No Ifs, Buts, or Maybes

One of the most well known passages of Scripture, known and loved by both Jews and Christians, is found in the book of Numbers in the midst of one of the most redundant sections of Torah that there is. It comes in between the instructions for the roles and functions of each of the Levitical orders and the tribal offerings for the Tabernacle. The series of verses has been printed on t-shirts, coffee cups, hats, banners, and plaques of all kinds. 

The verses are known by Jews as the Birkat HaCohanim, or priestly blessing, and most Christians know these words as the Aaronic Benediction. The words are powerful and they were commanded by G-D to be spoken over the Children of Israel, as we read in Numbers 6:23:

Number 6:23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying: Thus you are to bless Bnei-Yisrael, by saying to them: 

This commanded blessing comes right after the commandments concerning the Nazarite Vow, which comes right after the commandments concerning those with Tzara’at, most often translated as leprosy. While the commandment to give this blessing comes right after the commandments concerning lepers and nazarites, it doesn’t appear from the text that the blessing is directly related to or responding to either lepers or nazarites. 

When we read the words from Numbers 6:23, it simply says for Aaron and his sons, the Cohanim, or Priests of Israel, to speak these words over Bnei Yisrael, or the Children of Israel. There doesn’t appear to be any connection directly between these verses and the verse that precede them or follow them. As read in context, it seems as though G-D just stopped at this point and wanted to remind His people that in the midst of all the preparations to build and operate the Tabernacle, He didn’t want them to forget that their relationship with Him was established already, that the Tabernacle and all that went into preparing, building, and operating it was not how they established a relationship with Him. But rather, it was a way by which they worshipped Him and demonstrated that they already had a relationship with Him. 

In the middle of all of the things about the Tabernacle, in the middle of the commandments concerning broken relationships, between sicknesses, and between vows and promises to G-D, G-D stops and commands Moses to tell Aaron to remind the Children of Israel that G-D is already their G-D. Their Heavenly Father already loves them, and He wants to bless them. 

Unfortunately, the powerful truth of this blessing is often lost when it is wrongly translated, when translators add words that are not in the actual verses. Let’s take a moment to read the actual verses from Numbers 6:24-26:

Numbers 6:24 ‘Adonai bless you and keep you! 25 Adonai make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you! 26 Adonai turn His face toward you and grant you shalom!’ 27 In this way they are to place My Name over Bnei-Yisrael, and so I will bless them.”

As you read these powerful and important words, you will notice that the word “May” is not at the beginning of any of the three proclamations. Each of the three blessings are simple statements of how G-D will bless His people. Adonai will bless and keep them. Adonai will make His face shine on them and be gracious to them. Adonai will turn His face toward them and grant them shalom (peace). 

Not one of these three blessings have prerequisites or conditions attached to them. They do not carry any ifs, buts, or maybes. They are simply straightforward blessings G-D wants spoken over His people. To remind them that He is their G-D and they are His people. He purposefully makes it clear that He loved them and He wanted to bless them, before they built a place to make sacrifices and offerings for their sins. 

In the New Testament, this concept of G-D’s love for us before we are even redeemed is made clear in verses such as Romans 5:6-8:

Romans 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Messiah died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will anyone die for a righteous man—though perhaps for a good man someone might even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us.

The bottom line is before Israel made the first offering in the Tabernacle, G-D told them He was already blessing them. The blessing doesn’t say “May G-D bless you.” It simply says, “Adonai bless you.” There are no ifs, buts, or maybes in His blessing.