This week we finished Leviticus and read the first 18 chapters of the book of Numbers.
So, where did you see Jesus in Numbers?
The word “Egypt” occurs in Numbers several times doesn’t it. Four times it occurs reminding Israel that God has brought them out of Egypt. Eight times it occurs when Israel complains to Moses saying, “Why have you brought us out of Egypt?!”
I don’t know about you, but as I read through the book of Numbers I got the strong impression that Israel never actually wanted OUT of Egypt, it appears that they only wanted out of slavery but to stay in Egypt.
What they seem to have wanted is to have Egypt and freedom too.
Did they want a land flowing with milk and honey? Sure! Who wouldn’t! But where do they think this land is? Listen to some of their words to Moses.
Look at 16:1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action,
2 and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown.
3 And they assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone too far, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" These guys want a democracy.
First, notice who is rebelling here and why. These are chosen men from Levi and Reuben, leaders, men of renown among the people of Israel. They are tired of Moses’ leadership and God’s guidance. They are not happy at all! Now listen to what they say about where the land of milk and honey is after Moses summons them.
12 Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, "We will not come up.
13 "Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, would you also lord it over us?
14 "Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!"
What do these men think of Moses leadership? What do they think of Egypt? Where is the milk and honey in their minds?
Israel rebels and complains over and over in the wilderness. In our scripture reading today, (Numbers 13:16-14:12) at Kedesh, on the boarders of Canaan they have sent out the 12 spies and have waited 40 days for their return and report. The spies come back and say, this is truly a land flowing with milk and honey… then 10 of them say, “But we can’t go in. We are not strong enough to take on those guys. We look like grass hoppers before them!” Then these 10 spies spread a bad report among the people telling them "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."
This report crushes the confidence of Israel. The people weep all night. They conveniently forget the power of God when they encounter the power of the enemy. They forget how God has delivered them from Egypt. They forget how God has led them and given them food and water for over two years in the wilderness. They forget that God is with them. They look not to God but to themselves for strength and guidance. God has brought them to the edge of victory and they will not take the steps forward to receive it. Why? A bad report spoken to unbelieving hearts! God brought them to the promised land and is prepared to bring them in, but who do they trust? Moses and Aaron are still the leaders and are prepared to lead the people of Israel into a new homeland, but the people do not listen to them. Who do they hear? The unbelieving spies! The majority who bring them a bad report. Instead of listening to God, or even seeking him, they immediately decide to impeach Moses and Aaron and install another leader who will lead them back to Egypt! Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua desperately try to persuade the people to trust God and take the land. But what do the people do? They decide to stone Caleb and Joshua.
What do you think about that? What does the Lord think about that?
God says to Moses, 14:11 "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?
12 "I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."
Isn’t it amazing that Israel ever made it into Canaan? They put God to the test over and over.
Later, when Korah, Dathan and Abiram come against Moses, twice God tells Moses and Aaron, “Move out of the way, I’m going to destroy them in an instant!” (16:21,45)
Each time, just as he does here, Moses intervenes for Israel and God spares them even though the people take the word of the ten spies over the word of God.
Let’s think about those 12 spies a minute. God had Moses send them into the land to explore the land and report what they saw. God did not send them there to decide whether or not Israel should take the land. Their job was clearly spelled out by Moses in 13: 17 When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, "Go up there into the Negev; then go up into the hill country.
18 "And see what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many.
19 "And how is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications?
20 "And how is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land."
See that? Twelve men go in and scout out the country. Scope the territory. Why did God do that? Why not just lead them into Canaan and give them the land? I believe that God already knows what is going to happen here. He knows that these people are not ready to trust him. If they go up there and simply walk into the land without being prepared, they will never become Israel the nation whose God is Jehovah. Israel isn’t ready for Canaan. They still want Egypt. They still do not trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They’ve seen his mighty power, received his Laws, heard his voice, beheld his wrath, felt his presence, and experienced his calling on them. They are the chosen. They are the children of Israel. They are the object of God’s eternal purpose in bringing Jesus Christ into the world. But they do not know. They have eyes but can’t see. They have ears but can’t hear. They are not walking with God. They are being forcibly led by him. This is not their choice. Their choice is Egypt! Their choice is the golden calf! Their choice is rebellion against God and his leadership.
It sounds so much like John’s picture of Jesus. 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
Now here is Israel at the edge of Canaan. Here they are. Instead of simply leading them into the land, God tells Moses to send 12 spies in and bring a report. So in they go. Forty days later, back they come. They’ve seen the land. It is a good land. Look at this fruit! Two men are carrying a single cluster of grapes! They’ve seen the land. They’ve seen the fruit. They’ve seen the people. They’ve seen the giants. They’ve seen so much, but they have yet to see that God is their God and they are his people and he will lead them in victory if they will only trust him and follow his will and keep the covenant in faith.
Ten spies say the words of unbelief and the whole nation throws up their hands and gives up on God!
Two spies see the truth! Two are ready to go in faith! Two! Only two! And Israel hears their faith and instead of listening, they are angry! They hear Joshua and Caleb saying, “God will give us the land!” But what rings true to their hearts are the lies of the 10 who have no faith in God. Instead of listening, they are ready to kill them for their faith.
They are not ready to trust God. They are ready to return to Egypt. They’d prefer slavery in Egypt to this. No… Israel is not ready to trust in God. Those adults who left Egypt will never be ready to trust in God. So God raises up a generation in the wilderness that will trust him. God leads the generation who left Egypt around in the wilderness until they are all dead and gone. Then God leads a new generation into Canaan who have walked with him in the wilderness and learned to trust him and follow him.
Two points from this and the lesson is yours:
First: What does God have to do to make us ready, willing and able to trust him? What does God have to do to you?
We all know people we wish would put obedient faith in Jesus Christ and become disciples. Sometimes we wonder what we can do to convince them. What words can we say? What scriptures can we share? What is it that keeps some people from trusting and obeying Jesus as Lord and Savior and being saved by his grace?
When we look at Israel we realize that God can demonstrate his power, show his wrath, reveal his will, write down his laws, offer his only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins and raise him from the dead and some people still won’t turn to him for salvation.
God can drag some people through the desert for years and make them eat bread from heaven and drink water from a rock, but they still reject him. Some people will go to hell over Christ’s dead body! But not everyone. There were two who had a different heart. Two took God at his word and trusted faithfully. Two.
Jesus said, “Enter the narrow gate that leads to life, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go that way. But small is the gate and narrow the path that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
It is not because God makes it hard. No, no, no! God does not make it hard. Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
What does God have to do to make us ready? He’s already done it. It is finished. We are left with the choice. But there is a process.
Second, and last, where does God build us into a chosen people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God? I think there is something about a wilderness of trials that God uses that makes disciples. Egypt won’t do it. Canaan’s milk and honey are cluttered with idols and distractions too. It sometimes takes a wilderness to teach us to trust God.
I am concerned about a generation of children who have too much and don’t know what it means to need God. Jesus once said to his disciples, “How hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” I didn’t make that up! And I’m just as uncomfortable with those words as some of you are.
God shows us that dependence on him and trust in him are not built in Egypt or Canaan. These are the places where Israel loses their faith. It is the wilderness, where the snakes are and the water is precious and daily bread is all you can count on, that is where God built a faithful people. We really need to consider what that means with ourselves and our families.
Going to Romania and Honduras and working in Inner City have been really good for me. When I was a kid I thought it was tough being raised without the car and clothes I wanted. In my own life, God has built faith with adversity much more than with comforts and affluence.
Do you want to give your kids the best environment to build faith? Look at how God builds faith in Israel’s children. Take a lesson from Israel. Take a lesson from Jesus. Look at how God had his only begotten Son raised. Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay his head.”
Where will you teach your children to trust God? Get them out of Egypt and keep them away from Canaan, and see what God will do.
