Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His Countenance on you, and give you peace.

So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.

Numbers 6:22-27

When these words are given at the end of a service you are attending, remember that you are being blessed by some of the oldest words in Scripture. The Aaronic blessing, the oldest benediction in the Bible, was spoken over the people of Israel at the end of the daily sacrifice. It has been treasured by church-goers of all denominations throughout history down to today for the beauty of the sentiments it expresses. And like all benedictions it is more than poetry; it is a reflection of its origins.

The people who first heard these words were just beginning to learn about the God they had been called to follow. All they knew of “god” were the capricious and cruel idols of their pagan neighbors. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, God was teaching them who He was and how greatly He wanted to bless them. His only requirement was faithful obedience (Exodus 20:4) because their highest good and greatest protection could only be found in single-minded devotion to Him.    

To a young nation new in their faith and surrounded by dangers on all sides, the words of the Aaronic blessing surely had to have very practical implications. Safety and protection, favor, grace and shalom, the peace of external welfare and internal wholeness.

We have so much more than they: God’s finished work in His Son and completed revelation in His Word. Yet, our circumstances are amazingly similar to theirs. God wants to bless us in ways we can’t even imagine or comprehend, all He asks in return is the same single-minded obedience even when it feels like the pagans are winning and God has hidden both His face and His peace. For those times, here are some words we must never forget, another benediction, if you will.

… the things of God often feel so light and glancing. But they are not. The things of God look weak to the natural man, but the natural man does not think rightly. He does not know what is true, ultimately. And what he does know that is true he does not value or esteem as he should. He thinks the world is heavy, and God is light. But God is great, and he is nothing. God is true, and all the counsels of evildoers will fail. God is undefeated, invincible and perfectly wise.   Owen Strachan (Christianity and Wokeness)

Nancy Shirah