October 10th 2019 – Numbers 6:22-27

"22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance[c] upon you and give you peace.

27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Numbers 6:22-27

In the light of the comments in the previous Notes, the last verses of the chapter assume an enormous significance. The priestly, or Aaronic, blessing 'gives terse and beautiful expres- sion to the thought that Israel owes all to Jehovah, who shields His people from all harm, and grants them all things necessary for their welfare' (Gray, ICC). That it should be found at this point in Numbers has excited controversy among scholars, who question whether this is its original position; but its spiritual significance is surely that it is the man who is wholly sepa- rated unto God who can bless others in the name of the Lord. In spiritual life, it is ever lives that are separated unto God that tell for Him. It was because Joseph, Samuel and Samson were separated unto God that they were made a blessing to the people. Just as it is by the obedience of One that many are made righteous (Romans 5:19), so also it is by the separation of the few that the many are blessed, and the face of the Lord is made to shine upon men, and the light of His countenance lifted up upon them. The Nazarite vow calls us to a separa- tion unto God that will make our lives and our ministry fruitful in the economy of God for the blessing of others. There was another Nazarite, Who once said, 'For their sakes I sanctify (separate) Myself', and in so doing He has poured this wonderful priestly benediction and blessing upon a lost world.