BETWEEN THE NUMBERS
REBELS IN THE PEWS
Numbers 14:1-16
INTRODUCTION
-When George HW Bush was President he banned broccoli on Air Force One which made national headlines.
-When asked about it he said, “I do not like broccoli and I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm president of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.”
-California Broccoli growers were offended and decided to deliver 10 tons of broccoli to the White House in protest.
-In response to that action Bush said, “There are truckloads of broccoli at this very minute descending on Washington DC. My family is divided. For the broccoli vote out there: Barbara loves broccoli. She has tried to make me eat it. She eats it all the time herself. So she can go out and meet the caravan of broccoli that's coming in."
-But the President would not eat his Broccoli!
-We’re talking about rebellion today: that stubborn refusal to do what is right, to do what is good, and to do what is godly.
-We’re talking about what happened to the Israelites when they rebelled against God and they’re punishment was a bit more drastic…than having to eat their broccoli.
-In our Numbers series so far we’ve really witnessed the nation of Israel falling apart just before they get into the Promised Land!
-If you’ll remember, last week in chapter 11, Moses sent out 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan.
-They were told to check out the hill country and instead went and saw all the big fortified cities and came back with a report
-10 of these 12 said, “We are toast! (loose paraphrase)
There is no way we can take hold of the Promised Land!”
-But there were 2 men who stood out. Joshua and Caleb.
-They remind me of that little chicken hawk who was always trying to drag off Foghorn Leghorn in the Warner Bros Cartoons.
-The doubters said, “Those people are huge, those walls are thick, we will be crushed if we even try to take it over.”
-And Caleb said, “I think we can take those guys!”
-But it wasn’t from a sense of bravado. He wasn’t just a tough guy.
-He had faith that God would do what he said he would do!
-He had faith that God had brought them out of Egypt for a reason, and he was still ready to act on that faith.
-God had said, “you’re going to take possession of the land!”
-Caleb and Joshua were ready to obey.
-So as the crowds listened to the 10 men saying “we can’t do it!”
-And then heard the 2 men saying, “We can do it!”
-Who do you suppose they listened to? Look at verse 1.
Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night.
-It’s hard to picture a whole nation mourning and crying throughout the night.
-This isn’t just pessimism…they were shaken up and convinced that they’d made a terrible mistake.
-We’ve all been there before. We’ve felt like the walls were closing in, and there was no hope.
-And yet most of us…somehow lived to tell about it. (still here)
-Things can seem worse than they really are sometimes. And what we do when things aren’t going so well is very revealing.
-Do we turn towards God or do we turn away?
-In hard times…do we turn towards God or do we turn away?
2 Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. 3 “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”
-Americans don’t really relate to this story very well.
-We organized ourselves and threw out our British oppressors.
-We divided our country in half and fought each other to a bitter end in order to stop slavery.
-The idea of giving up freedom to go back into slavery sounds preposterous to us!
-But I want you to see how their…
FAITHLESS DOUBT IS THE SEED OF REBELLION.
-Christians are allowed to have doubts. It’s not a sin to doubt.
-It’s not a sin to ask questions, or to wonder why God does what he does. Why he allows certain things to happen.
-I believe that honest doubts actually deepen and strengthen our faith. Honest doubts point us back to the Word of God.
-Honest doubts lead us back to prayer, where we can ask God those “why” questions.
-Honest doubts put our focus on God, instead of taking our focus off of God.
-The dangerous doubts are those that cause us to dismiss God.
-Doubts that cause us to question God’s goodness, or pull away from God, or become bitter at God…those aren’t honest doubts.
-Those are cynical doubts. Skeptical doubts. Those doubts do not come from deep faith but from deep distrust.
-The apostle Paul said, “We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
-The people of Israel weren’t capturing their rebellious thoughts, they were letting them run wild.
-Their true colors were revealed in this moment of crisis.
-They had just seen the 10 plagues of Egypt!
-They’d seen the Red Sea part and their enemies destroyed!
-God himself had led them in a pillar of cloud by day and a
pillar of fire by night!
-They’d had miraculously been provided food for a year!
-They had already had to trust God for their Exodus and their survival but now for some reason they don’t trust God at all.
-We could spend a lot of time speculating about why they had such reckless doubts about God:
-It’s likely that they worshipped other gods…we saw it in Exodus.
-They had a kind of slave mentality…that was ingrained in them
-They were well provided for in Egypt…they had food and a lush section of land where they lived and farmed.
-Those may all be true. But beneath those issues, there was an underlying tendency for rebellion. It’s a very human tendency.
-Those faithless doubts flowed from rebellious hearts which led to rebellion against God.
-It’s easy to pick on the Israelites but there are plenty of rebels in the pews.
-Church be careful what you allow to creep into your heart.
-Israel left slavery in Egypt as the triumphant people of God, and here they’re crying their eyes out on the eve of their entrance into the Promised Land.
-But not everyone had turned on God.
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. 6 Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. (Tearing your clothing was a sign of great distress)
7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8 And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey.
-Now listen carefully to what these three faithful men said.
-They gave a pep talk of sorts, but they identified what the core issue really was.
9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”
-Were they afraid? Yes. Slave mentality? Perhaps.
-But the core issue was the rebellion in their hearts.
-Rebels don’t like being told what to do…even when God is the one doing the telling.
-So what does it mean to rebel? How do we define it?
REBELLION IS INTENTIONALLY IGNORING GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS.
-It’s easy to look at these people critically and wonder what their problem was. But we have the benefit of hindsight.
-Why wouldn’t they do what God said?
-Why wouldn’t they believe in the God who’d done so much?
-Why wouldn’t they follow God’s instructions?
-Those are great questions to ask. But a better question might be, “why don’t we?” At times, why don’t we do what God says?
-I remember a night when my son Curtis was probably 2 year old
-This was back in the VCRs days and we had one just under the TV
-They have those doors that push up when you stick the tape in
-And I remember it clear as day. Curtis wearing a diaper walking over and sticking his hand in that little door.
-Curtis that’s a no no. Moved him away. Starts eyeing me and slowly moves over and sticks that hand away.
-And then…he starts moving over looking right at me…and did it again. This time I was firmer and swatted his little hand.
-And he did it again. And again. And again!
-It is so aggravating to parents when your kids rebel…when they go against you instructions.
-Well, imagine what it’s like to be God!
-When we ignore the clear instruction of God we are rebelling.
-It’s one thing to sin without knowing that you’re sinning…that happens sometimes. We become aware of it and change course.
-But it’s another thing to willfully and purposefully say, “I know what God says and I will not do it.”
-I know I am commanded to be baptized but I don’t want to.
-I know that sex is for marriage but I don’t care.
-I know I’m commanded to live in peace but I won’t forgive them.
-I know I should do something but I won’t.
-I know I shouldn’t do something but I’m going to keep on doing it
-I don’t care what the Bible says! I don’t care what God says!
-I don’t care what the pastor says! I don’t care what the church says! I only care what I say…
-When we tell God “no” we’re straining our relationship with him.
-We’re causing tension between ourselves and him.
-And ultimately we’re being disobedient and rebellious.
-Stop and ask yourself this: “When was the last time I told God “no” and it turned out really awesome?”
-When was the last time I spurned God’s instruction in favor of my own and it led me down a path of blessing?
-It never pays off to forsake the instruction of the Lord.
-And in the midst of our rebellion with God we often fail to realize that our rebellion never affects only us.
REBELLION CAUSES US TO TURN AWAY FROM GOD’S PEOPLE.
10 But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? 12 I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”
-God says, “Moses I am done with these people they are driving me nuts! Let’s just start over. Let’s wipe them out.
-I think God was testing Moses. But whatever the case…
REBELLION IS AN INVITATION FOR GOD’S DISCIPLINE.
-At this point in our story God is preparing a consequence for their disobedience. That’s what good Father’s do.
-I grew in a home where we occasionally got spanked.
-I know some people don’t like that. I can’t say I enjoyed it either!
-My dad was a business man and when I did something wrong it was usually when he wasn’t home.
-And then mom would just kind of bide her time and when dad came home he’d say go into the garage.
-He’d tell me what I did wrong. He’d tell me he loved me.
-And I still remember the sound of that leather belt pulling sliding off of his polyester slacks.
-The anticipation was really worse than the belt. He was gentle.
-But I’m a fairly smart guy, and I figured out early…when I do things wrong I get punished.
-I don’t like getting punished, so I’m not going to do things wrong.
-I should write a best-selling book about that! Already.
-Parents discipline their kids because they love them, and they don’t want them to continue doing wrong.
-Parents know if they allow their kids to do wrong without consequences it’s sending them down a lifelong path of pain.
-Kids who don’t follow rules at home, struggle in school.
-They struggle to hold down jobs. Struggle in relationships.
-And tend to raise more kids who perpetuate the same cycle.
-Proverbs 13:24 “Those who spare the rod of discipline (or the belt) hate their children.”
-If you are unwilling to discipline your kids you don’t really love them like you should. But let’s brings this back to God.
-God loves us. He cares us about us and our future.
-He doesn’t want us to live in rebellion and suffer for it.
-And so he will discipline us, because he loves us.
-So what do say Moses. We’ll get rid of these people and start over with you as the founder of my people.
13 But Moses objected. “What will the Egyptians think when they hear about it?” he asked the Lord. “They know full well the power you displayed in rescuing your people from Egypt. 14 Now if you destroy them, the Egyptians will send a report to the inhabitants of this land, who have already heard that you live among your people. They know, Lord, that you have appeared to your people face to face and that your pillar of cloud hovers over them. They know that you go before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you slaughter all these people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of your fame will say, 16 ‘The Lord was not able to bring them into the land he swore to give them, so he killed them in the wilderness.’
17 “Please, Lord, prove that your power is as great as you have claimed. For you said, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ 19 In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”
-You have to love Moses. These people haven’t been easy to lead.
-They’ve had a lot of trials and struggles in the wilderness.
-They’ve talked about killing him a few times. But people of faith don’t give up on their rebels.
-You and I know rebels. Friends, family, maybe even our kids.
-Moses was pleading with God on their behalf.
-And perhaps we should take our cue from him on that.
-Ultimately rebels aren’t our enemies, they’re enemies of God.
-They often don’t understand it but their….
REBELLION DEPRIVES US OF GOD’S BLESSINGS.
-Rebels are ultimately hurting themselves.
20 Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. 21 But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, 22 not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. 23 They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. 25 Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”
-God said the rebels wouldn’t see the Promised Land.
-That sounds harsh at first glance. But God was trying to establish a nation of people who would be his very own.
-And they had broken his clear instructions…repeatedly.
-They were ready to kill Joshua and Caleb.
-God rescued them from slavery…and they want to go back.
-They really left God no reasonable alternative.
-God said you’re not going to receive the blessings I intended 4U
-And this still happens today.
-Rebels won’t have the kind of marriage they really want.
-Rebels won’t have the kind of family they really want.
-Rebels won’t have the kind of church they really want.
-Here’s why: You can’t expect God’s blessings while you’re walking away from God.
-You can’t expect blessings to fall from heaven while you are falling away from your faith.
THE ANTIDOTE FOR REBELLION IS DISCIPLINE AND/OR REPENTANCE.
-Our faith isn’t defined in one single moment.
-It’s not won or lost in a single situation.
-Our whole lives we battle with obedience and rebellion.
-When we find ourselves resisting God’s lead, we must ask “Am I going to do what God says or not?”
-When we know we’re in rebellion we must ask, “How long until God disciplines me for my own good?”
-When it’s gone too far and we’re already under God’s discipline we should see it as an opportunity to repent.
-To turn away from our sins and rebellion and get back on track.
-The Israelites who rebelled weren’t lost, God still provided for them, still watched over them.
-But they never got to experience what could have been because of their own rebellious hearts.
-Some of U are in a season of obedience…just keep being faithful
-Some of U are in a time of repentance…keep walking toward God
-Some of you are in a season of rebellion…you need to surrender
-Some of you feel like you’re wandering in the desert and doubting whether God will ever deliver you.
Hebrews 3:14-15 “For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”
