God's People

GOD’S SPECIAL PEOPLE

NUMBERS 1:1---10:10

FOCUS: TO UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF NUMBERS; TO BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE IN SERVICE FOR GOD.

CROSS REFERENCE 1 COR 10:1-13

INTRO: BOOK OF NUMBERS

1: 3 PARTS

A) PREPARATIONS TO LEAVE SINAI 1:1—10:10

B) THE WILDERNESS WANDERINGS FROM SINAI TO MOAB 10:11—21:35

C) DWELLING IN THE PLAINS OF MOAB 22:1—36:13

D) NUMBERS IS THE FOURTH BOOK OF FIVE THAT MOSES WROTE

E) THE WORDS MOSES WROTE APPEAR EIGHT TIMES IN THESE BOOKS. EX: NUM 33:2

POINT: WHY LEARN THESE THINGS? WHY STUDY NUMBERS, AND ALL THIS LD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE? THE STORY OF THE SAINTS OF OLD IS VIVIDLY SIMILAR TO OUR OWN STORIES HERE IN WHAT WE CALL MODERN CIVILIZATION.

2: UNDERSTANDING THE LESSON

A) MOUNTAINTOPS AND VALLEYS

B) GOD HAS PURPOSES FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR EXPERIENCES.

C) HE ALSO HAS A PURPOSE FOR THE PLACE AND POSITION OF EACH ISRAELITE TRIBE AND INDIVIDUAL MARCHING THROUGH THE WILDERNESS

D) JUST AS HE HAS A SPECIAL PLACE AND POSITION FOR FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS TODAY

POINT: WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER TO SERVE GOD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS MINDS AND SOULS ALL THE TIME.

BODY: ORGANIZATION OF THE PEOPLE

NUMBERS 1-4

1: WHY ORGANIZE?

A) CHAPTERS 1-4 GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THE ORGANAZATION OF THE TRIBES

B) THIS WAS A WAY FOR GOD TO PREPARE HIS PEOPLE FOR EVERY NEED

C) THEIR JOURNEY WOULD NOT BE EASY

EX: TRAVELING THROUGH A BARREN DESERT, RAINFALL ON AVERAGE FOR THE YEAR WAS ONLY TWO OR THREE INCHES, AND IT COULD ALL OCCUR AT ONCE. HOSTILE TRIBES WHO WOULD FIGHT AND ATTACK THE TRAVELING ISRAELITES. ORGANIZATION, WITH EVERYONE HAVING DEFINITE RESPONSIBILITES AND POSITIONS FOR TRAVEL, WOULD BE NECESSARY TO KEEP UP MORALE.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE SOME THINGS AN ORGANIZED CONGREGATION CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT A DISORGANIZED PEOPLE CANNOT?

2: NUMBERING OF THE HOST CH 1

A) THE FIRST CENSUS

B) EACH TRIBE WAS ASSINGED A POSITION IN THE ORDER OF March

C) EACH TRIBE ALSO HAD AN ASSINGED PLACE ABOUT THE TABERNACLE

POINT: GOD HAD A SPECIFIC SPOT FOR EVERYONE. DISCUSSION: HOW CAN BELIEVERS FIND A PLACE OF SERVICE WITHIN THE LOCAL CHURCH?

3: THE SPERATION OF THE PEOPLE

NUMBERS 5:1—10:10

A) SEPARATED FROM DEFILEMENT

B) 3 CATEGORIES OF DEFILEMENT

1) GOD DEMANDED THAT THE PEOPLE BE HYGIENICALLY CLEAN

A) REMOVE EVERY LEPER AND EVERYONE THAT HATH AN ISSUE AND WHOSOEVER IS DEFILED BY THE DEAD NUM 5:2

POINT: WAS INTENED TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF DISEASE.

2) SECONDLY THE PEOPLE WERE NOT TO DEFILE THEMSELVES BY THEFT OR INJURY TO OTHERS

3) THIRDLY, TWO TYPES OF DEFILEMENT THAT DISRUPT THE HOME--- ADULTERY AND JEALOUSY, WERE TO BE AVOIDED, WHY? GOD ESTABLISHED THE HOME AS THE FOUNDATION OF ALL HUMAN RELATIONSHIP, AND IS DEEPLY CONCERNED FOR ALL THAT THREATENS IT.

DISCUSSION: HOW CAN WE APPLY THESE PRINCIPLES TODAY?

4: SEPARATED UNTO HOLINESS

NUMBERS 6:1—10:10

A) SEPARATION FROM SIN IS ONLY THE BEGINNING

B) GOD’S PEOPLE ARE TO BE SEPARATED UNTO HOLINESS AND GOOD WORKS.

C) ISRAELITES WHO DESIRED TO SEPARATE THEMSELVES SPECIFICALLY TO GOD WERE CALLED NAZARITES, MEANING SEPARATED.

EX: NAZARITES COULD VOW FOR A SPECIFIC TIME OR FOR LIFE, GOD INSTRUCTED THE NAZARITE TO SEPARTE HIMSELF, 1: NO GRAPE PRODUCTS A.K.A. STRONG DRINK NUMBERS 6:3 2: NO RAZOR WAS TOUCH A NAZARITES HEAD NUMBERS 6:5 3: A NAZARITE WAS NO TO TOUCH ANY DEAD BODY. NUMBERS 6:6

CONCLUSION: CHAPTER SIX ENDS WITH A BENEDICTION THAT PROMISES A BLESSING FOR ALL SEPARATED PEOPLE (23-27). CHAPTER SEVEN DESCRIBES THE WORSHIP AND OFFERINGS OF A SEPARATED COMMUNITY. CHAPTER EIGHT DESCRIBES THE SPECIAL CLEANSING REQUIRED FOR THE LEVITES, MOSES REMINED THE PEOPLE OF THE PASSOVER FEAST, ONCE ALL PREPARATIONS HAD BEEN MADE GOD STATED THAT HE WOULD GUIDE HIS PEOPLE ( 9:15-23 ) THE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A CONSTANT REMINDER THAT GOD WAS WITH THEM.

FINAL THOUGHT: WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO TODAY THAT WILL PREPARE US TO BE THE KIND OF PEOPLE GOD USES?