Taken, with editing, from Christ Is All: Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Numbers 6:24-26. The Lord bless thee and keep thee: the Lord make His face shine spot thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
How gracious is our God in Christ! His mercy overtops the heaven of heavens. Throughout the Bible page, it beams forth in fresh rays. Behold a significant instance. He speaks in these verses, and blessings drop from Him, sparkling as the morning dew – large as Jehovah’s heart.
The tribes are now prepared to move. The guiding pillar will soon conduct them into desert paths. They go encircled with all pledges of support. Their cup of favour fills to the brim. But God still multiplies new stores of comfort. He adds, He superadds vast bounties. He tells that all which heaven contains shall fall in showers upon their heads.
With this loving mind He thus instructs the priests: “On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel”. The act is ordered: “Ye shall bless”. The distinct form of blessing is supplied: “On this wise ye shall bless”. He wills to give. Is this not grace? He wills that the vast amplitude of His gifts should be evidently seen. Is not this grace on grace?
Mark the broad channel of their course: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”. The bounteous God thus opens wide the treasures of His bounty-house and tells the people: All these riches are for you.
Believer, come now and listen to these sounds. You see it is the office of the priest to bless. This introduces Jesus to the eye of faith. He is the Church’s blessing Priest. The only Priesthood is wrapped up in Him. The earthly office, ministered by men, has long since expired. When His own hands brought His own life a victim to the cross, all typical functions were fulfilled. But now on heaven’s throne He ministers. There He presents the ever-fragrant incense of His blood. There He sues out the covenanted mercies. Thence freely He pours them out. He came; He lived; He worked; He died, that He might bless. He gave Himself, the price of blessings. He rose; He took His seat on high, that He might reign a Priest – for ever blessed and for ever blessing.
Is there a child of Adam’s needy race who covets blessings from the courts of heaven? Let Him approach. There is an open way. No fiery sword drives any away from it. No, a gracious hand ever beckons sinners, and gracious invitations call. Hasten to Christ. He is the home of blessings.
Do any ask, When did Aaron’s sons thus bless the people? On what occasion were these sounds proclaimed? The Spirit does not give a distinct reply. It is conjectured that, when the morning lamb was offered, the happy worshippers were thus dismissed. If so, when they drew near to gaze on emblems of the dying Lord, these notes spoke peace round their departing steps. It is ever true that no poor sinner can look up to Christ without receiving harvests of delight. Who can approach and not retire with overflowing cup?
If the foregoing thought be right, the sons of Israel rejoiced in this blessing only once in each day. It only fell as morning manna. But now, around the gospel camp, the sound is heard unceasingly. There is no moment when the believer may not be thus cheered. Christ, his Priest, is always near. In every place, in every work, he may recognise His voice and hear the constant music of the mighty blessing: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”. The heavenly voice is never mute. The heavenly sun knows no eclipse.
Next, the terms are aptly chosen to comfort individual hearts. Observe: these blessings are not given as a general store. They are not cast, as handfuls to a crowd, where some may gather much and some return with none. Far otherwise. They single out each separate child of faith. They call each one alone and say, Here is a boon for your own bosom-need. Each one, apart from all his fellows, takes for himself a full supply.
These thoughts pervade our gospel. It proclaims special grace. It brings home direct comfort to each soul. The true believer comes apart from men; he may leave the maze of general mercies and feel, Christ “loved me, and gave Himself for me” – as if redemption centred all in me. He lives in heaven and prays at God’s right hand and prepares a bright throne, for me, as if I were His only care. I see my own name foremost on His breast. To me the words come especially, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
But if there is this special mercy in God speaking to the individual, is there not threefold mercy in the triple voice? With tender love Jehovah is thrice named. Blessings are multiplied again and again and again. Faith quickly grasps the intention. Three glorious Persons form the glorious Godhead. They are one in undivided essence, one in co-equal majesty, one in Their eternity, one in the singleness of unchangeable decree, one in the boundlessness of love, one in the exercise of might, one in accomplishment of plan. But there is Trinity in this mystic Unity: one God in three Persons.
But the whole heart of the Triune Jehovah yearns over the redeemed. The three Persons all concur to save. They all combine to help. They all unite to bless. Surely the Threefold Blessing sounds this truth.
Heed again the heaven-sent form: “The Lord”, Jehovah the Father, “bless thee and keep thee”. Again: “The Lord”, Jehovah the Son, “make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee”. Again: “The Lord”, Jehovah the Holy Spirit, “lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”.
Our souls are now prepared to press the juice of these rich clusters.
1. Open the hand wide. The Father comes to fill it.
“The Lord bless thee and keep thee.” The first word is large, as God is large, It gives so much that it leaves nought ungiven. It floods the cup, so that no other drop can enter. It shows a prospect in which there is no emptiness. “The Lord bless thee.” May He, who speaks and it is done; who wills and it must be; who holds all power in His hands; who sits on the high throne of universal rule – may He bless thee!
When? Now and ever, throughout the moments which are and shall be; when you go out, come in, sit down, rise up, through all your living space, and when the last breath flutters on your lips. “The Lord bless thee.”
Where? In every place in which you tarry, or to which you move; in your bedroom, at the family table, at home, outside, in the still retreat and in the busiest haunts, at work in public and in the sanctity of the holiest spots. “The Lord bless thee.”
How? By causing all things to minister to your true good, by crowning your lot with all real happiness. “The Lord bless thee. Perhaps the soul, conscious of weakness, finding self to be a broken reed and seeing many perils all around, sighs especially for protection. Be it so. Protection here is stretched out as a shield; help is extended as a sustaining arm. It is added, “and keep thee”. From what? From every foe’s injurious assault, from every secret dart, from every direct attack, from self, from men, from the multitude of evils, from the world’s smile and frown. How? By the shelter of His shadowing wings. For how long? Until all need is past and danger’s region is completely left behind and heaven’s safe haven is attained. Happy believer, thus blest, thus kept of God!
2. Jesus comes next. The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.
The greatest change on nature’s brow is when light dawns. Gloom dwells beneath the pall of night. When clouds cast their thick shade, dark chilliness prevails. But, with returning beams, the landscape sparkles, the groves are melody, the fields are joy. It is so with the soul. Sad are the hours which are not bright with Jesus. Then sins affright and wrath dismays and all the future is despair. There is no misery like the absence of His look. But when His face again is seen, the heart is happiness, the lips are praise. This blessing promises the shining of His face – not a brief ray, but the full blaze of concentrated love. Heaven’s fullness is to see Him face to face. Heaven’s foretaste is to catch His smile: “The Lord make His face shine upon thee”.
Here too a precious pearl is added. It is grace. The words proceed: “and be gracious unto thee. What wonders are wrapped up in grace! Its birth is in the heavens, its fruit upon the earth. It looks on those in whom no merit dwells. It sees them lost. But still it loves and pities and relieves. It drew salvation’s scheme. It named salvation’s sons. It reared the cross and led the Saviour to it. Apart from Christ, it has no being and no admission-door to its beloved work. But now, through Christ, its visits come on sanctifying wing. The graceless become gracious, because grace works. The gracious become glorious, because grace triumphs.
3. The blessing voice still speaks. The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Can they who have received so much need more? But more is wondrously given. The truly blessed have all the blessings of the Triune Jehovah. Hence the Spirit’s favour is moreover pledged. Some covet earthly honours and applause. Some seek the bursting coffer and the large estate. But what is earth and all its contents compared to this possession? The Spirit’s countenance converts the soul from death to life and raises it from hell to glory. He shows its utter need and its recovery in Christ. He teaches the vile loathsomeness of sin and the just punishment of hell. He then reveals the God-man slain, the shelter of His wounds, the mantle of His righteousness.
He points to welcoming arms. He testifies that none can perish at the cross. When He lifts up His countenance, the mists of ignorance, the clouds of unbelief, melt off. And self is seen, that it may be abhorred. And Christ is seen, that He may be embraced and loved. Then peace will surely follow. There is no peace in soul-blindness, in distance from Christ, in unsubdued iniquity, in wallowing in nature’s mire. But when the Spirit joins the soul to Christ, when He renews the nature and sows seeds of godliness, then peace – abundant peace, peace always, by all means – establishes glad sway.
Reader, seek Christ; adhere to Him; abide in Him; make Him your all. Then this threefold blessing will be your crown. Hear it once more. “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”.
It is the gift of gifts, the prize of prizes, the Father’s full protection, the Saviour’s smiling grace, the Spirit’s countenance and peace. Do you ask, Can such transcendant property be mine? Pause; think. Why is it thus revealed? God speaks these blessings, not to mock but to fulfill. Can they be mine? Cast yourself, without one fear, on Christ and you will quickly know.