Numbers 6:22-27 The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, `This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: ` “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ‘ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

You have heard these words hundreds if not thousands of times, most often in the context of the end of the worship service. Many of you look forward to hearing those words so you can go eat lunch or get home in time for the kickoff. Let’s think about the significance of this blessing, hopefully strengthening the impact these words have on you each time you hear them.

A phrase that catches my attention when I study this passage is So they will put my name on the Israelites. That is something we normally associate with baptism. God’s name is put on you when you are baptized, and each worship services begin with a reminder of those words: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. But according to this passage, the blessing that Aaron and his sons are to speak is another way of putting God’s name on you. So each week we begin and end worship putting God’s name on those assembled. It is a reminder of who you are.

And think about that name. When you think about God, you usually think of Him as God, or you may think in terms of Father, Son and Spirit. In the Old Testament, He told Moses He had a name, I AM, a name that is usually translated in English as LORD, as it appears in today’s passage. That name that was to be kept holy. The Jews revered that name so highly that they were afraid to say it aloud, lest they speak it carelessly and break the commandment that forbids speaking His name in vain. That attitude is vastly different from people today who rattle off “Oh my God!” time after time without ever thinking about what they just said.

That name that is to be kept holy is used in this passage three times. A three-fold reference in Hebrew was a common way of emphasizing your point. But I am convinced it was no accident that God referred to Himself three times. I believe He was giving man a glimpse of how He would reveal Himself to be Triune, three persons, one God, Father, Son and Spirit.

The LORD bless you: God’s Name is who He is. Since God is the only source of blessing, His Name placed upon you is an indication of blessing. The concept of bless has to do with giving you something good. A good and full life comes from the loving and faithful nature of our God, and there is no blessing apart from being in a relationship with the one true God. God is the one who gives life.

and keep you: The word used for keep means “watch over” or “exercise great care.” The LORD, who is the source of all life, will also preserve and take care of that life. His watchful and vigilant eye is on you. He is looking out for you and your best interests.

the LORD make his face shine upon you: A literal translation of make his face shine upon you could be “The Lord’s face light you up!” A shining face was a way of speaking about favor and good will. Divine protection is ours because God does not frown upon us, but let’s His light shine. God was recognized as being the source of all light throughout the Old Testament, as in this passage from Isaiah: The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light. (Isaiah 60:19)

and be gracious to you: God’s grace is His choosing to be kind to people who don’t deserve it. God’s grace led Him to allow Adam and Eve to live outside the Garden even though they were deserving of death. God’s grace spared Cain after he had killed his brother. God’s grace picked sinful Noah as the instrument to preserve His creation. His grace chose sinful Abraham to be the father of the chosen people. His grace chose sinful Paul, changing him from a persecutor of Christians to a preacher of the Good News. His grace to YOU led you to faith and gives you what Jesus earned for you so that you will not have to be punished eternally for you sins. His grace includes all other good things He gives, but it is primarily that He chooses undeserving sinners to be His people.

the LORD turn his face toward you: This part of the verse has been translated a number of different ways. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you or The LORD look upon you with favor. It is very similar to the previous verse. “Countenance” and “face” are synonyms, and the Hebrew word is the same in both verses. The most literal translation here would be “The LORD lift up His face to you.” This would be the opposite of turning His face away from you and rejecting you. Instead, the LORD accepts you, He looks upon you with favor. Another way to think of this is that God is smiling on you.

and give you peace: God puts His peace on you. The word for peace is SHALOM, which does not mean peace as in the absence of war, but inner peace. It is speaking of the tranquillity that comes from being in a proper relationship with God, the one who places His name upon you.

May you take to heart the tremendous blessing you have each time you hear these words, each time His name is put on you.