The Priestly Blessing

"THE PRIESTLY BLESSING"

Numbers 6:22-27 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise

ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD

maketh his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,

and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name

upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

1. In a book filled with "numbers", this beautiful scripture,

has been called "the Lord's Prayer of the Old Testament":

"The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD

makes His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."

2. Here it is, the blessing of the Lord with which Aaron

and his sons were to bless the children of Israel...

a. Aaron and his sons made up the priesthood for Israel

b. Therefore this passage has often been called

"The Priestly Blessing" (the Aaronic Benediction)

3. In this passage, I believe we learn things about the Lord

which are just as valid and true today...

a. Even though we don’t live under the Old Covenant,

with its Aaronic priesthood

b. We do have a "High Priest", JESUS….

who desires to bless us just as richly and even more so !

"THE PRIESTLY BLESSING"

I. THE PRIESTLY BLESSING DEFINED

A. "THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU"

1. The word "bless" means to confer well-being & prosperity

a. Also, the promises of these blessings are conditional –

Deuteronomy 28:1-9 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee,

if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.

3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be

in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit

of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. 5 Blessed shall be thy basket and

thy store. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. 7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face:

they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee

seven ways. 8 The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee

in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto;

and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God

giveth thee. 9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people

unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep

the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.

b. Failure to meet God's conditions brought curses, not blessings

Deuteronomy 28:15-19 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all

his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

16 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, field, basket, store,

fruit of thy body, land, flocks, coming in, and going out.

2. The word "keep" means to provide//care for, to guard//protect

a. A beautiful psalm that speaks of God's care is

Psalm 121:1-8 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:

he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in for ever more.

b. Like a shepherd guarding and providing for his sheep,

this blessing calls upon God to keep watch over Israel

B. "THE LORD MAKES HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU,

AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU"

1. To "make His face shine”...

a. God's smile of favor is on His people, being "gracious"

Psalm 31:16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: