Trinity

Trinity Sunday
June 10, 2001
Numbers 6:22-27
"Blessing upon Blessing"

Introduction:  The Lord instructed Moses to bless the people of God.  God instructs Moses to instruct Aaron and his sons how God's people are to be blessed. For thousands of years whenever God's people have gathered together they have received a special blessing. This morning, let's consider the blessing of God.

1.     The Lord bless you and keep you

A.   The Lord bless you

1.   Why have we come here today?  There are countless things you could be doing with you energy and your time. Yet, you have made a commitment to be here this day. You have come to this place and at this time to receive a blessing from God.

2.   And a blessing you will receive. The Lord has given you His promise that He will in fact bless you. This is His promise to bless and not to curse. Remember the Savior’s words – “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or {if} he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall {your} heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"  [Luke 11:11-13]  How true it is, the blessings of God are a guarantee to those who are His.

B.    The Lord promises to keep you

1.    Hold on! Hang in there! That can sometimes be a helpless and desperate cry of someone in trouble!  Life on this earth can be at times difficult at its best, frustrating and impossible at it worst! With the hymn writer we can say “I need Thy presence every passing hour”.  If there is anything I have learned from living here on this earth is the simple fact that we need God.

2.    We are far from helpless consider His promises to keep you. He says “I will never leave you and never forsake you” “I am with you always!”  He has promised to be near you. The writer to the Hebrews, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gives us this assurance: ”Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, {even} Jesus our Lord,    equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom {be} the glory forever and ever. Amen.” { Hebrews 13:20-21}  The Lord’s promises are sure. He will bless and keep you always!

2. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you

A.   The Lord makes His face shine upon you

1.  What face do we see when we see Him? Moses' face, we are told shone. It had to be veiled because his facial features changed as a result of seeing the Father face to face. What do we see when we gaze into the face of God.

2.  We see a shinning face because of the cross and empty tomb. Our sins have been forgiven because of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. Because of this reality, the cross and empty tomb, we have the guarantee of seeing a pleasant face of God.

B.    And be gracious to you

1.  We receive the Father's grace as a gift. “Salvation unto us has come by God’s free grace and favor,” says Martin Luther in his hymn.

2.  He is gracious - show too anger abounding in mercy. The Psalmist puts it this way:  “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, {bless} His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit; who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, {so that} your youth is renewed like the eagle.” {Psalm 103 :1-5} 

3. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace

A.   His countenance

1.  The gaze of the king would often determine a victim’s fate. To look down meant death! But to lift up meant life - How will the King look at you?

2.   In Christ and only in Christ does the Father lift it up for us. Because of Jesus’ wonderful work on the cross the Father’s countenance is always lifted up!

B.    To receive His peace

1.   Peace which the world simply cannot give. The reason – the world is ever striving but will never achieve true and lasting peace.

2.   Peace which will last can only come from God.  We have peace because God is now at peace with Christ's work, with you, and also with the world.

CONCLUSION: By this blessing God's name; His stamp of approval is upon us and we receive a blessing - what a relationship we have with Him - what a blessing it is to receive the blessing of God!