Numbers 33

But if you will not drive out the people of the land from before you, then it will be, those of them whom you let remain shall be goads in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land in which you live.

(Num 33:55)

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing quite as annoying to me as something in my eye. It drives me NUTS! Just the other morning I was putting the signs out in front of the church, and the wind was blowing so hard I thought it might take me away. As I put the sign into the ground, a really intense gust came and picked up a bunch of rock, dirt and dust from some road work going on across the street. I got two eyefuls of junk, and it hurt SO BAD! My eyes started watering, and I couldn’t see anything! I had to wait until I got back to the church to wash them out, and I hated every second of it.

Another thing happens once in a while that is equally as irritating. I’ll get a thorn caught in my shirt… small enough that I can’t find it, big enough that it makes me go CRAZY! It happened just the other day, left side, on my back, just below the rib cage… I think I dug around in that part of my shirt a dozen times that day and couldn’t find anything! I know I wasn’t making it up though because my back was red and scratched looking.

God tells the Israelites that this is what will happen to them if they don’t drive out all of the people from the land of Canaan. Those people would become like a poke in the eye or a thorn in the side… Irritants, things to distract, things to impair and impede their progress.

The Inhabitants of Canaan are a picture for us of the flesh… they give us an illustration of the territory we must take as we walk with the Lord, the enemies that must be destroyed before we can experience the fullness of God’s rest. When we allow “little sins” to remain in our lives undealt with, this is what they become. A little stretching of the truth here, a little neglect of responsibility there… These all end up creating unnecessary battles and difficulties for us down the road. As you walk with Jesus and He reveals sin to you, deal with it, don’t cover it up! A problem avoided will return; a problem dealt with by the Holy Spirit will be conquered. Ultimately none of us will be totally free of sin until the day we see Jesus face to face… but until that day let’s be faithful to deal directly with our enemy the flesh. Don’t let the “little sins” remain… deal with them!

Numbers 32

The Three Musketeers are famous for the saying “all for one and one for all”, yet that principle did not start with them. Here we see that from the beginning this principle was meant to govern the people of God. All of the children of Israel were to live for one, for God alone. Each man was to do those things that were best for the entire congregation, one for all.

The tribes of Ruben, Gad, and Manasseh had a little plan of their own, and it was a plan that was concerning to Moses and the leaders. They wanted to settle in the Land they had just conquered, land OUTSIDE of the Jordan. They say that this is because they have cattle and the land was good for cattle. Moses doesn’t like the sound if this because he thinks that they are going to bail on their brothers… this doesn’t happen, but it does cause a problem.

Later on in our studies we will see that this decision created a rift in the congregation of Israel, and the other tribes end up accusing Ruben and Gad of Idolatry. I believe this case is a perfect picture of people who are settling for less than what God wants for them. Sure the land was good for cattle, but the Promised Land was flowing with milk and honey! God had promised a part of the Promised Land to ALL 12 TRIBES… these 3 tribes were willing to settle for less.

What about you? Are you settling for less than what the Lord would want from you and for you? Godliness with contentment is great gain, but contentment with circumstances outside of God’s will is a great loss… These men had traveled all that distance to set up camp outside of the Promised Land! Don’t be guilty of the same thing! As Hebrews says, we should all labor to enter into the rest of God. Don’t be content just staying where you are in your relationship with the Lord… press on to know Jesus more each day!

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I am pressing on, if I may lay hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

(Phi 3:12-14)

Numbers 31

And they warred against the Midianites, as Jehovah commanded Moses. And they killed all the males. And they killed the kings of Midian, besides the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.

(Num 31:7-8)

The saga of Balaam son of Beor comes to a bitter end. Here he is, a man that knew the LORD, a man who spoke with the LORD and heard from the LORD, dying in the camp of the enemies of the LORD. How did this happen?

Balaam story is truly tragic, and the most tragic part of it was that it COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. Balaam had a problem, and that problem was greed. In the end Balaam’s love for money resulted in his destruction. We can look at Balaam and say, “what a wicked dude, he got what he deserved”, but in reality any one of us could become just like Balaam.

In 1^st John we are told tat there are three ways we are tempted to do evil and walk away from the Lord’s will. These are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All three of these played in to Balaam’s demise. He wanted that money… The lust of the flesh. He had seen the riches that the king had to offer… The lust of the eyes. He wanted to be seen as a mighty man… The pride of life. We can boil it all down to a serious case of “I” trouble. Balaam was all about himself.

We face the same battles. The world offers us riches, satisfaction, and glory… but in the end all it delivers is destruction. Jesus said “what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” – The obvious answer is NOTHING. This is a battle with the flesh that is fought every day in little ways. It comes down to our choices, “am I gonna serve the LORD, or am I gonna serve myself?”

Remember what chasing after the world did to Balaam, and choose wisely today who you will serve.

Numbers 30

Num 30:1-2 And Moses spoke unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, this is the thing which the LORD hath commanded. (2) If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

The Lord wants us to be men and women of our word. If we say we are going to do something, then we need to do it. In our culture today, people often make promises that they never intend to keep. They make them to close a deal, or to get someone else off of their back. Other people make promises to do something, only to change their minds when a better offer comes along. The Lord says that these practices should not exist in the lives of His people.

Listen to what David says in Psalm 15:

Jehovah, who shall dwell in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart; he does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; in whose eyes the reprobate is despised, but he honors those who fear Jehovah; he has sworn to his hurt, and does not change it; he has not put out his money at interest, nor has he taken a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall not be moved forever.

(Psa 15:1-5)

There are 11 things listed here that characterize the man that DWELLS in the presence of God. The 9^th thing on the list is: “He has sworn to his own hurt, and does not change it.” This godly man described here keeps his word. Even when he makes a foolish promise that will cause him hurt and loss, he follows through.

I have put my foot in my mouth on a number of occasions. Promising to do this or that before I looked at what I had already committed to do, before I found out what was going on. These situations can be really sticky and difficult, but this Biblical principle helps us walk through them. We know that regardless of the circumstances the Lord wants us to keep our word, even if it will cost us dearly.

As a footnote, the one time when we SHOULD break our word is when we have promised to do something sinful… so if you promised to go shop lifting with your buddies, it is NOT RIGHTEOUS to go ahead and keep your word!

Numbers 29

There is a whole lot of sacrifice going on in this chapter! As Moses describes how the feasts where to be celebrated, and what sacrifices should take place on what day, the number of dead animals just starts to pile up. You might wonder, what is the point? Well there were many points to these sacrifices, but the overriding theme is one that I believe is very simple.

When I think about all of these sacrifices, I see a whole lot of work, a whole lot of meat, a whole lot of time, and most importantly, a whole lot of BLOOD. As the people observed these sacrifices being made, they saw blood spilled time and time again. Blood that was meant to pay for their sins! I believe that the Lord wanted to keep the need for the shedding of blood CENTRAL to the minds of the Jewish people. He wanted them to know that it was only through sacrifice that they could have relationship with Him.

As they performed these sacrifices, they were WORSHIPPING the Lord. They lived lives where the worship of God was central to all they did. These feasts helped to ensure that as a collective group of people, they were keeping the Lord at the center.

You might feel like we talk a lot about Jesus and His death and resurrection. You might feel like going to church as often as you do is a lot, or reading your Bible every day is a bit much… But what you are doing in all those things is keeping Jesus at the center. You are being reminded of how your life revolves around Him, reminded that if it was not for His sacrifice you would be without hope.

We need reminders guys. You may think you KNOW the gospel inside and out, but how often do you naturally live according to it? Everyday we should remind ourselves of what Jesus did, of where we stand, and of how we should be living as a result. This is why the Israelites feasts were spent sacrificing loads of livestock… they needed to be reminded what life was really all about.

Nums 28

“Command the sons of Israel, and say to them, My offering and My bread for My sacrifices made by fire, a sweet savor to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me in their due season” (Numbers 28:2).

What is an offering? According to Webster it is the following : Presenting; proposing; sacrificing; bidding; presenting to the eye or mind.

What is an offering to you?

I enjoy what this chapter has to say because it gives all the times the Lord allows Israel to give offerings. They can give daily. They can give weekly. They can give monthly. I am very challenged and have made myself a checklist of times to offer to the Lord.

An offering can be praise. It can be spending time with the Lord. It can be worship. It can be fellowship. An offering is a personal gift to the Lord. Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and you, that we might come before Him anytime and give an offering. Mr. O’Keefe was teaching this Wednesday and he mentioned something that struck my attention. For all of eternity Jesus will bear the marks of the cross. In heaven, He bears those marks (Rev, 5). His offering was absolutely eternal, and because of it, He bears those marks and I get a glorified body. Therefore in heaven, we will eternally be giving offerings of praise to Him!

What about now? I am challenged by this chapter. Am I giving my daily offering to Jesus (v.1-8)? This should be my personal time, my devotions, with the Lord. Am I giving that weekly offering to Jesus (v. 9-10). Is church a chore or a privilege? Am I giving Him an offering monthly (v. 11-15). I consider communion, a time to remember the Lord. Am I truly spending that time just to consider what He has done for me? Am I spending my holidays (v. 16-31) with Him. Sometimes, the hardest days for me to do my daily devotion is on my days off! In the end, am I looking to spend time with Jesus?

Spend time with Jesus. After you read this devotion, allow Him to speak into your life. The point of the offerings were to give glory to God. I pray that your life is an offering to Jesus.

As always, remember to consider each other and pray for each other this week. Pray for Tommy, as he is not feeling well. Pray for Sunday morning worship and teachings, both the Main Service and Jr. High. Pray for opportunities to witness. Pray that you will be used of the Lord for His glory.

Nums 27

“And Jehovah said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him” (Nums 27:18).

Last week in Jr. High we talked about the responsibility of the leader. We learned that leadership comes with stricter judgment. To be a teacher means you are a shepherd, and where you go the sheep follow. Today we learn about the number one attribute of leadership.

I have friends of mine who are truly the most gifted leaders I know. There is something about them that people want to follow. I was not born with this gift. I sometimes wonder why these people are not leading great congregations. I also know that one’s gift is often their greatest weakness. For instance, if you are a “go getter” than you are likely to get into trouble “go getting.” If you never venture out than you likely will not go any where at all. Therefore, there is a time and place for both. How in the world do we find the balance? How do we know when to go and when to stay? We need to follow Jesus and thus be led by the Holy Spirit!

Read John 10:27.

The sheep hear the voice of Jesus and follow Him. If you are a leader, and therefore you are a shepherd, and sheep follow your voice, you better be following Jesus’ voice. Otherwise you lead others away from Jesus.

My exhortation to you today is simple. If you are following the Lord continue to draw closer to Him. If you feel you are not hearing His voice, meet with Him. If you wish to be leader for Jesus, which He has called some of you to be, listen and follow. Do not let your spiritual gift go to waste. Sr. High, you are in 1 Corinthians. Read ahead to chapter 7:17-24 to learn about your calling. Finally, follow the Holy Spirit.

I think this is a good time to reset if you are not following the Lord like you should. Here is the reason: Jesus is forgiving and He pours grace, grace over the edges of your being. It takes just a few steps to be heading back toward Jesus. When I think of all the great things Joshua would do in his future, I think of you guys. You are all being called like Joshua, therefore, live in the Holy Spirit.

Numbers 26

Numbers 26

These chapters are always hard to read. The Bible jots everything down for a reason. I find it interesting the formation Israel took when they traveled. Now some people have criticized this as a stretch of Biblical interpretation, however, I think it is cool.

Israel traveled with the tabernacle right in the middle. The tabernacle had it’s entrance placed on the east end of the tabernacle. Therefore we imagine it looking like the picture to the left:




First we star with the East. In the first census there were 186,000. This is by the most.

The South and North were relatively similar in the first census at 157,600 and 151,450.

The West side was the smallest at 108,100.

Now try to imagine, calculating the numbers, the shape Israel would take when they traveled. Maybe you could draw it out for yourself. Or even maybe, you can look at the handy illustration provided above. Just click on it!!!!

Unfortunately, it came out microscopic, but the new Numbers (Hey that’s the name of the book) are there. If you want a blown up size I can print some out on Sunday…just ask. Anyways, as you can see, Israel would walk in the shape of a cross. The illustration holds truer to the original census in chapter 2. I simply found this interesting and fun to observe that God, in His divine power, even had a plan in the way they moved.

Numbers 25

Numbers 25

We remember what happened in the last chapter. We are told Balaam could not curse Israel and ended up blessing them. We are told elsewhere, that Balaam counseled Balak into sending the Midianite women down to seduce Israel. Balaam was deceitful, and look at the results. Israel fell right into sin. The men followed the women. The women pointed the men towards false gods. Finally, we read in Numbers 25:6, “ And behold! One of the sons of Israel came and brought to his brothers a woman of Midian, before the eyes of Moses, and before all the congregation of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.”

To be secretly in sin is just as bad, however, this guy was so callused that he brought his sin out before everyone, as if to say, “What are you going to do about it!” Not only that, he brought the sin right up before the representative of the law, Moses. Let me warn you guys now, Satan will do whatever it takes to take over your life. When sin becomes something you are no longer ashamed of, you are at the brink of disaster. Satan will throw relationships, drugs, money, fame, fun, anything to take your mind off of Jesus. When you are no longer ashamed to be seen following after such things, you truly no longer fear God. Read Proverbs to learn about the man who does not fear the Lord.

Remember, sin is subtle. It does not parade itself in. It very quietly takes over different sections of your life. How do you deal with this? You kill it, get rid of it completely. Read on to verses 7-8:

And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw ite rose up from among the congregation and took a spear in his hand. And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the sons of Israel.

Do not grant sin one inch. Instead, take the sharpest object you know (the Bible) and thrust it into the gut of your sin. Get rid of it. Do not leave room for it to be with your company. The man of sin paraded his sin before Moses himself! Phinehas, a man following the Lord, a priest, killed the temptation and the sinner. I do not know what your life looks like. I cannot see inside every different facet of your mind. I do pray that there is no room for corruption. Instead, hold on to Jesus.

Remember to pray for each other through out the week as we each battle sin daily.

Nums 24

“And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place. And Balak also went his way” (Nums 24:25).

The story ends with Balaam and Balak walking away. Read the chapter. Balak has hired Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam was a prophet who truly heard from God. This seemed like an excellent plan! There is one thing Balak had forgotten. Even though Balaam had the ability to prophecy, it was only the things God told him.

“If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the mouth of Jehovah, to do good or bad of my own mind. What Jehovah said, that I will speak” (Nums 24:13).

Balaam could not go beyond that which the Lord told him. The whole scene seems very innocent. Balaam goes to Balak, Balaam prophecies what the Lord told him, and Balaam goes home. Remember, did the Lord want Balaam to be where he was? The answer is NO! The Lord warned Balaam through a donkey to turn around! Yet Balaam had other motives. Balaam wanted the money and fame, and therefore, like it was shared before, Balaam had a price on his soul and it was bought. Do you honestly think Balaam gave up on his prize, after being spoken to from a donkey, and went home? Balaam is one of the most sinister characters in the Bible, and perfect picture of how Satan works.

Now jump all the way to Revelation 2:14 to hear the rest of the story.

“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication (Rev. 2:14).”

You see, Balaam could not curse Israel. Jude 11 tells us that Balaam was in it for the profit. Balaam could not curse Israel, so Balaam, knowing the nature of God, told Balak how to cause it so Israel would be cursed by God Himself. Balaam counsels Balak to take all the young women in the camp and send them down to seduce the children of Israel. Once this had happened, the women were to introduce the men to their own gods. The sad thing about the story is that it worked.

Tomorrow we get to learn the story of how to kill sin!

To be continued… (Imagine intense closing music)

Numbers 23

God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. Has He said, and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

(Num 23:19)

Three times in this chapter Balak brings Balaam to different locations, builds altars and has Balaam seek the Lord, asking God to curse the Israelites. Every time the Lord sends back a word of blessing for His children, He loves Israel!

Balak was operating under the faulty assumption that God might change His mind, that maybe a change of scenery or climate would “fix” the situation… but he was so wrong!

God does not change his mind like men do. Circumstances, environment, whatever… all of these things affect the way that humans make their decisions… It is not so with the LORD, He is not like a man, He does not lie and He does not change his mind. (to “change one’s mind” is the definition of repent here)

Balaam should have known better… He should have realized that it wouldn’t make a difference where he was, or what was being sacrificed… the Lord wasn’t going to change His mind. Think about your prayer life for a moment… when you pray are you coming to the Lord the way you would a man, trying to change His opinion about a person, place or thing? Or, are you coming to Him in humility, seeking to discern His heart, and be used by Him to accomplish HIS work? Balaam kept at it because he sought an earthly reward. When we seek a heavenly reward, we can be content with the Lord’s heart, whatever it may be.

Prayer doesn’t change God’s heart… it changes ours!

Numbers 22

The next 3 chapters are about Balaam. His story is one of the most interesting stories we find in scripture! I hope we can really glean some great principles from these chapters, learning some very specific things to avoid as servants of the Lord.

Our story begins with the king of Moab. He is an ungodly man, seeking his own protection. As he observes the children of Israel he begins to become very afraid. He believes that just like oxen will eat up all the grass in a field, the Israelites were going to “eat them” for breakfast. Their numbers were so massive, and they seemed to go with the blessing of God before them. So he calls upon Balaam…

Balaam has a reputation, it is believed that when he blesses someone, they are blessed; and when he curses someone, they are cursed. Almost as if he has some kind of magical powers, they come to him looking for an easy victory of Israel. It looks like Balaam was selling these services, kind of a consultant for the spiritual realm. Moab comes to him with some cash and prizes, and asks one simple thing: CURSE ISRAEL.

Now, God tells Balaam “What are you doing with those shady characters! Get away from them, you won’t go with them!” So Balaam brings word back, and the Moabites return to Balak their king. He sends them with more money and prizes, and Balaam likes it, so he goes before the Lord again. Now, God had already spoken, so Balaam should have just told them, “I don’t have a price, God told me no”. Alas, Balaam seems to care more about money and rewards than anything else, so he asks God again, kind of trying to change God’s mind!

God basically says, “why are you here again!? Now, don’t you go looking for them, if they come up here to get you, then you can go with them.” Balaam ignores God’s counsel, and just goes with them!

We are told at this point in the story that now God is ANGRY at him. So here he goes on his journey, directly disobeying the command of God… NOT A GOOD IDEA! We all know what happens next, an angel of the Lord is waiting to kill him, and the donkey sees it. Wanting to protect its master, it turns off the road and walks into a field. So Balaam in a fit of anger socks the donkey! I can picture it, Balaam jumps off the donkey, gets in its face, yells at it then WHACK!!! Balaam punches it right in the face. He climbs back on the donkey and keeps going. The donkey sees the angel again and turns away again, this time smashing Balaam’s foot against the wall. Balaam socks the donkey again. They go on again and this time the donkey just sits in the road, the angel right in front of them. Now Balaam really loses control, he gets out a stick and just starts cracking the donkey with it!!!

This is where the story gets CRAZY. The donkey looks at Balaam and it TALKS TO HIM! It says, “Look man, what did I ever do to you? Why are you beating the snot out of me like this?” I can say one thing for sure. If a donkey talked to me, I would not do what Balaam does. He is so mad right now because of the way his progress is being impeded that he actually yells back at the donkey! Balaam says, “Stupid donkey, you should be glad I don’t have a sword! If I did I would kill you!!” The donkey then tells Balaam about the angel, and Balaam sees the angel himself. His response now is to fall on his face; he has realized his sin and folly before the Lord.

What can we learn from this? One simple thing… We shouldn’t have a price! We should be so committed to serving the Lord that no matter what the world offers, we won’t bite. Balaam wanted riches and fame. Unlike Moses, he chose the things of this world over the things of God and it almost cost him his life. Be wise, live for Jesus, and look to the ETERNAL REWARD rather than the rewards of this earth.

Numbers 21

And Jehovah said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. And it shall be when everyone that is bitten, when he looks upon it, he shall live. And Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole. And it happened that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked upon the serpent of brass, he lived.
(Num 21:8-9)

This is such an interesting story… Imagine it if you will, the children of Israel are complaining against Moses again, and all of a sudden these fiery serpents show up. The word fiery means burning, and it probably refers to the effect their poisonous bite had on the people. People started dying from the bites, word spread quickly to avoid these snakes at all costs, but it seemed next to impossible to do that. They were everywhere, and they were vicious.

The people realize that this is judgment from God, so they go to Moses and they repent, asking that the Lord would take the serpents away. Instead of merely taking the serpents away, the lord provides a remedy, but it requires that a person act in faith. The bronze serpent was raised up, and the people were directed to look upon it, to set there gaze upon believing that in doing so they would be healed. Healing wasn’t automatic… the remedy was provided but the people had to take a step of faith, they had to receive the cure.

Jesus uses this story in John chapter 3 as a vivid illustration of what He came to do.

But even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
(Joh 3:14-17)

We have been provided with a cure… sin is like the serpent, and sooner or later it will destroy us all. The only cure is to lift up your eyes, to look to the cross of Jesus Christ, and realize that provision has been made. Just like the cure was provided to the Israelites, so it is provided to us. We must act in faith to receive it; we must look to Jesus if we are to be cured. I know that you all know all about the cure… my question for you is this: have you lifted up your eyes and called out to Jesus? Have you been healed from the curse of sin? It is as easy as looking to Jesus!

Numbers 20

Take the rod, and gather the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes. And it shall give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock. So you shall give the congregation and their animals drink.
(Num 20:8)

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said to them, Hear now you rebels. Must we bring water for you out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he struck the rock twice. And the water came out plentifully, and the congregation and their animals drank.
(Num 20:10-11)

I remember this time at an amusement park when I was in line for a roller coaster, and I was so stoked about riding it. I had already ridden it several times, and I let my excitement take over my sense of self-control… Instaed of walking through the line, I started leaping over the handrails, yelling as I went, happiness flowing out of me. The problem came when I leapt over the last railing and landed right in front of the line. He made me exit the ride, and WALK back up, just like everybody else. You see it wasn’t just getting there that mattered, if I was gonna ride that rollercoaster I had to get there the right way! I couldn’t leap over lines or enter through the exit, I had to come in the RIGHT WAY.

It is the same with the Lord, He cares about the WAY we get to our destination, not just that we get there. In all we do we are representatives of Him, showing Him to the world around us. Moses was His representative, and He misrepresented God in this situation. His actions caused the children of Israel to misunderstand God, and they cost He and Aaron a trip to the promised land. God gave Aaron and Moses specific instructions, “speak to the rock”. It was a picture of the fact that Jesus sacrifice was once for all, He need not be struck again everytime we need His supply, he was crucified once for all, all we need to do now is ask! Mose struck the rock, he confused the children of Israel about their relationship with God and messed up the picture for all of us. The end result was the same, but the method was changed. They got their water, but they got it the wrong way. We need to realize that God cares about the details… He doesn’t just care that we “make it” to heaven, He wants us to have a fruitful journey!

Numbers 19

And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the sons of Israel for a water of separation. It is a cleansing for sin.
(Num 19:9)

These ashes provided the children of Israel with a way to be cleansed from sin and uncleanness when they were journeying through the wilderness. This “water of separation was a literal soap that cleansed them from spiritual impurity… we could translate it as “the water of filthiness”. We live in a filthy world and we need something to cleanse us from the dirt and junk that we pick-up along the way. The ashes of the Red Heifer provide the children of Israel with a God given cleansing agent to keep them in a pure state as they walked before Him.

Like the ashes of the Red Heifer, God has also provided us with a cleansing agent as we walk through this fallen world, something to keep us from being defiled, something to keep us clean as we walk before the Lord. Look at what the book of Hebrews tells us:

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
(Heb 9:13-14)

The blood of Christ cleanses our conscience; it literally is soap for our hearts and minds, making us clean so we can be free to serve the Lord. Some so called “Christians” have taught that we can only receive the blood of Jesus through sacraments obtained at church. That would leave us hanging unclean all week long, we’d be messed up from the first sin of the week all the way till the following Sunday when we could be cleansed again. That would be rotten! I hope we all realize that we have FREE ACCESS to the blood of Jesus! We can be reminded day in and out of the blood of Jesus by doing one simple thing… READING HIS WORD!

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
(Rom 12:2)

This word renewing means a complete and total change… made completely clean and fresh! We do this by looking into the Word of God. As we read the word of God, the Holy Spirit cleanses our hearts and minds, washing out all the worldly junk, cleansing us again, reminding us of the work that the blood of Jesus can do in us. They had the ashes of the Red Heifer, we have the HOLY SPIRIT! He washes us with the Word, cleansing us, making us new by the blood of Jesus!

Feeling filthy because of the dirty world we live in? Grab your Bible, get alone with Jesus, and let Him clean you out… YOU WON’T REGRET IT!

Numbers 18

And Jehovah said to Aaron, You and your sons, and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. And you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
(Num 18:1)

With the privilege that it was to be a priest, (appointed by God as a spiritual leader for the people) came GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. These men (Aaron and his sons) would carry the blame for anything that took place in God’s house that was done out of order. God had communicated very specific ways that everything was to be done. He wanted to see things done HIS WAY, because it was all painting a picture for the people of the world of WHO GOD WAS. The responsibility in all of this was to fall on the shoulders of these men. God had appointed them, and He would hold them accountable for their choices, and the choices of those they were responsible for.

This brings up the question that Cain asked long ago… AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER? The unbeliever would say “NO, I’m not looking out for anyone but myself, because no one else is looking out for me!” As believers our response should be different. God wants us to be concerned with those around us, to take some responsibility, and be actively involved in their lives.

Here is an example for you: Let’s say that Hector and I are made aware of some serious sin in the life of one of you guys, but instead of doing anything about it we just ignore it. We decide we are to busy to help you, and say that it’s your own fault anyway so why should we care.

Two things are wrong with this picture. First off, we will give an account to God for everything we did and didn’t do… He’s gonna want to know why we didn’t show some concern for His kids, rather than being consumed with ourselves. Second, it shows a major lack of love on our part. Without LOVE, the bible tells us that we can do nothing of any value. What good is it if we teach you the bible but don’t love you enough to care about your eternal destiny, and the way your sin affects your life?!

These priests were put into a place where they NEEDED to love those around them… without that they were going to have a major problem when they stood before God. As a kingdom of priests, we need to realize that God has called us to not only take responsibility for our own sin, but also to be concerned about our brothers and sisters. If you have a friend who is caught up in sin, lovingly come alongside that person; remind them that Jesus has set them free. Bear the burden of that sin before the Lord, take some responsibility and stand in the gap for your friends… wouldn’t you want the same from them?

Numbers 17

It’s a known principle, a natural law if you will, that wherever the people of God say “let us rise up and go!” the enemies of God say “let us rise up and oppose!” This has been the experience of Moses. If you will go back to the book of Exodus, you might remember that Moses didn’t WANT this job, God had called Him to it! He gave every excuse you can think of, from “I’m not your guy”, to “I can’t talk right”. (As a side note, I’ve always wondered what Moses’ speech problem sounded like… Did he stutter, or have a lateral lisp ala Sid the sloth? Who knows????) The point is that Moses wasn’t seeking the job of being leader of millions; God had called him to it! He really had no choice at all.

Over and over we have seen people opposing him, questioning his calling. Today we might refer to them as “haters”. Moses didn’t respond with a “why you be hatin’?!” attitude, instead he was always faithful to bring things before the Lord. Because of this the Lord was his defender. He didn’t have to defend himself, God had his back!

Here we see God defending Mo and Aaron… they are vindicated in the eyes of the people. 12 rods are brought before the Lord, dead pieces of wood… Each one has the name of the prince of the particular tribe they represent... The people wait until morning, and they find that the rod that belongs to Aaron (representing himself, Moses, and the tribe of Levi) has budded! It was a dead thing bursting forth with life, a truly supernatural sign that THEY WERE GOD’S CHOICE.

This is so encouraging to me! As we follow Jesus, we should expect to be opposed by men, both believing and unbelieving. They will question our motives, our choices, our hearts, and our lives… but we don’t need to get defensive! The Lord is mighty to save, and He stands to defend his people. The Lord provided Moses and Aaron with a permanent monument to the call He had upon their lives, and He can do the same for us. I’m not talking about a blooming branch; I am talking about how He can bring fruit from our dead lives. There is no other explanation for the work God does in us than SUPERNATURAL. A transformed life cannot be argued with.

So what’s the point? It’s this: Let God work mightily in your life, do ALL that He calls you to do, and you will never have to fear what men might say or do… your life will be a testimony of the mighty working of God!

Numbers 16

REBELLION – The Bible tells us that it is as the sin of witchcraft in the eyes of God. It is not something that the Lord tolerates! Webster defines rebellion as open resistance to lawful authority. Today we could word it something like this; “openly fighting against the established authority that has every reason and right to be there.”

Korah’s rebellion was on 2 levels. First it was a rebellion against Moses, but because Moses was appointed by God, it was really a rebellion against God. Rebelling against God is never good, and Korah is about to find that out the hard way. As we look at this story today, I want us to look at two specific things: what rebellion did to the heart of Korah, and the Godly way that Moses dealt with it. We cannot look at this situation in depth because of the time it would take, but we can grab a few basic principles.

KORAH – The first thing we notice about Korah is that He had a problem. Korah had a problem with Moses; he simply did not believe that Moses was God’s man for the job. Occasionally we may have a problem with someone… the question is, how will we deal with it? Korah dealt with his problem the wrong way, Korah SPREAD his problem by taking it to others. What he should have done was simple; first, he should have taken it before the Lord, then as led by the Lord, he should have gone to Moses HIMSELF.

Too often we create problems that don’t really exist because we don’t deal with things biblically. If you have a problem with another person, you should bring the problem before the Lord. Pray about it, talk to the Lord about it, examine your heart and make sure you aren’t digging at someone’s speck while ignoring your own log. Then, if you are sure that your heart is right, go to the person you have the problem with, and in a loving and gracious way, confront them with the truth! None of this going and spreading your problem around, filling the hearts of others with YOUR bitterness… It is NOT PLEASING to the Lord!

MOSES – I love how Moses responds to Korah… he doesn’t punch him in the face, or call for him to be stoned, he simply goes to the Lord in prayer. Not defensive, not offended, Moses seeks the face of God! I believe Moses sought God for 2 reasons; to make sure that the accusations of Korah were not true, and to seek wisdom as to how he should respond. This sets a wonderful example for us when we are on the receiving end of an accusation. We should first bring the accusation before the Lord, looking to see if there is any truth to it… then we should seek wisdom for how we might properly respond to it.

If I was in Moses shoes, I probably would have killed Korah right there on the spot, but I would have had a HUGE PROBLEM then. Follow the example here… whether on the giving or receiving end of an accusation, be led of the Lord, and don’t let pride get in the way… Pride was the unraveling of the life of Korah.

Numbers 15

I love the closing verses of this chapter and highly recommend you read them through a couple times. Nevertheless, we are going to dig into this interesting story told between verses 32-36.

“And Jehovah said to Moses, The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp” (Numbers 15:35).

What a story. Here is this guy. He is a business minded Jew (but that is understood). Most likely, he had a busy week. He finally has a free day and the reason being is because it is the Sabbath. He figures, he has to go get sticks for his family for fire and whatnot. He goes out. He gets spotted. He gets taken to Moses. He gets stoned. Is our God just? Our God is a God of grace and mercy. He is also a God who is just. We can look at a couple reasons why this man had to die.

1. The man was caught and brought to Moses.
This may seem like a funny reason. I am not saying that you are not guilty if you are not caught. I am saying that those who were brought before Moses were being brought before the law. When Moses asks God if this man is guilty or not guilty, of course the answer is guilty! He broke the law, he was caught, and now he is being punished.

2. He broke the law
We have to remember, if you break the law you are judged according to the law. God is just, and cannot allow sin to go unpunished.

3. He had to be made an example of the seriousness of what it is to break the law
I am sure others had broken the Sabbath up until this point. This man was found out. Being found out, he needed to be punished. The law can only accuse those it finds out. If you murder somebody, and are not found out, you will not be accused. This does not make it right, but it is true. Now I am not saying that those who were not found out go unpunished. God sees all. If man does not find you out and punish you, God will. This man was simply found out on earth and thus put to death, which is not the worse thing which could have happened. Examples need to be made in order to show the importance of the matter.

Our God is gracious. Death is sometimes the most gracious thing He gives people. Check out these verses, “For as being absent in body but present in spirit, I indeed have judged already as though I were present concerning him who worked out this thing; in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, with my spirit; also, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ; to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1Co 5:3-5). Sometimes God delivers people up to Satan (remember, Satan sought to kill Job should he have control). To be delivered to Satan is to be given to death. Why would God do this? This verse tells us so that their Spirit may be delivered in the day of the Lord Jesus. God is gracious, and though not everything makes sense to us, He is looking to save people. Praise the Lord He is in control!!!

Nums 13

Nums 13

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess it. For we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30).

Hey gang! We are halfway through the week and mostly through the conference. It has been a tremendous blessing!!! We have had so much fun, but more importantly, the Lord has spoken to both of us a lot. Continue to pray for us, as we are being equipped and look to come back better youth leaders.

Anywho (Anywho is not a real word), let us dig into the text. Most of you are familiar with this story. The Lord calls Israel to enter Canaan and overcome it. Now, if you have ever read the book of Joshua you know that Israel wipes out anything in the way making Sherman’s March look like the Macy’s parade compared to the awesome devastation they delivered. Yet Israel was still scared. Their God had delivered them from the world empire and they were frightened!!! Let us look why.

Realistically speaking Israel had good reason to be scared. They have no trained soldiers. They had no home or walls to run to. They were just people taking over Canaan. Countries with no armies avoid war. The difference is, Israel had God and the promises of God.

What about for us. Has Jesus ever told you to do something and it just did not make sense? What promises of God do we hold onto? I think of 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it. “ God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. You may be going through tough times right now however He will always make an escape. You can have complete faith in Him! Look for Jesus in trials. Find Him, escape, claw, grip, push, run, endure. Do whatever it takes to follow Jesus.

Look at the faith of Caleb. He believed that Jesus would take of the rest. He tells them that “We are well able to overcome it.” Romans 8:37 tells us, “But in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” I love that. I do not know what it means entirely. How do you more than conquer something? That would be like going to play a sport and more than beating the other team. This is the power of our Lord. We see forty-years later that Israel would enter Canaan and devastate it. God has given us the power to more than conquer.

Maybe you feel a slave to certain sins in your life. Maybe you feel a slave to certain situations. Maybe a slave to people. Maybe a slave to your own desires. The world would call these giants. I encourage you, lean on Jesus. Grow. Take the next step you need to take in your spiritual walk. Become more than a conqueror in Jesus.