The Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:22–27) as the Standard for Benedictions in Corporate Worship
An Abstract by Lyndsey Huckaby
The concept of God as Creator is foundational to the Christian faith. He is the Alpha, the Author, and the Source; even so, God is also the Omega, the Finisher, and the Ending. The patterns of worship that God prescribed in the Old Testament reflect this aspect of his nature: “He the source, the ending He.”[1] Initiating worship, God reveals himself. In the Old Testament prior to the establishment of the tabernacle, God would appear and initiate an encounter with his chosen worshipper. At Sinai, “the first clear indication of God’s presence was his voice: ‘The LORD called [out].’”[2] Furthermore, God also prescribes the ending of the corporate worship gathering. In Numbers 6:22–27 (ESV), God details the way in which Aaron should conclude:
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’
So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
This blessing is repeated throughout Scripture, and “it had become a standardized liturgical form no later than then end of the preexilic period.”[3] God’s blessing on his people as they departed from his presence in corporate worship holds significant meaning and purpose, even for worshippers today.
In this paper, I will discuss the biblical context of the Aaronic blessing, as well as the poetic nature and the further scriptural examples of this benediction. Then I will discuss the liturgical functions of the Aaronic blessing, determining the direction of the blessing, its conclusive and efficacious nature, and its essential connection with atonement. As a point of application, I will briefly discuss the current use of the benediction, in that it functions much the same as the priestly benediction in the church today. Although this worship action is affirmed within the New Testament practice of worship, this paper will focus on the Old Testament prescription of the benediction. Furthermore, an in-depth study of blessing in Scripture is beyond the scope of this paper, and I will therefore focus solely on the Aaron’s priestly benediction. In this paper, I will argue that as exhibited in the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:22–27, benedictions are distinct liturgical functions that are bestowed by God, efficacious, and inextricably linked to atonement.
The preceding was an abstract of a research paper written by Lyndsey Huckaby as a part of MUMIN 7513 Research in Worship History: Old Testament, a Ph.D. Seminar in Worship at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. If this topic interests you, feel free to click the author’s name above and request a copy of the research paper.
[1]Marcus Aurelius C. Prudentius, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” (4thcent.). Translated by John Mason Neale (1851). https://hymnary.org/hymn/HTLG2017/page/86.
[2]Allen Ross, Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation(Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2006), 173.
[3]R. Dennis Cole, Numbers, vol. 3B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2000), 128.
