”24 “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
Numbers 6:24-26New International Version (NIV)
Numbers 6:24-26 Devotional (Daily Bible Verse)
The Lord bless you and keep you
Numbers 6:24-26 contains the words “The Lord bless you and keep you“, and they are part of the words that God instructed Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to bless His people with. At the time, Aaron and his sons were the priests of Israel.
Moreover, one of the chief roles of the priests was to invoke God’s blessings upon His people (Deuteronomy 21:5). For God’s desire and will is to always bless His people, which is to make them holy. And this is achieved through a priest (Hebrews 10:10-12) – Numbers 6:22-23 contains instructions about the mediation of God’s blessings.
Therefore, God ordained the words of Numbers chapter 6 and verses 24 to 26 for the priests to use to bless His people when they were encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. And these words have subsequently been referred to as the priestly or Aaronic blessing.
God is the source of all blessings
Consequently, God is the source of all the blessings to His people. And the repetition of His covenant Name three times at the beginning of each line of the priestly blessing emphasizes this – God is the source and focus of His peoples’ blessings.
Additionally, verse 27 of Numbers chapter 6 concludes with the concept of God placing His Name over His people. And names are important in any kingdom, which includes the kingdom of God.
Furthermore, Ephesians 1:3 informs you and me that “God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”. When God created man, the first thing He did was to bless them (Genesis 1:28). And when Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, He blessed His disciples (Luke 24:50-51).
God’s blessings precede your times of transition and they are personal
Additionally, God’s instruction to the priests came at a time when they were about to leave the Sinai area for the Promised Land. God’s will is to bless you just before you transition into the new season that He has ordained for you.
Therefore, God’s use of the word “you” in the priestly blessing implies that the blessings of God are personal in nature. They are meant for you just as they were meant for His people during the Exodus (2 Corinthians 1:20) – outsiders cannot benefit from God’s blessings that are meant for His people.
Blessings are conveyed through words
Moreover, blessings are conveyed through words. They are therefore spoken (declared) over God’s people by someone who is in authority over the same. And Proverbs 18:21a tells you and me that the power of the tongue can lead to death and life.
Consequently, the words of Numbers 6:24-26 invoked God’s protection and drawing of His people to Himself (the Lord keep you), and grace and peace upon His beloved people.
Therefore, God is your protection and defense (1 John 2:1 and Psalm 91:11). He is also your caregiver or provider (Psalm 23:1) – He does this by drawing you to Himself.
Additionally, God is the One who gives you favor and acceptance before Himself and people (Psalm 27:1, Deuteronomy 31:6, and 2 Corinthians 4:6). And He is also the One who gives His people peace (John 14:27).
Prayer/Blessing
May God bless you and keep you, and make his face shine on you. And may He be gracious to you, and turn his face toward you and give you peace. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Luke 8-9 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
