Hey you! I trust you are well today.
Last Sunday evening, we came home after the Sunday service and as I was resting, Asher came to me and asked me, “Wewe ndio Pastor Chris?” I was taken aback. I even asked him, “Ati umesema nini?” My shock transferred to him and he recoiled – he actually thought he had done something wrong, But after some little back and forth trying to get him to repeat it he repeated what he had said. So I asked him, “How did you know, I was a pastor?” then again, “Ulijuaje, mimi ni pastor?, Nani alikwambia hivo?” In my assumption, he must have been told by someone that I was Pastor Chris, or he had heard enough times that reference being made.
‘“Now if you faithfully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all His commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. Your descendants will be blessed, and your land’s produce, and the offspring of your livestock, including the young of your herds and the newborn of your flocks. ‘
Deuteronomy 28:1-4
Honestly, I almost cried when I heard that. I was shocked about it, because of the lessons we had learned from the service earlier in the day related to this situation right here. It is like God had just set me up for a practical exam over that sermon. I called him and told him to come and receive his priestly blessings from the pastor. So I told him, “Now that you have recognized that daddy is a pastor, come I give you your portion of priestly blessings for today.” I laid hands on him and prayed for him and made some declarations over his life. They love this so much it is almost like a game to them. I then explained to him that I have not done that as a parent as we mostly do, but I have done that as a priest and his pastor over his life. The boy was so happy. After our evening routine, they went to bed and I was left there thinking over those things.
The sermon I am referring to is, “God’s Blessings”. The link will lead you there. This particular area that led to the encounter that evening was when the Pastor taught about the various conduits of blessings that are in the Word of God. He taught five of them.
1. Divine Blessings. – These are the ones that the Lord Himself has spoken directly to His people. Ie what we find in Deuteronomy 28: 1-14
2. Parental Blessings. – These are from our parents or guardians. Also, we are not talking about spiritual parents here. We are referring to our biological parents.
3. Promotional Blessings from the Lord.
4. Priestly Blessings – These ones are now the ones from the spiritual authorities over our lives.
5. Societal blessings.
I will focus on Parental blessings and Priestly blessings because when Asher called me pastor… I won’t overthink it, so I hope you wont too… He probably hasn’t even understood what he just said to this point, so it might have been more of what the Holy Spirit was teaching me at this particular moment and not even much about him. But yes, it is important to differentiate between these two. Parental blessings should be taken with as much seriousness as they deserve. The Lord’s blessings are overall, but the blessings given by our parents CANNOT be given by the priests, pastors, or even prophets – No matter how much we call them daddy and mummy and give our all to them. The blessings given by the priests cannot be given by our parents. God’s structure is so built that all these will work together for the good and our growth to the full stature of Christ. So we need to realign ourselves accordingly. Pastors and MOGs should not take the place of Parents and guardians and Parents should not take the place of MOGs.
If you thought the Parental and Priestly roles have been of more contention than other areas, wait till you hear of the perspectives from a family & social perspective. Ie. Your sibling who happens to be a pastor happens to have an extra role above being your sibling, meaning as the sibling you also stand to partake of a blessing from the priestly they carry. Friends as well. Your pastor friend is a pastor as well. They have something that none of your other friends have above the normal benefits of friendship you have. This is one thing that Miriam the Sister of Moses had not understood at some point on their journeys. This though is a whole different article or sermon, regarding honoring the servants of God. I have skipped a few verses where God was lecturing Miriam and Aaron before they got their punishment.
‘Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). They said, “Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does He not also speak through us? ” And the Lord heard it. Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth. As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam’s skin suddenly became diseased, as white as snow. When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased and said to Moses, “My lord, please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. ‘
Numbers 12:1-3, 10-11
To wind this up, the distinction drawn between parental blessings, and priestly blessings highlights the significance of each in the spiritual journey. Parental blessings that originate from biological parents or guardians carry a unique significance that cannot be replicated by priestly blessings. Conversely, priestly blessings, administered by spiritual authorities, serve as crucial conduits of divine favor and guidance. It is essential to recognize and honor the distinct roles of both parental figures and spiritual leaders in nurturing spiritual growth and alignment with God’s will. We are being encouraged to embrace and honor each blessing stream, acknowledging their complementary roles in fostering spiritual flourishing and maturity.
Receive the blessings of the Lord.
‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26
Grace & Peace.