Numbers 6:24-26
Praise the Lord everybody, these words were first spoken to Moses by God as a blessing for the children of Israel. Moses was asked by the Lord to task Aaron and his sons with the responsibility of delivering this blessing as they were Nazarites and Priest. Aaron and his sons bestowed the blessing on the Children of Israel and that same blessing is still active today as God still desires to bless his people. Number one he said “the Lord bless thee and keep thee” remember that God not only wants to bless us, but He wants to “keep” us. Keep us how? You might ask. He wants to keep us safe, keep us healthy, keep us holy, and most of all keep us saved, saved so that we can spend eternity in fellowship with Him.
Secondly, in verse 25 he said, “The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.”. This speaks to God’s unmerited favor towards His people. It is by God’s amazing grace that we can be redeemed and not destroyed in our sin. The Bible tells us in Romans 5:20 “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” but it is Paul who reminds us in Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”. We also must remember not to take God’s grace for granted or abuse it. Just as easily as He gave it, God can take it back. So, let us enjoy that grace for just what it is, a blessing.
In verse 26 it states, “The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” The Bible tells that there is a “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:6-7) that God has for all believers, all we must do is ask and keep our minds on Jesus. God wants His people to have in their lives, especially peace of mind. True faith should lead to Peace of mind, knowing that the creator of all things has everything that you care or are concerned about under His control. It also helps to know that He loves us unconditionally.
Unfortunately, after receiving their blessing the Israelites would eventually forget how blessed they were. They fell into sin by questioning God, idol worship, and doubting the power there of, and that would lead to them being cursed. Remember, if you want to be blessed by God you must be in a position to get blessed, and not cursed.
King James Version (KJV)
“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
New International Version (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.”
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
“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.”
New American Bible (NASB)
“The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord cause His face to shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His face to you, And give you peace.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
“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.”
The Living Bible (TLB)
“May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.”