God's Blessing for the New Year

This sermon was preached on Sunday, January 22, 2011, on the eve of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Year of the Dragon). The pastor opens with vivid memories of Tết celebrations in Vietnam — painting houses, buying new clothes, preparing bánh chưng and bánh tét — noting that rich and poor alike eagerly welcome spring. He argues that this universal longing reflects an inner hope for a better year ahead, connecting it to the imagery of spring in Song of Solomon 2:11.

The pastor then examines the Vietnamese custom of giving New Year's greetings, from classical Chinese-character blessings to modern informal wishes, emphasizing that blessings must suit each recipient's age, occupation, and circumstances. He highlights that sincerity of heart matters more than eloquent words spoken only on the lips. From this cultural foundation, he transitions to the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:23-27 — the specific words God taught Moses for Aaron to pronounce over Israel each day during their journey from Mount Sinai toward the Promised Land, a blessing still used by many churches at the close of worship services today.

The heart of the sermon is a careful exposition of the six blessings contained in the three blessing sentences. Each sentence contains the name Yahweh — He who brings into existence whatever exists — and each contains two action verbs with God as subject: (1) bless — all good gifts for personal life, family, and church; (2) keep/protect — guarding against enemies, disease, and discouragement; (3) make His face shine — the extraordinary privilege of seeing God's glory, like a child seeing a father smile upon them; (4) be gracious — showing kindness and love; (5) lift up His countenance — God attentively turning His face to notice His people's needs and prayers; (6) give peace (shalom) — encompassing prosperity, health, family happiness, safety, and all good things.

The pastor stresses that the pronoun used is singular — "you" as an individual — and that the verbs carry no conditions or qualifiers, suggesting that God's blessing is perfectly suited and fully sufficient for each person's unique circumstances. He draws a parallel between Israel's wilderness journey and the Christian life: just as Israel traveled from slavery in Egypt toward the Promised Land, every believer journeys from the moment of salvation toward heaven.

The sermon closes with an appeal drawn from verse 27: those who bear God's name upon their lives — wearing it like a garment of protection — are the ones who receive these promised blessings. The practical call is clear: to receive this divine blessing, each person must acknowledge Yahweh as Lord and walk daily under His covering and care.