Purity in marriage and vows: Numbers 5–6

After some instructions for managing the behaviour of insanely jealous husbands (of the “that’s not my child” variety) and the terms of taking a Nazarite vow, God instructed Moses to tell Aaron to bless the Israelites as follows:

^6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

We hear this blessing most Sundays in church. The purpose of this blessing was (and still is) for God’s people to have His name on them:

^6:27 “So [Aaron] will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”