‏ Numbers 6:24-26

The Israelites blessed

In the preceding chapters and the preceding section of this chapter, we see how God has

1. placed the people around Himself;

2. numbered the people name by name;

3. organized the service;

4. cleansed the camp;

5. determined the true position of the dedicated servant.

Everything is now ready to bless the people and put His Name on them. The blessing places the people under the protection, the grace and peace of the LORD.

There are three pairs of blessings and one final blessing, seven blessings in total. We can connect the three pairs with the three Divine Persons (cf. 2Cor 13:14):

1. The blessing and protection of the Father.

2. The grace of the Lord Jesus.

3. The inner peace through the Spirit.

We receive everything that characterizes God. With a people so blessed, God wants to connect Himself. For such a people He “is not ashamed to be called their God” (Heb 11:16).

1. “The LORD bless you,”: God’s blessing is wished for all spheres of our life; fertility and multiplication (Gen 1:22; 28), above all in the spiritual life.

2. “And keep you;”: Protection against dangers and decline in order to receive the good.

3. “The LORD make His face shine on you,”: We need the light of His countenance and presence (Psa 4:6; Psa 44:3; Psa 90:8).

4. “And be gracious to you;”: Expressions of favor, mercy, goodness.

5. “The LORD lift up His countenance on you,”: By making us feel affection, that we are a pleasure for Him.

6. “And give you peace.”: Shalom: not only absence of war, but prosperity, justice and well-being.

7. “So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I [then] will bless them.”: God connects His Name with His people and blesses them as a whole.

The whole people are blessed on the basis of what the Nazirite has done. On the basis of what the Lord Jesus did as the true Nazirite, this blessing will also come to all creation. The church is also involved in the distribution of this blessing (Rom 8:19), which we can see in “Aaron and his sons” to whom the order to bless is given.

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