Numbers part 6 | Living Blessed
This week we take a look at the Priestly Blessing that occurs at the end of Numbers 6. It is a prayer of blessing I say at the end of each service, though I paraphrase it a bit. It is a beautiful blessing in which Aaron and his sons are to “put [the name of God] upon the people of Israel.” Before we dissect the prayer itself, let’s take a look at where it appears in the story of Israel.
First, the Lord calls Abram out of the land of Ur to build a family and nation unto Himself. Abram is told that his family will be a blessing to the nations. Later, this family is moved to Egypt because of famine, and through a series of unfortunate events, a member of the family just so happens to be close friends with the pharaoh. It would appear the Lord is keeping His promise very well, as this family continues to grow and is blessed living in the land of Egypt.
But then, tragedy begins. Their blessed home becomes oppressive. A pharaoh rises to power who does not know Joseph, nor the blessings the Hebrew people have brought to his country. They are marked as slaves in Egypt for 400 years.
By the time we get to Numbers, Moses has led them out of slavery through the power of the Lord. But, rather than rejoicing and obediently serving the Lord, the Hebrew people have groaned and moaned their way out of Egypt. They will continue to argue with the Lord and those whom the Lord has put in charge. We already know, if we have read Exodus first, Moses contends with this generation many times. They do not show themselves deserving, and yet, the Lord tells Aaron to bless them anyway. In this blessing, Aaron puts the Name of God on the people.
What does it mean to “bear the Name of the Lord?” The short answer is this:
The Lord brands His people with His Name, and in turn His people uphold the reputation and righteousness of the Lord in their daily lives.
This “branding” occurs through the blessing of the people by the priests. This prayer of blessing is a reminder that God’s grace is tied to His attributes and power, not our ability to earn such a blessing. Remember, the very people that were brought out of Egypt will be the same ones that die before entering the Promised Land because of their lack of obedience.
We do not have to earn God’s blessings; we have to receive it.
The Priestly Blessing | Numbers 6:22-27
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:22-27
“The LORD bless you”
What does it mean for the Lord to bless you? First, we should note “Lord” in the English text is all capitals. The capitalization denotes the Hebrew is using the proper name of God, “YHWH.” There is a particular God in mind with this blessing, and that is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same God who brought Israel out of Egypt is the same God who called Abraham out of Ur and is the same God who created all things.
Notice, three times the Name of the Lord is invoked in this blessing. The sentence structure of the prayer does not need the second occurrence of the Name, and so we know the three occurrences are deliberate. Three is the heavenly number in Hebrew, and its heavenly nature continues into Christianity because we know God is Three in One—One Lord in Three Persons.
Second, let’s take a look at what it means to be blessed. As stated above, we can look at the blessing given to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” But let’s also turn to Psalm 67.
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us,that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!Psalm 67:1-3
The psalmist expands this blessing by stating God’s “way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” God’s blesses us with His wisdom, His instructions, and His salvation. For Numbers, and much of the Old Testament, God’s blessings are described in material things—large families, abundant harvests, and military victories. These are certainly part of God’s blessings, but they are not the end-all. Notice, the psalmist doesn’t refer to any of these. The greatest blessings from God are knowledge of His ways and salvation.
The greatest blessing we will ever receive from God is salvation and actually knowing Him.
“Keep You”
The English “keep” is using the older meaning “to protect” or “guard.” How does the Lord guard us? For the Israelites the meaning was tied to their national boundaries. The Lord would keep invaders out of the land so long as they upheld the covenant. When they break the covenant centuries later, the Assyrians (and later Babylonians) invade the country and sack the cities. When Israel reflects on the tragic events, they realize their Exile was a result of breaking covenant with the Lord.
For us today, Christians do not have political boundaries. Christians come from all nations, languages, and tribes. Instead we have an inheritance that transcends such boundaries, and even into eternity.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:13-14
The Lord protects our hearts and souls with His Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance.
Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us in John 14. Paul says in Colossians 3,
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:2-4
For Christians, physical protection is nothing compared to the spiritual protection we have in the Lord. Yes, the Lord may choose to protect our physical selves and property, but even if we lose all our things, if we have Christ, we have everything. Therefore, we can be obedient to Jesus who said,
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28
“Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you”
A face shining is an idiom lost in the modern world. The closest thing we have is the phrase “a face lighting up in pride,” such as a parent to child or friend to friend. For the ancients, a divine face shining upon the people is synonymous to divine blessings and grace. With the additional “and be gracious” running parallel, we can link these two phrases to mean the same thing. May God give His grace to the people.
Psalm 80 illustrates the use of this phrase and a call for God’s grace. Three times it states “Let your face shine, that we may be saved!” But take a look at the three instances with me.
Restore us, O God;
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Psalm 80:3
Restore us, O God of hosts;
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Psalm 80:7
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Psalm 80:19
Three times the psalmist calls on the Lord to shine His face so that Israel will be saved, but each time the Name of God is expanded. It is a call for grace and salvation.
We know God’s grace is ultimately expressed in Jesus Christ who is the radiance of God. The Israelites proved themselves unworthy time and again, but God sent His Son as the greatest act of grace ever recorded. Even more so, God gives His grace to the other nations, as well, calling on all people to repent and turn to Jesus for salvation.
If we desire God’s grace, we only need to look to Jesus.
“Lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace”
The last phrase in the prayer is similar to the previous, but with the nuance that one commentator says is “an appearance of the countenance expressive of pleasure and affection, functionally equivalent to ‘smile’” (Cole, Numbers, 131).
How may the Lord smile upon you?
First and foremost, we must put our faith in Him.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
Second, Hebrews 11:6 tells us to seek Him. God rewards those who seek Him. If you find yourself struggling to see God, or perhaps you feel as though He is doing anything but smiling upon you, then seek Him. Look to Jesus who is the image of the invisible God. Go to Him in prayer. The Lord will respond.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
The Lord is not far. He will come to those who seek Him. And connected to this principle is our obedience. Jesus also said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John writes for us,
and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
1 John 3:22-23
A life pleasing to God is a life of faith, hope, and love.
It is so ironic that this world desires so much of who God is and what He offers, and yet it cannot receive any of it because it rejects its Creator. The blessings of faith, hope, and love can only come from the One who authors such faith, brings such hope, and gives such love.
If you truly desire these things, then you must go to the Lord. In praying this blessing over the Israelites, the priests put the Name of the Lord upon the people. Today, as we consider this prayer, have you taken the Name of the Lord upon your own heart? “Whosoever calls upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.”
Call on the Name of Jesus our Lord today and be saved.