“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.”

Numbers 6:24-26

In the book of Numbers, squeezed in between the instructions of a Nazarite vow and a list of offerings given at the tabernacle, are these beautiful words of blessing. The Lord gave the words to  Aaron and his sons, the priests of the tabernacle, to speak over His people, who He had just led through the desert to the Promised Land. 

This blessing is often used by pastors as a benediction at the end of a service. But do we ever take the time to look deeper into their meaning? What does it mean for God’s face, or countenance, to shine upon us and give us peace?

If you think about it, it’s a pretty amazing thing that God created us with faces. Having a face allows us to understand so much about a person: whether they are happy, sad, angry, confused, or scared. I can certainly judge by my students’ faces whether they are interested in what I’m teaching about or completely checked out! Communicating through screens or by phone can never convey a message as accurately as a face-to-face conversation; if there is something important to be shared, it’s best to be looking straight at someone. And when we see someone smile, it can change a mood, lift a spirit, and bring a smile to our own face, too. 

So what about God’s face?

We know that God does not have a physical face, since He is a Spirit. But He does express Himself to His people, and the face is something we can relate to and understand, something that can represent His expression towards us. 

The Aaronic blessing is like a big smile from God directly to our souls. When His face shines upon us, He is showing His people His grace, showering us with His love, filling us with His presence. When God looks on His people with blessing He creates a peace that brings a complete sense of contentment and well-being.

As Jesus hung on the cross, just before He breathed His last breath, He cried out the words, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Some Bible scholars say that in that moment, as the sins of mankind were imputed to Him, the Father turned His face from the Son. And why would He do that? So that He might turn His face toward us, His people, and see us as righteous, that we might have eternal life.

Mike and I love the musical Les Miserables, and one of our favorite lines is: To love another person is to see the face of God.”  It’s a wonderful reminder that when we show someone love, it opens our hearts to experience God in a very real way, as we are sharing in the same action that He has shown to us. In showing love, we experience the shining of God’s face.

Someday when God’s kingdom is restored, we will fully experience God’s presence. Revelation 22:4 says, “They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” Then the Aaronic blessing will truly be fulfilled, as God showers us with His love eternally.