“I See Him, But Not Now” [Matt's Messages]

“I See Him, But Not Now”

The Bright Star of Bethlehem

Lanse Evangelical Free Church

December 15, 2024 :: Numbers 24:17

If I were tell you that, today, we’re going to read a story in the Bible about a star, a donkey, a pagan magi-ician from the East, the Angel of the Lord appearing, a king in Israel, and the pronouncement of an ancient prophecy, where in the Bible would you expect us to be?

One of the Gospels, right? 

If you were taking John’s class on “Where Are You in the Bible,” you might expect to be in the Gospel of Luke chapter two or the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2. 

And we’ll get there. Lord-willing, next week. But today, we’re going to go way back in our Bibles to the Book of Numbers chapter 24. 

This story takes place nearly 1,500 years before the story we read last week in the Gospel of John! This story takes place almost 3,500 years ago!!

Historically, this time of year for the last decade or so, we like to dig back into our Old Testament and see how it anticipated the coming of the Messiah. Last year, we were in Deuteronomy, for example. But this week, we’re going even further back to Numbers. I’ve been threatening to preach this particular passage for many years, and it seemed like this was finally the year. Our Prayer Meeting group is studying the Book of Numbers right now. We’ve made it up to chapter 7, and you’re welcome to join us for chapter 8 this coming Wednesday. We’d love to have you.

This passage in Numbers has the first reference in the whole Bible to a single star. The stars have been mentioned already, all of them. They were created and Abraham was told that he’s going to have as many offspring as the stars, but this is the first time that one single star is singled out.

It’s in the fourth oracle of the pagan prophet Balaam. Let me just read one verse to you, and then we’ll try to understand who and where it comes from and what it means. It’s chapter 24, verse 17.

Balaam says, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.”

Okay. Exciting and mysterious, right?

The first thing we need to understand is who is the “I” in verse 17. Who is this guy named “Balaam?” And how does he come to be talking about this star?

Well, it’s long and crazy story. If you want to get the whole thing, you’ll have to come and join us for prayer meeting or read it all on your own, maybe this afternoon before caroling, under a blanket while you watch the snow fall outside your window. [I taught through it previously in 2007: "Balaam and the Blessing of Israel" Part One and Part Two.]

The story starts with a king named Balak. Balak is the king of Moab, and he hates and is terrified of the nation of Israel. Israel has been rescued from Egypt by the LORD (that’s the previous book of Exodus) and has been mustered to march into the Promised Land. And they have marched through the desert and, on the way, have defeated Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan. And Balak is worried that he and Moab are next on Israel’s conquer list.

Israel is camped across the Jordan from Jericho in the Promised Land on “the plains of Moab,” and Balak of king of Moab is shaking in his boots. So, Balak decides to hire a pagan prophet from Mesopotamia to put a curse on Israel.

I know that’s weird. We don’t tend to do that sort of thing today (though we’re all looking for “an edge,”) but they did. Balak was worried that his army couldn’t defeat Israel on it’s own, so he needed a secret weapon. He need magic. He needed power. And this guy named “Balaam” was famous for being powerful. Balaam appears in historical texts outside of the Bible, as well. He was a famous diviner. And he lived 400 miles away in the East. So Balak sends guys with money to go hire this guy to curse Israel.

How do you think that’s going to go?

Well, it’s a crazy story! In fact, it’s very funny. It’s totally a comedy. These two guys, Balak and Balaam, are ridiculous. They are trying so hard to curse Israel, and they are just thwarted at every turn. It’s like the bumbling criminals trying to break into the house in “Home Alone.”

Balak hates Israel, and Balaam loves money. So Balak tries to hire Balaam, and Balaam wants to earn the money. But he knows something about the LORD, Yahweh, the God of Israel. He knows that he can’t curse Israel without the LORD’s authorization. And the LORD says to Balaam, “No. You can’t curse Israel. I have blessed them (read Genesis 12, buddy!).”

So, the first time, he sends Balak’s guys back to him. The answer is “no can do.”

But Balak thinks it’s just a negotiating tactic, and Balaam just wants more money. So he sends them back with more money. And Balaam does want the more money, so he tells them that he is going to come. And the LORD does tell him that he can go, but also that he can only say what the LORD tells him to say. All this is in chapter 22 if you want to study it.

Balaam gets on his donkey and rides towards Israel with, apparently now, the intent to curse them. And the LORD sends His angel to stand in the way.

I wonder if it’s the same angel that says to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:10-11).

I don’t know. And Balaam doesn’t know either. He can’t even see the angel! Only his donkey can! Do you know this story?

Donkeys are not known for being really smart, right? Well, Balaam is dumber than his donkey. The donkey stops because he can see the angel of the LORD. He’s blocking the way! And Balaam starts beating his poor donkey, trying to get him to keep going.

And, here’s a miracle, the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she speaks to Balaam! She says, “What have I done to deserve this?”

And Balaam doesn’t blink. He just talks back to the donkey! Like they always have these conversations. “You’ve made a fool of me [Donkey!]. If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you” (23:29).

And then the LORD opened this pagan prophet’s eyes, to see that there was a sword there, it was in the angel’s hand. The donkey had saved Balaam life! And Balaam is humbled. He offers to go back, but the LORD says, “Go ahead. But you can only say what I tell you to.”

Crazy story, isn’t it?

Well, in chapter 23, Balak and Balaam do all of these sacrifices to get things ready for Balaam to curse Israel. Like three times in three different locations. Different vantage points to try to get the magical upper hand over Israel. And all the time, Balaam can only say what the LORD puts in his mouth. Which is blessing. Balak is paying for cursing. But Balaam can only do blessing.

It’s so funny! The LORD’s having fun with these guys!

One time, Balaam starts to speak, and he says, “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end by like theirs!” (23:8-10).

Isn’t that beautiful?! He learned that from a donkey! 

And it sure drove Balak mad! Balak drags him to all of these different places to curse Israel, and everything that comes out of Balaam’s mouth is blessing. One last time, Balak takes Balaam up to a place called “Peor” which apparently you can see over this vast wasteland and probably a major portion of the people of Israel camped on the plains of Moab. 

Balak just doesn’t know when to stop! But Balaam does. Look at the beginning of chapter 24, because this is the context of his prophecy of the star. Verse 1.

“Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert. When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

‘How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! ‘Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. ‘Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. 

‘God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness–who dares to rouse them? 

‘May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!’

Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, ‘I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded.’

Balaam answered Balak, ‘Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 'Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the LORD–and I must say only what the LORD says'? Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.’

Then he uttered his oracle [the key one for our purposes today]: ‘The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: 

‘I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.’” (Numbers 24:1-19).

So, that’s who Balaam is.

What or Who is this star?

Is it a star like up in the heavens or is it a person, a man? I think maybe the answer to that is, “Yes.”

It’s clearly a person. Verse 17 says, “He,” and verse 19 says, “A ruler.”

A “star” in the Ancient Near East could be a way of talking about a king, especially one who is seen to be special in some way, divine, a gift from the gods or a god himself.  He is a “star.”

We use that word for special people, too, don’t we? Celebrities. The top people in any society are “the stars.” We have “Dancing with the Stars!”

In the parallelism of verse 17, He is not just a “star;” he is “a scepter.” “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Same person. Star and ruler.

And Balaam could see him! The Spirit of God had come upon this pagan prophet and given him insight into the future (24:2). And in the future, according to Balaam, was a Star.

I’ve got four points this morning about verse 17, and they are all very simple and very important for our lives today. Here’s number one.

#1. THE STAR WILL COME.

Balaam can see it.

It’s very hazy to him. In my mind, he’s kind of like squinting. Looking down the corridors of time. “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.”

“He’s not here yet. We’re not even close. But he’s coming. This star, this scepter is going to come out of Jacob. He’s going to be a king from and over Israel. I can see him. I can’t quite make out his face or tell you his name, but he is special.”

Who do you think he is? 

I think his name is...David. I think Balaam was looking about three or four hundred years down the timeline and predicting the coming of King David. You see what he says about him in verses 17, 18, and 19?

“He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.”

Check out 2 Samuel 8 and 1 Kings 11 and 1 Chronicles 18 to read how David defeated Moab and Edom and Seir.

Balaam could see King David conquering. The star will come.

 

But most of you didn’t say, “David” when I asked. Because you think of someone else when you read verse 17, don’t you? You think about the Messiah. You think about the Christ. And while David was A messiah (an anointed one), he wasn’t THE Messiah, was he? No, he was not.

And, interestingly, many of the Jews didn’t think David was the fullest fulfilment of verse 17, either. They could see how he started filling up this verse, but they expected someone more as well. The Dead Sea Scrolls indicate that many of the Jews in the Old Testament period interpreted verse 17 as a prophecy of the Messiah. “Around 100 B.C., the Hasmonean king Alexander Janneus had the star imprinted upon some of the royal coins, thereby implicating him as the conquering star of Numbers 24:17” (R. Dennis Cole, NAC Commentary in Numbers, pg. 426).

Even some Jews long after Jesus (133 AD) called one of their leaders Simon Bar Kokhba “Son of the Star” thinking that he was their messiah!

Balaam may have seen much further down the time line. “I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near.” Maybe 1,500 years? 

Maybe Balaam was seeing Jesus?  [See this helpful summary of Christian perspectives on this.] When he was saying, “out of Jacob” and “out of Israel,” maybe Balaam was sensing the genealogies of Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3? 

Balaam might have actually been seeing the first Christmas. I wouldn’t put it past God to do something like that.

Old Testament prophecy is a funny thing, isn’t it? 

Remember what Peter said about it in his first letter? He wrote, “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things” (1 Pet. 1:10-12).

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob...”

What difference does that make for us today? Well, for one thing, it reminds us to be patient. God has promised a lot of things, but He didn’t promise that they would all come quickly.

Which promises of God are you waiting on these days? They will come true! God always keeps His promises. You can see that here. Even his promises that come through a pagan magician who did not even belong to the LORD! How much more will God keep His precious promises to His people? But not necessarily right away. Not on our time table. The theology of Advent tells us to wait and wait patiently.

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.”  We have to wait. But we’re waiting for Him to win.

#2. THE STAR WILL WIN.

When this Star comes, He’s going to start beating heads in. Look again at verse 17.

“A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.”

He is not a loser. He is a winner. And He defeats all of the enemies around Him.

This is not glorying in the violence; it’s glorying in the victory.

For David, that meant beating the Philistines and all of the surrounding nations so that there was, for a time, peace in his kingdom. But, of course, those enemies aren’t the worst enemies that God’s people will face, and I think that verse 17 hints, at least, that this Star will defeat ALL of God’s enemies once and for all.

Like David prophesied in Psalm 110:

“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’ The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head” (Psalm 110:1-7).

And what a day that will be?! Every one of His enemies will be crushed?! Every one of His people’s enemies will be defeated forever. 

Do you have enemies? You sure do. The world, the flesh, and the devil. The external, the internal, and the infernal enemies.

Let me tell you something, one day the Star will defeat all of those enemies forever and ever.

He started it at the Cross. Right? He defeated His enemies there in a way that we would never have imagined. He defeated them by dying. Not just by His strength but by His weakness. And in rising again, He overcame the world. And that gives us hope, and that gives us peace.

Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33).

The Star has won! And the Star will win. Good news! I’ve read the end of this book, and Jesus wins! 

Don’t be scared. Don’t live in fear. What are you facing right now? Is it scary? I believe it is. But Jesus has overcome the world. Jesus has won, is winning, and will win forever. And if we are His people, we are winning forever, too.

That’s the whole point of this whole section of the book of Numbers. God’s people cannot ultimately lose. They cannot ultimately be cursed. They can only be blessed in the long run. No matter what powerful weapons our enemies throw at us. Even death.

The question is not if the Star will win for God’s people, but are you and I part of God’s people?

Balaam was not. At one point, he actually wished he was. But he loved money too much. When you read about Balaam in the rest of the Bible, it’s not what an amazing prophet he was, but how the love of money was his downfall and how he led others into sin.

Balaam was blessed to see the Star, but he never put his faith and trust in the Star. He never repented and came to be one of the people of the Star.

Don’t be like Balaam! Repent and believe in Jesus. Come into His kingdom and be One of His citizens. Jesus died and rose again so that we could stop being His enemies and become His friends, even become His very people. The Star will win, and all of His people will enjoy His light forever.

But if you and I are not His people, ours will be among the skulls that are crushed.

As I was writing this message, my head and heart kept filling up with the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel’s Messiah. 

“Hallelujah! The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever! Hallelujah!”

#3. THE STAR WILL REIGN.

He’s not just going to win. He’s going to reign. Look at again at what verse 17 says: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.”

He’s not just star; He’s a scepter. He’s a ruler. He is royal! He’s a king, with a kingdom. And it’s the kingdom that Balaam hasn’t been able to stop predicting for three whole chapters! That beautiful picture of Israel safe, and happy, and blessed.

Like verse 5. “How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted” (vv.5-7). 

And that’s just for starters. Think about all of what Jesus has promised that His kingdom will be like! The blessing of David’s kingdom was just foretaste. In the Kingdom of the Star and Scepter, there will be no evil.

There will be no darkness.

There will be only light!

Everything will be set right again.

Everything will be the way it should be. Should have been.

Everything broken will be fixed.

The curse will be reversed.

“No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found!” (“Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts)

It is possible that Balaam was actually seeing 3,500 years down the timeline or even further? When the kingdom comes?! And that gives us all of the hope in the world, and all of the joy.

#4. THE STAR WILL SHINE.

Jesus came and said that He is “The Light of the World.” We memorized that this year in John 8:12, and it’s our theme for Advent, too. And it’s true! He shines in all of His bright glory and He deserves all of our praise.

Yes, I think this Star is a Person.

But might it be a star-star, as well?

Maybe so. There is evidence that the Magi, those mysterious people, like Balaam, from the East, read Numbers 24:17 when they saw that other mysterious star appear in the heavens.

It makes sense that if Jesus is a Star that a star might mark His arrival. So, next week, we’ll think some more about that in Matthew chapter 2 with the Bright Star of Bethlehem.

But right now, we must sing because this truth is too good to just nod our heads and silently agree. We must lift up our voices to sing with patient hope, and abiding peace, and unending joy that the Star has come, has won, will reign and shine forever!

***

Previous “Messianic Messages” in this series:

2013 "Long Expected Lion" - Genesis 49:8-12

2014 “O Immanuel!” - Isaiah 7:1-8:10

2015 First Gospel - Genesis 3:15

2016 “A Shoot from the Stump of Jesse” - Isaiah 11:1-16 [Plus see the follow-up on "The Root of Jesse!"]

2017 "He Will Reign Forever and Ever" - Isaiah 9:6-7

2020 "Remember David" - Psalm 132 and "My Son" - Psalm 2

2021 "Go Tell It On the Mountain" - Isaiah 40:9-11

2022 “I Have Loved You With An Everlasting Love” - Jeremiah 31:1-26

2023 The Promise of the Prophet - Deuteronomy 18:9-22

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[Matt's Messages] "Grumbling" (Part Two)

“Grumbling (Part Two)”
The Tongue of the Wise - Spring 2013
May 5, 2013 :: Numbers 11:1-35

This message is called “Grumbling (Part Two)” following last week’s message not surprisingly called “Grumbling (Part One)” from Exodus 15 and 16.

And you might be wondering why we need a part two. Last week, we talked about grumbling (grumble, grumble, grumble) and murmuring (murmur, murmur, murmur), and we said a lot about it.  Why do we need another message on grumbling?

Let me ask you a question. You listened to last week’s message on grumbling. Did you still grumble this week?

I know that I did. I caught myself faster. I repented faster. But I still did it.

And that was the case with Israel, too. Even though God had confronted their grumbling in Exodus 15 and 16, here they were in Numbers 11 doing it again.

What has happened between Exodus 16 and Numbers 11?  A lot, really.  They have marched from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai where God has graciously given them the Law and the Tabernacle.  They have received the Holy Constitution of the Nation of Israel, and God Himself has moved into the middle of their camp. God took up residence in the big tent at the center of town and now lives among His people.

And they have numbered the people and gotten arranged by tribes with God at their center and prepared to triumphantly march to the Promised Land.

But. However.

In the world of finance, a “Chapter 11" is a bankruptcy.

And that’s essentially what happens in Numbers chapter 11.

The people of Israel are shown to be spiritually bankrupt.

And it comes out in grumbling. It comes out in complaining.

Numbers chapter 11, verse 1.

“Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.  When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the LORD and the fire died down.  So that place was called Taberah [BURNING], because fire from the LORD had burned among them.”

“Now the people complained.”  It doesn’t sound that bad, does it?

I mean, we all complain. Every day, right?

It’s interesting that in the book of Numbers there are no complaints for the first 10 chapters. You might remember when we studied this book together years ago that the first 10 chapters of Number are very positive.

The Israelites didn’t complain for the first 10 chapters.  No real hint of it.  But here, three days into their journey, they complain.

It appears that they encountered some hardships. We’re not sure whether those were real or imagined hardships.  But we do know that they complained about it “in the hearing of the LORD.” [Which, by the way, is wherever you are.  He doesn’t miss a thing!]

V.1 “And when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.”

So is complaining and grumbling a big deal or just a little one?

The Bible says that it “aroused” God’s anger.  So much so that he set fire to the outskirts of the camp.  We don’t know if that was just tents or people or what.  But it was terrifying.

And the people cried out to Moses, and Moses called out to God, and God made the fire die down.  So they named that place “Burning.”

Complaining (or grumbling or murmuring) is a big deal.

It’s a real bad sin.

We tend to downplay the sinfulness of complaining because we live with it all the time.

Most of us don’t even try to stop it.

I was explaining something to Marilynn in the office this week, and I had say, all of a sudden, “I’m sorry. I’m complaining. I’ll shut up now.” And I changed the subject.

Did you have a similar experience this week?

God takes grumbling, rebellious complaining, seriously.

And the Israelites found that out first hand.

Because (#1) GOD IS HOLY.

All sin is abhorrent to God.  All sin is detestable in His sight.

And the sin of grumbling is no different.

It’s not an insignificant little trifle that God just overlooks.

God is holy.  And He says to not grumble.

Grumbling arouses His wrath.

Ever think about it like that?

I often don’t.  It’s easy for me to slip into complaining-mode. I did it many times over the last few months while working on the editing of my book.

But that doesn’t make it right.

We tend to think that grumbling is our right.

We don’t like something, so we have a right to complain.

But the problem with complaining is not just that God is holy, so we shouldn’t do it, but that (#2) GOD IS GENEROUS!  So we shouldn’t do it!

We saw this last week.  Israel had seen it again and again.

But when our hearts are not in the right place, we can’t see that.

That’s what happened to Israel at a place called “Kibroth Hattaavah.” Verse 4.

“The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat!”

The “rabble” here are the Gentiles who were attached to Israel and lived on the outskirts of the camp but had not fully assimilated to the people of Israel yet.

The “rabble” led the way in complaining. And notice where their complaining came from–cravings.

Complaining comes from craving.  Note that down.

Complaining comes from craving.  A craving is a desire that is out of whack.

Are desires bad? No.

Desires aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves.  But when a desire becomes a need, becomes a demand, becomes something you can’t be happy without, it turns into a craving.  And cravings lead to complaining.

What have you been craving recently that is leading to your complaining?

For the Israelites here, what they wanted so bad was meat to eat.

And it led to (v.4), “Wailing!”  They were really yelling this one.

“If only we had meat to eat!”  V.5

“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost–also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”  Blech!

Notice how cravings distort the facts!

Just like last week, these guys have talked themselves into believing that they were living it up back in Egypt!

Yeah!  Back when they were slaves making bricks without straw!  That was the life!

But their cravings have made them forget how it really was.

And how generous God really is.

Catch this: They’re complaining about manna!

Last week we saw that manna was the answer to their grumbling. God was gracious and gave them daily bread. Now they are grumbling about that!

Verse 7 reminds us what manna is.

“The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil.  When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.”

Was manna good?  You bet it was!  The NIV for verse 8 doesn’t really get across the idea, “It tasted like something made with olive oil.”  You know, that “something” there could be translated “pastry.”  It tasted like a little pastry with olive oil.

It was mmm mmm good!

And it was free!

Did they have to work really hard to get it?  No!

Just go out and pick it up.  And we saw last week that they didn’t even have to pick it up on the Sabbath.  They got a double dose the day before.

But here they are grumbling.

Bread from heaven!  “The original Angel Food Cake!”  (Iain Duguid, pg. 150)

And they’re complaining!

And you and I say, “How ridiculous.”

But how often do we do the exact same thing?

We look at the gifts God has generously given us, and we find something to complain about.

I remember about five or six years ago, we had to take Isaac to the ER because he was having trouble breathing.

He had a bad cold and cough that apparently had overwhelmed his lungs.

It was a little scary watching him suck in the air and have a hard time breathing.

The little guy got an x-ray, diodes stuck on him all over the place, oxygen coming into his nose, a little thingergigger on his thumb to give his vitals to the computer.

And he got over an hour’s worth of breathing treatments that night.

And then Isaac bounced back in a big way.  We were really proud and happy for him!

And you know what I remember about that night, I missed my supper.

Just about as soon as Isaac seemed to be doing a lot better, I began to complain (inwardly) that I hadn’t been able to have my dinner.

There I was looking at my son who was breathing freely once more, and I’m giving thanks to God for it.

And in the same breath, I’m grumbling that my tummy is empty!

God is generous!  Don’t grumble.

The editing process on my book has been stressful this Spring.

But what I should be thinking about is how I have the privilege of being published in the Fall!

It’s manna. And I am grumbling!

How about you?  Have you been grumbling recently about manna?

What do you need to repent of and change?

Have you ever noticed that complaining is contagious?

If you are around complainers, chances are you’ll become a complainer, too.

Watch out who your friends are, including whom you listen to on Facebook or Google Plus or wherever. And what you “like.” Are you liking someone else’s grumbling? Are you sharing it? Are you passing it around?

On the other hand, when you’re around thankful, happy, content people, it’s a lot easier to be thankful and happy and content.

Well, the contagious disease of complaining had spread from the “rabble” to the families of Israel. Verse 10.

“Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent [what a pathetic image!]. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled.”

Now, here’s where Moses goes wrong in this story.

I call this, “Moses’ Pity Party.” He starts grumbling, too.  V.11

“He asked the LORD, ‘Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?  Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers?  Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, 'Give us meat to eat!'  I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.  If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now–if I have found favor in your eyes–and do not let me face my own ruin.’”

Did you notice how self-focused he is?

Complaining is all about me.

Me, me, me, me, me.

And look how generous God is to him!  V.16

“The LORD said to Moses: ‘Bring me seventy of Israel's elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you.  I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.”

God is so generous!  Why would we ever grumble?

God knows what Moses needs.  So He promises to lighten to load.

And at the same time, He is also just.  Verse 18.

“Tell the people: 'Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The LORD heard you when you wailed, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!’ Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it.  You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month–until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it–because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”

Notice that in God’s eyes, complaining amounts to rebellion.  Look at verse 20 again.

“You have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”

Ultimately, complaining is rejecting the LORD.  The King James Version says, “despised” here.

“You have despised the LORD.”

When we grumble, we put the LORD on trial (even when we aren’t thinking about the LORD!), and we’re saying that He is bad and something else that we want is better.

We are breaking covenant with Him!

“You have rejected the LORD.”

But does God break covenant with us?  No. He’s faithful.

(#3) GOD IS FAITHFUL.  Don’t grumble!

“You have rejected the LORD, who is among you,”

He’s right here being faithful.  And you want to go back to Egypt?

Let me put this in stark terms.  It’s like a former Christian saying, “Jesus, I don’t want your salvation any more.  Thanks but no thanks for your Cross. I’m going back to my old way of life.”

Now, we don’t normally go that far with most of our complaining, but that kind of treachery is still inherent in each of our grumbles.

And it’s so sad because God is so faithful.

And here, Moses still doesn’t get it yet! He still focused on himself and comes out with another complaint.  Verse 21.

“But Moses said, ‘Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!'  Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?’”

In other words, “How am I ever going to pull this one off? Why are you promising this. How am I ever going to pull that off. I can’t do it.”

And the LORD says, “You won’t, Moses you dummy.  I’m going to do it!”  V.23

“The LORD answered Moses, ‘Is the LORD's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.’”

I love that question.  We need to remind ourselves of that question again and again and again.  “Is the LORD’s arm too short?”

Is anything to difficult for the LORD?

No way!  “He is able, more than able!”

(#4) GOD IS POWERFUL!

His arm is not too short.

Didn’t He do the 10 plagues against Pharoah?
Didn’t He part the Red Sea?
Didn’t He provide the manna?
Didn’t He give the water from the rock?
Didn’t He come down on Mount Sinai?
Didn’t He fill the Tabernacle with his glory?

“Is the LORD’s arm too short?”

Do you need to be asked that question today?

“Is the LORD’s arm too short?”

Maybe you’re going through something really difficult right now.  Impossible.

God is the God of the impossible.

His arm is not too short.

Don’t give in to the temptation to whine and complain and focus on yourself.

Look up! See this God who is Holy, and Generous, and Faithful, and Powerful!

His arm is not too short to accomplish what concerns you today.

Don’t grumble. Trust.

Finally, Moses got the message.  V.24

“So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the Tent. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again.”

I’m not sure all of what was happening here, but it was transferring some of the Spirit’s power onto these elders to help Moses with the burden of leading the people.  The prophesied in some way to indicate that the Spirit was on them in a special way.

And it happened in the camp, too.  V.26

“However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but [for some reason] did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.  A young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’  Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, ‘Moses, my lord, stop them!’”

Joshua is concerned that there might be a power struggle.

But Moses doesn’t complain.  Instead, he speaks in faith.  V.29

“But Moses replied, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!’ Then Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.”

You see, Moses gets it now.  God is powerful.  God has more than enough Spirit to empower whomever He wants.

I think that the ultimate fulfillment of Moses’ wish happened at Pentecost when the Spirit came to indwell all believers the same!

God is Powerful.

But His power isn’t used willy-nilly.  He isn’t moody and capricious.

(#5)  GOD IS JUST.

He always does what is right.  And His great power is always put to righteous use.

God is Just.  And His justice is what we see in verse 31.

“Now a wind went out from the LORD and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction.”

I call this, “A Quail Storm.”  And it is the justice of God.  V.32.

“All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. [Look at the footnote: “That is, probably about 60 bushels.”  The people who gathered the least, picked up 60 bushels full of quail!] Then they spread them out all around the camp.  But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. [Many died.] Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, [GRAVES OF CRAVING] because there they buried the people who had craved other food.  From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth and stayed there.”

God is Just.

Notice how the punishment fits the crime?

You want meat?  You’ll get meat!

You reject me?  I’ll give you what you want.  It won’t be satisfying.

Call the place, “Dead Meat” if you want.  “Graves of Craving.”

If we follow our deceptive cravings to their natural end, they will lead to death.

Only God is truly satisfying!

Sometimes, we might think that God is being too harsh.

But He’s not.  He’s perfectly just.

Don’t grumble.

Because God is Holy.  His Anger Burns Against Complaining.  It’s a terrible sin.
Don’t grumble.

Because God is Generous. He gives good gifts to His people.  Not what we say to ourselves in our deceitful cravings.
Don’t grumble.

Because God is Faithful. He keeps His covenant.  Even when we don’t!
Don’t grumble.

Because God is Powerful. His arm is not too short!  He has plenty of Spirit to go around!
Don’t grumble.

Because God is Just. He does what is right all the time.
Don’t grumble.

And one more.

Because God is Gracious.

You know why I say that?

Because this failure in the wilderness is not the end.

He was merciful all along.  His fire ate up only the outskirts of the camp.

Moses wasn’t burnt to a crisp for his pity party.

God responded to the people’s prayers with mercy.

But one day, many years later, He sent His Son Jesus to do what we could not do on our own.

Jesus passed the test in His wilderness!

Jesus never complained.

Just think about that.

Jesus never sinned.  So He never sinfully complained.

He never murmured or grumbled.

He never complained.

The Bible says, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).

And Jesus carried the full burden of the people.

Moses couldn’t handle it all and needed 70 helpers.

But Jesus took the whole burden on Himself and carried it to the Cross.

God is gracious.  He sent His Son to do what we could not do.

I’ve said, “Don’t Grumble!” many times this week and last.

But it’s a lot easier to say than it is to do.

But Jesus did it.  And He did for me and you.

On the Cross, Jesus took our place.  He paid the penalty for my sinful grumbling.

And He gave me His perfect track record of thankful, contented speech.

And now, because of Jesus and His Cross, I can be thankful, and contented, too.

Because of His Spirit is resting on me (even though I’m not at the Tent of Meeting!), I can change into a contented, thankful man.

I can keep from grumbling because of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

If you belong to Jesus, you can too.

Don’t grumble.

Trust Jesus.

***

Messages in this Series:

1. The Fearsome Tongue
2. Sweet Words
3. Grumbling (Part One)

Read More

Numbers: Life in the Wilderness

1. Why Numbers? [Numbers 1:1]

2. Take a Census [Numbers 1:1-2:34]

3. Count the Levites [Numbers 3:1-4:49]

4. Purity in the Wilderness [Numbers 5:1-31]

5. The Law of the Nazirite [Numbers 6:1-21]

6. I Will Bless Them [Numbers 6:22-27]

7. Offerings [Numbers 7:1-89]

8. Substitution & Celebration [Numbers 8:1-9:14]

9. Marching Orders [Numbers 9:15-10:36]

10. Don’t Complain! [Numbers 11:1-35]

11. Envy Vs. Humility [Numbers 12:1-16]

12. The Retreat of Unbelief [Numbers 13:1-14:45]

13. I Am the LORD Your God [Numbers 15:1-41]

14. Korah’s Rebellion [Numbers 16:1-50]

15. The Grace of God [Numbers 17:1-19:22]

16. End of an Era [Numbers 20:1-29]

17. Snake On A Pole [Numbers 21:1-9]

18. Nowheresville [Numbers 21:10-35]

19. Balaam and the Blessing of Israel (Part One) [Numbers 22:1-38]

20. Balaam and the Blessing of Israel (Part Two) [Numbers 22:39-24:25]

21. Zealous [Numbers 25:1-18]

22. Take a Census (Again) [Numbers 26:1-27:23]

23. Holy Days [Numbers 28:1-29:40]

24. Summing Up Numbers [Numbers 29:1-36:13]

Read More

Matt's Messages - Summing Up Numbers

“Summing Up Numbers”
Life in the Wilderness
September 9, 2007
Numbers 30:1-36:13

As I’ve been praying and thinking about what our church needs right now in our spiritual diet from the feast of God’s Word, I’ve become convinced that we should rapidly end our study of Numbers and move on to something else.

I think that you’ll agree that we’ve found Numbers to be an amazing book. Perhaps the strangest book of the Bible that we’ve studied so far. It’s been full of numbers! Numbers of people, numbers of clans, numbers of sacrifices, numbers of disappoints, numbers of times that God has come through for His people.

We’ve experienced together a taste of “Life in the Wilderness,” living in that place between God’s Rescue and the Promised Land.

As I said the first Sunday of this series, way back on January 7th, we have studied the book of Numbers because it is Holy Scripture. Numbers is God’s Word to us. And I think we’ve heard from Him again and again as we’ve learned about the censuses, the concentric circles of holiness in the camp, the blessings of the LORD, the Retreat of Unbelief, the battle with Baalam, the dangers of complaining and envy and disobedience, and the blessings of purity, obedience, and zeal.

I told you on January 7th, that preaching the book of Numbers is my gift to you. I desire greatly that our little church would know the Big Picture of the Bible. That everyone from our smallest children to our most senior saints would know the Big Story of Genesis through Revelation. And so, on odd numbered years, I’ve planned to take us through the foundation books of the Old Testament that carry that story through. Genesis in 2003, Exodus in 2005, and Numbers in 2007.

Not only is this a great book, but preaching it has been an opportunity for me to give you a great gift. Few people have ever heard a sermon on Numbers, much less been taught the entire book. I love you and wanted you to have that gift.

And the third reason I told you back in January why we took on book of Numbers, is that Jesus is here in Numbers. And we’ve seen Him every week.

His name is not here, but there are signposts in every chapter. Numbers is a part of God’s revelation of His character. And Jesus is the fullest revelation of God. “Every story whispers His name.”

And I think that today, God is calling us to “sum up” the book of Numbers and finish our slow trek through its pages. This is the 24th sermon in Numbers, and I think it should be our last for this series. “Summing Up Numbers”

I’m going to do the preaching a little differently today, I’m not going to read all of the verses. If I did, it would take the whole time. In fact, I’m going summarize a lot here so that we can cover 7 chapters in one sermon.

And as we go through these last summary chapters, I want to point out 5 things we can see about God in them. They are 5 things that we’ve seen all along in the book about God. Because God is the Main Character in the book of Numbers. And each of these facets of God’s character call for a personal response. So that will be our application as we sum up the book of Numbers.

***

Pop quiz! I’m sure you expected it on the last day of Numbers!

Where are the people of Israel right now?

Are they in the Promised Land? No they are not.

Where are they? They are parked on the plains of Moab, right across from the Promised Land, right across the Jordan River, right across from the city of Jericho.

And the last several chapters of the book of Numbers are concerned with getting the people of Israel ready to cross over, conquer, inherit, and possess the Promised Land.

They have offspring, they have blessing, they will soon have land.

Last week, we saw that chapters 28 and 29 got the people ready for sacrifices on Holy Days in the Promised Land. It laid out the Holy Calendar for the people of God.

In chapter 30, God is getting them ready for the Land by explaining the laws concerning vows.

Vows were religious promises made, and they should be kept. Chapter 30, verse 1.

“Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: ‘This is what the LORD commands: When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”

Often, a man would tell the Lord, that if the Lord would give him some success in some endeavor, then that man would vow to offer a certain sacrifice or set of sacrifices in thanksgiving. This never obligated God, but it did obligate the man.

And he should keep his obligation.

But the chapter then goes on to explain what would happen if a woman made a vow. What if a woman wanted to promise God something if He did something for her?

Chapter 30 teaches through various situations that a woman could make a vow, but if she was a minor still in her father’s home or an engaged woman, or a married woman under the headship of her husband, if her husband considered the vow hasty or rash, he could nullify it. And that would be a protection for their family.

I used to think that this chapter was unfair. That women were treated as less than equal with their husbands. But I now see that this chapter is about protecting women who were in a difficult place in the social setting of the ancient Near East. V.8 and v.15 use the words “rash promise” and “responsible for guilt.”

This is about protecting a young woman or a wife from the consequences and obligations of a bad decision.

If it is unfair, it is unfair to the man. Because men make rash vows, too! But they would have to keep each one. That’s part of the responsibility of headship.

Remember headship? I preached on the biblical teaching on headship almost a year ago today. Husbands are called to lead, provide, and protect their wives. They are called to a greater level of responsibility for the women in their lives.

And here’s why. It’s point #1. In “Summing up Numbers,” we find a GOD WHO CARES.

God cares about His people. Especially those people who are weak or oppressed or in difficult situations.

We’ve seen this again and again in the book of Numbers. Here it is women. In earlier chapters it was hungry Israelites, it was unclean Israelites, it was thirsty Israelites, it was attacked Israelites. It was Zelophehad’s orphaned daughters. He took care of them all.

God cares about His people. Especially His people in weak situations.

Do you need to hear that today? It jumped off the pages to me this week as I was studying this.

I’ve always turned my nose up at Numbers chapter 30 as old-news that might even put down women. But I saw this week that God wanted, as they went into the Land, that His men provide protection for His women.

Because God cares. Do you need to know that God cares? 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Cast your cares on Him.

But that’s not all that God is.

Some people would like to think of God as caring, yes, but not as wrathful.

But the very next chapter shows us His perfect justice.

We see in chapters 31 and 32, (#2) A GOD WHO JUDGES.

In chapter 31, God calls for a holy war. Look at chapter 31, verse 1.

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Take vengeance on the Midianites for the Israelites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.’”

This is Moses’ last military assignment. He is supposed to take vengeance on the Midianites.

Why? Remember Baalam in chapters 22 through 24? The Midianites were in on that.

And they really in on the sneak attack on Israel in chapter 25. That’s when the women of Midian and Moab snuck in and seduced Israel so that they were almost destroyed from inside. Remember that?

If it wasn’t for zealous Phinehas, Israel would have been destroyed.

And now God is telling Moses that Midian’s time is up. They need to bring judgment.

This isn’t a personal vendetta. This it the LORD’s perfect justice in the LORD’s perfect time.

So they put together a crack team of 12,000 soldiers, one thousand from each tribe. Led by zealous Phinehas. And they fought the Midianites.

And God, because He is just, gave them victory. Overwhelming victory with amazing spoils and (catch this!) no casualties on the Israelite side (chapter 31, verse 49)!

They succeeded in killing the five kings of Midian, including Cozbi’s evil father, Zur (Chapter 31, verse 8).

And they also caught the Osama bin Laden of their day–Baalam son of Beor and brought God’s justice to him.

We don’t understand Holy War because we don’t live in Old Testament times. There will be no more legitimate holy war until Christ returns and wages the Last Battle.

But this kind of war was a demonstration of the perfect justice of God.

They had attacked God’s people, they would get God’s vengeance.

Now, that’s a scarey thing. But it’s also a wonderful truth.

God will see that justice is done. He doesn’t always do it on our time-table (in fact, He seldom does, especially because He is so patient and gracious!). But He will see that perfect justice is done.

We’ve seen that over and over again in the book of Numbers. God’s discipline and judgment. Forty years of wilderness wanderings. An entire generation of Israelites dead in the desert.

God takes sin seriously.

In this story, they had spared the women. And normally, God wants that to happen.

But in the case of the Midianites, it was the wicked women who had infiltrated Israel with their seduction, so everyone woman who had slept with a man had to be executed.

We think that is harsh, but in that day, it was a mercy to Israel, or they would have been trapped again.

And God is just. He sees to it that justice is done. That is what is for. And though it is a terrible thing to think about it, think about it, we must!

In chapter 32, it looked like the Retreat of Unbelief was going to happen again.

The leaders of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh came to Moses and asked if they could settle on this side of the Jordan river. (Verses 1 through 5).

Was that in the Promised Land? No. Israel had conquered it, and it was a great fertile place for the flocks and herds of these tribes, but it wasn’t in the promised land.

And Moses got scared and mad that it was all happening again. They had said (v.5), “Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”

And Moses said, “This is what your fathers did!” (V.8)

And he recounts the trouble they had over the Retreat of Unbelief and promises them more of the same.

But these leaders had a different plan in mind. They wanted the Transjordan land, but they were only going to leave behind their flocks and herds and families.

The soldiers all had faith to go into Canaan and fight until it was all theirs.

Well, that was okay then. So Moses says, (v.20), “If you will do this–if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle, and if all of you will go armed over the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven his enemies out before him–then when the land is subdued before the LORD, you may return and be free from your obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will be your possession before the LORD. But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

God takes sin seriously. God is a God who judges.

“You may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

Don’t think that your sin is a secret from God.

It is not a secret. Your life and heart are laid open before His eyes.

And He sees your sin. Repent now while you still can.

“You may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

Your sin is not only not a secret, but it will be the very thing that finds you out and turns you in.

On the day of reckoning, which is coming for each of us and all of us, we will have to give an account for all of the deeds done in the body, whether good or bad.

Turn now. Repent now. While you still can.

The LORD is not just a God who cares.

He is a God who judges.

And He is also, thankfully, a (#3) GOD WHO GUIDES.

Chapter 33 is a long list of camp-sites.

Look at verses 1 and 2: “Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the LORD's command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. This is their journey by stages:”

And then he lists 40 different spots where Israel camped between Egypt and Jericho.

And I think the main point here is that God led them every step of the way.

In verse 50, He gives them their marching orders for the next “Big Story” book of the Bible, Joshua. V.50

“On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the LORD said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides [OUCH!]. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.'”

Those are the marching orders from the Commander in Chief.

And just as God has led them from verse 1 to verse 49, He is promising to guide them into the Promised Land and give them victory.

But they have to follow.

God is God Who Guides, but we have to follow Him.

Do you need to hear that message this morning?

God Is God Who Guides, but We Have to Follow Him.

Israel will be so tempted to follow other gods for the next several hundred years.

They will go into the Land, but they will not do verse 52 very well.

“Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.”

Instead, in a reoccurring spiral, they followed those other gods. And they were barbs in their eyes and thorns in their sides.

God Is God Who Guides, but We Have to Follow Him.

And that means repentance, too.

Remember, 2 weeks ago, when I said that disciples of Jesus follow Jesus.

It sounds like a truism, but it is so often true, that we follow after other gods.

But God is God who Guides! As I’ve reported before many times from this pulpit, I’ve struggled with the idol of gluttony (“their god is their stomach”).

But this year, I’ve been able in a new way to follow God by faith. I’ve lost 17 pounds since mid-June, and the main reason is because of a restoration of right worship in my heart of hearts.

Praise God! God guides. And we just need to follow Him.

In chapter 34, we see another facet of the character of God–probably, the most important theme in the whole book: God’s faithfulness to His promises.

The LORD is (#4) A GOD WHO FULFILLS.

God always keeps His promises. Right? That’s the theme of Genesis and it’s the theme of the entire Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.

God always keeps His promises.

In chapter 34, it’s the promise of the Promised Land.

The entire chapter is a description of the borders of Canaan. Verses 1 through 15 lay out North, South, East, and West. And then verses 16 through 29 give us the new names of the tribal leaders who will lead their clans into their inheritance.

You can almost taste it! The land is almost theirs!

They are ready to go. It’s going to happen.

God will fulfill His promises to His people.

It doesn’t always happen like we think it will.

Strangely enough, Israel never has had these exact borders yet. Even under David or Solomon.

But we know that God will fulfill His promises.

And one day, God’s King will rule all of this land described in Numbers 34, and in fact, there will be no borderline to describe the end of His Kingdom!

God will fulfill His promises.

Do you need to hear that this morning?

I love that new song we learned today, “Blessed Be Your Name.”

The reason I love it, is not the beat or the tune, though they are very catchy.

I love it because it handles a part of the Christian experience that we don’t often sing about, but often have to live.

Not praising God in the good times, but praising God like Job did in the bad times, and like Israel was supposed to in the wilderness times–Blessed Be Your Name!

“When the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say, ‘Blessed Be Your Name!’”

How can we be people like that in the dark times?

It’s because of the Lord’s promises!

He has given us “great and precious promises!” And we can take each and every one to bank.

Even when it doesn’t seem like they could ever come true.

Especially (!) when it doesn’t seem like they could ever come true.

We need to trust His promises.

Because the God of Numbers is a God Who Fulfills.

In the last chapter, chapter 36, the daughters of Zelophehad show up again.

They are still trusting God’s promises for their inheritance in the land. But there is a dispute over what would happen if they married outside of their clan. What would happen to their land then? Would it leave their clan. The answer is given that they can’t marry outside of the clan or they would lose their land.

What do you think they did? They married in their clan! Why?

Because they believed in God’s promises for this land.

Israel is poised to go in and possess it.

The men’s Sunday School class this Fall is going to pick up right here on this side of the Jordan and then study the book of Joshua and see how God fulfills His promises.

What promises have God made to you? Do you know?

You can trust them. You can trust Him. He always keeps them. Every time.

But that’s not all. I have one more.

God is not just a God Who Cares (though He does, cast your cares on Him).
Not just a God Who Judges (though He does, repent now or your sin will find you out).
God is not just a God Who Guides (though He does, and we must follow).
And God is not just a God Who Fulfills (though He does, and we can trust Him).

But God is also a (#5) GOD WHO FORGIVES.

In Numbers chapter 35, God tells Moses to instruct the Israelites to create forty-eight cities for the Levites. And six of those cities are to be what He calls, (chapter 35, verse 13), “cities of refuge.”

These are special cities where a man can a flee to if he unintentionally sins and kills someone else.

The chapter makes it clear that if he is a murderer (established by 2 or 3 witnesses), then he must be executed for his crime, if they didn’t they would pollute the land (which I think says something to us about capital punishment).

But if he didn’t mean to do it (and there are a lot of examples to show how that could be, involuntary manslaughter), then he could run into one of these cities of refuge and be safe from the avenger of blood.

You see in this time, if one of your family members was killed, it was the duty of another family member to make sure that justice was carried out. That family member was the “avenger of blood.” And he would chase the killer all the way to limits of the city of refuge.

If he found him outside the city, he could dispense justice.

But if he made it inside and was not guilty of murder, he could live.

He had to live in that city of refuge until the death of the high priest who was serving when the killing happened.

After that, he could go free. He was forgiven.

The cities of refuge were a place for grace.

Does that remind you of anything?

It makes me think of the Cross. Remember, Jesus is in Numbers.

Of course, Jesus is much greater than a city of refuge. You can run to Him even if you are a murderer!

But He is the place of grace now.

He is the place where forgiveness happens. Not just vengeance, but forgiveness!

Have you been scared today that your sins will find you out?

Run to Jesus!

In your heart and with your mouth, turn from your sins and trust in the Savior and you will be forgiven! Run to Jesus!

Because our Great High Priest Jesus died! And with His death, forgiveness has been poured out on those who turn from their sins and trust in Him!

The God of Numbers is a God of grace.

He is a God of wrath. But He is also full of forgiveness for those who trust in Him.

Run to Jesus.

God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish (like they deserve) but have everlasting life!

Run to Jesus.

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Matt's Messages - Holy Days

“Holy Days”
Life in the Wilderness
September 1, 2007
Numbers 28:1-29:40

Lord willing, we’re going to finish the book of Numbers this month, in the next 4 messages.

It’s a little hard to get back into Numbers because we’ve taken 3 weeks off of Numbers with Jack Kelly’s visit and the messages on Re-Focusing and Going Fishing. And before that, we only had 2 messages in Numbers following 4 Sundays with guest preachers! So you might not even remember what is going on. Let’s review.

We’ve found ourselves at the end of the book of Numbers.

Israel has been rescued from Egypt, numbered once, prepared to go into Canaan, and then refused to go at the Retreat of Unbelief. They have then wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, Life in the Wilderness, and a whole generation has died off in God’s discipline. They have grumbled, complained, and rebelled a number of times. And yet God has been faithful to them. In fact, He has blessed them! They are a truly blessed people–even powerful magicians could not curse them. And there have been a few stand-out, faith-filled believers who have risen to the top, as well, especially: Joshua, Caleb, Zelophehad’s daughters, and zealous Phinehas.

And now, they have been numbered again. And the rest of the book, chapters 28-36, is full of the unfinished business that is important to record before the second generation is fully prepared to enter into the Promised Land.

In some ways, the last 9 chapters will seem like appendices to us, add-ons. The storyline doesn’t move a whole lot, and when it does, it’s about battles we don’t necessarily care about and decisions about property that we don’t really understand.

But, as we’ve seen over and over again in 2007, the book of Numbers is God’s Holy Word. It is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training so that we will be equipped for every good work!

And with a little digging, we’ll get a bigger vision of our God and we’ll come to better know Jesus–because every story whispers His name!

Numbers chapter 28 and 29 are about “Holy Days.”

Tomorrow is a United States holiday: Labor Day.

These days, a holiday is a break from normal work to celebrate or remember something, in this case, the value of work, labor.

But the word “holiday” originally came from the two words: Holy Day which were originally special days set aside to celebrate and remember God.

And Numbers chapters 28 and 29 are a calender of Holy Days.

They list the important days on the calendar of the nation of Israel set aside for the celebration, remembrance, and worship of the LORD.

And more than that, these two chapters record in great detail the exact kinds and numbers of sacrifices that were required by the LORD to be sacrificed by the priests for those particular days on the calendar of Holy Days.

So what I want to do is walk you through these two chapters and show you the basic features of this Calendar of Holy Days, and then I want to particularly draw your attention to three prominent themes that I think have deep application value for us today and will really prepare us for the Lord’s Table.

The first 8 verses talk about the daily offering.

The first Holy Day is every day. V.1

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Give this command to the Israelites and say to them: 'See that you present to me at the appointed time the food for my offerings made by fire, as an aroma pleasing to me.' [God’s requirement.] Say to them: 'This is the offering made by fire that you are to present to the LORD: two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day. Prepare one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight, together with a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives. This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. The accompanying drink offering is to be a quarter of a hin of fermented drink with each lamb. Pour out the drink offering to the LORD at the sanctuary. Prepare the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering that you prepare in the morning. This is an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.”

Do you get the picture? How often are these sacrifices made?

Daily. How many lambs? Two. When are they offered? Morning and Twilight.

Okay, that’s daily. The next category is weekly. V.9

“'On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.”

When is the Sabbath? Friday evening to Saturday evening. How often does that come? Every week. On those days, the morning and evening sacrifices are doubled. Every day is holy, but once a week, the day is even holier.

What do you think is next? Daily, Weekly...Monthly! V.11

“'On the first of every month [every month!], present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; and with each lamb, a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. This is for a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. With each bull there is to be a drink offering of half a hin of wine; with the ram, a third of a hin; and with each lamb, a quarter of a hin. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon [that is, monthly] during the year. Besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the LORD as a sin offering.”

That’s daily, weekly, and monthly. What’s next? Yearly.

And there are several yearly Holy Days on Israel’s calendar.

The first listed is the Passover. V.16 [Listen for the word “seven” or its multiples!]

“'On the fourteenth day [7 times 2] of the first month the LORD's Passover is to be held. On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Present to the LORD an offering made by fire, a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect. With each bull prepare a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. Prepare these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. In this way prepare the food for the offering made by fire every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the LORD; it is to be prepared in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.”

What was the Passover? It was the commemoration of the saving of Israel from the last and deadliest of the 10 plagues on Egypt–the death of the firstborn which was followed by the Red Sea Rescue.

The Passover was to be observed yearly (we’ve witnessed two historic Passover celebrations so far in the book of Numbers) and is marked by sacrifice, ceasing work, and sacred assembly.

The next Holy Day is the Feast of Weeks. V.26

‘On the day of firstfruits, when you present to the LORD an offering of new grain during the Feast of Weeks, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. With each bull there is to be a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths; and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth. Include one male goat to make atonement for you. Prepare these together with their drink offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Be sure the animals are without defect.”

The Feast of Weeks came 50 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread (connected to Passover), and it was a firstfruits celebration, a thanksgiving celebration for the beginning of the harvest.

In Numbers 29, there are three more yearly feasts. All three of them take place in the seventh month. There is something holy about the number 7, and there are 3 Holy Feasts in the seventh month.

The first is the Feast of Trumpets. V.1

“On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets.”

This as the time when they would sound the Shofar. It was a time of joy!

I’m not going to read verses 2 through 6. It’s more lists of offerings. Bulls, lambs, goats, flour, oil, wine.

It’s not called the book of Numbers for nothing, is it?!

V.7 tells us about the Day of Atonement. It’s the 10th day of the 7th month. V.7

“On the tenth day of this seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work.”

The Day of Atonement was a solemn assembly. Not a feast but a fast.

And verses 8 through 11 describe the sacrifices for that day of repentance and receiving atonement for sins.

And then following that, in the same month, they had the biggest feast of all–the Feast of Tabernacles. V.12

“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. Celebrate a festival to the LORD for seven days. [Seventh month, seven days of feasting.]”

Verses 13 through 40 list all of the stipulated sacrifices for each day of the feast of Tabernacles.

For the feast of Tabernacles, the Israelites would all go camping! They would build a tent next to their homes (notice that this assumes that they are in the Promised Land!), and they would live in their tents for a week.

And they would sacrifice, a little less each day, bulls, lambs, goats, flour, oil, wine.

I’m not going to read it all to you.

The point was to remember what God had done. How they had gone from living in tents in the wilderness to living in their homes in the Promised Land.

And praising God that He had done it!

Skip down to verse 39. It brings out the bottom line. “‘In addition to what you vow and your freewill offerings [we learned about those back in chapter 15], prepare these [two chapters worth of required sacrifices] for the LORD at your appointed feasts [your Holy Days]: your burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings and fellowship offerings.’ Moses told the Israelites all that the LORD commanded him.”

Now, I could preach a whole series of messages just on this calendar of Holy Days. There is so much here when you get the big picture, we could spend a lot of time on it.

But today, I just want to point out three themes here and draw specific application to our lives and prepare us for the Lord’s Table.

Here’s the first one. I think you’ve probably already noticed it. I’ve tried to draw attention to it.

Have you noticed how structured and planned this worship Holy Days is?

Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and several Yearly times specifically set apart for holiness.

This is a calendar! And it was required. It was not optional. Not to be neglected.

It often was neglected in the sad history of Israel, but it wasn’t supposed to be.

There was a rhythm to worship. Morning and evening, 1,2,3,4,5,6 days and then Sabbath, every time the smallest sliver of a moon appeared, and the first of year, the seventh month, specific days: there was a plan to this worship and it was regular and rhythmic.

Let me put it this way:

#1. WE NEED HOLY DAYS.

We need regularity and rhythm in our worship, in our communion with God.

It needs to be planned and on our calendars.

For the last 3 weeks, I’ve been asking this question:

Do you have a regular appointment for one-on-one time with God?

It’s built into us that we need it!

It’s built into us that we need regularity and rhythm in our relationship with God.

We need regular planning of when we are going to worship.

Now, there are problems that. We need to be able to worship whenever and wherever. People make the mistake of thinking that they can only worship and relate with God at certain set times and places. That’s not true. Anywhere and everywhere.

But we also need to plan for it! Often things don’t happen unless we plan for it.

At the Mitchell household, we’ve been looking at our calendars a lot recently. It’s the Fall, and we’re trying to fit in as many people and programs and things for the family, as we can. So, we’re constantly talking about our calendar.

If we don’t plan it, it probably won’t happen.

The same is true of our relationship with God. We need to plan to meet with Him.

Do you have a regular appointment for one-on-one time with God?

Now, this calendar in chapters 28 and 29 does not directly apply to us in the New Covenant.

These were Old Covenant sacrifices and Old Covenant Holy Days. Colossians chapter 2 says that they were just shadows of what was to come and the reality was Christ (vv.16&17).

So, we don’t have to worship at these particular times listed here.

But I think that there is a principle here that we would do well to heed, and that is systematic planning for regularity and rhythm in our relationship with God.

One person may choose one pattern and another a different pattern, each should be fully persuaded in their own mind. But I think that all should be developing a pattern.

Do you have a regular appointment for one-on-one time with God?

Pastors throughout the ages have recommended following the pattern of Morning and Evening Offerings and meeting with God morning and evening. That makes a lot of sense to me.

And more than just one-on-one time with God, we have a weekly meeting of this church, you are attending it right now.

And we are meeting with God right now as we listen to His Word.

I think that every believer should plan to be at this meeting every week.

Now, there will be times that that’s not possible. We are all away from time to time. I’m normally away about 8 times a year.

But wherever I am, I’m almost always, unless I’m sick or home with a sick kid, in church somewhere.

For the last 3 weeks, I’ve been asking the question:

Are you regular in Sunday morning attendance?

I don’t ask that question because I get year-end-bonus when we have good attendance at church. I don’t!

I don’t work on attendance commission!

I ask that question because we need it! Both you and I need planned and regular worship.

Daily, Weekly, Monthly. We celebrate the Lord’s Table here monthly.

A monthly reminder of Jesus’ Crosswork for us. We’re going to do it in just a few minutes.

And what about other Holy Days? I’ve been trying to work out a quarterly prayer retreat. What might you need to do to plan in a regularity and rhythm to your relationship with God?

Recently, my wife has realized that she can’t effectively get in her time with God during the afternoon nap time at home. With the pressures of homeschooling and just mothering four small children, she has realized that she needs a new plan.

So, starting this week, she’s set the coffee pot to go off an hour before everyone else gets up. And though she really loves sleep, she has pulled herself out of bed, grabbed that cup of joe, her Bible and her journal, and she’s regularly met with God.

What’s your plan?

We need Holy Days.

The second thing, I want to point out is also really obvious. And that is the massive amount of sacrifice that is going on in these two chapters.

There is so much blood in these chapters!

If my numbers are correct, every year there were to be sacrificed 113 bulls, 32 rams, 1,086 lambs, 1 ton of flour, and over 100 bottles of oil and wine.

And that’s just for the required sacrifices. That doesn’t include when people sin and break the covenant or the voluntary sacrifices that we learned about back in chapter 15!

That’s just the day in and day out and Holy Day sacrifices!

That’s a massive amount of blood flowing on that altar.

Why?

#2. WE NEED A HOLY SACRIFICE.

For the person who knows the New Testament, these two chapters just scream: “Jesus Christ!”

They just yell out “The Gospel!”

Because we have sinned and rebelled against our Holy Creator, we have a massive sin debt that can only be paid by blood sacrifice.

Only be paid by a substitute on our behalf.
Only be paid by a sacrifice without blemish or defect.
Only be paid by an atoning sacrifice.

We need a holy sacrifice to pay for our sins.

And all of these sacrifices in the Old Covenant were just a foreshadowing of the One Ultimate Sacrifice that was to come–Jesus!

In fact, all of these Holy Days pointed to Jesus.

He is now our Sabbath!
He is now our Passover!
He is now our Thanksgiving (our Feast of Weeks!)
He is now our Joy (the Feast of Trumpets!)
He is now our Day of Atonement. His substitutionary atonement pays for our sin debt.

He is now what we celebrate and what we anticipate (The Feast of Tabernacles).

I could preach on how Christ fulfills these Holy Days for weeks, but today, I just want us to see that He is our Holy Sacrifice!

John the Baptist pointed a finger at Jesus and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

The writer to the Hebrews says, “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

The two chapters of blood in the book of Numbers point us to the blood of Jesus.

And there are millions of applications for that. But I want to point out at least 3.

First, if you are not trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you do not have the Holy Sacrifice that you need.

The good news is that you only need to turn from your sins and trust in His Holy Sacrifice alone and you will be saved! Do it today!

And second, we need to share this gospel with others! We need to get serious and stay serious about fishing for the lost. We need to fill out FISH Cards and more than that, we need to pray and fast and share the Gospel with them.

And third, if we are trusting Jesus Christ and His Holy Sacrifice, then we have everything to be thankful for and everything to motivate us to living obedient and holy lives for Him.

And that’s the third and last thing I want to point out this morning.

It’s this. We not only need Holy Days, and a Holy Sacrifice...

#3. WE NEED HOLY PEOPLE.

The majority of the sacrifices listed in these two chapters are the burnt offering kind.

In the burnt offering, the entire offering was consumed by fire.

And among other things, that was a picture of total dedication.

Now, we can’t make ourselves holy.

We can’t earn it. We can’t produce it.

But if we are saved, we can live holy lives of total dedication to God.

That’s why Paul says in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy [in view of the Cross], to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.”

We can’t make ourselves holy, but after we experience the grace of God, we can offer ourselves (body and all) as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (an aroma pleasing to Him)–this is our spiritual act of worship.

We need to give God our all.

Everything we have. Everything we are.

We need to be Holy People.

Have you given everything you are to God?

Have you done it today?

Worship at the Lord’s Table

As we approach the Lord’s Table, we are remembering the Lord’s sacrifice.

“We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews chapter 10, verse 10.

And we meditate on this enormous sacrifice!

“You know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed ..., but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

And as we approach the Lord’s Table, we are reminded of God’s call to give Him our all.

“In view of God's mercy [in view of the Cross]...offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.”

And we now set aside this time, as a holy time to remember and celebrate Him.

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