Thoughts

Beloved, I want to go back to chapter 6 and the blessing with which God told Moses to have Aaron and his sons bless the children of Israel. God said, “…this is what they should say.” Notice that God gave them the words to say. He didn’t leave it up to their discretion. This blessing is directly from God. 

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.Numbers 6:24-26 ERV

Shall we break this down?

The Lord bless you

God wants to bless His people. He wants the best, at all times, for His people. 

and keep you

Can you think of a better place to be than to be kept by God? The giver and sustainer of life? Remember, these words are from God Himself. This is not just a nice wish, beloved. 

The Lord make His face shine on you

Some translations say “smile on you”. But for God’s face to shine on us, I think, goes beyond a smile. I think it denotes a warmth, a well-pleased and satisfied glow of approval for His people. Beloved, when we are in Christ, God sees not just us, but us as the redeemed children we are because of what Jesus has done for us.

and be gracious to you

God bestows His loving mercy on us

The Lord turn his face toward you

I like the KJV version of this: the Lord lift up His countenance upon you

In other words, the Lord pay attention to you. I think of the time when my boys were toddlers. I would often be busy, concentrating on a task. And one of my boys would come over to me and say, “Daddy.” And I would be steeped in the work I was doing, and not really hear them. “Daddy!” And my focus would be on the job. “Daddy!” And then I would turn my attention to them, and that was enough to satisfy them. Just by turning my face toward them, they knew that I loved them. Oh, to have the Lord of the universe lift up His countenance upon us. That is enough.

and give you peace.

This is the peace that passes all understanding. A peace down to the center of your being. Of knowing that as long as God is there, all is well and nothing can happen that He does not allow. And knowing that He is a good and loving God, He would never allow anything that is not ultimately good for us, that is enough. 

I truly love this benediction, this blessing. The first time I heard it, I was at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, and Pastor Chuck Smith spoke it. That was the way he closed every Sunday morning message. And I remember what a warm blessing it was. But no wonder, these are the words of God Himself, given to Moses, who gave them to Aaron and his sons to bless God’s people.

Hallelujah and Amen.

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 6 ERV, Ch. 7 NASB, Ch. 8-9 NLV, Ch. 10 NET

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