A reminder to trust God through the Test

 Read Deuteronomy 1-3. 

The name of the book means "second law".  It is the second giving, or explanation, of the law by Moses to this second generation (1:5). 

Here Moses takes time to recount what happened forty years before that prompted their wilderness wandering to bring them to this place.  He reminded them of the events found in Numbers 13.  The command was to "go up and take possession" of the land God promised to Abraham and his descendants.  But the people asked for some men to go and spy out the land first.  When the report came back from the spies, the nation refused to go in.  Joshua and Caleb stood against their entire nation and declared that there was no reason for fear.  The LORD would fight for them.  

But the nation did not believe God would take care of them.  They believed an evil report against God and therefore became an "evil generation" (1:35).  So, they wandered around until that entire adult population died.  Even then, the LORD did not forsake them.  He watched over them, protected them, and cared for their needs.  He fought for them as they faced opposition and war from other nations.  "For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands.  He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God had been with you.  You have lacked nothing" (2:7) 

That previous generation did not enter and enjoy the full blessings of God due to unbelief.  Moses failed as well to trust God at a crucial time.  In an angry moment he, too, lost the privilege of entering the land. 

Now, a new generation was poised to cross the Jordan River and do what their fathers would not dare.  They needed to hear the stories again.  They needed to be reminded of the mistakes of the past.  They needed to be taught again the basic expectations that God had for them as a people. 

The writer of Hebrews comments on what happened to the first generation that came out of Egypt.  "So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19).  The urging to all of us when facing difficulties and hard roads ahead is not to question God, or to believe that God is mad at us (1:27), but in faith-believing trust Him. "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day..." (Hebrews 3:12-13a).

 

We all need a Safe Place

 Read Numbers 34-36. 

Before the nation entered the land of promise, Moses gave some broad instructions on dividing up the land among the 9 1/2 tribes.  Then, he turned his attention to the tribe of Levi.  As a chosen tribe of priests, who served the other tribes, the Levites were not granted a single large portion of real estate.  Instead, they were given six strategically located cities with their surrounding pastureland; north, central and south on both sides of the Jordan River. 

These were called Cities of Refuge.  Not only did the Levites live in them but the cities provided a safe haven for a person who accidentally killed another.  Protection was provided from unjust avengers.  It was not a safe place for criminals.  

We all need a place of refuge, a safe place when things go wrong.  Sometimes it is accidental and without intent on our part.  Often it is our own fault as a result of a foolish decision.  But trouble, guilt, and oppression sooner or later find everyone.  Here is our Hope: 

Psalm 9:9-"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you." 

Psalm 59:16-"But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.  For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress." 

Psalm 62:5-8-"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.  On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God."

 

Four Demonstrations of Worship

 Read Numbers 33. 

Google Maps never did a better job than this.  Forty years of travel stops in 49 verses. 

When God decimated the Egyptians in Exodus and then in 33:51-53 He gave the command to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan, the underlying motive must be remembered.  God was executing judgment on the sin of His enemies.  It was not Israel against them, but them against God.  This was spiritual warfare. 

33:4b-"On their gods also the LORD executed judgments."

33:52b-"destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places." 

The spiritual purification of the land was crucial to their future as a nation.  God warned them about this at the end of the chapter.  As Creator and Owner of all things, He will not allow the people He created to ignore Him, to be lured by the unbelieving world around them, nor to devote their lives to man-made things. 

Exodus 20:3-"You shall have no other gods before me.  You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God..." 

Again, in Exodus 34:12-14-"Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.  You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name in Jealous, is a jealous God)". 

The LORD has given each of us four ways to demonstrate our acknowledgement of His ownership and our worship of Him.

1. Temple-The human body is a stewardship from God.  The way we treat the one He gave us is a demonstration, in part, of our response to Him.

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?  If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him.  For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." (1Corinthians 3:16-17) 

2. Time-Each minute, each hour, each day, each year, and each life is a gift from God to us.  We are steward's and accountable for how we use that gift.

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12) 

3. Talent-The Holy Spirit has given to everyone of us the ability to serve the LORD for the good of others.  Different from natural skill, this ability is called a spiritual gift.

"Now there are a varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) 

4. Treasure-By far, the Bible has more to say about this one than all the others combined.

"You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth..." (Deuteronomy 8:18)

"Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce." (Proverbs 3:9)

"Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.  I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts."  Malachi 3:10-11) 

Don't miss God's intention of us honoring Him in this way.  The promised results, in part, become a basis of our witness to the unbelieving world around us.  "Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight says the LORD of hosts." (Malachi 3:12)  

Leading when someone has a different Idea

 Read Numbers 32. 

Israel was encamped on the east side of the Jordan River, just north of the Dead Sea.  It was here that the LORD prepared them for entering the land of promise.  This was what they had all been waiting for.  But two and a half of the twelve tribal families wanted to remain on the east side.  With their great flocks and herds, the land along the river seemed ideal for them. 

Moses’ first reaction was anger.  He read this as a divisive threat to national unity and as turning back on God's plan for Israel.  The basis for his quick reaction was due to their father's failure to go forward into the land after the report of the spies in Chapters 13-14.  That sin resulted in the nation wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and the loss of an entire generation of people. 

His concerns were all legitimate.  As the leader, he felt the weight of responsibility to keep the nation together and moving forward.  As a man of God, he carried a passionate desire to do what God wanted to get done. 

To their credit, the tribes involved carefully explained their reasoning for the proposal.  Further they committed themselves to national unity and the conquest of the land on the west side of the Jordan.  Then, Moses made the agreement with them in the hearing of Joshua, Moses' successor, and Eleazar, the High Priest.  With the change in leadership this was crucial.  Later in the book of Joshua this agreement was forgotten and misunderstood almost to the point of civil war. 

Lessons for leaders:

1. Listen to your people.  Know what they are thinking.  Know their dreams, ideas, and aspirations.

2. Ask good questions.  Show respect for others by endeavoring to understand their views and why they would say those things.  It is hard for leaders not to be defensive of their own ideas and ways of doing things. 

3. Learn from the past but try not to react to changes based upon previous bad experiences.

4. Give people freedom to be themselves, to think and act.  Someone else may have a good idea that fits them better and serves others better than your expectation.

5. Set the guidelines or warnings by anticipating the "what ifs".

6. Be sure others are aware of the agreement.  This safeguards the organization in case the leadership changes.

7. When the answer needs to be "no" be sure that everyone understands that you are really saying "yes" to something better.

 

Lessons for those within the organization:

1. Don't stop thinking of better ideas or ways of doing things.  Good leaders are looking for better solutions in order to better serve others.

2. Be respectful of your leaders.  They carry the weight of the responsibility and accountability for all corporate decisions.

3. Be prepared for questions.  Asking for an explanation may feel like a challenge or even rejection.  But a good idea must have validity.

4. Anticipate misunderstanding or lack of acceptance.

5. Trust your leaders, even if things do not go your way. 

Dealing with some unfinished Business

 Read Numbers 28-31. 

In preparing this second generation for entering the land that God promised to Abraham and his descendants, the LORD repeated a few important lessons here and in the book of Deuteronomy.  He had them take a second census, and then reminded them of the offerings, feasts, and vows.  Next, the nation needed to deal with some unfinished business. 

The basis for the war in chapter 31 is found in chapters 22-25.  The Midianites allied with the Moabites to fight Israel.  They tried to hire Balaam, a pagan prophet, to curse Israel and shore up their own confidence.  When that did not work, Satan used another tactic against God's people.  The Moabites and Midianites lured many into sexual immorality and false worship.  The LORD at that time meted out some strong and swift judgment against His own people.  But nothing further is said about the enemy involved until chapter 31. 

God told Moses to prepare for war "to execute the LORD's vengeance on Midian."  This was God's judgment and He used Israel to perform it.  Do not miss 31:8b-"And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword."  Note when the soldiers returned, Moses became angry as he discovered that not only had the young males been allowed to live, but the sexually active Midianite women had not been killed.  Then, at his command the annihilation of the Midianites was complete. 

The Midianites may have felt for a long time that they got away with their sin.  They knew of the true and living God and His great power.  But instead of surrendering to the LORD, they chose to rebel against Him and His people.  They chose to go their own way.  The truth in this story is that no one gets away with sin.  

Even today there "are scoffers, following their own sinful desires.  They will say, 'Where is the promise of his coming?'"  "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that done on it will be exposed."  (2 Peter 3:4-10) 

Then, Peter wrote this question: "Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness...?" (2 Peter 3:11)

 

God's requirement for a Leader

 Read Numbers 26-27. 

The book is called Numbers because twice God instructed Israel to conduct a national census.  The counting was limited to those twenty years of age and older who were able to go to war.  In 1:46 the total was 603,550.  Now, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, only Joshua and Caleb (and of course, Moses) remain from the first generation of former slaves.  The new total was 601,730.  It is estimated that the entire population would have been, at least, five times that amount. 

With a new generation ready to enter their land of promise, it was time for a new leader.  Moses, because of his public sin in chapter 20, knew he would not be allowed go with them.  But God does a gracious thing for Moses in letting him see the land from a mountain top.  It was here that Moses prayed for a successor to shepherd the people. 

The LORD selected Joshua, "a man in whom is the Spirit".  Joshua had been Moses' assistant for a long time.  He served as the army's field general.  Along with Caleb, he had been one of the two faithful men who originally spied out the new land.  But when God referred to Joshua, he cited none of his positions or achievements.  He simply called him a Spirit-filled man. 

Being filled with the Spirit means that a person surrenders control of thoughts, speech and behaviors to the LORD and disciplines themselves to do what He desires (Galatians 5:16-24).  Education, skill, personality, and experience are all important components of job qualifications.  But when God's Spirit is in control of a person, He can give them favor with others, open doors, and enable their influence to exceed all expectations.  He does this in a person's life so He alone will receive the credit.

 

Living counter to Culture

 Read Numbers 25. 

Followers of the LORD have always lived counter to the culture around them.  Though not perfect...

God's people live in the world

but they are not of the world,

and are to conduct themselves in such a way in the world

that the world sees the difference God has made in their lives, even if they disagree. 

By living out the commands and principles of God's word, we have the opportunity to "adorn the doctrine of God our Savior" (Titus 2:10).  To some with open hearts, such a lifestyle becomes attractive and they too place their faith in Christ.  Some others may observe with respect or even amazement of the difference.  Then, to some who are so gripped by their sin and rebellion against God, they reject all that is holy and pure. 

It is always sad to see someone violate their commitments or go back on their promises.  The news media are quick to point out these lapses when it comes to public figures.  But God holds everyone, everywhere accountable, whether they agree with Him or not, or even if they refuse to acknowledge His very existence. 

In this chapter, the nation of Israel camped on the east side of the Jordan River.  It appears to be a time of a pagan celebration that involved gross immorality.  These were not merely physical acts, but they were part of that culture's spiritual worship.  Demonic is the best description for it, as is all false religions. 

Some of the Israelites succumbed to the cultural temptations.  God held "all the chiefs of the people" accountable.  A total of 24,000 died.  Though the judgment on sin may not always come so quickly, God takes the purity of His people seriously. 

Sobering lessons for us all from this chapter.

1. Leaders are responsible for protecting the moral purity of the people.

2. Leaders are responsible for protecting the spiritual purity of the people.

3. God can use one courageous leader to restore purity among the people.

4. Sooner or later, God holds individuals accountable for their own behavior. 

Question: Is there an area of spiritual or moral impurity in my life that I need to courageously confront today?