The Lord Keep You   

We’re continuing our series of the High Priests blessing from Numbers 6:24-27 , the last post was titled The Lord Bless You, you can  review that teaching here . I hope these posts will inspire you to learn more on this subject.  Remember that the High Priest ministry in the Old Testament was only a type and shadow that pointed to the true High Priest in Heaven who is Jesus Christ. Heb. 3:1, 8:1-2; 6  Here are some additional scriptures from the last study The Lord Bless You, that you can look up and study.  

The High Priest Blessing of Jesus Christ Pt.2 

And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them, and came down from offering of the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and peace offerings. 
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.
And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. Lev 9:22-24

And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words. Ex 24:8 

  You have to understand that all covenants involved pledges of protection and help when a person needed it from his covenant partner. In a covenant each person was bound by an oath and swore to defend the other and give their life for them if necessary, in order to fulfill their covenant obligations You can hear a brief summary of that on this site Covenant Teaching or go to Precept Austin to learn more. I urge you to go to these sites and study, in depth, covenant terminology and practise. If you do I promise your relationship to the Lord and His word will dramatically change, for the better, and you'll understand passages like this one in Numbers 6 much more clearly. Israels blessing and protection, as well as ours, was and is always based on the blood covenant. Theirs was the blood of animals that pointed to Christ whereas ours is Christs very own blood. When the Lord was bringing Israel out of Eygpt He said that when He saw the blood on their doorposts the destroyer would passover their homes and not harm them. This was their claim to blessing and protection,  the Blood of the Covenant. Without the blood washing away our sin and justifying us we would still be under the curse and outside of God's protection. This blessing of the High Priest is really a continuation of the covenant promises God made with Abraham. God promised Abraham I am your shield and exceeding great reward. The word shield there means protector and your defence.. And that is what this word keep means in this passage Numbers 6:24    

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I'm Good Therefore I'll Protect You 

I can hear those who have studied the bible and history say, "what about all the christians that have been murdered, God did not protect them".I can also hear the religious ones saying that this does not apply to the New Covenant but only to Israel under the Old Covenant. I'll answer that with both scripture and testimonials, but often our idea of protection is completely backwards from Gods. I would say that the Lord protected them from denying Christ in the heat of the battle and the face of death and they ultimately won. Besides that, God has promised to vindicate those who have been murdered for His names sake.  

 In Heb 11 many of the people in that chapter did great expoits by faith, but some were torn asunder, were destitute,afflicted and tormented. Yet, they were reported as men and women who had obtained a good report of faith. How? Because they remained faithful to the Lord through the Power of the Lord keeping them.So what appears to be a loss or non-protection is actually a victory in the end of days when the Lord returns with His saints to physically rule and reign on this earth.  Those who were kept, by the power of God, from denying Him will share in the reign of Christ along with those who were kept alive and did not deny Him.

• One involved a man and his son running and hiding from communist soldiers who were going to kill them for their faith. They ran for some time when the father realised they could run and hide no more. He and His son knelt down, in an open field, and began to pray and committed their souls to the Lord, thinking they were about to die. The soldiers ran up to them and stood there looking all around and began asking one another, "Did you see which way they went"?  They were right here just a minute ago. The soldiers finally left, leaving the father and son, who were just as stunned as the soldiers. The Lord had made the two invisible to the soldiers eyes and protected them from certain death.
• If you've seen the movie China Cry, a movie based on a true story, you know of our sisters miraculous protection from the Lord against the firing sqaud.After reading this lesson you can watch the full movie China Cry.
• In my own personal life the Lord has preserved me and kept my alive at least 3 times. I miraculously survived a shooting when I was seventeen.
• I've known people to go witnessing on the streets and unwittingly go into an area that was very dangerous. Once two young men were surronded by about 15 others who were ready to beat them when one person, moved by the Spirit of God, said Leave Them Alone and the two young men left unharmed. 

 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. Acts 9:1-9

You see the protection of the Lord.Saul was devasting the church and many were fearing for their lives, and rightly so.  If man cannot or will not stop a crazed demon inspired radical then the Lord Himself will step in and render aid, protection and comfort. The Lord remembered His obligation to defend His people. He had promised them earlier I will never leave you or forsake you. These are words that were often pledged in covenant terms.You also need to notice this: even though the Lord keeps us it does not eliminate tests, trials, or attacks upon us. We are in a real spiritual war that is fought with spiritual weapons. Our weapons are not guns, bullits or bombs, our weapons are truth,faith,hope,love and the gifts of the spirit. The devil inspires people to do evil even as the Lord inspires us to do good, which is one of our spiritual weapons.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:19-21

The difference between the two is this - most of those inspired by the devil are blinded and not even aware that what they do is actually coming from the evil one. On the other hand, most of those who have been truly born again are consciously aware of the Lords inspiration in their life. This is why we can have compassion on those who try and harm us, because we at one time were in the same mindset, blinded and ignorant to the life of Christ.  

When the Gibeonites needed protection from their enemies they called on Joshua and said, "Slack not thy hand from us". One translation words it this way " Do not abandon us".  In other words it's much like what Jesus promised to the disciples, the Gibeonites were asking Joshua -do not leave us nor forsake us but keep your covenant pledge and come to our defence. Read Joshua 9:1-27 and Joshua 10:1-14  . You really need to read both chapters to understand the whole story. The Gibeonites lied and tricked Joshua into making a covenant with them because they knew that once the covenant was made it could not be broken and they would be safe. When the time came for Joshua to fulfill his covenant pledge, Joshua did not even hesitate. In fact, the Lord Himself rained down hailstones from heaven in order to help protect the Gibeonites. Why? Because the Gibeonites, by virtue of their covenant with Joshua, were in covenant with the Lord also. Covenant is extremely strong, and the Lord still honors it today. The scripture says that we have a better covenant established on better promises with better blood. If God protected people in the Old Testament through the sacrifice of an animal, how much more will he protect us in the New Testament through the blood of Christ.  

1. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Jude 1:24
   
2. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim 1:12-13
   
3. But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. 2 Thess 3:3
   
4. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7
   
5. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. John 17:15
   
6. I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; Isaiah 42:6
   
7. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalms 127:1
   
8. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. Psalms 41:2   

This same word keep is the same word used in Genesis when the cherubims and the flaming sword was to keep the way of the tree of life i.e guard it and protect it.                                       

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. Gen 3:24  

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.  Psalms 121:1-8 

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Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Tim 4:17-18 

All scriptures on this page are KJV except where noted.  

Next Post now available  The Lord make his face shine upon you

Read part 1 of this series The Lord Bless you  

Watch the Full Length feature film: China Cry
 

Covenant Ministries of America