I have to say, so far, Numbers is not my favorite. But then, hidden at the end of chapter 6, after all that talk about the Nazirite...which, btw, I'm still very confused about...but I think it has something to do with separating yourself from the world and dedicating to the Lord for a period of time, keeping in mind a bunch of consequences if defiling oneself, etc...there is a precious gem: The Lord's Blessing through Aaron and his sons, the priests:
“‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6: 24-27
Where did this come from? I mean, the entire chapter was about the Nazirite. Then, all of a sudden, The Lord tells Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to proclaim these words to the Israelites. What?
I believe, this blessing is a reminder that, the Lord's intent is not to hurt us or torture us with complicated rituals. His purpose is to bless us and to love us. The Israelites had been separated from God for far too long. They weren't truly a nation when they became slaves in Egypt. Therefore, this time wandering in the desert was used by God to forge a cohesive sense of identity with all the rigor of discipline and obedience. But, for a reason: to make them into His people. And as His people, His purpose was to bless them and love them. Hence, this beautiful blessing, proclaiming all that anyone may possibly want from God.
The Almighty God who calls us His own always has that same purpose for all of us in His family. He still wants to bless us and love us today as much as He did back then during the foundational days of desert dwelling. He still wants to make His face shine upon us, be gracious to us and turn His face toward us and give us peace. Even as we are still immersed in the uncertainty of our pandemic days, He is moving us toward the recognition that our identity is in Him as Children of the Most High God! Who we are is not determined by what is happening to us. We are children of the King regardless of viruses, masks, social distancing and economic crisis. He keeps us and blesses us always even when the hour seems dark, hopeless or just plain strange and confusing.
May the Holy Spirit help us to keep our eyes on what is important: His Face, as we seek to focus on the blessings of His Love. In the Precious Name of Our Lord, Jesus. Amen!
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