The Third Missionary Journey

Call to Worship

Psalm 148:7–14 “Praise Yahweh from the earth, Sea monsters and all deeps; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, doing His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and winged bird; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both choice men as well as virgins; The old with the young. Let them praise the name of Yahweh, For His name alone is set on high; His splendor is above earth and heaven. And He has raised up a horn for His people, Praise for all His holy ones; For the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise Yah!”

Elder: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you!

Consecration

Law Homily

Q. 118. Why is the charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families and other superiors? A. The charge of keeping the sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own.

You’ll notice that we skipped question number 117, which outlines the way that the authors of the Catechism understood that the day was to be sanctified, and it is to portions of this understanding that one of our exceptions to the standards is directed. Before reading our exception, I would remind you of Van Til’s helpful way of understanding this commandment as external or priestly in our physical observance of it, and yet internal or prophetic, in our faith in Jesus’ fulfillment of it.

My critique of the Westminster authors here is that they focus on external, priestly activities to the detriment of the intention of the command. They list public and private exercises of God’s worship as the right use of the day and even require rest from usual recreation. And so, one of our exceptions to this understanding is stated this way in our constitution:

We believe that along with works of piety, necessity, and mercy, the command also calls us to rest our bodies on the Sabbath (Gen. 2:2–3; Ex. 16:30; 31:15–17). We do not believe the intention of Scripture was to exclude recreation, especially in the context of the fellowship of God’s people.

And as we discussed last time, God created Adam and Eve for life on earth and gave them a day to rest from their labor and to enjoy fellowship with God and each other. That is a description of recreation. We are resting from our ordinary labor, and we are enjoying God and the benefits he has bestowed upon us. It is a feast day, a time to celebrate with worship, singing, eating, drinking, and fellowship. And this is the perspective that we have here at Covenant Reformed Church.

It is not a day to continue work on your business, or to finish that side project, or to make some overtime. That absolutely strikes at the heart of this commandment. God has given you six days to do all of that. Why would you enslave yourself to an extra day of labor? Rest in Christ, enjoy what the Lord has allowed you to accomplish, and give God glory with your brothers and sisters in the Lord.

To summarize our perspective, this is a quote from our proposed updated constitution:

This assembly recognizes the Lord’s Day (the Christian Sabbath) as the Old Testament Sabbath raised from the dead, transfigured, glorified, and grown up into maturity. It is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, our weekly Easter, and the only feast day which must be honored and kept (Ex. 20:8–11; 1 Cor. 5:8).

And now that we have addressed the elephant in the room, let’s consider our question for today, which is related to who is more entrusted with this commandment. There are two truths presented here for our consideration.

That it is not only the duty of parents, or any with authority, to observe this command, but also to ensure that their children, or those under their authority, are led to observe this command.

That it is possible to hinder those under us from observing this command properly because of the employments we have for them.

First, we must ensure that for ourselves and any for whom we are responsible, we are observing this command. “Other superiors” means anyone who is in charge of people. An owner of a business, a pastor, a father, a king, etc. All who govern people, whether a household, a province, or a business, are responsible to observe this commandment and to lead their people in its observance as well.

And it ought to be viewed as a real blessing to be able to rest from our labor and to simply enjoy God and good company. Why would we rob ourselves of that? And then, to also rob our children of that is doubly wrong.

When we do not observe this commandment, we teach our children that it is not important to rest in Jesus, to trust in God’s providence, and also to enjoy the fruit of labor. All of these things we are teaching in our mere observance of the day.

Secondly, we may unknowingly or accidentally hinder those we are responsible for from a right enjoyment of this day. As husbands, we can expect our wives to provide a feast for the feast day and, in so doing, take away their rest. We can treat our children poorly on this day because we “have to get ready for church,” there are things that must be done, then they have to sit quietly in the service, and then “no running or laughing or screaming.” Many of these commands are necessary, but the way we approach them can be onerous and can take all the joy out of the Lord’s Day.

So, let’s endeavor to enjoy this day in Christ. Christ is our rest. We do not have to fearfully try and figure out whether we can leave the light on in the fridge on the Lord’s Day, or whether it is lawful for my AI to answer questions for me on this day. We can enjoy the day as we pursue Jesus Christ our King.

Study the Word, seek to apply it, and the Holy Spirit—and your brothers and sisters—will guide you as we all learn how to sanctify this day for ourselves and all those the Lord has entrusted to us.

Let’s pray.

Old Testament Reading

Acts 2:14–32 “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. “For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My male slaves and female slaves, I will in those days pour out My spirit And they shall prophesy. ‘And I will put wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below, Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. ‘The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ‘And it will be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death. “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. “For David says of Him, ‘I saw the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. ‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope; Because You will not forsake my soul to Hades, Nor give Your Holy One over to see corruption. ‘You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’ “Men, brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. “And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to set one of the fruit of his body on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither forsaken to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.”

New Testament Reading

1 Peter 1:3–9 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, having been kept in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

Sermon: The Third Missionary Journey

Review place in Acts

Review the Map of Paul’s Third Journey

Paul Sets out from Antioch (purple) and visits the churches in Galatia and Phrygia - The first journey. (Acts 18:23)

He then ends up back in Ephesus (red) in Acts 19:1, which you will remember that Paul visited briefly in Acts 18:19-21 - saying he would come back if God willed. And so, he has returned and has many adventures in Ephesus while he’s there.

Then Paul sets out from Ephesus in Acts 20:1 and passes through Macedonia and Greece where we saw him in the second journey.

And he stayed in Greece for three months and was then going to sail directly for Syria, but decides to go back through Macedonia and ends up in Troas (yellow).

And it’s in Troas that we have one of the most important passages about preaching in the Scripture: Acts 20:7 - “...he prolonged his message...”

He then sets sail to go back to Jerusalem, which we see him purposing to do in Acts 19:21. This is similar to Jesus in Luke 9:51 where it says that “He set His face to go to Jerusalem...” Both Paul and Jesus similarly endeavor to go to Jerusalem.

And Paul wants to say farewell to the elders at Ephesus, but he does not want to delay his journey so he sends to them to meet him in Miletus (green) which is where Paul gives his farewell address.

We then have an extended travel narrative that culminates in Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem (blue) in Acts 21:17.

And so, this comprises the section of Scripture known as “Paul’s Third Missionary Journey.”

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Introduction

And now, for a brief time, I want us to focus our attention on Acts 19:1-7, a puzzling episode which takes place soon after Paul arrives in Ephesus. We are taking this a bit out of order. The last sermon I preached in Acts ended at Acts 18:22 with Paul safely back in Antioch. Next time, we will consider Acts 18:23-19:20 as a whole, and we won’t have enough time to unpack this section, which warrants some focus, in my estimation.

Let’s read this section and then pray to the Lord to help us understand His Word.

Acts 19:1–7 “Now it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper regions and came to Ephesus and found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard if the Holy Spirit is being received.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. Now there were in all about twelve men.”

Pray

Thesis

The thesis for my explanation of this passage hinges on the idea that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, was intended to be a public declaration that Jesus was reigning in heaven, and that now the covenantal presence of Yahweh would be in and with His people, the Church.

John the Baptist prepared Israel for Jesus, the One who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit. And that is what is being shown to us throughout the book of Acts: Jesus is baptizing His people with the Spirit.

So remember this: The baptism of the Spirit was a declaration that the covenantal presence of Yahweh was now in the church, not the Temple, not the tabernacle, but in the church. And this was accomplished by means of Christ, baptizing His people with the Holy Spirit.

And so, let us consider then, the baptisms of the Holy Spirit we have seen up to this point in the book of Acts. Then, we will contrast the baptism of the Spirit with regeneration. And lastly, I will exhort you to not forsake the assembly.

The Baptism of the Spirit in Acts

Acts 2:4 - The foundational episode is the event known as Pentecost. And this was a fulfillment of the promise from Jesus that they needed to wait in Jerusalem until “the Holy Spirit has come upon you...” (Acts 1:8). And this passage ends with Peter saying in Acts 2:38 “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

In this passage, the receiving of the Holy Spirit is connected with baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 8:17 - But, the next instance of this outpouring occurs in Acts 8 when the Samaritans are converted. And Luke tells us specifically that “they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus...” but that the Spirit “had not yet fallen upon any of them.” (Acts 8:16). So the solution to this was for the Apostles from Jerusalem to lay hands on them. And then we are even more specifically told: “...the Spirit had been bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands...”

So, in this passage, the receiving of the Holy Spirit is connected with both baptism and the laying on of hands by the Apostles.

Acts 10:44 - But then, in Acts 10, it was prior to baptism and the laying on of hands that the Spirit falls upon the Gentile believers. And this fact becomes the grounding for why the Gentiles were allowed to be baptized into the covenant community: they had received the Holy Spirit in exactly the same manner as the Apostles in Acts 2.

So, in this passage, the receiving of the Holy Spirit is connected with their inclusion in the covenant community.But, it is followed by baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 10:48).

Acts 19:6 - And that brings us to our passage wherein Paul comes across this group of “disciples” (μαθητής). And there is debate about what this means - were they disciples of John or Jesus? Textually, that word is used pretty exclusively (not always) for disciples of Jesus. And it seems that Paul’s assumption is that these disciples already “believe” (Acts 19:2). So, I take this to mean that they were true believers (some argue they were not yet regenerate; I take them as already believing but under‑catechized).

However, in either case, they were not yet a properly constituted Christian congregation. Why? Because they had not been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And Paul, with Apostolic authority, affirms their confession of Christ’s name by laying hands on them, which results in “the Holy Spirit” coming upon them.

So, in this passage, the receiving of the Holy Spirit is once again connected with both baptism and the laying on of hands by an Apostle.

So taken together, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit is connected with baptism in the name of Jesus, the laying on of hands by an apostolic authority, and inclusion in the New Covenant community.

And now remember our earlier thesis: That this baptism was a public declaration of Yahweh’s presence with His people in the church. And now, we can connect that declaration with 1) baptism in the name of Jesus, 2) the authority of the Apostles, and 3) inclusion in the covenant community where God’s presence now dwells.

We have apostolic authority to declare that when a person professes faith in Jesus and is baptized in His name which joins them to a local church, they are drawing nigh to the real presence of Yahweh.

Gaffin and Beeke argue that all of this was particular to this change from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, and that therefore, it is not something that will repeat, but yet in which we still partake as true believers in Jesus Christ.

You had one marriage ceremony, and yet the marriage continues.

The presence of Yahweh was poured out upon the Tabernacle once, and yet it was a continuing reality.

The presence of Yahweh was poured out upon Christ’s people once, and now it is a continuing reality.

And most Reformed theologians agree that it is a benefit given to all true believers.

It’s true that this once‑and-for‑all baptism of the Spirit at Pentecost grounds benefit of the Spirit that belong savingly to all true believers in every age; yet unbelievers and hypocrites living inside the visible church also share in the Spirit’s covenantal presence and privileges without being regenerated.

Not Regeneration

Consider this text in Hebrews chapter 6.

Hebrews 6:4–6 “For in the case of those once having been enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and having fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

The writer of Hebrews somehow allows for an unbeliever to become a partaker of the Holy Spirit. How can this be?

If someone who is not actually converted professes faith in Jesus Christ and is baptized into His church, where His presence dwells, then they are still truly partaking of the Spirit. They are a part of the Spirit’s sanctuary.

Remember, the presence of Yahweh is now in the church in the same way that it was formerly in the Holy of Holies in the temple. So, when we are baptized into the church, we are entering the sanctuary of the Spirit and approaching the Living God every time we gather with the body of Christ. But if eventually, we fall away, because we were never truly of the true church (1 John 2:19); that means we were not actually regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

We can summarize this to contrast: In both the old and the new covenants, the Spirit works faith into believers, resulting in what we call conversion or regeneration. This is distinct from the visible manifestation of God’s presence in the tabernacle, temple, or in the church. I equate the baptism of the Spirit with the union of an individual to the visible manifestation of God’s presence, the body of Christ, which is the sanctuary of the living God.

A circumcised male Israelite was brought into the covenantal presence of Yahweh as it was manifested in the tabernacle and the temple, with all of the associated walls of partition and rules related to approach.

Similarly, a baptized Christian is brought into the covenantal presence of Yahweh. With those walls of partition broken down, and the only rule being don’t hinder anyone from coming to Jesus.

This is the visible, public, declaration of association and communion. Before it was circumcision, now it is baptism.

Don’t Forsake the Assembly

So, we’ve established that what was going on in Acts 19 was the correction of some brothers and the establishment of a legitimate body of Christ. They were baptized in the name of Jesus, Paul laid hands on them, and they subsequently experienced the visible, corporate, and public outpouring of the Spirit.

The spiritual presence of Yahweh is also ours. If you have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, then you have been admitted into the holy of holies. You are even now in the presence of the Most High God.

But we do not fear to enter this Holy Place, because of the blood of Jesus: Into this sanctuary-this holy of holies-we have confidence to enter by the blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:19–25 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

How a person interacts with the visible manifestation of God, and the rites and rituals that God establishes for His people to approach Him, is directly correlated with their inward spiritual condition.

If a person in the Old Covenant claimed the name of Yahweh, professed faith in the One True God, but completely disregarded the rite of circumcision, never celebrated Passover, paid no attention to the sabbath, then they would be considered no true follower of Yahweh. And the same is true for us today: if a person claims the name of Jesus, professes faith in Him, but completely disregards baptism, never celebrates the Lord’s Supper, and pays no attention to the ten commandments, they ought not be considered a Christian.

How we interact with the visible is directly related to our invisible status (“related to, not the cause of” - I’m not saying that if you have a good relationship with the visible things like baptism, then this means you are automatically regenerated. It does not work that way. I am saying someone who is a true believer will have the right attitude toward what God has revealed and requires).

Paul says in Galatians 5:19-21 that no person who practices sinfulness will inherit the kingdom of God. Is that true? Or did he mean to say, “unless they believe in Jesus?” No, it is true. If we continue in sin, then we can claim faith in Jesus all we want, but it means nothing. Similarly, we can claim to believe in Jesus but disregard the visible symbols, and I argue that the claim then means nothing. Show me your faith by your works.

The presence of the Spirit visibly is in the gathered body of Christians. Visible Christianity is profession of faith in Jesus, baptism in His name, and communion at His table. Baptism joins us to His body, and communion is how we fellowship in His body. How we interact with these visible things-which only occur where Christians are gathered-is an indication of our invisible status.

Therefore, if I claim to be a believer, but I refuse to partake of the Spirit, am I really a believer? If I claim to be a believer, but refuse to be joined to the sanctuary of the Spirit through baptism, am I really a believer?

All of this boils down to: Do not forsake the assembly. Into the assembly we are baptized and with the assembly we gather to break bread. This is what it means to be A Christian. We love the brethren and we want to gather.

So, the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a public declaration of Yahweh’s presence now moving from the Holy of Holies where it was behind a veil, into the Church where there is no partition. We all have access to the presence of God because of the the broken body and poured out blood of Jesus Christ.

But God requires that we repent of our sins, believe in Christ as our savior, and be baptized in His name in order to enjoy that presence; in order to partake of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the age to come. But, if we have done those things, then we can rest assured that when we gather, we are in fact partaking of the Holy Spirit, and we enjoy all the rights and privileges of being adopted into the house and family of God. AMEN!

Pastoral Prayer

Salutation & Adoration

Father in heaven, We trust that you will keep us, O God, because we take refuge in you. We have no good apart from you. You are our inheritance, and because of that, we will not be shaken. Our hearts are glad, and we rejoice that we can dwell so securely. You did not forsake Christ in Sheol or let him see corruption, so that we can enjoy this relationship with you. And we remember that in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Confession

We confess that we forget: You are the source of everything good. You are far greater than any earthly pleasure or joy we can experience here on earth. A right relationship with you is our chief end. There is nothing more fulfilling for humanity than to commune with you, our Creator. We confess these truths and our shortcomings to you now, and we plead the blood of Jesus Christ, poured out for us on the cross of Calvary. Your apostles said that whoever calls upon his name shall be saved, and it is the name of Jesus that we appeal to now.

Thanksgiving

We give you thanks that we can enjoy adoption into your household because of the redemption that we have in Christ. We thank you for this season of Easter, when we can remember the resurrection of your Son. We thank you for the testimony of sound doctrine handed down through the ages by our fathers in the faith. We give you thanks for the brothers and sisters gathered here today in your presence. We give thanks for all of these things.

Petition & Imprecation

We bring our petitions before you this day: We pray for all of those in our lives who need the gospel. I pray that we would be faithful witnesses to them and that we would see lives changed. We pray for CHOICES Counseling Center and for the counseling work that Faith Fellowship is doing. May you bless them and make them fruitful. We pray for the Carpenter family as Chris’s mother has just passed away. Give them comfort and guide them in the truth of your Word. We pray for Christ Reformed Church, Oakland, Maine, and for Pastor Chris Boland. We pray for sanctification and growth as a congregation, and that you would heal any schism in that body.

We pray for our state representatives: our State Senator, Patrick Gallivan, and Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney. We pray that they would stand for righteousness and that, if they do not know your Son as their Savior, they would accept the truth of the gospel and submit themselves to Christ’s rule. And if they stand for what is evil, we pray that you would remove them from their office as magistrates.

We pray for your church in the world, that you would protect your people, particularly in those areas torn by warfare. We pray that truth would prevail in the land and that we would not be thrown around by anyone who misleads with information. We also pray for Covenant Reformed Church, that we would be faithful to the cause of Jesus Christ. I pray that our community would be joyful and full of life, and that we would be a true light in the world.

Closing

We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Communion

Hebrews 10:19–20: “...we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh...”

We are in the presence of Yahweh even now, and yet we are not burned up by His wrath because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Now we have the opportunity to covenantally partake of that sacrifice by faith.

We are not re‑sacrificing Christ; the bread and the wine remain truly bread and wine, and yet we truly participate in the benefits of His once‑for‑all sacrifice and publicly declare His death until He comes. What we celebrate here is the very sacrifice by which we have access to the sanctuary of God, and this Supper is His appointed sign and seal of that access.

So, by the sacrifice of Christ, come and eat, taste and see that the Lord is good. In this sacrament all of our senses are reminded that our sins are forgiven through Christ. And so, if you have been baptized in the name of the Trinity, then we invite you to break bread with us as a memorial to Jesus Christ.

By sitting at His table, may we be comforted in our communion with the Spirit of Christ. May we appreciate what it means to have been joined to His Spirit‑indwelt church. And may we be filled with His Spirit, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord. Amen.

The Bread

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 LSB

...the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Read during distribution:

Psalm 16

The Cup

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Read during distribution:

John 20:19-31

1 Corinthians 11:26 LSB

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 LSB

“...Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:14–15 LSB

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

The Commission

Matthew 28:18–20 LSB

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Numbers 6:24–26 LSB

Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’