The LORD's Threefold-Blessing - Don't Journey without it!
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Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
When I began pastoral ministry as an elder - never forget organizing over night church picnic at juvenile jail camp ground on the shores of Lake Huron af few kilometers down Highway 21 from our church building. George told this story, I’ve never forgetten. When he was growing up, his brother walked out the door to school or work, never came back - killed that day. And every day after that, when ever one of kids - adult or child lieft, always look in eye, say I love, with a hug leave that door. Georege and his wife said did same every single time. Then Bill piped up, his brother and wife had an agument at coffee time, went back to tractor to keep on plowing - angrty words last ones - went back in the field to plow had a massive heart attack. Wow, have you ever left a family member -i nahuff - and you’ve wonder do I really love them - don’t feel it, maybe don’t at all - but rotten to have that left u in the air.
Well, congregation, ass God organizes His people, an idealistic picture, oh we’d never have hard words. But remember these five laws, the Levites as body gaurd of God’s holiness, the priests, the leper and those with flow uncleanness, the suspcious husband, unfaihtful wife, remember even when God is saying law of Nazarene - all of you special deovtion and holiness to me - the heart of the law is how when they blow it start again - get purity - finissh the vow. All foreshadowing that the wilderness journey is going to be full of failures distractions, broken relatonship, and we are going to need God’s intiative like the mother of Geroge to say, - look no matter what - each week, weach day I want you to live with this continual blessing of my favour, my love, my presencem ,my blessing over you!
This is really the story of Numbers, first generation is going to blow it, the second make it by faith, but guess what they didn’t earn the peace of the promsied land, they received by faith, by knowing how to walk to receive the blessing of ALmighty God. And let me ask you wether you need this reminder over your need to seek blessing, in the right way, from the right God? HOw many of us, worry about the future, how many of us harbour anger and resentment because instead of living with the blessing of God and seeking it more fully in our daily lives, we are thinking we can earn it, or others ought to earn it, and we hold back from experience n wht theat Georege and his mother had day by day Or maybe there are ssome here - have all the trappings of religion - and you are seeking peace from what you own, or relationships with others in your life, or accomllishing big stuff in life, but you have never really known the smile of God’s favour through His Priest - toatllly bless toatlly kept - by grace!
And I say this is the story of the whole book, because they are not going to be able to keep these directions for perfect ordered camp with God, they even their priests, and their high preist, at the end of the book , wont’ be the one speaking this blessing, but God raises up a priest outside a propeth, a pagan Balaam - to show how blessing will come to HIs people! The hwole book moves from wilderness struggle, worry, fear, evils, through the wilderness, to this blessing and the prmised land that awaits for those who have this blessing of God’s presecne daily with them. And my task today is to
Key Truth: : You need the blessing of God’s presence to make it through the wilderness journey of this life!
A. You Need is More than Stuff & Protection
All nations a name for Supreme Being. But his one holy for it is not of man, nor from man, but of his own direct revelation, unspeakable sanctity. Like the Word of God, can’t be disassociated from God Himeslf, an extension outward into realm of created senssible, the ineffable virtues of the Godhead himself.
Most of us can quickly identify blessings in like, we think of it as wellbeing, health, fruitfulness of our lives, our land, we think of it as peace and not war, we think of it as cars, friends, and all the good things in life. And God’s blessing certainly inclues all the stuff and the potection. But the first word bless and the last word shalom = are what God is really offering and at the heart of what we really need. The cetnral thread and overarching story of the Bible is about this Blessing that brings the fullest peace, shalom. Think of it God creates the world, but then he bleses it, He makes a day, the queen of all days, the seventh day, and then he blesses the Sabbath the day - when we enjoy the blessing of blessingss delight in the presence of God in a special way. Sin shatters shalom, and blessing of God’s dialy presence in our lives, and when do we next here of God’s plan to bless. Calling of Abrahama I will bless you - cause you by your seed, your miracle wonder child, not just Isaac, but Christ, - to be a blessing to all families of the earth! Those who bless you - enter into this presence, this pblessing htis shoalom, those who curse you - remain -in the chaos, struggle, the earning wihtout the blessing of God. Jesus does come and then what happens? His birth is announced as what? Peace on earth onwhom his favour/grace rests. Jesus is our peace, those united to him are blessed in the heavenly place with all blessing in him. Thin of how Jesus left this earth - last act as lifted from our presence in Lyuke 24 raised his hands in this blessing as he leaves!
HOw will the story end:
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
HOw will the story end:
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
This is waht God is all about, his intention for His poeple in this world even through the fall and sin. But because we think we can find blessing on our own, withut God, because rather have stuff of this world and an easy life, rather than God HImself.
for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
But look at the final blessing of God’s revealtion to us:
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
That was the last blessing of Balaam’s fourth propehsy this star that comes out of Judah. And Jesus accomplishes - toatl shalom, toatl peace. All nations a name for Supreme Being. But his one holy for it is not of man, nor from man, but of his own direct revelation, unspeakable sanctity. Like the Word of God, can’t be disassociated from God Himeslf, an extension outward into realm of created sensible, the ineffable virtues of the Godhead himself.
And so God in the most direct way commands this blessing not just of life that goes well, because it won’t always, there is a desert to go through, tests for you and iI to face, but beyond protection and the stuff God sends our way, the blessing is His presence in the midst of it. And so God says you convey these very words, which will do something extraordinary, not magical but by grace and faith, the priests representing my presence with the people, they aren’t the ones doeing the blessing, no I will be there in these words, and lok what is to happen to my people who receive this blessing:
“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
“So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
Do you remember what happened to George in those moemnts his mother said I olve weach day. Kind of like what must happen to you and me as God puts his name on us. Outward form by priest wrods, as representative of God, but indward reality by God! All Israel God’s first-born son! This is like the experience of Moses in seeing God’s glory, God shows him the back of his glory - and pronounces his gracious coveannt name, that gives his presence and all the charcter of God’s holiness and all aslo his mercy - And do you remember what happens to Moeses as He as it were received sthe name of the Lord - His own face begins to shine with the holiness and mecy and wonder of the character of God. And now God is saying, as you cotneplate and pray for the threefold blessing, as you expect my action in your life in this way because you belong to me, dwell with me; - you too will shine with my glory to the world, and be a blessing to them! FOr beyond the sutuff, and the protection, you will have the blessing of My Presence! Picture Israel in the Book of Numbers, physically carrying the ark and the tabernacle through he wilderness toward life with God in the promised land. And God is saying, to us you receive my name upon you, you will bear the presence of God through your life, and you will get the holiness required to bear that presence!
Listen to the words of
This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.”
This bearing the name of the Lord is what it means to be saved, it is how the ones who follow the Lamb are described, name on thier forehaeds! Iti is at the heart of what it means not to take the name of the Lord in vain, but to carry as it were His presence, and reflect His character, and we are to pray for this and seek to receive this from the LORD!
You belong to the almighty yet graciuos God of the univrese and Iam marking you, and makingyou my own - do you know. That is why the trhee lines, 3 ,5,7 each increasingl are all about the LORD the covenant God, and His actions to us.
B. Prayerfully Receive the Threefold Action of the Covenant-God
These perfect words -poetically organized, increasing measure - 15 words, - 3 times the name, - twelve for each tribe, each individual person among God’s people contain what you and I should be praying for,. What do you really want from God - just stuff, just deliverance from trials of this life. God desires you to have so much more! Look at the first actions of God.
i. The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord bless you and keep you;
THE LORD bless you and keep you. We have looked at what blessing means, but each of these three comes with an action of God and the result in our lives. So God choses to vblesses us and the rsult is the KEEPIN. It is the word for a watchman in Hebrew. To guard over something. Shamar, to keep from harm and evil, and to protect. These are like the words of which we sang - the Lord is my Keeper
The Lord as Keeper: Heidelberg QA 26
The Lord as Keeper: Heidelberg QA 26
Q. What do you believe when you say, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth”?
A. That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and everything in them, who still upholds and rules them by his eternal counsel and providence, is my God and Father because of Christ the Son. I trust God so much that I do not doubt he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends upon me in this sad world. God is able to do this because he is almighty God and desires to do this because he is a faithful Father. HC QA 26
Oh here is the answer to our doubts and insecurities, our anger and restentments. What God ordains is always right. Not let any harm come to us, and what he allows is ultimately for our good. He is our great Keeper . Isn’t this what Jesus described in
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Isn’t this what Jesus proised Peter, Satan desires to sift you, got to go thrtough that testing, but I have prayed for you - BE KEPT! Do yo take this for granted that the LORD IS OUR KEEPER? COuldn’t stand an hour without him. Oh Israel and you will favce daunting danger, physically, spiritually in the wilderness of life, but get his blessing and you can have the confidence that nothing comes to you that is bigger than God’s preseerving power.
Reminded of story behind Rich Mullins song, Hold Me Jesus. Him and his buddies playing in the Netherlands, Amsterdam - urge upon him to indulge in the flesh in ways only can be done in red light district of that city. Sing out his heart - hold me Jesus cause I am shaking like a leaf - you’ve been my king of LGlry won’t you be my Prince of Peace. Sometime s my life just don’t make sense at all, when the mountains seem so big and my faith just seems so mall - Ctries out for the preserving , stick with us work of Jesus!
Courage to trust God - and expect all his prtoecting action inthe middle of your trials. Do you know and seek this blessing, no evil touch you, not ultiatemly. Christian philosphoer Alvin Plantinga, no gratituitous evil in this world! Nothing can spearate us from teh love of God in Christ, not death, not sickness, not poverty, , nothing!
ii. the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
But blessings get ramped up from 3 words to 5. And the first word, an action not blessing or keeping. But the Word LIT UP. Ever hear that expression, I brought this issue up and the boss just lit up, just bored statre for the meeting utni taht one word. Animated and excited. What lights up God.
BE GRACIOUS But blessings get ramped up from 3 words to 5. And the first word, an action not blessing or keeping. But the Word LIT UP. Ever hear that expression, I brought this issue up and the boss just lit up, just bored statre for the meeting utni taht one word. Animated and excited. What lights up God.
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
Undetand to have have God’s covenant name upon you, to own and lean into Him to belong to Him, is to have the gaze of God upon you, like a mother with ehr new born. No words to describe the happiest meoments of life - deliver a baby, hold that child. This is how the Bible talks about God dealing with us, when he smiles at you, it is a reversal of the trouble and hardship o flife and -his goodness bestowed on you. Listen to
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Do you get this, we who fail, sin, doubt, worry, and seek blessing in stuff or circumstances, - God for all who draw near to him in faith, God soverreignly has first looked to us. That was the big question of Numbers how canthis holy God live near to a sinful people. How about you and me?
He smiles at us why? Because not just a priest or me mothing these words over God’s people, it is the hgihpirest Himself, shpehred of the sheep - Jesus took all our failures and sin, lack of devotion, unfaithfulness on Himself, and for the first time in history -he didn’t know the msile f God, he didn’t know the light of God’s glory he called out - in the darkness, and only knew god’s wrath on our sins.
Do you undestand that the Jews would say these words at the end of the theire morning worship after the morning sacrfice had been given. The priest comiong forth and prouncing that God’s smiling face ins uopon repentant sineners who will live in coveant with HIm, was a type a picture, of Jesus comoing out death, out of the sacrfie, and here appear sto his followers, and breathes on them - who denied and fell away -
NOt a hint of disdain, disappointment in us, - smiles breathes his blessing on the PEACE SHALOM< is yours. And look at the result of this action of The LORD the rsult is God’s action among us - AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU!
Wow, there is nocoing into this blessing, if you won’t seek this grace, and make it your daily standing with God - Like Moeses find ou holy beyond comparison, , doesn’t voerlook sins. But wow does deal with them, Is away of conmpassion, . Oh the grace includes all the covenant blessings, in the OT pictured as earthly blessings: , and those will come in fulness in new heavens and eart, glroified creation and glorified bodies. But the heart of it is what I want you to feel today:
iii. the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
GIVE YOU PEACE And now from 3 to 5, now to 7 words:
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
And you see how God wants us to think about this, 3x over it is ‘t the preist belssing, But the LORD in your life, And twice over the heart of the blessing is in the face, the coutnenance of God, same word. Know the promised blessing to be sought , the highest one we could say, is that the LORD”S face, his presecne, would be lifted up on us. NOt just shine more generally, but that lvoe of God radiated perosnally into your heart.
AndThe only other time this word is used of the Lord it is in the negative sense. When Israel sinned and was unfaithful in their tests. Of God hiding his face from a people or a person. And that is linked with the disaster, oppression, and afflicion that follows. It is as if God has hidden his face because of Israel’s sin a nand shame, and as a result of the absence of God’s presnce, evil fills the vaccuum. But you find that grace in Christ by his sacrfice for you, and he who took your sin and shame, he indivdually and intenstley turns His face to you - and says now I am going to wrok peace! Do you know it from Christ:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
AndThe only other time this word is used of the Lord it is in the negative sense. When Israel sinned and was unfaithful in their tests. Of God hiding his face from a people or a person. And that is linked with the disaster, oppression, and afflicion that follows. It is as if God has hidden his face because of Israel’s sin a nand shame, and as a result of the absence of God’s presnce, eveil fills the vaccuum
That is the peace that is beyond all comphension. SHALOM, in the fullest sense. IN these thin moments when still trial,still peace from above. But comoing a day when the final SHALOM< , the eternal rest, the sbabath blessing - in fulness.! You knwo that is the belssing and peace fpromised to you and me:
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
look at the result, the shalom, the blessing of wholeeness - comes to you. And here is the secret and its why we translate it with slightly different word for face, and why the face of God is mentioned twice. God will bless us in so many ways, but the heart of it is God giving Himself to you! Christ is the readiancy of God, like beam of concentrated light fromn the Son, that is is lifted up in your soul! Thoams Goodwin put it this way: “No only does God bless us with all the good things, but above all other things, by commuincating h himself and his own blessedness.
look at the result, the shalom, the blessing of wholeeness - comes to you. And here is the secret and its why we translate it with slightly different word for face, and why the face of God is mentioned twice. God will bless us in so many ways, but the heart of it is God giving Himself to you! Christ is the readiancy of God, like beam of concentrated light fromn the Son, that is is lifted up in your soul! Thoams Goodwin put it this way: “No only does God bless us with all the good things, but above all other things, by commuincating h himself and his own blessedness.
Always a mysterious passage in
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
couldn’t really undertand, that God would sing over his poeople. That not only would we take pleasure in him, but that he would take pleasure in us!!That’s waht this most intense blessing is: the image of God is the Father delighting in the Son, and this is what grace renovates in us - With God shining HIs light and love into us, communicating HIself - He takes up rsidence in our lives by the Holy Spirit, and the same way the Father dleights in the Son we know do, and the way the Son reflects the Father, - we do now too. ,
couldn’t really undertand, that God would sing over his poeople. That not only would we take pleasure in him, but that he would take pleasure in us!!That’s waht this most intense blessing is: the image of God is the Father delighting in the Son, and this is what grace renovates in us - With God shining HIs light and love into us, communicating HIself - He takes up rsidence in our lives by the Holy Spirit, and the same way the Father dleights in the Son we know do, and the way the Son reflects the Father, - we do now too. ,
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
We enter into that fellowshi pof delight in Christ, and these seven words are the perfect words to describe that perfect peace who is Christ.
Christains from the early church on, have been quick to see tath these 12 words lus three fold action of God, great bear resemblance to how we see God at work in our lives. The Father preserving, the Son working grace, and the Holy Spirit experienced how? Look at how Jesus say we enter into this joy of fellowship with God?
… he will take what is mine and declare [disclose] it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Do you get that the work of the Holy Spirit is to take what is Christ, and what He has earned for us, and to share that with us! That’s what makes this lifing up of the face to us, more indivudal and personal. And that is the work of the Spirit. MHC “The Lord love thee and cause thee to know that he loves thee.” We cannot but be happy if we have God’s love; and we cannot but be easy if we know that we have it. the assurances of his special favour and his acceptance of us, this will put gladness into the heart, , As our catechism desrbies the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives look ho it put it: What is the comiong-toilife-of the new man?
It is a whole hearted joy in God through Christ and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to. Heidelberg QA 2
Our triune God doesn’t just empowers us to do good, but the Spirit’s job is to bring us into such a hearty enjoyment of Go through Christ that we delight to know him, that we delight in all his ways, and only then therefore with that kind of delight, that we want to obey Him , and hate the thought of grieving Him. HC QA 2
CONCLUSION:
Now dear friends, here are three coveannt blessings the big ones, God’s preserving, God’s grace in the face of sin, and God’s fewlloship and dleight through the Spirit. And dialy the priest would pray these and declare these looking at Voenant bpoele who looked ot the sacrfice. And that is the interesting thing, about this word blessing that Milgrom uncovered. God saving work kind of has an idea of it being worked in time and space specifically. But his blessing work has an idea of a conitnual ongoing reality to it. And that priest in Israel’s daily life only a sign post, pointing to the real and Ultiate High Pireest. Read taht his work as our priest not just on the cross. But He ever lives to make inetercession. Hebrews. We read on the action of salvation, HE MADE P{EACE BY THE BLOOD OF TH LAMB, HIMSELF< but now lives to make intercession. Lives to cintiually bless us. But these words remind us we ourselves are to take hold of them in faiht, pray them for our selves. For others. Can you say right now what preserving, protecting helping work, how like Rich Mullins looking to your hgih prest and calling Out Hod Me Jesus in this stomr, He will. HOw can you say - forgiven be gracious to me, , How can you be saying, grant fewloowhsip and oy , want to grow in unertstanding this par tof you Lord, or I overcome with saddness fill me with joy, or. I have no dleight in prayer. Look to Jesus say, Lift up your face upon me and give me peace. How can you pray that for the people you live with, Church with Work with.
That’s the message of the Book of Numbers. You need to be seeking these blessings and you nee to be seeking them not from any priest or minsitre, someone more mysterious than a Balaam. But from Jesus whose light as the Bright mronign star can you fill you today! We are a forgetful people, you turn get busy hewiing out other cisterns, but every wak - to fill you with certainty of God’s rpomise to protect you, to frogive and be gracious to yo, to shine His ligh of fellowship and ldeight - we will hear and receive and seek for these thigs from Jesus till he comes again!
There is no direct link between God and you , your relationship with God and goal of blessin gin the end. The blesing only had through Christ who was the perfect Israel getting the pefect blessing, and now because Christ is the source and content of the blessing, This shalom, this peace is extended to Chrsitain who live through unioin with Him byt he work of the Spirit. And so the act of blessing now on the pmouth and praying of you r andme - is acall to find all of this in union with Jesus.
You are on a wilderness jorney, you’ve got directin, calling, you will face trial, and it is by this blessing - and this blessing from Jesus alone that you will not only make it throug, but have joy in and fellowshi pwitht he living God in the journey. AMEN>
MHC shining of the sun upon the earth, to enlighten and comfort it, and to renew the face of it. … What Christ says of the peace is true of the blessing, “Peace to this congregation,” if the sons of peace and heirs of blessing be there, the peace, the blessing, shall rest upon them, , . For in every place where God records his name he will meet his people and bless them.
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 194.
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 194.
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 194.
Joe M. Sprinkle, Leviticus and Numbers, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2015), 221.