We recently spent time reflecting on some moments when Jesus prayed. Prayer is so essential to the Christian life; it feels prudent to dwell on this most important of disciplines for a little longer. So, over the next few weeks, we will ponder on some powerful and meaningful prayers recorded in the Old Testament.
I am always intrigued by items and things that are hundreds, sometimes thousands of years old but are still intact, recognisable, and in some cases even still usable. When you stop and think about it, it really is remarkable for example how old buildings are still standing, old pots and pans and weapons can still fulfil a purpose, old coins and clothing can tell a story of the past.
The same is true of the ancient prayers recorded in the Old Testament, to think that they have been repeated over and over from generation to generation, millions of times in history and still spoken today is incredible. These prayers are still as potent and powerful now as they were when first offered, they may be thousands of years old but still completely relevant for now.
This week’s prayer is one I heard recently at a wedding and have heard countless times before in my life. It’s the same prayer I pray to my twin girls every night when I put them to bed, and I’m sure many other people do this also. Hearing my girls say ‘Amen’ and sometimes even join in with me, is one of my favourite things!
“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.”
Numbers 6:24-26 – NLT
This prayer was originally given to Aaron to use as a blessing for the people of Israel. It was given to Aaron by Moses who was given it directly from God! Wow, that alone makes this prayer special. Although it was given to bless a community it is written in the singular. The Lord blesses the whole by blessing the individuals; he blesses the individuals by blessing the whole1. In the same way, it’s a wonderful prayer of blessings for the whole church and the individuals that make up the church. It’s been described as the Lord’s prayer of the Old Testament.
The opening line ‘The Lord bless you and keep you’ was to act as a reminder for the Israelites of who they belong to, a reminder of their identity as His people and to the promise of God’s presence always with them. Today for us as Christians, we belong to God through Jesus Christ, our identity is in Him, and we can also stand on all the promises of God, his presence with us today. ‘And surely, I am with you always’ – Matthew 28:20.
The words ‘The Lord make his face shine on you’ takes us back to the experience of Moses on Mount Sinai when God appeared face to face to him in a dramatic and direct way. His glory caused Moses’ face to shine. The Lord desires to make His presence known to all people, that the way we live, speak and act would reflect His glory. These words beautifully couple his presence with us and his grace upon us. God came down in grace, to dwell among us, ‘…and be gracious to you.’. As already stated, the pronoun “you” is in the singular but still a prayer for the community, but its force is to be realised in the individual.
The prayer ends with ‘the Lord turn (or lift up) his face toward you and give you peace (Hebrew – ‘Shalom’)’ used here in the fullest sense of the word, this kind of peace comes only from the Lord2.
The term ‘turn his face’ is associated with pleasure and affection, like a parent looking at their children, its role here is equivalent to the word ‘smile’. How awesome is this – we are encouraged to pray for the Lord to turn his face towards us and smile at us, as we receive His peace.
This short prayer has so much depth and meaning, it’s beautiful and full of absolute truth. But perhaps the most wonderful thing about it is that God wants to BLESS his people. Blessing is God’s initiative, it’s on Him and His purpose. It’s God extending his hand out to us in grace and love.
Will we grab hold?
The intimacy in prayer to God can sometimes be hard to find, feel or express but this prayer is a reminder of God’s longing, love, and care for His people. I encourage you to use it for yourself, your family, friends, church and others in our community.
The words of this prayer are very well known, so perhaps ‘The Message’ bible translation will add a new angle as we pray:
God bless you and keep you,
God smile on you and gift you,
God look you full in the face
and make you prosper.
– Mark.
Notes:
1. The expositors Bible Commentary Volume 2, The Zondervan Corporation, 1990. Page 754
2. The expositors Bible Commentary Volume 2, Page 755
