“The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His Countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Countenance (Def): (Heb.): Paniym from Panah: Face, Presence, Appearance, Behold, Dawning

The Aaronic blessing given to Moses is a timeless blessing from God in which the Name of the Lord is placed upon us and we behold Him face to face in His glorious presence. The Lord appears to us as the dawning of a new day with the brightness of His glory shining upon us and His favor gives us His peace.

The Scriptures overflow with reference to the Paniym, the face, presence, appearance and dawning of the Lord’s favor upon His people. From Adam to the Apostle John the Scriptures give us a plethora of examples of His Countenance being seen and His favor, and His wrath being revealed.

The Psalmist spoke of the blessing of the Lord by the light of His Countenance upon His people:

“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Your Countenance” (Psalm 89:15).

We walk in the Light of the Countenance of the Father. This Light brings us great joy of which the Apostle Peter spoke on the Day of Pentecost quoting from the Psalmist:

“You have made known to me the ways of Life. You shall make me full of joy with Your countenance” (Acts 2:28).

Countenance: (Def): (Gr.): Prosopon: Face, Appearance

The Prosopon, the face of God gives great joy to the believer as we behold Him and are changed into His very image. The Apostle Paul wrote of it in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians:

“Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Corinthians 3:17-18).

His countenance is powerful to effect change in our nature, our emotions, our hearts and minds in our relationship with the Father. The countenance of Christ was changed in the Presence of the Father as Jesus prayed on the Mount of Transfiguration:

“And as He prayed the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistened” (Luke 9:29).

Being in the presence of the Father will have an effect on our countenance as it did with Moses:

“But if the administration of death written and engraved in stone was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away. How shall not the administration of the Spirit be rather glorious. . .Seeing then that we have such hope we use great plainness of speech, and not as Moses who put a vail over his face so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished” (II Corinthians 3:7-8,12-13).

His Countenance upon us will be evident to all. He will cause our faces to shine forth His glory (cf. Acts 6:15). People will know we have been in the Presence of the Lord as we bear witness to His majesty. The Psalmists spoke of it:

“Turn us again, O God, and cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved” (Psalm 80:3).

“Make Your face to shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes” (Psalm 119:135).

“God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause Your face to shine upon us” (Psalm 67:1).

When the face of the Lord shines upon us we become partakers of His Grace. The Lord is gracious and His grace is given freely to all who will believe.

Are you living in His grace? Does His favor shine upon you? Come before Him, come into His glorious Presence freely by His grace through the veil by a new and living way by the blood of the Lamb. Enjoy His Countenance, Look upon His face and live.

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