The Lord Make His Face to Shine Upon You

 

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.’” (Numbers 6:22–27 ESV).

 

The second Sunday of Advent candle is the Peace Candle, also called the Bethlehem Candle or Candle of Peace. It symbolizes the peace Christ brings to the world and represents hope, preparation, and the peace that comes from God. This candle is typically purple, a color that can signify royalty or preparation. On this day, both the first (Hope) and second (Peace) candles are lit on the Advent wreath.

 

I always marvel at our reading today. The Israelites were not a shining example of faithfulness while they wandered in the desert. They grumbled and complained, threatened to go back to Egypt, and even made idols to worship in place of God (cf. Exodus 16-17; 32-33). Yet God instructed Aaron—whose hands had made those idols—to bless the Israelites. Even more, God said that this would “put [his] name on the Israelites”—in other words, God wanted to be so closely identified with the Israelites that they would be part of his family!

 

Notice too that the middle of this blessing asks God to “make his face shine” on his people. It’s fitting to compare this image to a parent beaming with pride over their child or to a spouse absolutely glowing with joy at the sight of their partner. This blessing is beyond what Israel could have hoped for: having God turn toward them with overflowing delight at being associated with them!

 

Many centuries later, God became even more associated with us in his Son, Jesus Christ. Even more than we could have hoped, God became one with us in life and in death. Through Jesus, we experience God’s face shining on us with delight. And as Paul later wrote, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).