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People are probably surprised to learn that this famous prayer of blessing comes from the book of Numbers.
The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’
Numbers 6:24-26 NASB
This blessing immediately follows the section which outlines what it means for someone to take a Nazarite vow. However, this particular promise offered by God is not dependent upon any act of holiness or devotion. It stands on its own as an offering of grace and mercy freely given by God.
The word ‘bless’ is an interesting term today. To some, it means material prosperity. It is certainly true that God blesses us with basic needs along with the ability to enjoy various material pleasures. But here, it is a general word that indicates God’s desire to bring the purest joy and significance to His people during their lives. It’s far deeper than what our minds can fathom. As you can see, this text illustrates that God has always been about grace, even in the Old Testament.
More than anything, God’s desire was that they would taste Him and experience His goodness above all else. When this was done, just as Moses experienced on Mount Sinai, the people would begin to understand just how glorious God’s blessings were compared to what the world offers.
The most encouraging part of this prayer is the ending.
“So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”
Numbers 6:27 NASB
God wanted to place His Name on the people so that they could bear witness to His grace and mercy. The image of God was something we were created in but also something that we smeared with our choice to sin. Now we know that we do bear God’s image in the form of the Holy Spirit which resides in us and works through us. It wills us to obey Him and becomes a spiritual branding of sorts that people can identify as only coming from God.
The greatest compliment we can receive in this life is a statement that identifies us with Jesus. At the end of your life, the goal is for others to reflect on how you lived and be able to say, “That person knew Jesus.”