Numbers 6:22-27--Aaron's Blessing

Numbers 6:22-27
English Standard Version

Aaron's Blessing
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

​27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

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We might call this passage a "benediction," but it was the blessing that Aaron, the high priest, and his sons who would serve as priests were to give the people.  Even in churches today, we often use this passage as a benediction before we conclude the services, and I often use Numbers 6:24-26 as a reference in my email signature or on greeting cards to show people that God really does want to bless them, be gracious to them and give them peace.

Ultimately, this blessing, like all the other blessings, is fulfilled only in Christ.  He is that gives us blessing, grace, and peace through His blood that was shed on the cross, so this blessing given by the priests is really a gospel message, looking forward to the cross of Christ.  That is why God says at the end of this blessing, "so shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them," because the blessings of God are reserved for those who are the people of God and the children of God by adoption through the power of the gospel of Christ Jesus or Lord.

While Aaron and his sons were able to speak these blessings over the people of Israel, only Jesus was able to secure and keep His people and all these blessings for His people, because they truly belong to Him.  This is a wonderful segway to the gospel if you are ever sharing the gospel with a Jew because they would be so familiar with this passage, hearing it every week, but probably never considering how it is that we can receive the blessings and not the curses of the Law (we'll get to the blessings and curses in the book of Deuteronomy).

Today, I pray this blessing for all those that read this that you may experience and know these blessings through Jesus--the only one who is able to bless you and keep you.