Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20110619.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Numbers: Lessons From Spiritual Casualties And Conquerors
Part IV: God's Great Motivation For Us To Part With Worldly Lusts
(Numbers 6:22-27 et al.)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    The human needs that plague our world today are immense:

    (1) The Wall Street Journal, June 11-12, 2011, p. A9 reported in its "World Watch" section that (a) China is "concerned about North Korea's having broken off all contact with South Korea," that (b) a "contract-style killing of Yuri Badanov . . . a hero to Russian nationalists" and "(o)fficials fear" this "could lead to . . . bloodshed between Russian nationalists and Islamic minorities," that (c) "Italy recalled its ambassador to Brazil" over a case involving the extradition of "a former left-wing guerrilla convicted of four murders" and that (d) "a murder . . . of a woman fighting for victims' rights" in Colombia " . . . may lead to a fresh wave of violence" and "more victims."

    (2) In our State of Connecticut, the Republican-American on June 13, 2011, p. 6A ran an editorial, "Out of touch, deep in trouble" to say "Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's address to the legislature at the end of the 2011 session . . . (a)t best . . . was out of touch, disingenuous and contradictory . . . It is hard to discern how the governor figures the largest tax increase in the history of the most highly taxed state in the country will result in future job growth."

    (3) The state of the nation is bleak according to Charles Krauthammer's syndicated column on the same page. He observed that (a) "Obamacare with its individual mandate remains unpopular," that (b) "(t)he near-trillion-dollar stimulus remains an albatross," that "the failed attempt at cap-and-trade" and (c) "the worst housing-price declines since the 1930s, (d) unemployment rising again, (e) underemployment disastrously high, (f) and the average time for finding a new job . . . now 40 weeks, the highest ever recorded" spell trouble for the current administration and America.

    He added: "We are in . . . a once-in-a-generation debate about the nature of the welfare state (entitlement vs. safety net) and, indeed, of the social contract between citizen and state (e.g., whether Congress can mandate -- compel -- you to purchase whatever it wills)."

    (4) The spiritual needs of people are astounding! The average Christian book catalogue is full of works in finding fulfillment in life!



    So, for this sermon, we ask, "In view of the colossal degree and extent of human needs in our world, what would GOD have us do in ADDRESSING them, especially in our OWN lives?!"

    Need: "In view of the great range and degree of human needs today, what does God want us to do that He might MEET OUR needs?!"

  1. God richly and universally wants to meet the needs of His people:
    1. The blessing God wanted the Hebrew priests to say to His people was meant to bestow that blessing upon them, Numbers 6:22-23, 27.
    2. That Numbers 6:24-26 blessing was very rich and all-encompassing:
      1. The first part of the blessing is: "The LORD bless thee" (Num. 6:24a KJV), which blessing is explained in Deuteronomy 28:1-14:
        1. Moses declared that if Israel heeded the Lord (Deut. 28:1-2), she would be blessed in both rural and city life, Deuteronomy 28:3.
        2. Israel would be blessed in childbirth and agriculture, Dt. 28:4-5.
        3. Indeed, she would know success in all endeavors, Dt. 28:6, 8-9.
        4. The nation would know military success in battle, Deut. 28:7.
        5. Israel would enjoy international respect, Deuteronomy 28:10.
        6. God's people would know material prosperity, Deut. 28:11-12.
        7. The nation would be blessed with good leadership, Deut. 28:13.
      2. The second part of the blessing is: " . . . and [The LORD] keep thee" (Num. 6:24b KJV), that is, protect you, and this protection is detailed in Psalm 121:1-8 (net.bible.org/Numbers 6:22-27, ftn. 61):
        1. God helps His blessed people as their Omnipotent Creator, so His help is sufficient, Psalm 121:1-2.
        2. God helps His blessed people as their Immutable, Sleepless Creator, so His help is unchangably constant, Psalm 121:3-4.
        3. God helps His blessed people as their Good Creator, so His help is extensively protective, Psalm 121:5-8: (1) He guards their personal abilities (right hand of ability, Ps. 121:5b), (2) He guards them at ALL times (the sun and moon = an antonymical pair = all times, Ps. 121:6); (3) He guards their comprehensive lives, Ps. 121:7 ("soul" KJV ["life" NIV] = nephesh in the Hebrew is mental, emotional and physical life, Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1087; B. D. B., Heb. and Engl. Lex. of the O. T. , p. 659-661); (4) He guards ALL their actions, Ps. 121:8a ("going and coming" KJV = an antonymical pair = ALL actions) and (5) God constantly guards his people this way, Psalm 121:8b.
      3. The third part of the Numbers 6 KJV blessing is: "The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee," and it first emblematically and then literally pictures God's grace. (Ibid., net.bible.org, ftn. 62) God's unmerited favor, His grace, is needed to bless, then preserve that blessing against the tendency of His people to sin and thus to lose His blessing! (cf. Psalm 51:1, 9)
      4. The fourth part of the Numbers 6 KJV blessing is: "The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace," a phrase that is also first emblematic and then literal as it refers to God's peace, Ibid. His people enjoy His peace as recipients of His grace that forgives them and restores His blessings unto them! (Ps. 51:7-8)
  2. However, God's MEETING His people's needs this way DEPENDS ON THEIR SEPARATING FROM WORLDLY LUSTS:
    1. We learned in our previous message in this series that the placement of Numbers 6:22-27 with its priestly blessing after the Numbers 5:1-6:21 segments that instruct Israel on God's social order for her indicate God's blessing would come as Israel heeded His social order.
    2. Yet, as we learned last time, if society fails to heed God's will that it practice theistic capitalism (versus Marx's atheistic collectivism, Rand's atheistic capitalism and Liberal Theology's theistic collectivism) as taught in Numbers 5:1-4, 5-10 with OBJECTIVE MORALITY (versus Marx's atheistic amorality, Rand's atheistic moral subjectivism and Liberal Theology's moral relativism) in WRITTEN SCRIPTURE as taught in Numbers 5:11-31, God gave individual Hebrews opportunity to part with worldly corruption as NAZIRITES that He might use them to save Israel from havoc, Numbers 6:1-21; Zond . Pict. Ency. of the Bible, vol. Four, p. 392.
    3. Though we believers in Christ are no longer under the Mosaic Law as was Israel in Numbers 6:22-27, by application (Romans 15:4), God promises to bless us today in our lives and influence in society in general as we separate from the world's evil lusts, 1 John 2:15-17!
  3. Accordingly, GOD wants us CHRISTIANS TODAY to REACT to the COLOSSAL HUMAN NEEDS we see by PARTING FROM this WORLD and its UNGODLY LUSTS that HE might RICHLY BLESS us COMPREHENSIVELY in LIFE and SERVICE.
Application: (1) May we believe in Christ for salvation from sin to become a child of God, John 1:11-12; 3:16. (2) In mental reliance on the empowering Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9b; Gal. 5:16-23), may we (3) separate from worldly, godless lusts of the body, the mind and the pride of this life for God's blessing and influence with others!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 The Lord provided this sermon's closing illustration last week:

On Tuesday when I called my Mother in California, she told of an event that occurred in the early 1950s in Nigeria. I was 4 years old, Paul was 2, Steve was a baby, and we three brothers were playing in the yard outside our home. Mom had gone to visit a fellow missionary lady's home when, suddenly, a fierce storm arose. Mom made a move to the door when the lady asked, "Where are you going, Mrs. Shell?"

"I've got to get my boys in from the storm!" Mom explained.

The missionary lady strongly objected, grabbed her hand and held on, saying, "You can not go out now -- this storm will kill you! God will take care of your boys!"

Mom knew such storms could kill, so, she stayed, and with a terrible sinking feeling, silently prayed, "Oh God, protect my boys!"

When the storm subsided, she rushed back and found us inside, and my brother, Paul complaining, "Don made the house all dark!"

Our Mother then learned I had led my brothers into the house at the storm's approach and had closed all the outside window shutters.

For decades, my parents have wondered how a 4-year-old could work all those shutters in the face of the storm's ferocity. It's been convenient for me to let them think that's what I did, but I have to "come clean" now! Since the Tuesday phone conversation with Mom, I've recalled I barely got the first set of shutters closed in the wind, and wondered how I could ever get all the other shutters closed when I found in making the rounds that several other sets were already nearly shut! I only needed to lock them! I'm sure one set was already locked because I remember how it stunned me!

The biggest trial was staying calm before my brothers so they wouldn't get upset over considering what might have happened to Mom! When Paul asked, "Where's Mommy?", I casually replied, "Oh, she got out of the storm somewhere else!" greatly hoping that was so!

Suddenly, the door opened! It was Mom, and she was home!

My Mother feels an angel helped us, and she may be right. God heard the prayer of a missionary woman who had dedicated her life to live for the Lord, not this world, and He had spurred her four-year-old and another missionary lady to do their part, and God saved us all!

May we live for Christ and not the world, and see God supply all the blessings we need and even preserve them for us!