Numbers 6:22-27

E. THE AARONIC BENEDICTION vv. 22-27
TEXT

Numbers 6:22. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23. Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25. The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26. the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27. And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 6:22. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23. Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, -In this way you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them, 24. The Lord bless you, and keep you; 25. The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you: 26. The Lord lift up His countenance unto you, And give you peace. 27. They shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.-'

COMMENTARY

Although Aaron and his sons had been established now as high priest and family, God delivers a special formula of blessing to Moses, and, through him, the people. The method underscored once more the esteem in which Moses is held. According to the Mishnah, this blessing was given daily in Jerusalem at the temple, and the proper name for Jehovah was used rather than the altered form, Adonai, which suggests the solemnity of its pronouncement. The same source reports use of the blessing in the synagogues, but with the substitute name. Aaron was appointed to bless the people (Deuteronomy 21:5, cf. 1 Chronicles 23:13), and Leviticus 9:22 gives an example of this action. In this sequence of thoughts we readily see the divine name being committed exclusively to the high priestly line.

The structure of the benediction is elementary, consisting of three sections, each of which begins with The Lord, followed by two parts. Each of the two parts is directed to the hearer. It might be analyzed as follows:

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

arid give thee peace.

Analysis by ICC yields a fruitful harvest of thought. The Lord bless thee is tied to the promises of Deuteronomy 28:2-14that plenteous harvests and success in all undertakings. And guard thee gives the reverse of this wishthat God should guard against such things as drought and hostile invasions. The shining face of the Lord is related to many references, such as Psalms 31:17; Daniel 9:17; Psalms 80:4, Psalms 80:8, 20, and many others. The significance is that of inward pleasure or, when turned upon another, a favorable disposition. It suggests also, as in Exodus 34:29 ff., the radiant glory of the divine presence. God's graciousness hardly needs comment. It is obvious in all ages through His supreme mercy and providence. That God should lift up his countenance suggests favorable regard, just as hiding the face would indicate imminent trouble for His creatures. God's smile shines as the sun upon those who love Him. The peace, shalom, which only God can bestow, is much more than a negative circumstancethe absence of war, or disruptive circumstanceit is the stability, calmness and utter tranquility captured in beautiful thought by Isaiah (Numbers 26:3): Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee. With this thought, the benediction is most appropriately closed.

The name which was to be put upon the people has now been irrecoverably lost by those into whose custody it was most carefully entrusted. For fear of profaning the original form of the name of Jehovah, its use was gradually abandoned and ultimately forfeited entirely. The various names we use today are either speculation and guesswork, or substitutes. In its original form, the name pointed to the timeless and eternal nature of Godwithout beginning and without end; existing at all times and at any time, before time was ordained for man, and after time shall end. In His eternal Person is grounded any and every blessing man may seek.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

123.

Why was this benediction, to be used by Aaron and his descendants, first delivered through Moses?

124.

Arrange the benediction into its poetic components, showing the finely balanced thoughts.

125.

What special kinds of blessings are suggested here?

126.

How had God promised to guard or keep Israel?

127.

What is the significance of the phrases make His face shine upon you and lift up His countenance unto you?

128.

Cite some examples of the appearance of God's radiance to men in both the Old and the New Testaments. What was the common reaction? Is the expression here any different, and if so, in what way?

129.

What paradox do you find in God's promise of peace unto the Israelites as you think of their later history?

130.

Why are we unable to say exactly what the original form of God's name might have been? How was it lost, and by whom?