THE POWER OF THE AARONIC BLESSING

Many Christians are fully aware of the words "MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU" as recorded in the book of Numbers chapter 6: 24.  However the Aaronic blessing is far more than just that one verse, as it goes on to say "THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON THEE, AND BE GRACIOUS UNTO THEE; THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UPON THEE AND GIVE THEE PEACE, AND THEY SHALL PUT MY NAME UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND I WILL BLESS THEE" Numbers 6: 25-27

These are obviously lovely sentiments and ones that give us a wonderful feeling when we bless others with these words in English, but how did it read in Hebrew?

The word 'bless' in Hebrew is 'barak' which means 'to kneel' and if a person takes a special gift to someone as a blessing, they literally give it with bending knees and humbly offer it before the recipient.  The word 'berakah' is the Hebew word for 'blessing' and is the act of kneeling before someone with a gift.

The Lord Jesus Christ bent down to wash the feet of the disciples and yet he was their King....this is our God who humbly gave up his position as the Logos or Word to come down to Earth as a servant to his children. 

The other amazing word in the Aaronic blessing is the English word 'keep' and is 'shamar' in Hebrew and literally means 'to guard' and a related word is 'shamiyr' meaning 'thorn' and is linked to a shepherd who would protect his sheep by constructing a pen made out of thorny bushes, so that any wolves or other predators would not kill the sheep. Therefore this Aaronic blessing has the meaning of a loving Father, Shepherd who looks after his sheep with a ring of protection.  

Now that we can understand these few verses as they were intended to be understood. The Hebrew meaning shows us what an incredible loving Father we have....

Therefore the Aaronic blessing is saying "Yahweh kneels before us offering us gifts (Amazing Grace) and will guard us with a hedge of protection". The remaining parts of the Aaronic blessing can also be examined in its original Hebrew meaning revealing the following:

So when we speak out the Aaronic blessing to others we are asking Yahweh to kneel before others that we are speaking about and asking them to recieve 'gifts' of protection and 'wholeness'.  The blessing is for others to be 'beautified and made whole and complete'.  We are asking for them to be visited by the God of the Universe and recieving from his bounty.

So to ALL those reading this


May the Lord be with you and keep you and may you be blessed bountifully


God bless you and may we stay firm in HIM


David