The Lord bless you, and keep you: the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-25
After bending low to be with us, the Lord then extends His protection over us. We ask Him to keep us. In this context, to keep means to maintain in a specified condition or take care of. This aligns with the Hebrew word shamar that is used here which means to guard, protect or watch over.
The first use of this word in the Bible is in Genesis 2:15 when Adam was placed in the Garden and told to keep (shamar) it. We see in this usage not only the protection but the tending of it to continue its beautiful and usable condition. Unfortunately, Adam faltered in his duty.
David also uses this word several times in the Psalms:
Guard (shamar) me, God, for in You I put my trust. Psalm 16:1
When we ask God to keep us, we acknowledge that protection comes from Him. It is also tied to our proximity to Him as He has come near. We are to stay in His presence while asking for His covering.
Jesus prayed for His disciples using this same idea, asking God to keep them in His Name. What safer place can there be? Following Jesus’ lead, I ask God to watch over us, grateful that He keeps us, protecting us and tending to our care in being what He has created us to be. He will never falter.
And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, which You have given me, that they may be one, even as We are one. John 17:11
