One of my favorite passages in the Old Testament is found in Numbers 6:22–27, the passage that is commonly referred to as Aaron’s blessing. Although our contemporary western culture makes it difficult to have the same appreciation for spoken blessings that many people have had throughout history, these words that were a comfort to the Israelites so long ago are nonetheless still a source of comfort to God’s people today. This blessing should be in our heart and in our mind; we should read, pray, sing, and meditate on the words of this blessing. (If you are not familiar with the song based on this blessing, you should look it up and listen to it—it’s beautiful!) “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them’” (Num. 6:22–27). This blessing was oft repeated by the Israelites and is well loved by Christians today. Its elegance, simplicity, and comfort cannot be surpassed. It speaks to our great need for God and answers our deepest desires for protection, forgiveness, acceptance, and peace.

The LORD bless you and keep you. Although we are frequently tempted to look to things of this world for our meaning and security, these words remind us that it is the LORD who blesses us. Nothing else in the world can bless us the way God can. Furthermore, he will keep us—that is he will watch over us and guard us. 

The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Bible often speaks of God’s face as a metaphor for his acceptance and favor. God smiles on his people and shows us the grace that we all need.

The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. To lift up the countenance means that God will pay attention to us. He will not forget about us, nor is he inattentive to our needs. The gift of peace is a summary of all God’s good gifts, the greatest gift of all being salvation and peace with God himself. Peace refers to the feast of all the good things God will give us, a feast that we have only just begun to nibble on in this lifetime. Imagine how comforting these words would have been to the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness towards the promised land. As we journey toward our promised land, these same words bring us comfort and point us to our gracious God who gives us his blessing. We serve an amazing God!