Aaron’s Blessing
Second Sunday in Lent
5th March 2023
The Priestly Blessing Numbers 6:22-27
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the
Israelites. Say to them: 24 “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ 27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
Today we are going to look into Aaron’s prayer and ‘The Lord Keep You.’ This is the second of our Lent talks and we will dig deeper into this week’s theme.
Just to recap on last week and ‘The Lord Bless You.’ We learned that ‘God Bless You’ was mentioned in the 14th century when people said to you asking God to keep you safe from Bubonic Plague and the Black Death. The person who said it to you had the faith that God would actually bless you.
We learned that God’s purpose was to bless His creation. He gave us this world so that together we could enjoy it. This is so clearly depicted in the beginning of Genesis.
Despite ‘The Fall’ God was about to show us His blessing upon us by sending His Son Jesus Christ to be a ransom for many. It had major implications too. That people had a choice to make that would have eternal consequences. Those who would be blessed by God and those who wouldn’t.
We talked about God’s promise of blessing upon Abraham and how all of us are recipients of that now through and in Christ. We should continue for that blessing to continue and how we as a Church together live out that blessing within and beyond the context of our parish.
Then we were challenged with the question, “Do we/you feel blessed by The Lord today?”
So, today we learn about, “The Lord Keep You.” How can we best understand this today in the light and backdrop of all that is happening in the world.
John Newton wrote a famous hymn:
“Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” (Amazing Grace).
Being kept safe is what we are going to consider this morning.
Do you think and believe that God keeps you safe in today’s world?
PRESERVATION:
This means – God will keep you! How?
To “keep” means to watch over, guard, protect, preserve.
Genesis 28:15 NIV
15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
This sounds like an encouraging promise of commitment from God as he speaks to Jacob in a dream.
Here is the wider context:
Genesis 28:13-22 NIV
13 There above it[a] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[b] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel,[c] though the city used to be called Luz.
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord[d] will be my God 22 and[e] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”
Jacob fled from his brother, Esau, and The Lord promised to keep him. We may ask ourselves what would have that entailed and how would we respond to it? God makes three promises in verse 15.
- I will watch over you wherever you go.
- I will bring you back to this land.
- I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised.
It seems that God is the promise maker and promise keeper. It speaks of a spiritual and intimate relationship between us and Him.
The most explosive and powerful understanding of this relationship with God is best understood in our relationship with God through His Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Coupled with the fact that we are living in a world of spiritual forces against us, to know that God keeps us in Christ is so wonderful to hear.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
The Armor of God:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
So, why would Paul, awaiting death in prison, pen these important words? From his own first-hand experience he knew that he, and indeed all Christians, would be under spiritual attack from the devil himself.
To arm oneself is to prepare to do battle. But it is never a battle that we fight on our own. The Lord has blessed us and promised to “keep” us!
As we journey to the heavenly country, the country that Jesus promised His disciples, we will face what Newton in his hymns calls “many dangers, toils and snares.”
Then who protects us and shields us from such attacks today? It is the ONE who “Keeps Us.” God Himself!
What would you say are examples of the spiritual threats and dangers we face today? Ask for examples…….
Our greatest need, facing such threats, is for The Lord to “Keep” us. The “Songs of Ascents” (Psalms 120 -134) are a collection of Psalms for ancient pilgrims leading up to Jerusalem.
The six blessings of “Aaron’s Blessing” are found repeatedly in these Psalms.
Psalm 121 NIV
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
What comfort does the Psalm give us as we journey to the heavenly Jerusalem?
Something to remember:
God “Keeps” us and leads us “Home.” But we must not become complacent. We mustn’t be lazy spiritually.
To which generation of God’s people was the blessing originally spoken?
Numbers 1:1 NIV
The Census
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt.
It is wonderful to know that God spoke to Moses. He listened, but something sad happened to the nation of Israel.
Numbers 14:21-24 NIV
21 “Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”
Israel escaped from Egypt. But they would later perish in the wilderness because of their rebellion and disobedience. The Numbers blessing wasn’t some magic spell which automatically kept them safe.
Neither will it keep us safe if we harden our hearts, as they did!
Jude 21, 24
21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.
What do these verses say about our need to keep ourselves, as well as trusting The Lord to keep us?
CONCLUSION:
Perhaps our Gospel reading has something very appropriate to say to about The Lord “Keeping” us!
John 14:1-6 NIV
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Jesus the Way to the Father
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The Lord’s interpretation of “Keeping” His disciples, and all of His Christians, is to eternally provide them with accommodation by joining Him with His father in heaven.
This is the ultimate understanding of that it truly means for, “The Lord Bless You.” This isn’t a promise for the now but for all time!
Pray that the Lord would “Keep” you; and that you would be diligent in keeping yourself, and others.
Amen.
Revd Mike Griffin Talk Two “The Lord keep You.” 5th March 2023