The Aaronic Blessing, and What God's Blessing Actually Means

What Does It Actually Say?

Parashat Nasso contains one of the most famous texts in all of scripture — the Aaronic Blessing. It is also one of the most misappropriated. Here is the text:

This is a kind of universal blessing that even Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches use to bless their parishioners. It is a little strange for me that these Christians — who actually reject the Old Testament and the Torah of God — use this Aaronic Blessing and the tithing for the priest of Israel and the Temple as the holy grail. These Christians adopt what they want from God's word and reject the authority of what is called the Old Testament, but the blessings and the money they want to keep.

What Each Phrase of the Blessing Actually Means

This blessing has five distinct elements, and each one deserves to be understood.

"The Lord bless you" — God is going to bless you. Therefore don't seek a blessing from the idols of your day, or from the people of your city and country. Depend on God for your blessing in life. If God blesses you, you will be truly blessed. If men bless you, you will forever be indebted to them. If men bless you, they cannot really keep, protect, or guard you. Only God can bless you and protect you and guard you and your life.

"The Lord make His face shine upon you" — One of the worst predicaments in the word of God is when God hides His face from you. You can read Ezekiel 39:22-27 and see the consequences of the sin of Israel when God hides His face from you. This blessing of Aaron states that God is going to shine His face on you — you will have personal and clear communication and access to a personal relationship with the Almighty God of Israel, and God will smile His face toward you.

"And be gracious to you" — He will measure your life, successes, and falls, with His grace and not with His measure of justice and judgment. This is a very important blessing because it declares the attitude of God toward His children and not toward His enemies.

"The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace" — This is the ending statement and summary of the Aaronic Blessing: God will look with favor upon you. This is a request of God to pay attention to you and show favoritism toward you. This might sound strange to Western ears. The priest of Israel, Aaron's children, asks God to show special favor to Israel and to His children. Literally, "to lift up the face toward" means to treat favorably, even to show favoritism! And God will grant you shalom — well-being, wholeness — and bring you within His borders of calmness and security.

A Father Who Blesses His Children

It is such a great privilege for the men of our congregation every Shabbat to bless the children and their mothers with this blessing. Fathers need to bless their children and their family with this blessing at least once every week. I often say that this blessing is such a great privilege and encouragement.

My father was a good father, but he never blessed me. On the other hand, he cursed me thousands of times. I became what God has made me by the grace of God and the blood of Yeshua. It would have been nice if my father would have blessed me! But God the Father of us all has blessed me and you and He alone is the source of real blessings. I thank my Father in Heaven, the Lord of glory, for His blessing, and I thank Him who is above all and in all for blessing me personally and all of humanity who seek His blessing and redemption daily.