Numbers 6:24-26 - Famous Godly Blessing.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV) The LORD bless thee,
and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine
upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD
lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee
peace.
Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV) The LORD bless you and
keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and
be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face
toward you and give you peace.
WORD STUDY
This famous Aaronic benediction is a
blessing on all of the people. The idea of the phrase
make His face shine is that of pleasure in the
presence of God. The idea of the phrase lift up His
countenance is that of sensing Gods smile. [Nelson
SB]
A blessing is a hopeful prayer. A blessing
was one way of asking for Gods divine favor
to rest upon others. The ancient blessing in
these verses helps us understand what a blessing
was supposed to do. Its five parts conveyed hope
that God would (1) bless and keep them (favor and
protect); (2) make his face shine upon them (be
pleased); (3) be gracious (merciful and
compassionate); (4) turn his face toward them (give his
approval); (5) give peace. When you ask God to bless
others or yourself, you are asking him to do these
five things. The blessing you offer will not only
help the one receiving it, it will also
demonstrate love, encourage others, and provide a model
of caring to others. [Life Application SB]
INTRODUCTION
Referred to as "the Lord's Prayer of the
O.T." [Believer's SB]
The priest's blessing is one of the most
familiar and best-loved passages in the Hebrew Bible.
Through the centuries, worshipers have found comfort
in its brief but profound lines. This famous
text is simple and elegant.
The priest's blessing invokes the Lord's
blessing by repeating his name, Yahweh, in each
appeal, which is generally translated "the LORD"
(see Exodus 3:15). The repetition of God's name
reminds God's people of his interest and involvement
in their lives. This benediction emphasizes the
relationship between God and his people and helps them to
remember the source of their blessings. [One Year NLT
SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Random Acts of Blessing
"May the LORD... Three phrases begin
this way in the blessing God gave Aaron to say
over Israel. The blessing invokes God's
protection, pleasure, grace, favor, and peace. It is an
expression of His goodness on the people in general and
on whomever the priest might specifically
choose. The priest could speak it "whenever" - no
limits, no specific events, no regulations. It was a
benedictory free-for-all. And God promised to honor
these words.
We might see such a blessing as a nice
thought or best wishes, a pleasantry in conversation
that may or may not carry any weight. But in
God's economy, words of blessing are concrete, the
currency of actual experience. They are the powerful
answer to a world that lies under a curse, drawing
God's favor both to the blesser and the blessed.
They bring heaven to earth. According to God,
they are profoundly effective.
How often do we take advantage of this
powerful Kingdom privilege? Human nature prompts us
to withhold blessing from those we disagree
with, those who offend us, or those we simply
don't know very well. We want to bless those we
love. But freely and indiscriminately? We're much
more reserved with our goodwill. We want to know
who we're dealing with. We can be very
discriminating in our blessings.
God uses the blessings of His priests -
all who love and serve Him in the power of His
Spirit - to step into lives. For whatever reason,
He generally intervenes in this world to the
degree we ask Him to. Blessings are an open
invitation for Him to step in and target the people who
need Him most. Why would we withhold that from
anyone?
Make it a point to bless people - as they
pass by you on the street, pull in front of you
in traffic, carry out their business all around
you, wherever. Whether they hear it or not isn't
the point; God does. He will honor your words,
build His Kingdom, and change lives. Including
yours. [The One Year Heaven On Earth Devotional by
Chris Tiegreen]
COMMENTARY
Sometimes when people say, "The Lord
bless you," they may only be repeating some
nice-sounding words to be polite - or to end a
conversation. Even so, we ought to take every opportunity
to receive God's blessings from every source we
can. When someone says, "God bless you," we
should reply, "I receive it!" We know from
Scripture that God will impart special grace when He
prompts another Christian to speak a blessing over
us. In today's Scripture, the Lord tells Aaron
and his sons to bless Israel by saying, "The
Lord make his face shine on you." Paul echoes
this theme when he writes that God has given us
"the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Christ" (2Co.4:4). To be
blessed, then, is to get a glimpse of the glories of
God's Son. What a beautiful thing to do for
someone you love, or even for an enemy!
Lord, I pray that You will hear me as You
heard the prayer of your servant Jabez long ago:
"Oh, that You would bless me indeed! (1Ch.
4:10). I long for Your blessings - from sunrise to
sunset and all through the night. May the glory of
God in the face of Jesus shine on me. [A
Spectacle of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada and Larry
Libby]
See And Hear
Our prayer is that the Lord will make his
face shine on us and be gracious to us. Yet
sometimes it's hard to see his graciousness in our
lives because we get busy or overwhelmed by
circumstances. We need to slow down so we can see that
grace is everywhere.
Frederick Buechner said, "Listen to your
life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In
the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the
excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way
to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in
the last analysis all moments are key moments,
and life itself is grace."
We need to be intentional in listening
and seeing. We put ourselves in a mode of
gratitude, which always opens our eyes and ears to
God's face shining on us, giving us improbable
moments of grace. His presence, his power, his peace
are there to be heard as we listen closely.
When we slow down to listen, we will see
and hear his overflowing graciousness. [The
Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
CLOSING THOUGHT
I have a new song that I can't stop
listening to. The habit of latching onto a song and
listening to it over and over again harks back to my
junior high days. I would find a song that I loved
and tape it on my tape recorder. (Yep, I am that
old.) Then I would play that song on repeat - for
days. It drove my brother and sisters crazy.
Fast-forward a few decades, and I just
replay my favorite songs online. Now I drive my
husband, Scott, and my boys crazy. The thing is, when
I listen to a single song on repeat, the truth
of it starts to work its way into my soul.
The latest song I can't get enough of is
a worship song. It has a refrain about Jesus's
blessing being poured out on generation after
generation. Its many truths are powerful: Jesus is for
us. His blessing is covering us. Lifting us.
Surrounding us. Hemming us in on all sides.
Jesus reminds me of these truths over and
over again when I read His Word. It is almost as
if I need to hear those words on repeat so that
they can work their way into my soul. Jesus loves
me. Repeat. Jesus is with me. Repeat. Jesus is
for me. Repeat. It just doesn't get any better
than that. Susanna Foth Aughtmon
Faith Step: Find your favorite worship
song online. Put it on repeat. Ask Jesus to
reveal the truth of His love and character to you
as you worship and sing along. [Mornings With
Jesus 2022 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Take time to be still in My Presence. The
more hassled you feel, the more you need this
sacred space of communion with Me. Breathe slowly
and deeply. Relax in My holy Presence while My
Face shines upon you. This is how you receive My
Peace, which I always proffer to you.
Imagine the pain I feel when My children
tie themselves up in anxious knots, ignoring My
gift of Peace. I died a criminal's death to
secure this blessing for you. Receive it
gratefully; hide it in your heart. My Peace is an inner
treasure, growing within you as you trust in Me.
Therefore, circumstances cannot touch it. Be still,
enjoying Peace in My Presence. (Psa. 46:10; Num.
6:25, 26) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
Look the right way! In the world around
you, there are vistas of bright beauty as well as
dark, ugly wastelands. When you look the right way
- toward what is true, noble, lovely - you are
encouraged and strengthened. I created you with a great
capacity to enjoy beauty and goodness. Your soul
resonates with these blessings, drawing strength from
them.
As you go through this day, you will
encounter things that make you cringe, things that are
wrong or ugly. Deal with these as you must, but do
not let them become your focus. Remember that I
am with you, and listen to Me. Hear Me saying
time after time, "Look the right way."
There is beauty not only in the visible
world but also in what is unseen. This world in
its fallen condition can never satisfy you
fully. You yearn for perfection, and I am the
fulfillment of that deep longing. I am perfect in every
way, yet I am able to stay close to you as you
walk through this sin-stained world. So look the
right way - toward blessings, toward Me - and the
Joy of My Presence will shine upon you. (Phi.
4:8; John 10:27; Num. 6:25; Psa. 16:11) [Jesus
Today by Sarah Young]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Numbers 6:24-26 - The Priestly Blessing.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2015/20150309-1205.html
Numbers 6:24-26 - The Lord's Prayer of the
Old Testament.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2008/20080110-1053.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Parable of the Sower - Open Heart Surgery by
Ralph Ringer: https://vimeo.com/666314378
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
