Today’s Bible Reading: NUMBERS 6:1-27, NUMBERS 10:1-36
Numbers 6:24-26 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. -
Blessing comes for the Lord. We cannot acquire it or attain it, but simply receive it. God is the source of blessing. His saints are the subjects of His blessings. Christ, as our High Priest, is the administrator of our blessing.
Here is a benediction of God’s blessing. It is our cry for the Lord to look upon us with His favor. It is to be our plea for the Lord to pour out His goodness on us. It is on us to beseech the Lord for His blessing.
This blessing is expansive and all encompassing. The text expounds on the essence of His blessing. It ascribes six specific aspects of God’s blessing bestowed upon believers. They are provisions, protection, pleasure, patience, preference and peace. Each phrase expresses the extent of His blessings.
The phrase “The Lord bless you” expresses His provisions for us. He meets our needs. He knows them before we ask and supplies them abundantly and adequately. There is no need that you have that He leaves unmet. His blessing is personified when He provides for us.
The expression “And keep you” refers to His protection over us. We are kept in His care. We are secure by His supervision. He guards us as He guides us. He keeps us even when we cannot “keep” ourselves. He stabilizes us when we stumble. He shelters us when the storms come. He makes us secure when we are scared. He keeps us.
The clause “His face to shine on us” alludes to His pleasure toward us. His face is toward us rather then turned from us. His smile is on us rather than His scowl toward us. He looks on us with delight rather than disdain. We find His favor. He is pleased with us.
The phrase “Be gracious” acknowledges His patience with us. It expresses His kindness toward us and His merciful response to us. He is long suffering with us. When we run off in our sin, He patiently awaits our return. When we are hurt, He patiently waits with us to heal. When we struggle, He patiently sits with us till it subsides. He is patient with us.
Here, the term “Lift up his countenance upon us” refers to His preference of us. This is our plea for His approval. It is a request to receive us rather than reject us. It is our hope that His demeanor will be one of joy toward us rather than judgement of us. His blessing is His preference toward us.
“Give us peace” is the summation of His blessing. It encompasses every aspect of peace: emotional peace, economic peace, extended peace and eternal peace. It is a peace that stands in any situation and is sustained amid any struggle. It is a perfect peace through persistent peril. This peace springs from the sacrifice of His son. Our sin brings strife with God. We find peace in the sinless life, sacrificial death and supernatural resurrection of Jesus. It is in Him we have peace with God. Our enmity is eradicated by His execution. We have peace by His piercing. As Paul states in Romans, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 5:1). He blesses us with peace with Him.
Today thank the Lord that believers are blessed. Rejoice that we are the undeserving recipients of this sixfold blessing which culminates with peace with Him. Praise Him individually for all six aspects of the blessings mention in this text. Ask Him to help you live this blessing that you might bless others. You are blessed.
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