Life Changing by Words (Numbers 6:22-27)

Life Changing by Words (Numbers 6:22-27)

  

22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,

24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

 26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.

 

Intro)

It is said that our habits shape our future. Our habits affect our thoughts and actions every day and we may not even be aware of it. Good or bad fortune can be rooted in our subconscious actions.

 

Habits also have an important impact on the language we use. Words are so powerful there are sayings like, “Be careful what you wish for,” and, “You can’t take back what you say.”

 

In Korea they say, “A word can repay the debt of a thousand dollars.” Words of blessings can build a person. Wishing ill fortune or cursing someone can tear them down. What we say is important.

 

Body)

A) Words and songs build energy and fate.

 

A pastor received a business card that read, “A Happy Man, Mr. John Doe.” He even introduced himself as a “Happy Man.” This made everyone around him a little happier.

 

What we say and what we think has a significant impact on our and others’ lives. Words have power and strength. They create positive energy and give people the courage to do great things. In Korea they say, “Compliments make even a whale dance.” Mere words of encouragement could be the difference between someone saving the world or destroying it.

 

The Bible tells us that God created the universe with just His words. It also tells us that God will make happen whatever we tell him. Language is vital in faith.

 

Isaiah 57:19 says, “19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him.” And the Prince of Peace, Jesus, was sent for us.

 

Numbers 14:28 says, “28 Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.” Every word we utter carries weight.

 

B) Songs can bring joy or sorrow.

 

There have been singers who live according to their songs. Those who sing of sadness and whose lyrics are full of darkness often live that life. Those who sing joyful and positive songs reflect that trait in their daily lives.

 

Korean singer Song Dae-kwan started his career shadowed by singers Nam Jin and Nah Hoon-ah. For a long time he remained obscure. Then in 1975 his song, “When the Sun Rises,” became a hit and he became famous. The sun finally rose on his career.

 

“I came with my dreams, I am here / Sadness and pain, get out of my way! / Nothing is impossible with hard work / The sun will rise one day / … / The clouds will part / The skies will clear / The sun will rise one day”

 

Song won “Artist of the Year” from Korea’s 3 biggest broadcast networks in 1976 with this song. His life had turned around. Today he is a living legend. This song gave me hope when I was younger, and I would sing it often.

 

Tae Jin-ah’s song, “Live Well” shares a similar theme. “The day will come when we live well, don’t give up now / Look to the sky where our dreams are / … / We’ll live well, we’ll live well, we will all live well / The day will come when we will all live well” He also “lived well” after singing this song.

 

Singer Cho Mimi was single until she was 35 years old. Her song, “If the Sea were Land” became a hit and shortly after she married someone from across the sea: a Korean Japanese man. Noh Sa-yeon was also unmarried, but after singing “Chance Encounter” she met and married her husband, Lee Moo-song.

 

On the other hand, there are singers whose songs reflect sadness and depression. Regrettably, some of these singers lived short lives. There was research that found a singer’s lifespan, riches, and joy was correlated to their lyrics.

 

Korea’s first soprano singer, Yoon Sim-duk, sang “Hymn of Death.” She took her own life at the age of 29. The singer of “A Lady in a Mountain Cabin” ended up actually living alone in a cabin in the mountains where she got sick and eventually succumbed to her illness. “Alone in these mountains where no one looks for me/ … / I grasp at my sick aching heart / I walk alone and live in loneliness”

 

The singer of “The Buddhist Nun of Sudeoksa” became a Buddhist missionary and never got married. Jung-ho Kim sang “Nameless Girl” and gained popularity. He then sang “Dear”: “My dearest is leaving, leaving / Leaving, leaving me behind / My dearest is leaving.” He died at the young age of 33 from tuberculosis.

 

The singer of “Sad Letter” died of a car accident, the singer of “Around 30” died around the age of 30, and the singer of “A World so Strange” recently appeared on TV and said she was scammed many times and lost a lot of money. Like her lyrics claimed, “Fake people here/Fake people there/Everything is fake.”

 

A singer will sing his/her title song about 2000-3000 times. Saying the same message over and over is bound to have an impact on one’s state of mind. What they sing eventually becomes how they live.

 

C) Praise brings blessings.

 

All the praises we sing are confessions of grace, hope, faith, victory, courage, and salvation to Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit. Praise is prayer with a melody. God hears prayers, so He hears our songs of praise.

 

The Bible tells us that God gave the high priests of the Old Testament a calling to bless the people around them. In Numbers 6:22-27 God gives clear instruction on how to do this:

 

“22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, on this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

 

God is the one true source of blessings, but he gave the priests of Israel the power to share these blessings through their words. Today, we are all like high priests. We all possess the power to share and spread blessings. It is our duty to do so.

 

D) How do we differentiate between mere well-wishes and true blessings?

 

1) Always speak to encourage hope.

2) Make kindness a part of your life and act on it.

3) Forgive. The forgiver is always a greater person than the forgiven. The forgiver is the one who is blessed.

4) Serve and volunteer. Helping others is how you bless them.

5) Bring peace and harmony.

 

A couple had 3 beautiful daughters. But each daughter had a fatal flaw: one was lazy, the other a kleptomaniac, and the last badmouthed others all the time. Despite this, all three were married off to a rich man. The eldest was given many servants to solve her laziness. The second was given the keys to their vault from the start. And whenever the youngest started saying horrible things, mean things would be said right back at her.

 

The eldest and second daughters had their flaws fixed. But the youngest daughter’s bad habits only became worse. This is just a funny story to show how hard it is to address and fix bad language habits.

 

6) Teach the Gospel well. Sharing the precious gift of the gospel with someone else is one of the greatest blessings we can give.

 

7) Be aware of your daily language habits. A large truck is controlled by one small wheel. The words we say may seem insignificant, but it can bring us good luck or misfortune.

 

Con)

Today’s sermon will close with Ephesians 5:3-4, 8-9:

“3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)”

 

Never forget: What we say has impact and our language habits can change the course of our lives, for better or for worse.

 

By IK SUN AHN