Word of Encouragement (09/28/2022)
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)
Now we come to the final pair of blessings in this benediction: "The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” What does it mean for God to lift up His countenance on us?
To lift up one’s face is a Hebrew idiom. Listen to how this idiom is used in Genesis 4:6-7: “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up...?” Here we see two opposite expressions: to have one’s face fallen is the opposite of having one’s face lifted up. To have one’s face fallen is equated with being angry. To have one’s face lifted up is then the opposite of being angry. So then, to lift up one’s countenance on someone is the opposite of being angry with him; it is to look upon him with favor and delight rather than with anger and resentment.
So then, we see how naturally the next blessing flows from this: “[The Lord] give you peace.” In our individualistic culture, we think of peace mostly in terms of inner tranquility. And peace in political terms means the absence of war. But the Hebrew understanding of peace (shalom) was much more comprehensive. “‘Peace,’... means much more than mere absence of war. Rather, the root meaning of the verb shālēm better expresses the true concept of sh¹lôm. Completeness, wholeness, harmony, fulfillment, are closer to the meaning. Implicit in shālôm is the idea of unimpaired relationships with others and fulfillment in one's undertakings” (TWOT).
The peace that is promised here definitely includes inner tranquility. However, the blessing of peace brings much more than just that. If we can see the connection between the two blessings of this last pair, the peace spoken of here is a relational one: the peace between God and His people. It is the kind of peace that knows no animosity and enmity between the parties; it is the kind of peace that exists because God looks upon His people with favor and delight and the people reciprocate that loving gaze with a gaze of gratitude and adoration: “For then you will delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God” (Job 22:26). He, who lifts up His countenance on us, will lift up our faces toward Him. Such is the peace He promises to give.
But can this benediction be fulfilled? Interestingly, this benediction comes at the end of the legal section (Chs. 5-6). This legal section dealt with the laws concerning the holiness and purity of the covenant community. These laws spoke clearly of uncleanness, sin, guilt, defilement, and curse as well as the demand for purity, atonement, innocence, and holiness. So then, as we come to this benediction after the law section, we cannot forget the holiness of God and the reality of our sinful condition. The question that cannot be avoided is, “Can a holy God truly bless a sinful people?”
That question compels us to see that the foundation of this benediction cannot be anything other than Jesus Christ and His work of salvation. You see, the benediction coming after the law section not only reminds us of the holiness of God and the sinful condition of man; it also suggests the triumph of God’s blessing in Jesus Christ over man’s sinfulness and the curse of the law. For this benediction is the final word of God in this law section! The benediction of God has the last word, especially in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Let us cling to Christ, then, in whom, all the promises and blessings of God are yes and amen. And let us confess that Christ is all that we want and more, that Christ is sufficient for us in this life and in the life to come.