Numbers 5-6

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you …” (6:25-26).  After rescuing the Israelites from Egypt, the Lord’s desire was to bless them, and through Israel, the whole world (Genesis 12). The commands about how to live and worship were part of that blessing, bringing peace, stability, and community harmony. Everything from birth and sickness to food and marriage centered on God (ch 5). 

“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (6:27). We bear God’s name not by condemning others, but by faithfully showing in our own lives the character of Jesus.