Word of Encouragement (09/22/2022)

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. (Num. 6:24-26)

This benediction consists of three pairs of blessings: 1) “The LORD bless you and keep you”; 2) “The LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you”; 3) “The LORD lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.” When something is repeated twice in the Bible, it is for emphasis. When it is repeated three times, it communicates intensity. This three-fold benediction communicates the intensity of God’s goodwill toward His people.

The source of this three-fold blessing is clear: “The LORD..., the LORD..., the LORD....” It is the LORD, who blesses. The LORD is no man that His blessing should be limited by any weakness or inadequacies of man. “The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers” (Psalm 24:1-2). He owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10). He, who has all things at His disposal, is alone capable and qualified to bless. In fact, God is the blessed One, from whom all blessings flow. (This doesn’t mean that He receives His blessing from someone greater than Himself, of course. Rather, it means that He is the Fount of every blessing.)

What we see in this benediction is that the ever-blessed God, who alone is capable and qualified to bless, is delighted to bless His people. His blessing is not just a wish but a promise to fulfill. And His blessing is eternal and irrevocable. For He does not change like men. He is eternal and immutable. There is no shadow of turning with Him (as the shadow of the sundial moves and shifts throughout the day). He is no weakling that He should rescind His pledge. He is no mortal that He should die before He fulfills His promise. The blessing of the almighty God is not just a wishful thought. Unlike men, who can bless only in the name of God, God is able to bless by His own name. He is the fountain of all blessings. He possesses in Himself all goodness, love, wisdom, and power. And He promises to bless His people.

This general promise to bless is given more specific expressions in the words that follow. The LORD, who promises to bless, also promises to keep His people. The word used here (shamar) is very important in the Old Testament. The basic meaning of its root is “to exercise great care over” (TWOT). The word is used much in conjunction with the idea of covenant, as in “to keep, or fulfill, the covenant” (TWOT). It can also mean to “take care of” or to “guard” (TWOT). Adam was placed in the garden of Eden not only to cultivate it but also to keep it (that is, to guard it against the invasion of Satan). The word has some other related meanings, but it is used in our passage in the sense of God guarding and protecting His people.

This reminds us of the context in which God’s blessing comes to God’s people—the fallen world, the prince of the power of the air, and his demonic minions trying to destroy the people of God. This reality cannot be ignored if God’s people are to enjoy His blessings. What does it profit us to be blessed with all the wonderful things of life and be robbed and stripped of them by the enemy? God’s blessing, therefore, includes this aspect of guarding and protecting us from our enemy. We know this to be true of us, who have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. We are precious in His sight; God will not let any of His people get destroyed. That is His promise, which can never be broken.

‍