Numbers 03

  Numbers

The New Generation (Numbers 26 - 36)
● The Reorganization of Israel (Numbers 26:1 – 27:23)
 The Second Census (Numbers 26:1 – 51)
■ In the first census there were over 600,000 men that were counted. Of all of those people only two are left and a new census is taken. There were only two left of that whole generation. They survived because they had faith that God could do what he said he would do.
■ This new generation was entirely different. They did not remember the difficult but consistent and predictable life of slavery in Egypt that constantly tempted their fathers. These people were stronger, leaner, and grew up seeing the Lord's faithfulness.
 Method for Dividing the Land (Numbers 26:52 – 56)
■ The Lord tells Moses that the land should be divided up based on this new census. The larger tribes are to be given more land and the smaller tribes should thus get less.
 Expectations for Dividing the Land (Numbers 26:57 – 27:11)
■ This part of scripture tells us about how the leaders planned to divide up the land based on the census that was given earlier in chapter 26.
■ There is also a powerful and important message in 27:1-11. All inheritance in the ancient world tended towards the sons inheriting everything. The daughters of Zelophehad came to Moses and claimed that they had no brothers who would inherit on their behalf and provide for them. 
● These women were given an audience by Moses, showing again how greatly Moses, and ultimately the Lord, values women. It was given here that women could inherit property if there was no husband or brother to act as their representative head. This is in stark contrast with many of the other world systems that give women no protection or right to inheritance.
 Appointment of Israel's New Leader (Numbers 27:12 – 23)
■ The Lord here tells Moses how he is going to die, and whom he must appoint to lead the people into the land.
■ Joshua son of Nun is the man that God chooses to lead the people because of his faith in the Lord. Joshua knew that the task of taking the land seemed impossible but he had faith in God and His ability to provide for them. 
■ Furthermore, Joshua had served faithfully and submitted to all authority.
■ Moses was not assassinated, nor was there some sort of plot to take his authority. Rather, it is God's way that authority pass peacefully and that leadership flow smoothly between people who are proven and chosen by God.
■ Furthermore, it shows us something else important. The people didn't choose their leaders, nor did they vote. Leadership is to be appointed by God and other leaders. Leadership ability needs to be judged by the spiritually mature, not the masses.
● The Regulations of Offerings and Vows (Numbers 28:1 – 30:16)
 The Regulations of Sacrifices (Numbers 28:1 – 29:40)
■ This section of Scripture gives specific ordinances for worship and life. It becomes clear that the Lord was to be the center focus of the society as a whole.
■ Sacrifices were a huge part of this. These sacrifices were made both to praise the Lord and remember that He is in charge and will provide, as well as to remind the Lord of the blood that would be shed on the cross that would one day take away sin forever.
■ Feasts were a large part of the Jewish calender. It becomes apparent early on that the Lord wants his people to celebrate and be joyful, and there is so much for those who are chosen of the Lord to rejoice about! 
■ We know that we can trust him for everything. We can look back on all of human history where the Lord has been faithful, and our personal histories where the Lord has moved and been constantly at work. 
● Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Philippians 3:1
 The Regulations of Vows (Numbers 30:1 – 30:16)
■ In this section on vows one thing becomes clear: The Lord cares about our being honest. The Lord wants us to act in accordance with His character and Titus 1:2 tells us that God is unable to lie.
■ Another thing we see here is the principle of authority. If a child or a wife made a vow then the parent or husband could say “no” to that vow and it would be dissolved. Authority is very important for us as children of God. 
■ Obeying earthly authority (Presidents, Kings, Mayors) as well as police and judges is an important part of our walk with the Lord (provided that obedience to those earthly authority does not conflict with our loyalty to the Lord!). Furthermore, our obedience to our parents, and to other authorities that the Lord has set up (including authorities that the Lord has set up in the Church) are for His glory. They are great practice for submitting to the Lord.
● Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. - 1 Peter 2:13-15
● The Conquest and Division of Israel ( Numbers 31:1-36:13)
 Victory over Midian (Numbers 31)
■ Numbers 31 tells us about the victory that the Israelites have over the Midianites. This is to be Moses last big battle before he is to die and go to be with the Lord. 
■ The Midianites were those who were menacing to Israel, they were a group of nomadic tribes who were descended from Abraham and his wife Keturah (Gen 25:1-4). They were probably closely related to, or allied with, the Moabites when they tried seduced Israel into fornication and idolatry (Numbers 25:6, 16-18)
■ In this battle Balaam was killed. Although he knew God and God had given him a miraculous spiritual power, he tried to market that spiritual power and tried to work against the purpose of God, which always gets us nowhere.
● This is important to notice about our spiritual gifts. So much of the hype in the media today about the Holy Spirit is un-biblical. We see many fakes and possibly some people who have genuine spiritual gifts, using those gifts for ungodly gain. 
● It is most important to realize that if we do have a genuine spiritual gift that gift has a purpose. That purpose is not for us to just use the gift however we see fit. And we must certainly never use our gifts to draw attention to ourselves, but rather we must use our spiritual gifts with the Biblical teaching about them in mind.
 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. ~Ephesians 4:11-13
■ Here we see that the purpose, the goal, of our spiritual gifts are for the building up of the body, not for the glorification of ourselves. Not for us to have a cool feeling in the pit of our stomach, but for conforming EVERYONE in the body to maturity in Christ.
 When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. ~John 15:26
■ The Holy Spirit's function is to bring glory to Christ. He will never bring glory to Himself, but to Jesus. The purpose of the Spirit's work is to bring glory and testify about Jesus.
 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” ~1 Corinthians 13:1-2
■ The Corinthian Church had been carried away with a foolish interest in the flashy gifts and the love of their own spiritual power. Paul corrects them here and tells them that the gifts are only useful if they are used in love to build others up! Any other exercise of these gifts, for any of the wrong reasons, is nothing. Just wood, hay and stubble that will be burned in the fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
■ The only people of the Midian tribes that were allowed to survive were the children and the virgins. It seems that this culture was not so steeped in its idolatry that the children could not be saved from the wicked cultural programing of their parents.
● However the extremity of killing almost every adult shows how serious God is about wiping our sin and defending the purity of his people. This is simply a preview of the amazing power that God is going to exercise and extreme judgment that he is going to pour out on anyone who would try to bring perversion into his holy community.
■ After the battle had been won the spoil was divided up and a significant portion was given to the Lord has it was recognized that God was the victor here, not the people who fought in the battle. 
● This generation would remember when their parents tried to go and take the land across the Jordan and were beaten all the way down the mountain. They would know what we should know. If they win the battle it is because it was God's purpose for them to win, if they were to lose the battle it was because God had a reason for them to lose, and that reason was always in their best interest!
● This is the same for us, in every situation, in every victory that we have to celebrate we need to be praising to the Lord and giving of the spoils because it was he who gave it to us, and he gave it to us for His purpose. We can have confidence that the Lord loves us and is looking out for our best interests regardless of our situation, all we need to do is rest in all that the Lord has done.
 Division of the Land East of Jordan (Numbers 32)
■ After the victory over Midian, two of the tribes saw that the land that was east of the Jordan river was good for cattle, which they had a lot of, and asked Moses if they could have the land south of the Jordan. 
● Moses told them that they could not settle here and then leave the rest of the tribes to do all of the work in taking the land of Israel. Just because the land that they wanted was already conquered, didn't mean that they could rest and hang out, starting a life for themselves while the rest of Israel worked, slaved and died to accomplish God's will.
 Similarly, we cannot simply sit around and say “well my family is saved, I guess I don't have to be thinking about sharing the gospel with anyone today!” No! We must be thinking in terms of the entire Church! The whole body of Christ. Just because things are simple and easy in our family, congregation, or country, doesn't mean we can turn a deaf ear to the brothers and sisters that need help elsewhere. The early Church took a stand for Christ and preached in synagogues, shared their faith with people whom they worked with, send aid to churches in other cities who had need, sent out missionaries and teachers to other bodies who needed them, and supported the other churches with great hospitality whenever they would visit. 
● The two tribes agreed that they would go and help take the land and when all was done they would return to the land east of the Jordan that they wanted.
 The Summary of Israel's Journey (Numbers 33:1- Numbers 33:49)
■ This is a great summary of everywhere that the Israelites went on their Journey. It would be an easy quick chapter that would remind them of how far the Lord had brought them, lessons that they had learned, or that their parents had told them about, along the way. It highlights, once again, that God is a record keeper, God does not do things without purpose, or forget that he did it. The Israelites could be sure that God did nothing in vain, and that the only time that was wasted was the time that they did not spend trusting in Him.
 The Division of the Land West of Jordan( Numbers 33:50 – Numbers 34:29)
■ This passage gives special instructions that the Israelites are to follow when they take the promised land, but we are going to focus on two concepts:
● Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. ~Numbers 33:53
 This passage tells them what they are supposed to do: Take the land and settle in it as well as why: God has given it to them to possess.
 The word “have given” is a perfect tense verb, it's already finished. They just need to take hold of that promise in faith. If they believe God, that he has given them the land, then they will go up and take it without any problem, in faith.
 Faith is the tool with which we take hold of the promises in God. God's promises are always true, but without faithfully believing them and applying them to our lives we will never live a full and victorious Christian life. Lets look at some examples:
■ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life...In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ~Romans 6:1-4, 11.
● Have you taken hold of this promise in faith? This is the Lord's prescribed treatment for sin in the life of the believer: Believe what Jesus did, and believe that it worked for you. Now you are completely separated from Sin and you never have to sin again! Believe it and you won't sin, ignore it and you won't be able to do anything BUT sin!
■ I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~Galatians 2:20
● You have died to sins, you don't remember doing it, but it is true. God has placed you in the Lord Jesus at the time of His crucifixion. The victorious life that the Lord has for us to live is to be lived by faith in Christ, and that's all! Not by law or good works, not by magic or nice words, but by faith that continues in Christ, trusting him, resting in him and believing on him.
■ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Eph. 1:3
● You have already been given EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ. If you have EVERY spiritual blessing how many spiritual blessings are you lacking? How many are you waiting on? NONE! NOT ONE! You are already in possession by all of them in Christ. As we have faith in him, and rest in him we will never have need of any extra spiritual blessing, any extra grace, we will not need to do penance to earn more forgiveness, nor will we have to wait to get back into him! 
● But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. ~Numbers 33:55
 Here we see the Lord commanding them to completely drive the people out of the Land. It is not their land, God has already given it to the Israelites. 
 The Lord himself will give them more than enough power to complete this task, yet they must complete it, they must not get content half way and (as they actually will) allow the people to stay and not take all of the land.
■ Spiritually speaking we have a similar treat in our lives. The Lord has bought us, purchased us completely. Our past present and future are how His. Furthermore our sinfulness is completely out. 
■ Just as the Israelites are told to take all of the land and make no compromises, using the Lord's power and ability; so we are to consider ourselves dead to sin, not making compromises to do what we want to do, and indulge our lusts. This is freedom for us, and if we continue to allow ourselves to live in Sin without relying on the Lord then we are doing exactly what the Israelites did and not taking the full blessing that the Lord has given us in Christ!
 Special Cities in Canaan (Numbers 35)
■ There are two types of special cities taught about in this chapter: Cities for the Levites and Cities of Refuge.
● Every tribe got a generous allotment of land that they would get to dwell in, except the tribe of Levi.
 The Tribe of Levi were to priests, dedicated to the Lord, and he claimed that HE would be their inheritance. They got cities wherein they could dwell, and the rest of Israel was to give to the Lord and meet their needs to that they could be constantly serving the Lord and making sure that the Israelites were staying spiritually on track.
● Cities of Refuge were cities where someone could legally flee to if they killed someone accidentally. 
 Pure justice would demand that if someone kills someone else he must die. It doesn't matter if they did on accident or on purpose.
 God is more gracious than this. He provides a place for the person who just made a mistake to be safe from the one who wants him killed. Even in God's law, there is grace. 
■ Special Problems of Inheritance in Canaan (Numbers 36)
● In this section the Lord clarifies the system of inheritance so that no one will get an unfair advantage by legal loopholes, and finding ways around the rules to get more land than they are allotted by the Lord.

Take Home
The Israelites were delayed and delayed by their lack of faith in the Lord, and every time they expressed that lack of faith it only caused more problems for them. There is no difference in our lives. We can have faith in God and move forward into becoming the men and women that He wants us to be, or we can faithlessly sit around and believe what the world tells us about who and what we are!

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see...And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:1, 6