Numbers Series

NUMBERS

PART 1 OF A 2 PART SERIES

NUMBERS 12: 6-8

FOCAL POINT: OBEDIENCE AND BLESSINGS

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF NUMBERS:

THE BOOK GET ITS NAME FROM TWO CENSUS REPORTS RECORDED IN CHAPTER 1 AND 26. THE WRITING GOES BACK TO THE EXODUS OF ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPTIAN BONDAGE. THE STORY STARTS AT MOUNT SINAI TO THE EDGE OF CANAAN. BECAUSE OF THEIR DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD’S DIRECTIVES, THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF ISRAEL AGES TWENTY AND OVER DIED IN THE WILDERNESS INCLUDING MOSES.

KEY CHARACTERS ARE MOSES, AARON, ELEAZAR, JOSHUA, CALEB AND BALAAM

READ NUMBERS 12: 1-5

AARON AND HIS SISTER MIRIAM HAD AN ISSUE WITH THEIR BROTHER MOSES. IT STARTED BECAUSE MOSES HAD MARRIED A CUSHITE WOMAN. THEY ALSO QUESTIONED WHY GOD SPOKE TO MOSES ONLY.

READ NUMBERS 12: 6-8

THE LORD HAD CALLED MOSES HIS “FAITHFUL SERVANT”. HE WAS FAITHFUL ENOUGH TO RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT THE LAW OF THE LORD, GIVEN ON MOUNT SINAI TO ISRAEL.

NOTE THAT GOD SPOKE TO MOSES FACE TO FACE. HE DID NOT USE MEDIATION TO SPEAK. HE DID NOT USE A DREAM OR A PROPHET, RATHER A FACE-TO-FACE ENCOUNTER. THAT WOULD DEMAND ATTENTION FROM ANYONE!

GOD QUICKLY ADDRESSED THE ISSUE OF MURMURING AND BACKBITING SO IT WOULD NOT CONTAMINATE THE ENTIRE PEOPLE

GOD CHOSE MOSES AS THE LEADER OF THE ISRAELITES. AARON AND MIRIAM HAD THEIR ASSIGNED MINISTRIES BUT CLEARLY, MOSES WAS THE ONLY ASSIGNED LEADER. THE TRAVESTY PERPETRATED CALAMITY: GOD AFFLICTED MIRIAM WITH LEPROSY (REF: VERSES 9-15). SHE WAS SENT OUTSIDE THE CAMP FOR SEVEN DAYS BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO RETURN HEALED INTO THE CAMP.

QUESTIONING GOD’S AUTHORITY AND DIRECTIVES ALSO AFFECTED MOSES. READ EXODUS 4: 6-7 HIS HAND BECAME AFFLICTED WITH LEPROSY AND RESTORED!

APPLICATION: QUESTIONING GOD’S AUTHORITY AND DIRECTIVES BRINGS ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES. OBEDIENCE BRINGS US BLESSINGS AND FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM.

1 JOHN 1: 9 “IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND RIGHTEOUS TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.” PHILIPPIANS 4:9 “THE THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED AND RECEIVED AND HEARD AND SEEN IN ME, PRACTICE THESE THINGS, AND THE GOD OF PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU.”

REF: THE BIBLE FOR BLOCKHEADS BY DOUGLAS CONNELLY, HOLMAN OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARY ON NUMBERS BY GLEN MARTIN, NIV APPLICATION COMMENTARY BY ROY GANE, THE MACARTHUR STUDY BIBLE, TSB BY WARREN WIERSBE, DR. CONSTABLE’S NOTES ON NUMBERS, THE BIBLE PROMISE BOOK, GOTQUESTIONS. ORG.