Numbers 6:22-27.       God's blessing on another New  Year!!  31/12/12

 

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.”

 

Here we are again at the end another year and the beginning of a new one. It seems that the years are coming and going all too frequently: and as they come and go so rapidly, it seems that about the only thing that changes, is the fact that we getting older rather quickly.

 

But as we reflect back over the year gone by there has been great deal happen in most of our lives: A good many joys and up-lifting events as well as those that we have had to struggle and grapple with. There has been a great deal to be thankful for; much of which we are often unaware of. As well there have been those things that have dragged us down and have happened that we wonder what on earth that was all about and whether there was any good in it at all.

           

Then as we think of the year ahead, we wonder what has it in store for us. The world financial crisis is still very much on the agenda, as is global warming. There are political elections taking place that will have a bearing on the future. Here in the church we wonder if we are going to get by financially this year, or can we gain a few more members or not.

 

In our own personal lives, we wonder what will happen to us health-wise; or how relationships in our extended families will go, for better or for worse; or will our grandchildren have any more contact with church; and the list could go on. The reality of life in a sinful world will continue to take its toll in the lives of many people.

                       

So as we look ahead we could very easily be rather apprehensive and even be a little negative and despondent. At first glance it may seem that we have every right to feel this way, for these realities are ever before us.

                       

But it is here into this situation that our text this evening speaks; and it turns this whole thinking upside down.

Here we have some great words from God himself, for us and our concerns. Here we have something which gives us great hope and expectation as we face the year ahead. And it is the same word that has proved to be beneficial to God's people down through the years: In fact ever since the time of Moses.

 

So what is that word again. The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

 “‘“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.”’ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

 

The first thing that strikes us about these words is, of course, the fact that they are the same words as we use in our Benediction every Sunday at the conclusion of our worship time. In fact it is the same blessing that has been used by God's people ever since the time of Moses. It has been used by God's appointed leaders to pronounce and place God's blessing on his people, to assure them that they have nothing to fear as they continue on their way as his people.

 

The reason it is used, and used in this way, is because as we see in this text, it is command of God's.        'The Lord said to Moses, this is how you are to bless the people'. God wants his people to use it: He wants it to be an important part of our life. He wants to work in this way for us. In our use of this blessing God has promised to act; so they are not just idle words and wishes that are spoken to us. As God's representative pronounces that blessing, it is passed on to you and God actually works what is spoken. What is said really comes to be: it happens for you just as it spoken.

 

This, God spells out quite clearly in the last verse: 'So they will put my name on the people and I will bless them. Now this is quite a startling thought: every time I speak this blessing to you I am actually putting God's name on you; and as you may well know, where God's name is there God is present and at work. So in the blessing I am actually placing God on you; covering you over with God: God himself wrapping around you, so to speak, so that as you go from here there God goes also with you into every aspect of your lives. He is there not just as a protective garment, but as that which brings blessing. He is there to be of benefit, help, assurance, forgiveness, friendship; everything.

 

This will all happen for you because God has promised that it will be so. He says: 'I will bless them.' Not perhaps, or maybe, or if we are good enough - but will: God will bless his people.

 

So God will bless us in the New Year. We can believe this. We can trust this to be so; because it is God who says so. We can know that he will take care of us no matter what the situation may look like on the surface. Now of course we can turn our back on it, ignore and even reject what he has to give us: we can focus on the bad and then blame God - even though it is often our own stupid fault - then naturally we will not see all the many blessings that God has for us: But that it what he wants for you and me and is prepared to do for us.

 

Now might think where and how is God going do all this. So often in the past we haven't always seen God's blessing: instead of blessing the situation appears as a tragedy. Here let us remember this was also the case for the Israelites. On their march to the Promised Land they faced difficulties, failures and even disasters. But how often wasn't this their own fault. They had forgotten that God was present with them; and had forgotten that he had the power to do the impossible. They all too often  forgot  that has the overall vision to know what is best.  How often wasn’t it the case that they thought they could do their own thing and get away with it: that they could live free and easy and wouldn't be held responsible for their actions?

 

But all the while did God forget them or leave them? Did he fail to see that they had enough food, water and shelter? Did he fail to get them to the Promised Land and make them a great nation? No, despite the failures of the people, God still went with them and blessed them.

 

So we too can go forward with confidence into 2013, knowing that God's name has been placed on us and that he has promised to bless us. We can be sure that he is true to his word, even if troubles and hardships should come our way because of our failures or as a result of the sinful world around us. Even if the world should be turned upside down by the stupidity of mankind we can still trust that through it all our Lord will stick by us and bring blessing to us and all people. After all he is a loving God who wants only what is good for us: he is a God who wants to bless his people and who has promised to bless his own.

 

We can see this very clearly as a result of Jesus Christ coming into our world as a human being and then dying on the cross so that we might be forgiven and assured of salvation and eternal life: His resurrection being his assurance to us that this is all for real. So God does love us, care about us and want what is good for us. And he is prepared to come right down into our little messed up worlds to do what is necessary for us to gain eternal life with him in heaven.

 

So through this blessing today as we are about start another new year and throughout the coming year let us remember that God's name has been placed on us and he has promised to bless us. Remember that through this blessing he is forgiving, preparing, protecting, helping, befriending us and much more as we move on our way through this life toward our heavenly home.

 

So this coming year promises to be a good one and an exciting one, whatever happens: For our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and his blessing goes with us. To him be all glory and honour, now and always.  AMEN.

 

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish