Numbers 6:23
"Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
Tell Aaron and his sons
This phrase establishes the divine authority and responsibility given to Aaron and his sons, the priestly line chosen by God to serve as mediators between Him and the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "tell" (אָמַר, 'amar) implies a command or directive, emphasizing the importance of the message that follows. Historically, Aaron and his sons were set apart for priestly duties, a role that required them to uphold the sanctity and purity of worship. This directive underscores the continuity of God's covenantal relationship with Israel, as the priests were instrumental in maintaining the spiritual well-being of the nation.

This is how you are to bless
The phrase "This is how you are to bless" introduces a specific formula for blessing, indicating that blessings are not arbitrary but divinely ordained. The Hebrew word for "bless" (בָּרַךְ, barak) carries the connotation of invoking divine favor and protection. In the ancient Near Eastern context, blessings were powerful pronouncements that could shape the destiny of individuals and communities. This instruction highlights the role of the priests as conduits of God's grace, tasked with speaking life and prosperity over the people.

the Israelites
The term "the Israelites" refers to the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel, who were chosen by God to be His covenant people. This designation is significant as it reminds the audience of their unique identity and calling. The Israelites were set apart to be a holy nation, a kingdom of priests, and a light to the Gentiles. The blessing that follows is a reaffirmation of their special status and God's enduring commitment to them. It serves as a reminder of their collective identity and the responsibilities that come with being God's chosen people.

You shall say to them
The phrase "You shall say to them:" introduces the specific words of the blessing that the priests are to pronounce. This directive underscores the power of spoken words in the biblical tradition. In the Hebrew culture, words were not merely sounds but carriers of intent and power. The act of speaking the blessing is an act of faith, trusting that God's promises will be fulfilled. This phrase also highlights the importance of obedience to God's instructions, as the priests are to faithfully convey the exact words given to them by God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Aaron
The brother of Moses and the first high priest of Israel. He was chosen by God to lead the priestly duties and to bless the people.

2. Aaron's Sons
The descendants of Aaron who were appointed as priests to serve in the tabernacle and later in the temple, continuing the priestly lineage.

3. The Israelites
The chosen people of God, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and were journeying to the Promised Land.

4. The Priestly Blessing
A specific blessing given by God to be pronounced over the Israelites, signifying His favor and protection.

5. The Tabernacle
The portable dwelling place for the divine presence among the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness.
Teaching Points
The Role of the Priesthood
The priesthood was established by God to mediate between Him and His people. Aaron and his sons were given the authority to pronounce blessings, signifying the importance of spiritual leadership.

The Power of Blessing
The act of blessing is a powerful declaration of God's favor and protection. It is a reminder of God's covenant with His people and His desire to see them prosper.

God's Desire for Relationship
The priestly blessing underscores God's desire to be in a relationship with His people, offering them peace and grace. It is a call to live in a way that reflects His holiness.

Continuity of Blessing in Christ
As believers in Christ, we are part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). We are called to bless others and to be conduits of God's grace and peace in the world.

Practical Application of Blessing
In our daily lives, we can practice the act of blessing by speaking words of encouragement, praying for others, and being a source of God's love and peace in our communities.
Bible Study Questions
1. What is the significance of the priestly role in the context of the Old Testament, and how does it relate to the New Testament understanding of priesthood?

2. How can we, as modern believers, incorporate the practice of blessing into our daily interactions with others?

3. In what ways does the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:23-27 reflect God's character and His intentions for His people?

4. How does the concept of blessing in the Old Testament connect with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament?

5. Reflect on a time when you received a blessing from someone. How did it impact your life, and how can you pass that blessing on to others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Leviticus 9
Describes the role of Aaron and his sons in the priestly service, emphasizing their responsibility to bless the people.

Psalm 67
Reflects the desire for God's blessing and favor, echoing the themes of the priestly blessing.

Hebrews 7
Discusses the priesthood of Jesus Christ, drawing parallels to the priestly role of Aaron and his sons, but highlighting the superiority of Christ's eternal priesthood.
The Benediction Through the PriestsD. Young Numbers 6:22-26
The BenedictionW. Binnie Numbers 6:22-27
The Priestly BlessingE.S. Prout Numbers 6:22-27
A Comprehensive BenedictionR. Ferguson, LL. D.Numbers 6:23-26
Brightness to be RenewedChristian CommonwealthNumbers 6:23-26
Buoyant in the Favour of GodH. W. Beecher.Numbers 6:23-26
God's Favour the Comfort of the SoulT. Burroughs.Numbers 6:23-26
Israel Blest and KeptJ. C. Philpot.Numbers 6:23-26
Peace with GodJoseph Cook.Numbers 6:23-26
The Blessing of the High PriestSpurgeon, Charles HaddonNumbers 6:23-26
The Divine Blessing and KeepingSpurgeon, Charles HaddonNumbers 6:23-26
The Golden BlessingR. E. Sears.Numbers 6:23-26
The Pastor's Wish and PrayerR. Ferguson, LL. D.Numbers 6:23-26
The Priestly BlessingW. Jones.Numbers 6:23-26
The Priestly BlessingHenry, MatthewNumbers 6:23-26
The Threefold BlessingDean Law.Numbers 6:23-26
People
Aaron, Israelites, Moses, Naziriteship
Places
Sinai
Topics
Aaron, Bless, Blessing, Israelites, Saying, Sons, Speak, Thus, Wise
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 6:22-26

     6703   peace, divine OT

Numbers 6:22-27

     5042   name of God, significance

Numbers 6:23-27

     8638   benedictions

Library
Separation to God.
NUMB. VI. 1-21. THE INSTITUTION OF THE ORDER OF NAZARITES. The first twenty-one verses of Numb. vi. give us an account of the institution and ordinances of the order of Nazarites. And let us note at the outset that this institution, like every other good and perfect gift, came from above; that GOD Himself gave this privilege--unasked--to His people; thereby showing His desire that "whosoever will" of His people may be brought into closest relationship to Himself. It was very gracious of GOD to permit
James Hudson Taylor—Separation and Service

Tenth Day. Holiness and Separation.
I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people. And ye shall be holy unto me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from other people that ye should be Mine.'--Lev. xx. 24, 26. 'Until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy.... All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.'--Num. vi. 5, 8. 'Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered without the
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Of the Duties which we are to Perform after Receiving the Holy Communion, Called Action or Practice.
The duty which we are to perform after the receiving of the Lord's Supper is called action or practice, without which all the rest will minister to us no comfort. The action consists of two sorts of duties:---First, Such as we are to perform in the church, or else after we are gone home. Those that we are to perform in the church are either several from our own souls, or else jointly with the congregation. The several duties which thou must perform from thine own soul are three:--First, Thou must
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

These Things, My Brother Aurelius, Most Dear unto Me...
38. These things, my brother Aurelius, most dear unto me, and in the bowels of Christ to be venerated, so far as He hath bestowed on me the ability Who through thee commanded me to do it, touching work of Monks, I have not delayed to write; making this my chief care, lest good brethren obeying apostolic precepts, should by lazy and disobedient be called even prevaricators from the Gospel: that they which work not, may at the least account them which do work to be better than themselves without doubt.
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

The Worship of the Synagogue
One of the most difficult questions in Jewish history is that connected with the existence of a synagogue within the Temple. That such a "synagogue" existed, and that its meeting-place was in "the hall of hewn stones," at the south-eastern angle of the court of the priest, cannot be called in question, in face of the clear testimony of contemporary witnesses. Considering that "the hall of hew stones" was also the meeting-place for the great Sanhedrim, and that not only legal decisions, but lectures
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Peace
Grace unto you and peace be multiplied. I Pet 1:1. Having spoken of the first fruit of sanctification, assurance, I proceed to the second, viz., Peace, Peace be multiplied:' What are the several species or kinds of Peace? Peace, in Scripture, is compared to a river which parts itself into two silver streams. Isa 66:12. I. There is an external peace, and that is, (1.) (Economical, or peace in a family. (2.) Political, or peace in the state. Peace is the nurse of plenty. He maketh peace in thy borders,
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Gen. xxxi. 11
Of no less importance and significance is the passage Gen. xxxi. 11 seq. According to ver. 11, the Angel of God, [Hebrew: mlaK halhiM] appears toJacob in a dream. In ver. 13, the same person calls himself the God of Bethel, with reference to the event recorded in chap. xxviii. 11-22. It cannot be supposed that in chap xxviii. the mediation of a common angel took place, who, however, had not been expressly mentioned; for Jehovah is there contrasted with the angels. In ver. 12, we read: "And behold
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Covenanting a Privilege of Believers.
Whatever attainment is made by any as distinguished from the wicked, or whatever gracious benefit is enjoyed, is a spiritual privilege. Adoption into the family of God is of this character. "He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power (margin, or, the right; or, privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."[617] And every co-ordinate benefit is essentially so likewise. The evidence besides, that Covenanting
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Things to be Meditated on as Thou Goest to the Church.
1. That thou art going to the court of the Lord, and to speak with the great God by prayer; and to hear his majesty speak unto thee by his word; and to receive his blessing on thy soul, and thy honest labour, in the six days past. 2. Say with thyself by the way--"As the hart brayeth for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even for the living God: When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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