top of page

“And I Will Bless Them” Numbers 6:22-27

  • glynnbeaty
  • Jul 8, 2018
  • 8 min read

Ever since I can remember, I was taught that when a person sneezes, my duty is to say, “Bless you.” I was never taught to say, “Excuse me” if I sneezed. I have heard people say that, and there are times I will say it, but a sneeze always elicits a “Bless you” from me. Sometimes, I’ll give it a “Gesundheit,” but most of the time, I stick to the English.

Blessings are important. When I proposed to Kim, she agreed on the condition that I asked her dad. If he gave me his blessings, she would marry me. When a person goes to anyone asking a favor, they’re asking for blessings.

What is a blessing? A blessing is an extension of favorable intentions and inclinations toward another person. To receive someone’s blessing is to be looked upon with favor and with an attitude of wellbeing.

Today, we begin a series of messages looking at some of the blessings found in the Bible. As we look at them, we will see how and why God wants to bless us.

Background

The names of the first five books of the Bible are usually taken from the first word taken from the Greek version of the book—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus (the Latin, not the Greek), Deuteronomy. The exception is Numbers. The name derives from the Latin and the Greek but it refers to the censuses that are recorded in Numbers 1-4 and again toward the end of the book in Chapter 26.

But really, the name is a misnomer. The majority of the book speaks about the 38 years of wandering from Sinai to preparing to enter the Promised Land. The Hebrew name for the book is “In the Wilderness,” which is quite a bit more accurate in describing the book. There are a lot of interesting things that occur in the book as the people travel through the Wilderness.

This blessing that we see takes place in the midst of instructions on how to set up the Levitical system and the duties of the priests. Specifically, the blessing comes right after instructions on the responsibilities of the Nazirites. If you’re not familiar with the Nazirites, remember that Samson was a Nazirite, and one of the main issues about the Nazirites was they were forbidden to cut their hair while under the rules of the Nazirites.

Aaron and his heirs have been established as the High Priests of the nation. All high priests will be descended from Aaron and his sons, and the high priest will always be the eldest son of the eldest son. Each element of this blessing has a meaning, but it doesn’t have hidden meaning. The fact that the Lord is mentioned three times is not a foreshadowing of the concept of the Trinity. One of my commentaries suggested that there is evidence that the mention of “you” six times and the repetition of “Lord” creates seven mentions, the perfect number of significance to the nation, but I think that’s a stretch. After all, the Lord is mentioned three times, and three and six equals nine, not seven. But all that is missing the point of what is taking place in these few verses. God is giving Aaron a responsibility to proclaim God’s blessing. And that’s the focus of our passage.

Central Truth: The Lord blesses His people.

The Lord’s blessing includes:

  • Security (24)

The idea of the blessing is finding favor in God’s eyes. In each mention of the Lord, there is the unmistakable message that God is looking with favor upon the nation of Israel.

The first part of the blessing is, “The Lord bless you and keep you.” The blessing implies God watching over the nation, including providing for their wellbeing through abundant crops, plentiful rain and other aspects of a person’s life. When Rachel left her family to return with her new husband, Isaac, the blessing was that she would bear many children and be happy. When Boaz greeted his employees, he blessed them with “The Lord be with you,” suggesting his desire that God walk with them and watch over them. This is the same idea presented here in the phrase, “The Lord bless you.”

More than blessing, though, there is also the promise that the Lord will keep them. Here the promise is that God will protect His people. He will be their Defender, guarding over them as a mother hen watches over her brood of chicks, as a loving parent watches over and cares for his or her child. The promise that He will keep them safe.

So the first part of the blessing is that God will provide the security needed for a people in hostile world. That security comes in the form of providing for His people and watching over them against any and all enemies. The blessing invokes the desire for God to always be alert to the needs of the people and to meet those needs as He sees fit.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

  • Grace (25)

Just as the first part of the blessing conveys the idea of security, so the second part of the blessing wishes God’s grace to be extended to them.

“The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.”

Years ago, Laura was working at a fast food place, a sandwich shop in Hewitt. She asked me to come and have lunch with her one day. I promised I would, and I made my way to her place of business. She was standing at the counter, waiting on customers. She had a smile on her face as she greeted each one and served them. When she saw me, though, her smile expanded from her mouth to include her whole face. She had gone from the “say cheese” portion of a photo to being genuinely pleased to see someone. It was obvious to me, and I was glad to see her, too.

I think of that as I hear the phrase “The Lord make His face shine upon you.” As I read this, I think of God looking at His people with a genuine love and happiness. Yes, they could be trying and would continue to prove trying. Yes, they could be stubborn and annoying. But any child has those traits. As parents, we look beyond that and continue to love them and care for them and nurture them. The idea that God is genuinely pleased to see us is a great comfort to me, and when added to the idea of the second part of the verse, really makes this part truly wonderful.

Grace is when God gives us the things we don’t deserve. The hymn, Amazing Grace, gives a good description of what grace does. It takes our sins and removes them from us. Grace reconciles us and brings us into true fellowship with God. Grace extends to us the patience and wisdom of God. Grace enables us to learn from Him and to enter into His presence and to discover truths that were unknown before we experienced His deep grace.

When I read this verse, I understand once again that God’s grace is perfected in the very well-known verse of John3:16. God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die for our sins and bring us forgiveness. That is grace in action, and it is grace personified in Jesus Christ.

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

  • Peace (26)

The last part of the blessing is, “The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”

The idea of turning one’s face toward someone was to give one’s attention and favor to that person. Look at the reverse. When something disgusts us or something similar, it is our nature to turn our face away from such a thing. Maybe you’ve been in a situation when you’ve become so angry or disappointed in someone that you’ve had to turn away from them, walk away and distance yourself.

This idea helps me to better understand what it means, then, to turn one’s face toward someone else. If I turn my face toward someone, it means I enjoy being with them, that I enjoy looking at them. It suggests that that person has my attention and that I will listen to them. To turn my face to someone means I really care about that person.

Thus the significance of God turning His face toward the nation of Israel. There is a hope that God will always care, always listen, always enjoy His people.

And when we find ourselves in such a relationship with God, we find peace. The idea of peace is the absence of conflict. It is the promise of serenity even in the midst of chaos. When Paul writes that we should give thanks in all things, the thanksgiving arises from the peace that is ours in Christ. In the Beatitudes, Jesus says the peacemakers will be called the sons of God. James says peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18).

The peace that is found in God’s blessing is a peace that comes only from Him. Jesus told the disciples the last night He was with them, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). It is this peace that frees us from anxiety and fear. It is a peace that Paul describes as “the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ” (Philippians 4:7). This is the blessing that comes from God.

The Lord turn His face toward you, and give you peace.

Conclusion

After God gives Moses this instruction, He tells them the result of the blessing. When Aaron and his descendants pronounce the blessing, God says they will put God’s name on Israel, and He will bless them.

The idea of ownership here is not that of Master and slave, but of possession in the sense of belonging. Traditionally, a groom gives his name to his bride, and in that is the promise that was spoken of honoring, loving, caring, supporting. It is the idea of we belong together in a special relationship that speaks to the unique nature of this particular union, this joining of two lives. When God puts His name on His people, He is expressing that special relationship that is expressed in the blessing itself. Because Israel belongs to Him, He will keep them, He will give them grace and He will give them peace. He will make His face shine upon them, He will turn His face toward them and He will bless His people.

The promise suggested in the Aaronic blessing is extended to God’s people today. Maybe we don’t feel blessed; maybe we don’t feel the peace that passes all understanding. When we don’t feel these things, it is important to remember that we are not called to be people of feelings, but people of faith. The fact that God instructed Aaron to make the blessing tells us that God wants to bless us, and that He does bless us. He is blessing us now. He is making His face shine on us now. He is turning His face toward us now. As a result, we are in His keeping, receiving peace and grace. This isn’t a feeling; it’s a promise. And Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians that all of God’s promises are “yes” in Christ Jesus.

Stop living by feeling; embrace the reality of God’s blessing in your life today.

 
 
 

Comments


Featured Posts
Check back soon
Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.
Recent Posts
Archive
Search By Tags
Follow Us
  • Facebook Basic Square
  • Twitter Basic Square
  • Google+ Basic Square

Mosheim Baptist Church

© 2020 by Mosheim Baptist Church. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page