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Aaron's Benediction - Numbers 6
Aaron's Benediction - Numbers 6
As we draw to the end of these two chapters (Num. 5-6), we come to the paragraphs that the NASB labeled “Aaron’s Benediction”.
“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 upon you and give you peace. 27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” (Num. 6:22-27)
Two aspects of such ‘benediction’ are given in Webster’s dictionary: 1) the invocation of a blessing, a prayer of benediction; 2) something that promotes goodness or well being…*
As Israel prepared for their march through the wilderness, God demands holiness and purity. Thus, the teaching here in chapters 5 and 6 on ‘clean and unclean’ (ceremonially pure) and their need to purify the whole camp. God not only expects but commands that His people be holy, pure, undefiled. “Be ye holy” says the Lord, not once but repeatedly!
The phrase ‘be holy’ appears some 24 times in the Law, and in particular, God’s people are to be holy. “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves with any swarming thing that crawls on the ground. 45 For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44-45; see also Lev. 19:2; 20:7).
While we, as disciples of Jesus, live under a new covenant, we too are instructed to ‘be holy’. We are called saints (holy ones). When we became disciples of Jesus we were “washed, sanctified, and justified”’ (1Cor. 6:9-11). Paul wrote: “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). We are to ‘pursue …holiness (sanctification) without which, no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Peter even quotes these passages from Leviticus and applies their concept unto us (1Pet. 1:14-16).
Yes, God’s people are to be different. Not just in order to be different, but to be like our Father: holy. We are no longer to be conformed to our old manner of life nor of the world, but are transformed by the renewing of our minds which produces a radical change in how we live. We are a holy priesthood. We are a holy people unto the Lord.
Thus, for a people who are holy unto the Lord, this benediction has special significance. How seriously are you pursuing such holiness in your life?
Hugh DeLong
* https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benediction
