«The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord shine his face upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.’ They will invoke my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them». Numbers 6:24-27, NCB
DO YOU KNOW what is the oldest record we have of a portion of the Bible? For years I thought it was the Dead Sea scrolls, but when I visited the Israel Museum I realized that what I had thought was far from true. Yes, the scrolls are still the oldest manuscripts, but in the museum there is a silver plaque shaped like a scroll that dates back to the seventh century BC; in other words, it’s about five hundred years older than any of the writings found at Qumran.
The small piece was discovered at Ketef Hinnom, near the city of Jerusalem, during an excavation of the tomb of a well-to-do family. Gabriel Barkay, the archeologist in charge of the project sponsored by Tel-Aviv University, found over one hundred pieces of jewelry, about two hundred clay pots, and several pieces of ivory. But the most important discovery was a silver plaque with a Bible verse, which has become one of the most meaningful archeological findings.*
What verse of the Bible is inscribed in it? Numbers 6:22-27, the famous priestly blessing: «The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, «This is how you will bless the people of Israel, saying to them, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord shine his face upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace.’ » They will invoke my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them’ «(NCB).
Yes, the oldest biblical record tells us about blessing, grace, and peace. Our Father wants us to know He will keep His promise and bless us—not because we deserve it, but because He loves us, because He enjoys seeing His children being blessed. Although archeologists consider the silver plaque was a sort of amulet, it is an invocation, a prayer in which believers express their confidence that God will be with them.
That little plaque from the burial cave can no longer tell its deceased owner anything, but it still speaks to us and confirms a precious promise: God will bless us today and always.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernández
