 67:1—selah. This Hebrew word, selah, has no absolute and definitive meaning. Most Biblical scholars understand it to connote something that is valued, or can be measured against (such as in a comparison). One Scripture that immediately jumps to mind talking about value and comparison is Proverbs 31:10.
A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman—who is he who can find her?
She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.
She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.
See, her worth (value) is being shown by comparison, i.e., ‘she is far more precious than jewels,’ and ‘her value is far above rubies or pearls. We should consider her of much value because she is being compared to these costly gems.
There are quite a few—seventy plus—uses of this word selah in the Scriptures…and almost every one of them is in the Book of Psalms. We are told to ‘consider the value’ of these things. Here are but a few:
There are quite a few—seventy plus—uses of this word selah in the Scriptures…and almost every one of them is in the Book of Psalms. We are told to ‘consider the value’ of these things. Here are but a few:
You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalm 32:7In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah. Psalm 44:8He will send from heaven and save me;… Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. Psalm 57:3Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:8How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah. Psalm 84:4
In our selected verse for today, Psalm 67:1, we are ‘considering the value’ of God graciousness…His blessing. The value of God’s grace…oh my! It would seem to me to be un-measureable! It would have great and incredible ‘value,’ don’t you think? But we are told to consider the value of it…so let us do just that!
- Grace saves us by faith. (Ephesians 2:8)
- In our weakness, grace is sufficient. (2nd Corinthians 12:9)
- Esther found grace and favor in the king’s eyes. (Esther 2:16-17)
- Jesus came and brought grace and truth. (John 1:15-17)
These are just a very few examples…the Scriptures are filled with examples of God’s grace being given in many, many, many different ways. What verse comes to your mind that communicates about God’s grace? Would you share it with us?
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Dear Lord, may we always be aware of Your blessings! May the magnitude and the vastness of Your amazing grace always fill our hearts with praise and thankfulness! Please help us to recognize Your grace and blessings; and tell others, Lord, about the blessing of our great God! We love You, Lord!
Amen.
