Count on God’s blessing in Jesus Christ (Numbers 6:24-26)

Cornerstone Mission Church, Sunday Sermon on January 4, 2009

As you start off another new year, I want you to think about this. What can you count on for the New Year? As you think about this, let me tell you a story:

Although one of the smartest people ever lived famed scientist Albert Einstein had more trouble finding his way home from work than unlocking the secret of atomic power. One evening while Einstein sat deep in thought aboard the train that brought him home each night, the porter was collecting tickets. As the porter approached Einstein, he rummaged around in his coat, through his pockets, his shirt and everywhere he could think of, but couldn’t find his ticket.

The porter told, “That’s okay, Dr. Einstein, I know you ride this train every day. I can collect tomorrow.” To this Einstein replied, “That’s fine for you, young man, but how am I supposed to know where to get off the train without my ticket?”

I am glad that I can find a similarity in being forgetful with Dr. Einstein who depended on his ticket to where to get off. As you envision this year, what can you count on?

This morning, I want you to know that you can count on God this New Year. If 2009 is anything like 2008, we can expect unexpected surprises, the good and the bad. All aspects of our lives will be touched by the prolonged recession, the global conflicts and wars around the world, the changes that will be brought by the new administration. It is uncertain time and that makes it more important to know that you can count on God.

When we talk about counting on God, it is important to have right encounter with God. We get into trouble when we start formulating our own understanding about God with our own feelings. If I start on the assumptions that God is angry, grumpy and is out to catch me when I screw up and punish me for it, that he is removed, uninvolved and uninterested about my life except advancing his own agenda, or that he is irrelevant and archaic all because the way I feel about him, I would not want to know God nor count on him.

I want you to know that you can count on God not because you feel like you can count on him, but because God says you can count on him from his own word.

Open your Bible to Numbers 6:22-26. Let’s consider together why we can count on him for the New Year.

1. Count on God’s blessing in Jesus Christ.

There is a very strong connection between Numbers 6:22-23 to Leviticus 9:22. In Leviticus, Aaron emerges from the Holy of Holies after sacrificing the sin offering, the burn offering and the fellowship offering. That is when he lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them (Leviticus 9:22) with the blessing recorded in Numbers 6:24-26. So, what you see here is the priestly blessing by Aaron taking place after sacrifices of offerings were made to God.

And the offerings were made in a particular order in Leviticus 9. (1) Sin offering or guilt offering: (2) burnt offering: (3) fellowship offering and grain offering (along with drink offering). The order is important. First God dealt with sin through sin offering; second, the worshipers committed to God wholeheartedly through burnt offering and grain offering; and third, fellowship/communion was established between the Lord, the priest and the worshiper.[1] God prescribed these sacrificial offerings for the Israelites in order to forgive their sin, for their devotion to him and for peaceful relationship between him and the people. When these offerings of forgiveness, devotion and fellowship were carried out, that is when Aaron pronounced the blessing upon the Israelites.

From the book of Hebrews, we see it clearly that it is Jesus Christ who came as high priest (Hebrews 9:11) and as the mediator of a new covenant (Hebrews 9:15) who did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood (Hebrews 9:12).

Blessing only flows from what God purposed in his Son, and how Jesus Christ, his Son, carried out his redemptive purpose at the cross. In other words, you cannot entertain God’s blessing for you apart from Jesus Christ’s sacrificial offering of his life, his blood on the cross. It is Jesus who makes forgiveness of your sin, devotion of your life to God and fellowship with God and people possible. Only on what Jesus has accomplished for you already can you count God’s blessing!

For the Israelites to enjoy God’s blessing they needed to trust in God-ordained and prescribed offerings to deal with their sin, divided heart and broken relationship. In the same, to enjoy God’s blessing, we need to turn to Jesus who is the perfect Lamb sacrificed to deal with our sin, our divided heart and broken relationship.

2. Count on God who wills for your good and is committed to keep you.

Numbers 6:24, “The Lord bless you and keep you.”

When you find yourself in Jesus Christ you can count on God’s blessing. God’s blessing speaks to his will. What’s God’s will for you who are in Christ? The priestly blessing shows God’s will for your good. So, when you hear, “The Lord bless you!” what you need to hear is that God wills for your good. Apostle Paul talks about said in Romans 6:9-10, “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” In Christ, you are no longer an object of God’s wrath; in Christ, you are saved. The Lord bless you. The Lord wills for you good.

A commentator says, “Blessing is his idea, his purpose. It is not something his people must beg for, but it is the outreaching of his grace.”[2] God is not greedy with his blessing, only determined to give to those beg really hard. No, if you are in Christ, God’s stance toward you is not crossing his arms in greed, but that of posture of blessing. God wills, is determined to have you walk in his blessing and enable you to live in his abundant purpose for you.

Not only God wills for your good, he is committed to keep you, safeguards you. Jesus said in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The good shepherd who laid down his life is according to Paul in Romans 8:34, “Christ Jesus, who died- more than that, who was raised to life- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” This you can count on that Jesus is fighting for you, praying for you to succeed in God’s purpose, in his blessing. He promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” in Matthew 28:20. The one who promises his presence forever in your life is committed to safeguard you to the end of the age. That you can count on!

3. Count on God’s presence and his favor.

Numbers 6:25, “the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.”

Do you remember what happened to Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands? Exodus 34:29 says that although Moses wasn’t aware, his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. So, when you hear the blessing of God making his face shine on you, it is about his commitment to draw near you, be present in your life, to speak clearly to you. He won’t have to scream at you because he will be near you to speak to you. Again, it is Jesus who said in John 10:15, “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” Count on God’s presence in your life.

You can also count on God’s favor upon you. Some of you have worked for difficult bosses who are not easy to please, whether you do a good job or not, because they are unreasonable in their demand, unkind, rude and unsupportive. You walk away from them feeling like they aren’t interested in seeing you succeed at your work; their interest isn’t about your professional growth. Well, the blessing for God to be gracious to you promises that you won’t have that problem with God. God’s blessing to be gracious to you is a promise to show you favor. You will not have to earn his favor because his favor is given to you in Christ. You don’t say and do things hoping that God will be favorable to you. No, he is already committed to be favorable to you in Christ. You say and do things not to earn God’s favor, but as your thankful responses to God for showing you favor in Christ.

4. Count on God’s smile and peace.

Numbers 6:26, “the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

To turn his face toward is God’s promise to smile on you. It speaks to God’s pleasure and affection for you.[3] Again as it was with God’s favor, you cannot earn God’s pleasure, his affection. He gives you his pleasure, his affection, his smile on you in Christ. When you sin, you come to Jesus and received God’s forgiveness through Jesus’ blood, and God smiles on you. When you are doing what’s right before God, God smiles on you because it is through the life of Jesus Christ and power of the Holy Spirit you are growing in holiness. From being justified to being sanctified, from being delivered from darkness to walking in the light, being delivered from Satan to walk in the Spirit, God smiles on you because how the life of Christ bearing good fruits of the Holy Spirit. So, God’s promise to smile on you is his commitment to be pleased by the life of Christ within you. So, if you want to fine smiles on God’s face you need to remain in Jesus.

To give you peace is God’s commitment for the year 2009. Again, I emphasize to you that peace is not what you earn by doing the right things. God’s peace is given to you. Peace he promises is the quality of life you will enjoy when you follow Jesus as your Shepherd, as your Lord, your Savior. Sometimes, doing the right thing can cause whole lot of troubles in your life. Stephen from Acts did what was right when he accused the Jews of having betrayed and murdered Jesus (Acts 7:52). But, what he got was execution by people throwing stones at him. While being stoned to death, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” and falling on his knees and crying out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:59-60). What I see is man of great peace who entrusted himself to God and who interceded for those who were stoning him to death. I highlight this to make sure you know that God’s promise for peace is what he is going to give you when you follow Jesus.

5. Benediction!

Numbers 6:27, “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

“They” meaning this prayer of blessing from v. 24-26 will put God’s name on the Israelites. Having God’s name on you is another way of saying God’s blessing is on you. So, NLT translates it, “Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”

As such as, I would like to pronounce this prayer of blessings on you, and as I do, may God himself come now and bless you richly.

• The Lord bless you and keep you...

In Christ God wills for your good and wills to keep you.

• The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you...

In Christ God promises to be so near you that you feel the warm of his face and show you his favor.

• The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace...

In Christ God is pleased with you, he smiles on you, and grants you peace.

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[1] Barker, Kenneth L. NIV Study Bible (Fully Revised): Leviticus. 150-152. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © 1985, 1995, 2002.

[2] Allen, Ronald B. “(b) The Aaronic Benediction (6:22-27)” In The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Volume 2. 754. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, © 1990.

[3] Allen, Ronald B. “(b) The Aaronic Benediction (6:22-27)” In The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Volume 2. 755. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, © 1990.