Weeks in a row, it's a big lift, and she's been doing a great job, so hopefully she can
rest a little bit today and I'll be able to fill the gap.
But let me open us in prayer real quick before we get started, if that's all right.
Let's pray.
Lord, we thank you for your word.
We thank you for the truth that it brings to our lives.
As we consider this morning the book of Numbers, we ask that you would prepare our hearts and
minds to receive the word that you have for us.
I pray that you would guard and guide my words, that they would be only that which you have
ordained for us today, and I pray that this discussion would bring you honor and glory
even as it instructs and encourages us in our walks with Jesus.
And I pray this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
All right.
So we're picking up this week in our study of the Pentateuch with the book of Numbers.
So I'll just get started with a little bit of background and setting the scene.
Numbers is the English translation of the Greek title of the book, which is derived from the
pronounced focus on numbers in the book.
The Hebrew title, though, is translated in the wilderness, which may arguably be the better
title as we follow the Israelites through their journey from Mount Sinai.
So I'm wondering, when you guys think of the book of Numbers, I'm curious to hear what comes
to mind.
Complaining.
It's a great answer.
What else?
Boring.
Let's get straight to the point.
Yeah, boring.
Okay.
So a lot of Bible reading plans can struggle when you get to this point in the Leviticus
and Numbers arena.
But actually, my hope today is that we can infuse a little bit of excitement and enjoyment
into the book.
What else?
Unpronounceable names.
Another good one.
So there's censuses.
Yes.
So there's lots of information, descriptive and prescriptive information that we're trying
to get at or that's being reported to us in the book of Numbers.
So there's law giving, counting of the nations.
There's dividing up of the promised land.
We're setting borders.
But there's a few other things.
There are fiery serpents.
Miraculous healings.
People being devoured by the earth.
The earth opens up and devours people.
Food falling from the sky.
Water flowing from rocks.
Talking donkeys.
Prophecies.
It sounds kind of like a fantasy novel to me if you kind of like lay it out that way,
right?
So in the midst of these stories, and we also, again, have these censuses and laws, and it's
kind of, there's a stark contrast.
And I think because of a lot of the laws and the information, like I said, like Ivor pointed
out, Numbers has a reputation for sort of lacking relevance in our daily lives.
Even in the narratives, it does sound a little bit like fantasy, and it's hard to understand
how do I make this apply to my life.
But I hope that we can uncover some of the flavor of Numbers today and provide a little
bit of fresh encouragement.
So Numbers picks up after Leviticus, and at this point, God has delivered Israel from Egypt
by miraculously leading the entire nation out of Egypt.
They've crossed the Red Sea to arrive at Mount Sinai, where God establishes his covenant with
the nation of Israel, and he's providing a framework that's necessary for him to dwell
with his people.
So Numbers begins with Israel encamped at Mount Sinai and taking a census of the warrior-aged
men in the nation in preparation for conquest of Canaan, which is the land that God had promised
to Abraham.
So there's one way of viewing the structure of the book, the structure and content of the
book.
We're following the movement of the Israelites through the wilderness, so the breakdown can
kind of be summarized by these phases of law-giving and journeying.
And this is kind of a diagram that's been put forth by a guy named Gordon Wynnum, so if you're
interested to see it.
But we have law-giving at Mount Sinai that happens roughly in chapters 1 through 10.
And then there's a journey.
I can't write that way.
Journey.
Oh, wow.
That's not good.
Journey from chapters 11 to chapters 10 through 12.
Sorry.
Then there's more law-giving.
This is a journey from Sinai to Kadesh.
Then once they get to Kadesh, there's more law-giving that happens from chapters 13 through 19.
And again, another journey from Kadesh to the plains of Moab in chapters 20 through 22.
And then finally, more law-giving from 23 to 35, 36.
So it breaks down this way, starting in Sinai, then journeying from Sinai to Kadesh, more law-giving
in Kadesh, journeying from Kadesh to Moab, and then more law-giving.
And there are narratives interspersed throughout the entire thing, but a lot of the narratives
happen in these journeying moments.
So while law-giving is certainly a significant component of the book, I'll focus a little
bit more today on the narrative components.
Laura will be covering Leviticus and Deuteronomy together next week, and I'm sure she'll be covering
the law in more detail then.
So this morning, I'd like to first just take a quick walk through some of these narratives
in numbers, and we'll talk about them in their particulars, and specifically what they're
revealing about God and about humanity.
And then at the end, I'll try to zoom out a bit and talk more about where the book sits
in redemptive history, so how it's pointing forward to Jesus and what it can mean for us
today.
Sound good?
All right.
So first, as we move through these narratives of the Israelites wandering, I think there's
a loose pattern of the events that can be helpful as we think about interpreting the stories.
Much of the narratives include some kind of sin that takes the form of a complaint or rebellion,
like Matt was saying.
These events then have some downstream consequence or result, and importantly, they all have some
kind of resolution at the end.
And as we examine these events, we'll see our sin contrasted against God's holiness and
righteous judgment.
But in these, we'll also see God's steadfast love, his grace and his mercy toward his people
in the midst of our unfaithfulness.
All right.
So let's take a walk through a few of these.
I won't...
There are lots of narratives, so I won't hit all of the narratives, just a few as examples.
So first, as the narrative begins around chapter 11, that should be chapter 11, I think, we find
the Israelites packing up for their first trip from Mount Sinai on the way to Kadesh.
So remember, they've already been camped at Mount Sinai for approximately a year since God
rescuing them out of Egypt.
And he's been dwelling with them in the tabernacle.
And so now they've packed up the tabernacle according to all of the instructions that he's
given them, and they're moving through the wilderness to their next destination.
So as they're moving on this journey, there are three events which follow that loose pattern
I mentioned, a complaint or a sin.
There's a consequence, and there's some kind of resolution.
So not long after the journey begins, the Israelites descend into, in verse 1, complaining in the
hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes.
So in other words, circumstances were bad, and they blamed Moses, and by extension, God.
And the result is God kindling his anger against them and consuming the outermost parts of the
camp by fire.
The fires stop after Moses' intercession on behalf of the Israelites, but the grumbling
sort of continues and even becomes a little bit more specific.
They say, oh, that we had meat to eat.
Remember, God had been providing manna up to this point, but now they remember the quote-unquote
better days of their enslavement in Egypt when they had fish, had mango, and garlic, and other
satisfying foods.
And they say, but now our strength is dried up, and there's nothing at all but this manna
to look at.
And God's anger blazed hotly.
And Moses basically says to God, Lord, if you find favor with me, take me now.
I can't take the weight of this anymore, and I don't want to see my wretchedness.
I don't know if this is intended to be funny, but if you have even one fussy eater at home,
it's hard not to chuckle a little bit at this.
But in seriousness, I think Moses is saying, I really cannot take the weight of this.
You've given me this entire nation that I'm supposed to be leading, and they're asking
for meat, and I simply can't provide it, and I don't want to see my failure in this.
So ultimately, in God's grace, he sends his spirit to more people to help Moses bear the
burden of caring and interceding for the nation.
And God also provides quail in plenty for the Israelites to eat.
But in his sovereignty, he also predicts that they will be overcome by their greed and gluttony.
So he sends the quail, and in fact, the people end up collecting roughly 480 dry gallons of
quail for themselves.
I don't know what that would look like exactly.
But the abuse here is addressed by God through a very great plague that strikes down many people
in the camp, it says, while the meat was yet between their teeth.
So already, we're seeing this pattern of sin and consequence, and the resolution we have
to look deeply at to understand how God is resolving these things.
But again, in this journey, there's a third event unrelated to these.
Miriam, Moses' sister, and Aaron grumble against Moses because of the uniqueness of his authority.
They say, has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?
Has he not spoken through us also?
So God reiterates Moses' unique stance before him, and then he inflicts Miriam with leprosy,
and Moses has to plead with God to heal her.
And she ultimately has to be shut outside the camp for seven days to be healed.
So in just three days, we already have instances of discontent, fear and anxiety that the Lord will not provide for their basic needs,
greed and gluttony when he does provide for their requests, and pride mixed with selfish ambition.
And already, we see that the consequences of sin are severe.
We see destruction by fire, death by plague, and exile by leprosy and uncleanness.
So the tendency here, I think, is usually to focus on the severity of the consequences, right?
Particularly in our modern sensibilities, people tend to read these types of events and kind of wonder if God is just a spiteful and vengeful ruler.
And this stems, I think, from the underlying tendency to believe that we're all inherently good.
It's a message that we're constantly hearing from the world around us, and because of this perspective,
the kinds of consequences we see here might feel extreme to us because of our own assessment of ourselves.
But the reality is that God is perfectly pure and perfectly holy in a way that we simply cannot comprehend.
And even a slight offense against the eternal and perfect and living God deserves some kind of judgment.
But there is good news in the resolutions of these events.
God is righteous and holy, and he is also personal and merciful.
God does not completely wipe out the nation for its sin, though he would be perfectly justified in doing so.
He listens to the prayers of the righteous, and he responds in grace.
He listens to Moses' intercessions, and he relents in his judgment by ending the fires that are consuming the camp
and providing a path to healing and restoration for Miriam.
Even in the midst of complaining, he still provides meat for the Israelites at their request,
knowing that their sinful hearts are going to take hold of this as an idol rather than receiving it as a gift.
And in this, I think there's an invitation to examine our own hearts and experiences,
and to recall God's faithfulness in our own lives despite our sin.
Because we do this, don't we?
We grumble about our circumstances.
We often forget about the gifts that God is giving to us, even in that same moment.
We take those good gifts, and we can turn them into idols.
We think very highly of ourselves, and we desire glory in the eyes of man.
And yet God is still there in our midst, walking with us through the wilderness.
And where Moses was interceding for the Israelites, we now have Jesus interceding for us,
which we'll talk about a little bit more.
All right, so journeying to Kadesh, we have those instances.
And now after a few days, the Israelites reach Kadesh and set up camp.
And now we encounter one of the most recognized events, I think, in the book of Numbers,
the sending of the spies.
So God instructs Moses to send out spies to evaluate the land of Canaan,
which God had already promised to give Israel.
And a representative of each tribe is appointed to go to Canaan to check things out for 40 days.
And at the end of the 40 days, the spies return to the camp and give their report.
They say, there is no way we'll be able to overtake the people residing in Canaan.
They're so scared of what they saw that they actually deliberately overstate their observations.
They cite Canaan as a land that devours its inhabitants with people who are of great height.
They even reference the legendary Nephilim in Genesis.
So in short, the people hear the report of the spies and they rebel against Moses and God
by seeking to return to Egypt for safety.
And God sentences the current generation to die in the wilderness.
He says, only your children will receive the promised land, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb.
So again, we have another event, failing to trust in the provision and protection of the Lord.
And we have a consequence and a resolution.
And what's interesting about this passage is that the consequence of wandering and death in the wilderness
is actually the result of God's mitigated wrath.
In this result, we're told that God pardons the unfaithful generation.
Again, at the behest of Moses.
And he does this according to his steadfast love.
By pardoning their iniquity, he reduces their sentence,
again from utter destruction,
to a delayed entrance into the promised land.
This is in chapter 14.
So now, sorry, we're here.
There's some law giving, but there's still a narrative here.
So in this narrative, we see the consequence of sin,
but the resolution, so to speak,
is that the faithful few of the nation are preserved according to God's promises,
and they're raised up to inherit the land.
God is keeping his promises,
and he's sovereignly maintaining his people in the process.
So lots more happens in Kadesh,
much of which mirrors the events that are already described.
We see Levites paying the price for their arrogance,
and we see people suffering a plague that's halted
after some dramatic intercession from Aaron,
and then Israel picks up to move on to Moab.
So now we're going to continue our journey onto the plains of Moab.
So during this journey, we see that even Moses,
despite his unique standing with God,
is not exempt from sin and its devastating consequences.
After another episode of grumbling by the Israelites
about a lack of water in the wilderness,
God instructs Moses to speak to a rock to bring forth water.
Moses, however, stands at the rock and speaks to the nation.
He says,
Here now, you rebels,
shall we bring water for you out of this rock?
And he strikes the rock twice to bring forth water.
God ends up sentencing Moses and Aaron to die in the wilderness
with the rest of the nation
because they, quote,
Did not believe in him
and did not uphold him as holy
in the eyes of the people of Israel.
There are various interpretations
around what exactly Moses did wrong here.
It's not exactly clear.
It could just be a simple failure
to follow the instructions.
I think it's more likely
that there's a heart level issue here
with Moses when he says,
Shall we bring forth water?
He may be kind of elevating himself
to God's level here.
It could be the angry outburst
that did it.
It's not exactly clear,
but I think the summary here,
again, we see in God's mercy
in Deuteronomy 34
that God still allows Moses
to see the promised land from afar,
which is a mercy
that the rest of the first Exodus generation
didn't have.
So we also know that God is, again,
he's keeping his promises to Israel,
and we see also that he's raising up Joshua
to take Moses' place
to lead them into the promised land.
So again, the thread here is
God dealing with sin
and keeping his promises
to carry his people
through the wilderness
to the place that he promised
to deliver them.
And again,
in yet another instance of grumbling,
the Israelites complain
about a lack of food and water,
which was, again, abundant
in Egypt.
So this time,
God sends fiery serpents
that bite and kill the people,
and the key difference
in this passage
is the reported repentance
of the people.
They go to Moses and they say,
we have sinned,
for we have spoken
against the Lord
and against you.
Pray to the Lord
that he takes away
the serpents from us.
after Moses' intercession,
God doesn't grant
the exact nature
of their request
by taking away the serpents,
but rather he makes a way
for them to be delivered
from the effects
of the bite
by having Moses set up
a bronze serpent on a pole.
And this bronze serpent
is the object
of God's deliverance.
If anyone bitten
by a snake
would look
to the bronze serpent
in repentance
and faith,
they'd be saved
from death.
And importantly,
this looks forward
to Jesus
as the one
who would be lifted up
on the cross
so that anybody
who would look to him
in faith and repentance
would receive
eternal life.
That's in John chapter 3.
So again,
there's sin
in grumbling,
there's consequence,
this time it's fiery serpents,
and there's
a resolution,
there's healing
and restoration
following repentance.
And we see, again,
God is keeping
his promises
and now we're also
seeing that God
desires
to forgive
his people
and to restore
his people.
Okay, so
now
we've reached
the plains
of Moab
and
the Israelites
are overlooking
the promised land
and we reach
the final
major set
of narratives
that describe
God's faithfulness
to preserve
the Israelites
and he does this
through a pagan seer
named
Balaam.
So at this point
in the story,
the king
of Moab
is scared
of Israel
because
of their size
and recently
they've had
military success
against the
Amorites
and so
he's feeling
concerned
that they're
going to
overtake him
as well.
So he hires
Balaam
to come over
and curse
the nation
of Israel.
So God
tells Balaam
that he shouldn't
go to the king
but he
eventually
allows it
after a second
petition
only on the
grounds
that Balaam
will do
what God
tells him
to do.
So Balaam
hitches up
his donkey
and he makes
his way
to the king
and the king
asks him
to curse
Israel.
This part
of the story
also I think
is a little
funny to me.
We see
Balaam
saying,
he says,
the word
that God
puts in
my mouth
that must
I speak.
But he
tells the king
you can go
ahead and
build an altar
anyway and
we'll kind
of see what
happens.
So it
feels a little
bit like
almost biblical
sketch comedy
here.
You can
see it
coming that
the king
is driving
towards something
that's obviously
not going
to happen.
And indeed
on three
separate occasions
each at a
different location
Balaam is
pronouncing blessing
on Israel
instead of a
curse.
Each blessing
gets better
and better
and makes
the king
more and
more angry.
He says,
what are you
doing to me?
And he even
gets tired
of the antics
and he says,
stop cursing
them,
don't even
bless them,
just stop
what you're
doing.
So there's
a little bit
of humor
in this.
But the
humor, I
think, is
there because
it illustrates
this kind of
nonsensical
human approach
to try to
control or
change outcomes
that God has
already ordained.
So God has
said, and we
know this from
the entire
Pentateuch, that
he's made this
promise and he's
God and he's
going to keep
it.
And God is
using this
pagan seer to
announce to
the world this
very fact that
he is preserving
the nation of
Israel and he's
doing it despite
the best efforts
of the nations
in Canaan.
We even see
statements about
God's character
and plan of
salvation from
Balaam's
blessings.
He says things
like, God is
not man that he
should lie or a
son of man that
he should change
his mind.
And he says
later, his king
shall be higher
than Agag and
his kingdom
shall be
exalted.
Again, beginning
to point forward
to Jesus and
his forever
kingdom.
The sadness of
the story here
is that while
Balaam is
delivering his
final blessing
at Peor,
Israel is in
the plains of
Moab, continuing
to sacrifice to
other gods.
God is
there keeping
his promises,
protecting and
preserving and
purifying his
people.
And he's
carrying forward
his gospel
narrative through
redemptive history
here in the
book of
Numbers.
So, that's a
select number of
the narratives in
Numbers.
That takes us to
the end of
chapter 25, and
the rest of the
book is a final
census of the
new generation and
some additional
laws and
regulations that
are required for
the Israelites
before they enter
into Canaan.
So, I think as
we zoom out from
the particular
narratives, there
are a few
important overarching
themes to
consider that
connect the
book of Numbers
to the rest of
the gospel
narrative.
Numbers serves
as a key part
of the redemption
story by
illustrating God's
fulfillment of
his covenantal
promises to his
people despite our
unfaithfulness.
Numbers also
points forward to
Jesus as the
culmination and
fulfillment of his
ultimate promise.
And lastly, I do
think Numbers
serves as a
exhortation to
the people of
God to be on
guard against a
prideful and
rebellious heart.
All right, so
first, Numbers is
an important part of
the Pentateuch in
that it clearly
connects to the
fulfillment of God's
specific promises to
Abraham.
So, again, recall
from Genesis 12 that
God made a covenant
with Abraham in
which he promised
four things.
He promised a
covenantal
relationship.
You will be my
people and I
will be your
God.
He promised land
to Abraham's
descendants.
He promised that
Abraham's descendants
would be numerous
and he promised
blessing and
redemption to
Abraham's descendants
as well as those
who blessed his
descendants.
So, first, God's
covenantal
relationship with
Israel is
illustrated, I
think, clearly and
physically through the
tabernacle.
This was a place
where God desired
to dwell with his
people and it
required purity,
which is the basis
for many of the
narrative results
that we just
discussed.
And a covenantal
relationship here
means an
unbreakable
promise.
And we see this
play out in that
God never leaves
nor forsakes his
people despite their
continued rebellion
against him and
despite the need to
continue purifying
the camp so that
he can do as he
desires and dwell
with his people
in the wilderness.
We also see God's
faithfulness in
keeping his promise
to provide land
to Abraham's
descendants, a land
that was intended
to be a place of
rest for his
chosen people.
We don't see this
promise play out
directly in the
book of Numbers
because of the
response of the
spies and the
people when they
scoped out the
land.
God is very clear
that he will keep
his promise to
Abraham and that
the next generation
will still inherit
the land.
And this promise
is so secure
that God goes
ahead with
delivering the
rest of the
relevant sacrificial
and civil laws that
they need to keep
when they enter the
land.
The promise also
is so specific
that God goes
ahead with
prescribing the
division of the
land for the
individual tribes
of Israel.
So it's not like
God is saying,
I'm going to send
you into Canaan
and then if you
obey and you do
all the things that
I ask and you
accomplish it,
then we'll talk
about what you do
when you get there.
He's saying,
no, we're going.
I'm taking you
there and when you
get there, here are
the things that you
need to do.
So God is
keeping his
promises to
provide land
and we see that
even in the giving
of the law here.
We also see
God's faithfulness
in keeping his
promise to number
Abraham's descendants
as numerous as the
stars in the sky.
The very first
chapter of
Numbers includes
a census that
counts 603,550
men aged 20
to 60.
That's men of
fighting age.
Some historians
have noted that
the estimate of
total Israelites
when you extrapolate
these numbers
to include women
and children
and elderly men,
you arrive at
something like
2 million people,
which is a clear
and tangible display
of God's faithfulness
in this specific
promise.
We even hear
Balaam affirm
this in one of
his oracles.
He says,
who can count
the dust of Jacob
or number of the
fourth part of Israel?
And again,
even in the midst
of these displays
of unfaithfulness,
God's promise
does not waver.
We fast forward
to chapter 26
for the second census
after the Exodus
generation has died
and we see nearly
the same number
of men
of fighting age,
601,730.
So despite the fact
that God sentenced
the Exodus generation
to die in the wilderness,
he continues
sustaining the
Israelite nation
by raising up
another generation
that would enter
Canaan by faith.
It's probably,
it is worth noting here
that there's some
scholarly debate
around the actual
numbers that are
reported here.
I won't get into
all the details.
There are logical,
archaeological,
mathematical concerns
that some people
raise
and the solutions
to these problems
are many.
I cannot claim
to know enough
to come to a firm
conclusion on the matter
but I think
the message
we're intended
to receive here
is the same
in any case,
specifically that
God is faithful
to grow and bless
the line of Abraham.
So it doesn't matter
if it's 20,000 people
that he's sustaining
in the wilderness
or 2 million people
that he's sustaining
in the wilderness,
he's sustaining them
and he's doing it
faithfully and miraculously.
All right,
so lastly,
the promise
to bless,
we can look
to the New Testament
to understand
how the book
of Numbers
fits into
the historical picture
of God's
redemptive plan
for his people.
The failings
we see here
in the Israelite nation
are kind of
clearly contrasted
against the perfect
life of service,
obedience,
and sacrifice
of Jesus Christ
when we look
to other places
in the Old Testament
and in the New Testament.
So we see
Jesus portrayed
as our great high priest
and being greater
than Moses.
Moses was the man
with such a unique
standing with God
that he was able
to behold the form
and figure
of God himself.
And yet,
his standing
before God
cannot compare
to that of Jesus.
Hebrews 3.5
says,
Now Moses
was faithful
in all God's
house as a servant
to testify
to the things
that were to be
spoken later,
but Christ
is faithful
over God's house
as a son.
So we see
over and over
in Numbers
how Moses
is interceding
with God
on behalf
of the Israelites
and where the
faithful servant
Moses
intercedes
on behalf
of the Israelites,
God's own son
and our perfect
Savior,
Jesus,
intercedes
on behalf
of us
with God
and he does this
based on his own
righteousness
and his own
merit.
But Moses'
responsibility
didn't end
at a simple
verbal intercession
but rather
required detailed
attention
to ritual sacrifices
intended to
cleanse
and purify
the nation
before a holy God.
We see another
parallel and contrast
here
because where
Moses and the
priests
offered continual
sacrifices
to atone
for sin,
Jesus
fulfills
God's plan
by suffering
the agony
of the crucifixion
as the perfect
and sufficient
and final
sacrifice
to atone
for the sin
of all
who by faith
place their
trust in him.
So God
delivered the
Israelites
from the
bondage of
slavery
in Egypt
but in
numbers
we see
clearly
that they
were still
in bondage
to sin
and to
death
and that
no mere
ritual sacrifice
could free
them from
that.
And Jesus
willingly offered
himself up
as the once
and for all
sacrifice
so that we
could be
permanently
cleansed
of our sin
and saved
from death
and restored
to life
with our
creator.
So in
this Jesus
was the
ultimate
fulfillment
of God's
promise
of blessing
to all
the nations.
So
lastly
we see
God
keeping
and fulfilling
his promises
through the
book of
Numbers
and I
think it
also serves
as an
important
exhortation
against
sin
that's
picked up
in the
rest of
scripture.
Throughout
the book
what we
see is a
God who
of his
own
volition
commits
himself
to his
people
and desires
to fulfill
his promises
to them
but he's
continuously
sort of
confronted
with the
lack of
faithfulness
of his
covenant
community.
So Psalm
95 says
do not
harden
your hearts
as at
Meribah
as on
the day
at Massa
in the
wilderness
when your
fathers put
me to
the test
and put
me to
the proof
though they
had seen
my work.
For 40
years I
loathed that
generation
and said
they are
a people
who go
astray in
their heart
and they
have not
known
my ways
therefore I
swore in
my wrath
they shall
not enter
my rest.
This
passage is
quoted and
discussed
extensively in
chapters 3
and 4
of Hebrews
which clearly
illustrates the
relevance of
the passage
for us
today I
think.
Hebrews 3
12 says
take care
brothers
lest there
be in
any of
you an
evil
unbelieving
heart
leading you
to fall
away from
the living
God.
And the
implication here
is that we
just like
the Israelites
are bent
towards sin
and need
constant
reminding
that God
is where
we find
our rest.
there are
many things
that we
could say
about this
but there's
one particular
exhortation
from the
book of
Hebrews
that I
think is
relevant
as we
sort of
pull
everything
together
here.
It says
let us
hold fast
the confession
of our
hope
without
wavering
for he
who promised
is faithful
and let us
consider how
to stir up
one another
to love
and good
works
not
neglecting
to meet
together
as is
the habit
of some
but encouraging
one another
and all
the more
as you
see the
day
drawing
near.
So
Numbers
tells us
that God
is faithful
to forgive
the repentant
heart
like those
who looked
upon the
bronze serpent
and now
those
who fixed
their eyes
upon Jesus
and it
also points
to the fact
that he's
sovereign
over his
creation
and faithful
to complete
the good
work
that he
has begun
in us.
This is a
promise that
we can only
claim because
of the
faithfulness
and obedience
of Jesus
and in
this God
has committed
himself to
us and
he's made
us his
people
and he
sustains us
in our
spiritual life
by his
spirit
and in
part also
through his
people
hence the
encouragement
to continue
meeting
together.
So
John
Hinkson
shared with
me a
really
wonderful
illustration
of what
it means
to wander
in the
wilderness
together.
A Puritan
writer named
William Bridge
you know
John is
always good
for a
quote from
a Puritan
writer.
He describes
a concept
of digging
pits in
an arid
climate
such that
in the
rare moments
that it
rained
the pits
would be
filled with
water
and provide
the nourishment
and refreshment
that the
wanderers so
desperately
needed.
So if
indeed we
continue in
faithfulness
digging these
pits together
in our
modern day
wilderness
through prayer
and reading
through service
and through
meeting
together
we may
not feel
the refreshment
right away
but when
the rains
of God's
grace
inevitably
come
we'll be
all the
more
refreshed.
So as
Hebrews says
let's not
neglect
meeting
together
but continue
encouraging
one another
and spurring
each other
on.
In our
walks with
Christ.
Alright so
to summarize
numbers is
good.
It's
sometimes
funny.
There are
lots of
other
themes that
we could
have drawn
out from
numbers but
hopefully
this helps
us
appreciate
numbers a
little bit
more, a
little bit
differently and
so I'd
encourage you
if you
have time
read through
the whole
book.
I hope
that you'll
find great
joy in
God's
faithfulness
to his
people and
his sovereignty
over his
creation.
so that's
all I have.
We're good
on time if
there are
questions or
comments.
things.
So when God
talks about this
new generation
that is going
to enter the
promised land,
so are these
kids born in
the desert or
people who
thought they
were born in
Egypt?
Yeah, that's
a good question.
So the new
generation that's
entering the
promised land,
the original
census in the
beginning of the
book is taking
the census of
men aged 20
to 60 and
they've been at
Mount Sinai for
about a year,
so in theory
there's lots of
kids who were
probably, I
don't know
this, this is
my guess, but
probably some
kids who were
born in
Egypt and
made their
way along
the journey
to Sinai and
those that
are below 20
I think are
part of the
next generation
that's raised
up to enter
into Canaan.
Hey.
Maybe you
guys all know
this already.
I always
wondered why
it was a
bronze serpent?
Hmm.
Why a bronze
serpent?
Because I'm
like, bronze,
why bronze?
Why serpent?
Cool.
But why
serpent?
Because that
would remind me
of the serpent
in the body
of the
movement.
So those
are great
questions.
I'll preface
with I don't
know the
answer.
I could,
you know,
venture some
guesses, at
least with the
serpent, because
in that
narrative it's
serpents that
are coming
to bite the
Israelites.
It's kind
of a,
makes sense
that you
would choose,
it's just the
focus of the
story.
You might
choose a
serpent to
be lifted
up in the
midst of
this event
where there
are serpents
crawling around
and biting
everybody.
There's probably
lots of
significance there
that I don't
understand or
know how to
tap into.
Certainly,
I would expect
that there's some
significance to it
being bronze as
well, and I
just don't know
it.
Somebody else
might know.
I've got an
idea.
Okay.
So, if this
is pointing
forward to
Christ, and
our sins are
nailed on the
cross, therefore
the serpents
would be that
piece, could
be that piece
of symbolism.
Bronze is a,
like, why bronze,
why not gold?
They had a bunch
of gold there.
However, bronze
is a combination
of copper and
tin.
And thinking
maybe would
that possibly
refer to Christ's
dual nature of
humanity and
deity?
I don't know.
That's a maybe.
I just
worked up
bronze to
see what it
was made
of.
That's what
impressed me.
I couldn't
tell you, you
know, where
there's good
reason for
believing that
that makes
sense to me.
Yeah.
It makes
sense to me,
too.
That's really
interesting to
know.
I wouldn't have
thought of that.
So, what were
the, it was
tin and
copper?
It's bronze.
Okay.
Yeah.
Interesting.
Yeah.
Something to
go look up.
I'm sure
somebody somewhere
has written a
thesis on that.
I think
having reason
to do that.
Yeah.
Any other
questions or
comments?
things like
in Exodus
prior to that
sets up a
pattern of
overly,
orderly
tyrannies that
require
liberation into
a kind of
chaotic
wilderness.
And then
later on,
they, you
that Israel
has kind of
established
imperfect
settlements and
cities.
There seems to
be a pattern
of kind of
overly,
orderly,
tyrannical
cities and
wildernesses
and exiles.
there needs
to be some
kind of
resolution to
that,
kind of a
third option
to the
order of
tyranny and
the chaos of
the wilderness.
That's a
comment.
Yeah.
No, that's
really interesting.
So this, this
idea, I think if
I'm understanding
you correctly, so
Egypt would be
the example of
this, what you're
calling an overly
orderly, tyrannical
system under which
the Israelites
were enslaved
and then
they're released
into the
wilderness that
you're saying is
chaotic.
And I think
what that makes
me think of
is that the
chaos is
there when
there's
demonstrated
lack of faith
in God,
right?
Like God,
God is a
king who,
he is the
king who
has a
perfect and
righteous
kingdom in
stark contrast
to the kingdoms
like Egypt
that are
enslaving its
people.
And we
are called
to be
slaves to
Christ, but
in being a
slave to
Christ and a
slave to
God's kingdom,
there is much
greater freedom
in the order
that God
has ordained
for our
lives rather
than, as
you say,
the chaos
of the
wilderness
and sort
of doing
things our
own way,
which certainly
is chaotic.
So that's a
great thought.
Yeah, thank
you.
I've been
thinking a lot
recently about
the nature of
faithfulness and
human flourishing
that was just
like completely
designed and
built in from
the beginning,
that like even
as a person in
their 40,
just like
consistency,
which is in
my mind,
I'm like starting
to see the
relationship between
consistency and
faithfulness that
like I physically
flourished, I
spiritually flourished
through like
consistency towards
God and towards
his way and how
he made me,
even in the
like exercising
and eating
vegetables sort
of consistency,
like there is
just a showing
up and being
future leaning,
like that verse
you picked up,
it was a
Hebrew verse,
it just really
speaks to that,
I think,
for us to live
our life in a
forward God
consistency.
Yeah, that's
a great word,
I think,
I totally agree,
you know,
the spiritual
disciplines,
it makes me
think too of
John's example
that a lot of
those rhythms
and those
patterns and
investing in the
future,
feel like
digging those
pits in the
wilderness
sometimes,
right,
like I don't
want to eat
my vegetables
every day,
I'd rather have
the mac and
cheese or
whatever,
I don't want
to exercise,
sometimes I
don't feel like
reading my
Bible or
praying or
doing all of
those things,
but God is
faithful in
those moments
where we
engage in
those spiritual
disciplines and
when we have
that, as
Beth is saying,
kind of forward
facing or
future facing
perspective,
where we're
looking toward
God and
toward his
ultimate
fulfillment of
redeeming and
restoring creation,
there's blessing
in that,
even in those
exact moments,
sometimes he's
gracious and
doesn't make us
wait for the
joy that comes
with those
spiritual disciplines,
so that's a
great word,
thanks Beth.
all right,
well we're at
about 10 till,
so why don't I
close us in
prayer so we
have a little
time to get
down to the
service,
thanks everybody
for joining
today,
let's pray,
Father we
thank you again
for your word
today and the
truth that it
brings to our
lives,
we thank you
Lord that you
are pure and
holy,
God that you're
faithful,
that you're
merciful and
gracious and
abounding in
steadfast love,
God we thank
you for
everything that
you've revealed
to us in the
book of
numbers,
God we pray
that you would
bring a fresh
joy to our
hearts in your
word,
Lord that
this discussion
today would
rest on our
hearts and
minds and
that you
would be
encouraging us
in our walks
as we move
forward together
in the rest of
the week,
we thank you
for Jesus and
it's in his name
we pray,
amen.
All right,
thanks everyone.