“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” – Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
“The Lord bless you and keep you” means God is the source of every blessing – spiritual, physical, and eternal. To be “kept” means His hand of protection rests upon us. Confirmation of this can be found in James 1:17 (NIV), which says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…,” while Psalm 121:7-8 reminds us that the Lord will keep us from all harm and watch over our lives.
“The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you” represents God’s favour, warmth, and grace. Grace is His unmerited kindness that saves, sustains, and strengthens us. Psalm 67:1 (NIV) says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us.” We also know we are saved by His grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8).
“The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Having God’s face turned toward us means we are not forgotten – He sees, hears, and walks with us. Out of that comes shalom – peace, wholeness, and rest in His presence. His eyes are always on the righteous and ears attentive to their cries (Psalm 34:15). Isaiah 26:3 reminds us that God “will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in [Him].”
This Aaronic blessing is God’s heart toward His people – His covering, favour, grace, and peace. In Christ, these promises are fulfilled and made available to us (2 Corinthians 1:20). We can walk confidently knowing that we are not only blessed but also kept, loved, and filled with His peace; not peace that the world gives, but genuine peace.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your blessing and care over our lives. Thank You for shining Your face upon us and filling us with grace. Turn Your face toward us each day, and let Your peace rule our hearts, our homes, and our steps. May we live in such a way that others see Your blessing through us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read: John 1:16; John 14:27
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 106:16-31; 2 Corinthians 10; Isaiah 17; Isaiah 18; Isaiah 19