Photo by James Coleman
Elevation Worship’s The Blessing was recently requested several times in the same week, in part because it addresses the current COVID-19 crisis. It’s gaining a lot of attention and it’s clear that many of you want my opinion on it. So, I caved.
It was co-written by Steven Furtick and Chris Brown (Elevation Worship). Christian artists and married couple Cody Carnes and Kari Jobe also helped pen this recent release.
Also, check out my other Elevation Worship reviews. There is plenty to choose from!
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review. I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.
1. What message does the song communicate?
The song’s title summarizes the entire song. It is a series of blessings offered to those who listen, containing several elements:
- That God would grant bless us, keep us, show favor towards us, and grant us grace and peace for a thousand generations.
- That we would become more sensitive to God’s presence that exists everywhere, including the Holy Spirit indwelling within us.
- That we would understand God is for us no matter the time of day, location, or personal scenario.
Side Note: This song relies heavily on repetition:
- Chorus – Three times
- Refrain – Five times, with each containing six “amen”
- Bridge 1 – Six times
- Bridge 2 – Three times
- Bridge 3 – Three times
- Post-Bridge – Three times, with the same phrase repeating six times on the first iteration and eight times on the next two.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
All the blessings contained in this song are either directly quoted from Scripture or inspired by it.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Chorus]
The Lord bless you
And keep you
Make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
The Lord turn His
Face toward you
And give you peace
This is a common blessing given at the end of church services. It was originally a blessing God instructed Moses to tell Aaron to give to the people of Israel in Numbers 6:24-26.
The Lord bless you
And keep you
Make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you
The Lord turn His
Face toward you
And give you peace
Repeats lines 1-7.
[Refrain]
Amen, amen, amen
Amen, amen, amen
“So be it” stated six times.
[Bridge 1]
May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children
Elevation Worship’s blessing inspired by Exodus 20:6, Deuteronomy 7:9, and Psalm 103:17-18.
May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children
Repeats lines 1-4.
May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children
Repeats lines 1-4.
May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children
Repeats lines 1-4.
[Bridge 2]
May His presence go before you
And behind you, and beside you
All around you, and within you
He is with you, He is with you
Combines the omnipresence of God (1 Kings 8:27, Psalm 139:7-12, Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Colossians 1:17, and Hebrews 4:13) with the Holy Spirit who lives inside believers (Acts 6:5, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:16-19, Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 5:18, and 2 Timothy 1:14) into a blessing. He is with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9).
[Bridge 3]
In the morning, in the evening
In your coming, and your going
In your weeping, and rejoicing
He is for you, He is for you
Regardless of the time of day, location, or emotional state, God is for us (Psalm 56:9, Psalm 118:6-7, Psalm 121:8, Ezekiel 36:9, and Romans 8:31).
[Post-Bridge]
He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you
He is for you, He is for you
Repeats Bridge 3, line 4.
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Unbelievers won’t miss the message the first time, much less the second or third. It is a blessing offered to believers. However, they could also be lead astray, thinking that God is with, within, and for them without repentance or faith. Rather, Scripture says the opposite:
- They will experience eternal separation from God (Matthew 18:8, Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, Mark 9:43, Jude 1:7, Revelation 14:11, and Revelation 20:10).
- Their hearts are far from God (Isaiah 29:13, Ezekiel 33:31, and Matthew 15:7–9).
- God is against them.
Little in this song applies to unbelievers until they turn from their wickedness and trust in Jesus.
Score: 7/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It brings glory to God by invoking a Biblically accurate blessing to those who hear it.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Elevation Worship’s The Blessing is an excellent song. It offers a blessing inspired by Scripture that unbelievers can easily comprehend and brings glory to God. However, unbelievers will probably get the wrong idea, thinking God approves of their sinful lifestyle.
Those undeterred by repetition may consider ending their church service with this song; However, I cannot recommend this song for seeker-sensitive churches without an explanation. Either way, it’s not appropriate for corporate worship.
Final Score: 9.5/10
Artist Info
Track: The Blessing (Live) (listen to the song)
Artist: Elevation Worship (Feat. Cody Carnes & Kari Jobe)
Album: Graves Into Gardens (Live)
Genre: Rock
Release Year: Will be released May 2020
Duration: N/A
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 2020 Worship Together Music (BMI) Writers Roof Publishing (BMI) Capitol CMG Paragon (BMI) Kari Jobe Carnes Music (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com), Elevation Worship Publishing (BMI) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
02/15/2022 – After prayerfully considering Steve Barhydt’s comments, I decided that my rating for section 3 was too harsh. I updated it, raising the song’s overall score from 8.5/10 to 9.5/10. I also updated conclusion to explicitly state that it’s not appropriate for corporate worship, and that seeker-sensitive churches should offer an explanation.
09/14/2021 – Per Artist Theology announcement, I expanded the red text to encourage others to study Elevation Worship’s theology.
04/20/2021 – After prayerfully considering Don’s comments, I decided to update section 3 based on his direction. This reduced the song’s overall score, from 10/10 to 8.5/10.
03/15/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement. I tailored my commentary as a side note, to those sensitive to repetition. This raised this song’s score from 9.5/10 to 10/10.
05/11/2020 – Added Psalm 103:17-18 as a reference for Bridge 1, thanks to Linda Carroll!
Comments
Matt Hickok
I’m ok with this song, as long as we recognize that it is NOT a worship song. Worship songs have God as the intended target; this song is clearly a blessing upon the congregation, which is fine, but it’s not directed at God. Take a different song: “Bless the Lord oh my soul … worship His holy name.” That song IS a worship song, because it is directed at God. IF (big if) the song is being sung AS worship THEN it is actually idolatry, because it is worship of the congregation, the blessing, “your children, and their children and their children.”
Let’s keep in perspective what this song is and is not useful for and we should be in good shape.
Kelly
On the surface this song appears to be quoting scripture but it leaves out a very important part and therefore is dangerously deceptive.
Numbers 6:25: The LORD make His face to shine upon you
Song: Make his face shine upon you
The song makes it seem like WE can somehow make His face shine upon us.
Vince Wright
Kelly,
Thank you for your comment!
The context seems clear that it is the LORD who makes His face shine upon you. The LORD is stated at the beginning and end of the first Verse. There’s no reason to think that the artist says that the LORD does it, then shifts to man shining God’s face to you, then again to God. Especially since there is no stated noun that precedes “make”. The Context doesn’t lend itself to that sort of interpretation.
-Vince Wright
Ironia Broyles
While browsing the internet to find out which Scripture this song was taken from, I saw your website. I hesitated to read your review because I did not what any one to take away from me my appreciation of this worship song.
Thank you for the Scriptures you gave.
I don’t mind the words being repeated over and over again. I just want to make sure that it is Scriptural.
Abigail Gendron
I love this song and agree with most of your review of it but I don’t believe it first brings glory to God when sung in a worship service. Number 6:24-27 was given to Moses by God for the priests to speak OVER Israel so that they might bear His name well. This song’s (like you said) main focus is blessings on believers- but that means it’s for believers not for God. If we are to sing “holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come” for all eternity- doesn’t that say something about the standard to which a “worship song” should be held to? There’s a preacher who comes to our church on occasion and even before this song came out he would sing Nu. 6:24-27 over the congregation at the end of service. It was so weird at first but the more I read and searched about it it made absolute sense. If this song were sung by the pastoral team or just the worship team as a blessing at the end of service I believe that is its proper context. But to be sung by everyone in a time where it is thought that we’re bringing glory to God I believe it is out of its proper context.
Robert Peurifoy
Should not the entire worship service be a time of bringing blessing to all the people. Our perverted 20th century worship if filled with announcements, children’s messages, presentations, and such that we have missed the whole point of worship: To Glorify God and receive God’s blessing. For decades I as a Pastor used this to close the service. It is not a prayer, but a proclamation. Is this different from “passing the peace,” which I consider another time stealer, especially when this action is done before the confession, as is the situation in many protestant churches, which no longer have a prayer of confession. People today need to be blessed, from the rising of the sun till the time it goes down.
Michael Negru
Spurgeon said in one of his writings: Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong but rather between right and almost right. Satan is always 90% right and 10% wrong… think about the deception of Eve in the garden. Elevation, Hillsong, and Bethel have the same tactic — 90/10 … well maybe 60/40 when you look at the core beliefs. Music is just the initiation process. Why do we support these business organizations (to not be too harsh)??? … I have no idea… Well maybe because our flesh enjoys this type of music…. high on emotions and minimal on sound thinking. People think that these songs are so supportive when they go through a depression or tough time … Nothing like the word of God and prayer without any sounds in that period of time… and if you really want a song during that time just go to a hymnal book and pick a song that speaks to your mind not emotions. Songs that are emotional like this one, produced by these outfits, only escalate the problem (looking at the comments some may disagree and that is OK by me) There is a lot of GREAT contemporary christian music out there.. Getty music, City Alight, Sovereign Grace… etc.. This post might not make it here but I just wanted to post it even if only the site owners will read it. I pray that God in the later days will give people discernment to know the difference between what is right and almost right!
Robert Peurifoy
Thank you Michael. Good thoughts, but I disagree on one major point. The modern protestant church is a child of the enlightenment. Everything has to be logical. Emotion is always suspect. I think this has been to the detriment of the world today and especially the church. Many people are emotionally starved when they come to church. They are hurting and don’t need a theological band-aide. I mean those who have had deaths in their families (I’ve recently lost both my children,) those who have lost jobs, those in family crisis or drug addiction. Love is an emotion, not an idea. I grew up in and then served churches with three hymns (reduced to only two so a children’t sermon could be fit in the requisite 60 minutes) and a sermon with three points and a poem. Talk about sentimentality. It isn’t that this is what people want, but emotional outlets are what people need. We are taught to suppress our emotions. Since the loss of my children it has been singing in worship “The Blessing.” I broke down, surrounded by people, who helped me finally grieve. God isn’t really concerned if our theology is correct. But God is concerned if our hearts are whole.
Michael P Negru
Robert, I am very sorry for your loss. I am not at all disregarding emotions as the Bible teaches us to Love our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind.. The major problem I see is that most people emphasize the emotional aspect of worship. If you read in Matthew 5 you will understand who is truly blessed coming from the mouth of our Saviour. The emphasis and focus of all these cults is Prosperity and comfort… your best life now.. and we all know that the Bible teaches that our best life is not here on this planet. We will all experience hardship, struggles, persecution even from a society that has deteriorate and moved away from God’s standards. God is extremely concerned with our Theology. Knowing is more important that feeling. Love you my brother in Christ. Again if I would of been there I would of cried with you …. nothing worse than losing people we love.. the only thing that is worse is not knowing God and loosing heaven and God’s presence. Again, So sorry for your lost… but we have the hope of re-uniting with our loved ones that have gone before!
Steve Barhydt
Robert,
I could not agree with you more!!!
I have never been able to understand the “fear” that some Christians have for the emotional side of the human experience.
God made both the intellectual AND the emotional within us.
Yes, too much emotionalism can be harmful. However, too much intellectualism is equally dangerous.
A balance between the two is something for which we must strive.
To quote John Piper …
“Worship must be vital and real in the heart, and worship must rest on a true perception of God. There must be spirit and there must be truth. . . . Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half-full) of artificial admirers . . . . On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship. (Desiring God, 81-82).
Vince Wright
Michael Negru,
Thank you for your comments!
The scope of The Berean Test is to analyze lyrics for its message, Biblical accuracy, outsider interpretation, or inherent glorification of God (or lack thereof) based on my evaluation criteria. Examining artist theology is important to discuss and there are websites that talk about the terrible theology that comes out of churches such as Bethel, Hillsong, and Jesus Culture; However, it exists outside the purpose of this website.
To quote from my criteria page,
“a high score does not necessarily endorse the theology of said artist. For example, Hillsong is well-known for promoting the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation movements, both of which are unbiblical in my view. They also received many high scoring reviews, some of which are 10/10. We should all do our own due diligence to examine the theology of artists.”
-Vince Wright
Walter Wilhoit
Psalm 136 – “His love endures forever,” repeats at the end of each verse, twenty-six verses, twenty-six times. Repetition is not new in the praise of God.
Cheese
I believe the comment in the conclusion saying “Despite its overreliance on as nauseum refrains” is unfair and a detriment to the beauty of this song and as such should be removed from the analysis … and besides, it seems that most people love the repetition,
Mark White
Check out the New Zealand Version – The Blessing Aoteorea. It inspires unity and adds another language to break the repetition. Beautiful.
Ryan
Thanks for this review. I agree with your assessment and love this song.
I do have a question about the lyrics that I wonder if you can help me understand- and am curious and not intending to criticize the song.
At one point they say “as we receive we agree.” I didn’t see that line analyzed. Can you tell what that’s a reference to?
Vince Wright
Ryan,
My pleasure, and great question!
All my research points to this line added in the UK version. Contextually, it ends the Chorus, stating that Elevation Worship receives and agrees with the blessing.
-Vince Wright
Ryan
Of course, thank you! That should have been obvious to me but my mind didn’t readily make that linkage.
Teresa Klassen
I do appreciate the work put in to note all those Scripture passages! Exactly what I was looking for. As to the repetition, sometimes you need 3,4,5 times before your heart opens enough to get it. Psalm 136 repeats “ad nauseam” also, probably for this reason. When it feels like a “slog” sometimes that’s the analyst not giving way to the poet.
Robert Peurifoy
Vince,
It is nice to hear someone presenting an analytical approach to worship music.
I had not hear The Blessing until a week ago while attending a conference (with social distancing.) I was very touched though the last half was painful. After 45 years of sometimes heartbreaking ministry mixed with lots of joy am coming out of a very depressed time away from ministry. As a pastor of a “traditional” denomination I seemed to end up with very dysfunctional congregation. I had become known as something of a healing pastor. But eventually the stress led me to step away from pastoral ministry. In these churches it was custom to end with the Aaronic blessing. The Blessing was one of several songs which have become part of my personal healing. The last part was very hard. The “Blessing be upon your children, and your children’s children to a thousand generations” was very difficult. This past week was the first anniversary of the death of our daughter, a worship leader in her own right. Coming up is the anniversary of the death of our son six years ago. I have no children, no grandchildren. I realize this was an emotional reaction to the song, but this is still significant. The current generation is emotionally starved in history. Lost parents, dead churches, humor in the place of joy. We are still children of the age of rationalism. Everything has to be explained, emotions are suspect, “bad” theology is…”Bad.” But honestly, I know few who have good theology.
As for repetition, Messiah, by Handel, is one of the most repetitious songs in history.
Vince Wright
Robert,
Thank you for your testimony! I am sorry to hear about your tragedy. I know what it’s like to lose a son.
-Vince Wright
Cathy
This song is really beautiful despite the lyrical repetition because it is scripture, AND it is scripture written to Gd’s people: Israel. I don’t think of it as much for the New Testament Christian, though it is entirely applicable. To me, this is a Jewish song more that’s anything especially given the trials, persecution and struggles that many Jews face even today, simply as a result of their Jewish faith. To know what the Word says, about post rapture and so forth, it seems only natural that this is actually a prayer for Israel.
Rebecca Nissen
I simply love this song. We make things so complicated. I first heard it when I needed to hear that message repeated many times. Thank you Lord for the musicians and the gifts you give them to speak to us through music. God alone!
Mike
100%!
Julia
I have a real issue with this song as a praise and worship song. Yes, it quotes scripture, but not once does it thank Jesus for who he is. It does not glorify God in his holiness. It has no echo of repentance or obedience. When this blessing is offered in Numbers, it’s after a bunch of laws have been brought forth, and even after the Nazarite vow! I don’t know how we Americans can look at our current culture and compare it to Israel in Numbers. We don’t deserve God’s blessing. We deserve God’s wrath, and it is only by the blood of Jesus we don’t have it. I think it has great harmonies that are catchy and make peoples’ voices sound good and THAT’S why people like it. I think it has very little to do with God or the Holy Spirit. Just that fun, free spirit we feel when we sing well.
Nancy
We cannot know anyone’s heart but our own. I believe it is unwise to make any sweeping judgement regarding what God can or can’t do through the Holy Spirit in people’s hearts through a song… through any song. If He didn’t speak to you through this song, it doesn’t mean He can’t or hasn’t spoken to anyone else through this song. That’s the beautiful thing about God, He speaks to each of us in a personal way, one that we can hear.
To give a really silly example of where I’m coming from… God used one of The Twilight series movies to speak to me. In a time of self-loathing, He used a line in one of those cheesy movies to tell me that I don’t understand how much He loves me. And you know what, He loves us all more than we know! Enough to send His Son to us & to send His Spirit to live in us!
The song doesn’t claim anything for Americans – but seems to me to be a prayer of blessing over those listening. If you do believe this particular blessing is only for priests, I ask you to consider this: We, the church (all over the world) have, according to the New Testament, been grafted in, adopted & made a holy priesthood (1Peter 2:4-10 & see previous posts from Vince for other verses regarding adoption & grafting).
To you all – As a beloved daughter of the King, as God’s image bearer, as a sister in Christ and a part of the body of Christ, I am blessed to be a blessing and I ask God to bless you and keep you, to make His face shine on you & be gracious to you. May He turn His face toward you and give you peace.
HearUsJesus
Thank you for taking it to the Bible. Keep up the great work – shine for His glory!
Vince Wright
HearUsJesus,
Thanks, much appreciated!
-Vince Wright
Julian W
I agree about the excessive repetition, although I think one’s response to that can change with age, with younger people often wanting a more emotional, intense encounter and those who are a bit older wanting more actual content.
But even when younger, and more so now, I find that when phrases get repeated a lot, as in this song, especially when done in an intense way, they it can work really well for a while, but sometimes they start to lose their meaning, and if that happens, then the band is probably still really giving it some, and some of the people round you are still really into it, and you’re left standing there with all that going on, thinking it was initially great, but now it’s just banal. Intense feelings about the words are great, but there’s a danger of overdoing it.
Vince Wright
Julian W,
Thank you for your comments! I agree with you.
-Vince Wright
Dakota Searles
I think part of the lyrics in Bridge 2 are taken from or allude to St. Patrick’s prayer. Several songs have used his words. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Breastplate
Jean Ledbetter
There has been a lot of indepth commentary about this song. I took this song as it was presented…..at this particular phase of my life, God put His beautiful promises there (in form of song) for me to hear, hide in my heart and to ponder as needed. These are beautiful words to remind me of how loving our Father is and how willing He is to rain down blessings on us, our children, their children, and their children’s children. There is nothing wrong with asking the Lord to bless those we hold dear. How can He bless? He can bless them with good health, happiness, safety, opportunities to witness, care for others. The list goes on and on. It’s not just about prosperity. I pray for my generation and those generations to come to be safe, happy and healthy; to accept Christ as their Savior and for the salvation of their spouses-to-be whomever they shall be. In our coming and going He is with us…….and our children, and their children, and their children’s children……..
Jimmie Garrison
Slog? The word of God is powerful. Never a toil or labor. Are you a worship leader or a musician? Just wondering… I accidentally came across your site and I do think it’s important to examine lyrics. Even in some of our older hymns they had some poetic privilege. Lol.
Vince Wright
Jimmie,
Thank you for your comments!
Great question! No, I’m a layman with some extra time on his hands! I am passionate about apologetics, philosophy, logic, critical thinking, and of course, Jesus Christ! Lyrical examination seemed like a good fit to use my talents, especially since there are very few websites dedicated to it.
-Vince Wright
Debra W
I love the whole thing lyrics, repeating, music, the way I feel when I’m singing, saying amen over and over and then repeating everything all over.
Vince Wright
Debra,
I am happy for you!
-Vince Wright