0:05 Good evening, guys. Good. Numbers chapter 15. Let's jump right into it together. Numbers chapter 15.
0:21 Now just before we do that, we're gonna pray one more time and ask the Lord even right now to speak to you. So before we even jump into it corporately, just the few next seconds even, to posture our hearts, trusting that the same Holy Spirit that moved and acted in the book of Acts is the same Holy Spirit here, Now he wants to touch our hearts through the word of God. Lord, in this place, we ask that you would lift up any oppression, any depression, any person that has become numb in life, even though they know the truths of this word, we pray that your word would come like a fire, and we pray that it would come like a hammer. Lord, we know that you give life, and we trust that when it comes to a meeting like this, where we believe that you are alive and well, it should not be a dead meeting. And so we ask that you would breathe life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
1:25 It does no one any good of man speaks tonight. Lord, we need to hear from you. So we pray that you would make yourself loud and clear through the scriptures and let every man disappear, Lord, behind the cross. And so, Lord, we come broken, but you're the healer. We come discouraged, but you're the one who gives joy.
1:44 We come needy, but you're the one who fills. We come feeling filthy maybe even, but you come to make us clean. So we ask that through these chapters, you would change us from the inside out. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
2:00 Numbers chapter 14 is where we finished last week, and it's good to do a recap. If we can recap that chapter in this one summary, it is this. You had two groups of people that believe two different things about God. They were all delivered out of Egypt, but in their journey, there is two groups of people that had two different opinions about God. And so you had, let's say, over maybe 2,000,000 people.
2:25 That's one group. And then you had another group, and it was around four. Some kind of ratio. Two types of groups. And here's what the majority thought about God.
2:36 If you read the first few verses of chapter 14, they essentially falsely accuse God of leading them astray, of delivering them from Egypt only to either kill them in the wilderness, bring them into the Promised Land, only to be killed or made slaves there, and they accuse God of being deceptive. And then you had four. You had four individuals say, no, no, no, no, no. God indeed is faithful. It may not look like it right now.
3:05 It may be a very tough situation. There may be some episodes in our journey where it seems like He's maybe left us, but He's good. His promise is true. His word is true. Now here's my question tonight for all of us.
3:15 Which group do you find yourself in? I'm speaking right now in your life, wherever you are, where you feel like you can't see the next step. You don't understand why, and you're wondering if God is really who He says He is. And I wonder if the ratio here speaks of the perhaps the ratio of our generation even. That even in the new covenant, you have a majority of people who think that, you know, God really doesn't want to give me his best for my life.
3:45 God doesn't really see the desires of my heart. And even if I ask him and seek him, he really he really doesn't answer. And if he does answer, he's gonna give me a lesser version. God always does abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. And my prayer for all of us is that we would believe like those four, that God really is who he says he is.
4:05 He is really that good. You might not see it now. You may not understand it now. But if you just hang on long enough and you come to the other end of this season, your mouth will drop. You will be in awe of how good he is.
4:20 You will realize that he is the master chess player, that he knows how to move pieces, and it may look like it's a losing situation. All of a sudden, he brings it about for your good and for his glory, and it will cause you to worship. Let's just start tonight with that thought. Numbers chapter 14. But unfortunately, this majority, because of their continuous act of rebellion, they have really crossed line with how they spoke of God and how they treated their God.
4:48 And there was one point where they really, like, not just they just crossed the line by tiptoe. They leaped over this line, and it was in a statement that they made. Do you remember what that statement was? You can scan through the first few verses of chapter 14 and realize it. It it finds itself more in verse four.
5:07 What does it say? And they said to one another, let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt. You crossed the line now. So they've gone to entertaining the idea of going back to Egypt. They've talked about how it was really much better in Egypt.
5:24 Now they have come to a place where they said, let us appoint a leader, and let's actually do a 180 and go back. Now the detail isn't here, but it even goes further than that. So we think the fact that you even verbalize it alone, we understand why God will respond in His wrath. But if you go to Nehemiah, of all places, and you read what happens in chapter nine when they recount this story, you'll see why God really acted. Go to Nehemiah chapter nine beginning in verse 16.
6:02 Nehemiah chapter nine beginning in verse 16. Look what happens when they recount the story of what we read in Numbers 14. Nehemiah nine sixteen, But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them. Oh, isn't that true?
6:27 It all starts by failing to realize what he has already done and looking at the things that he's not doing. Let me say that one more time. It all starts with failing what he has done, seeing what he has already done, and beginning to see the things that he's not doing. That's a dangerous place to be in our hearts. Stiffened their neck and look what it says.
6:47 They returned. They stiffened their neck and appointed a leader. So Nehemiah's account tells us that they actually found somebody and chose somebody. Numbers chapter 14, it says that they wanted to choose a leader. Nehemiah chapter nine verse 17 says they actually chose someone and said, we're ready to go.
7:07 Nameless, but they were ready. And then this is where the Lord intervenes. He says, hold on. You crossed the line now. But we have to read on in Nehemiah and see what happens because this leads us into Numbers chapter 15.
7:19 They appointed the leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. Anytime you and I choose to walk away from God or his will, it's always back to slavery. Always. When you and I wanna walk outside of his will, even when you're waiting on his answer and it's not coming yet, if you wanna do it your way, it will always lead back to bondage. Always.
7:41 So they weren't going back to Egypt to hang out and have their meat and their cucumbers. Nehemiah tells us they were going back to slavery. Remember that when you're tempted to do your way and my way? But look what it says here, but you are a God ready to forgive, Gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. That's what Numbers 15 is all about.
8:09 So now we go back to Numbers chapter 15. Numbers 14 literally changes the entire narrative of of this people. They are now going to walk in the wilderness for how long? Forty years. Thirty eight years if you minus the first two years, they're already in the wilderness.
8:31 So thirty eight years, you have an entire generation doing what? A thirty eight year funeral march. Can you imagine how long that would have been knowing that you're not going to the promised land? You're literally walking until you die, just wandering and planting and wandering, and you're never gonna see the promised land. But then we come to chapter 15.
8:53 According to Nehemiah, he is ready to forgive. He is gracious. So what happens? The Lord spoke to Moses in verse one saying, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, when you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you. Numbers chapter 15, if you use if you read it, it's all regulations.
9:11 And we are very tempted when we see these kind of texts saying, this is so random, and it seems so boring, and it seems so repetitive. I'm just gonna skip because we wanna get to the rebellion of Korah. That's where it gets really exciting. But there's something here. There's something about the Lord here in connection to this because it seems like a random scene.
9:28 It seems like random instructions, but God is showing something about himself. Look at how tender and merciful he is. When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you. Now is he reversing what he had said in Numbers chapter 14? No.
9:46 It was set. The first generation was to die, but God had every right to wipe out the entire nation like he had told Moses, and I'll just make a nation out of you. And instead of doing that, he reassures the people you're gonna come in. It says he spoke to them. In spite of all of that, God still desires to speak to his people, to communicate, to commune, to give revelation.
10:13 And so there's a specific audience in light of these regulations. I remember reading this just this past week, and I was thinking, why this of all things? I mean, you're thinking that now the story is gonna change. We're gonna get to the next, you know, kind of scene here, and it's just a bunch of rules. But we have to keep in mind, who is he speaking to in verse two in Numbers chapter 15?
10:32 He has a specific audience in mind. Who's his audience? If he told the people you're not going in, and then now he's saying you're going in, who is he speaking to? The children. And how old is this demographic?
10:52 They're all 20. God is now speaking to a group of young ones, And I find it fascinating because he wants to give them rules and regulations. He wants to instill something in them that the first generation did not understand. He wants to he wants to so form them and shape them at this point in their lives, lest they make the same mistakes as their fathers. And so he wants to work in them as young as possible.
11:16 Isn't that true about you and I? That oftentimes, we need to hear truths over and over and over again because there's some a lot of repetitive stuff here. And whenever God in this narrative repeats, he's trying to say something behind that. He's saying, you still haven't got it yet. So we need to go over it because that's what we need.
11:33 You know, Paul says something interesting in Philippians. He goes, you know, it doesn't bother me to I'm paraphrasing in chapter three. He goes, it doesn't bother me to repeat myself, and it's actually beneficial for you. I can testify this. Sometimes you need to hear something even if it's the same thing 10 times before it actually clicks.
11:51 And so he is now repeating. Notice how much repetitions in the Bible. I mean, every single chapter could have been a unique insight into the things of God, who God was, and and not you don't see that. In fact, you see a lot of repetition. Even in the epistles, you go, this is the same as Ephesians and Colossians.
12:07 Why? Because we don't get it from the first time. I'm gonna train you guys up 19 years and younger. I'm gonna put these truths in you because I want you to understand from as young as of age as you are so that by the time you get because they're not gonna go in right away. How long are these guys gonna stay in the wilderness?
12:24 It's not like the first generation is gonna wander and then he's gonna take the second generation to come in. No. We learned last week that the the younger generation is gonna suffer because of the older generation. So they're learning right from the get go, and they're gonna be wandering with their parents for forty years. And he wants to prepare them from now.
12:46 And that's what you and I have to do with the Word of God. We need the whole counsel of God now. Let's speak of it in light of relationship. There are perhaps many single people in here. Don't wait to build your relationship and understand how relationship work only when you get into a relationship.
12:59 Do it now. Be that man of God and prepare to be that man of God now. Be that woman of God now. Prepare yourself into that season. This is what the Lord's saying here.
13:08 I want to prepare you before you get into the place so that you know what to do as soon as you get in. And so we read this, and we go, okay. So Lord is the Lord is speaking to a specific audience. What does he want this group of people to know before before we jump into chapter 16? Because it's tempting to go to chapter 16.
13:26 I really wanna get to chapter 16. But there's something here in chapter 15, and we can make some divisions. And so we read here from verse three down to verse 16, All these rules about sacrifices again. And there's a repetitive phrase that comes up. Look at verse four, verse three, the end of verse three.
13:50 A pleasing aroma to the Lord. Verse seven, what do we see at the end of verse seven? Pleasing aroma to the Lord. Verse 10, what do we see at the end of verse 10? A pleasing aroma to the Lord.
14:01 What do we see at verse 13, the end? A pleasing aroma to the Lord. The Lord wants the people to know how they can offer something pleasing to him. And so the first thing that the Lord wants to institute in these young ones minds, I want you to understand how sacrifice works. And we know that the immediate revelation from that is that the people these young people would know that their sin to be atoned for is only possible through the death of another, the blood of another, the sacrifice of another.
14:29 They would know that. And what's fascinating is look here in verse 15. For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the Lord. One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.
14:50 So So when you get into this land, and there wants to be the Gentiles will come in. And if they want to come in and worship me, if they want to come in and do this, they're gonna do it the exact same way as you. There's a gospel ring to that. Even in numbers, we have a gospel ring. There's something there for the gospel in the future.
15:10 And this is the gospel truth there that no matter who you are, there's only one way to please God. That's through Jesus Christ. And so light of the old covenant, they're they're getting they're getting some they're getting some shadows here. Gentiles coming in if they want, and it's gonna be the same. Jew and Gentile both need to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
15:28 That's the new covenant prophetic utterance there. But it's not just about Christ's sacrifice. We read on later on about how he's gonna talk about sins. He's really talking about worship here. He wants to teach these young people how to worship.
15:45 I want you to know from this point in your life how to give something that's a pleasing aroma to the Lord, because we have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, but we've been redeemed into a lifestyle of sacrifice. That makes sense? So Christ, yes, we're justified through a sacrifice, but we now live in a state of perpetual, continual sacrificing unto him as an act of worship. So we read this and we go, okay. So, I live a life of sacrifice.
16:13 So what does God want? He doesn't want oil in light of the new covenant. He doesn't want your grain. He doesn't want my bowl. He doesn't want any of that.
16:24 But the principle is true in the new covenant. So my question for all of us tonight, in light of sacrificial worship, what comes to mind? I mean what's required of us? We know Jesus Christ sacrificed for us. We know that.
16:37 That's totally true, but as worshipers, what is our worship spiritually? All of our minds are gravitating towards one text found in Romans, is it not? Romans chapter 12. But there's even more specifics than that in the New New Testament, Which is fascinating because Paul borrows some language even from here because there's there's language of listen. When you have a bull or a ram or a different animal, with it, you're gonna give a grain offering and a wine offering, a food offering and a drink offering, and you're gonna pour it out.
17:12 So there's all these languages of offerings, and Paul borrows that language and uses it for the Christian experience. So is there any text that comes to mind when it when it speaks of the way we're supposed to worship sacrificially to the Lord? This is important. If we're gonna be true worshipers let me this this might shock some people. What we did now was not worship.
17:40 Praise in song. Worship looks different in light of the new covenant. This is an aspect of worship. There is a sacrifice of praise. I just gave an answer right there.
17:50 There's a sacrifice of praise that we give. Yes. That's a pleasing thing to God, but it's not limited to that. We think worship we go the twenty five minutes before the message. I was like, oh, no.
18:00 There there are understandings of worship that pertain to your lifestyle that I'm looking for. Any any text come to mind? Not in the mic? Philippians four. Yes.
18:12 Talks about giving, and that's how we're gonna end it on this section. Yes. There's so there's financial giving that's actually a fragrant offering to God. Right? Say your body?
18:24 Your body, Romans chapter 12. Your body as a living sacrifice. Yes. Go to Philippians two verse 17 if you would. Now this is quite amazing how Paul describes his life.
18:46 And if you have surprisingly, if you have any other translation except the King James if you have the King James, you won't see it. If you have every other translation, you will see this. Philippians two seventeen, what does it say here? Even if I am to be poured out as a what? Drink offering.
19:06 Now what does yours say, Paul? King James? It says, if I be offered upon the sacrifice. If I be offered upon the sacrifice. Now why is it in our in the newer translation, the modern translation, drink offering and the King James offering?
19:17 Because the Greek word for offering in the King James is actually drink offering. And and perhaps the reason why it's not translated so explicitly and obviously is because of the way it's being translated, upon the sacrifice. See, in Numbers 15, that drink offering would come upon the sacrifice in terms of it would be with the sacrifices. It's not so so the language there is not as clear, but it's there in terms of how it looks. But in the newer translations, drink offering.
19:46 I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith. This is crucial because he's describing himself as a drink being poured out. Every drop of my existence comes to serving God. The same way if I were to pour this cup, every single drop coming out of it is for the glory of God, but it's even deeper than that. It's not just my life.
20:08 He's speaking about his martyrdom. He is anticipating the fact that he is so giving himself over to the service of the kingdom of God, even to the point of his death. You say how? Because has anybody else heard of this drink offering term that Paul uses before or later rather in light of this? Second Timothy chapter four, his last letter.
20:28 What does he say in verse six? Well, we have to turn there. Second Timothy, just a few pages over. Second Timothy chapter four. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.
20:49 So in the old covenant, when you poured out that wine, you when you poured out that oil, it was a pleasing aroma to the Lord. In light of the new covenant, it's when you live to his glory even to your dying breath. So we look at the old covenant, we go, that's pretty intense. New covenant's pretty intense. Drink offering has a whole another meaning in light of the new covenant.
21:08 Paul says, I'm that drink offering. The same way it's poured out upon that sacrifice to give this fragrance to God, that's my life even to the point of death. And so the question I have reading that is, how much of my cup do I reserve to myself? Or is every drop to his glory? If my heart was measured in light of this cup, if this was see through, how much is drop?
21:34 You know how he's describing his life? It's like an endless cup. Like, my life is a cup, and it's just being poured out, poured out, poured out, poured out until there's nothing left. I think how much of myself am I giving to the Lord? Am I am I keeping some to myself?
21:52 Paul says, I'm being poured out completely. Powerful sacrifice. Other sacrifices, Hebrews thirteen fifteen, that we are to offer what? A sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that declare His name. You see the verse right after that, that there is another type of sacrifice, good works, unto the Lord.
22:14 And then there's the one that Nahren mentioned, which will make a great transition to the next section of Numbers chapter 15. Listen to this. You can turn there if you're already in Philippians, but I'm just gonna read this verse. Philippians four eighteen, I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent.
22:35 Now look how he describes these material possessions. A fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. That is a powerful description of what happens when we give. It's an act of worship. So my body, my energy, my time, even unto death, yes.
23:00 But more specifically, there's a there's a worship and song that comes as a fragrant offering. And then there's when I reach into my pocket and give something, it's like putting something on the altar and that smell going up to heaven. We don't see it that way, but God wants us to see it that way. So when we come back to Numbers chapter 15, it makes a great transition because here's the second thing that the Lord wants this young generation to learn. Right?
23:28 We're talking about 19 years and younger more specifically. So we come to numbers 15 verse 17. Now here's his new set of instructions to the people. The Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak to the people of Israel and say to them so here's our next set of instructions. When you come into the land to which I bring you and when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall present a contribution to the Lord.
23:52 Now the King James, and perhaps the New King James says a heave offering or a grain offering. A contribution to the Lord. Now what kind of contribution? Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution, like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it. Some of the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord as a contribution throughout your generations.
24:14 So it's not just something as soon as they step in. It would be a practice for the generations to come that whenever it came to that season, the first loaf that they would make is going to the Lord as an offering to the Lord, something that would be dedicated to the Lord. Now why is this being given as an instruction to the people? Does God need bread? Does God get hungry?
24:36 Is God lacking in supply that he's asking the people to give to him? What is the Lord asking here of his people? If you're an Israelite and you heard that, what would you say? Yes, Lord. That okay.
24:47 I see why you're doing that. In giving the first of their dough, where would their mind immediately go? God. In giving the first of my dough, my mind would immediately run to the realization that God is my provider, God is my sustainer, God is my supplier. And this would be something that they would never forget.
25:10 And it's it's not that God wanted them to just say in their mental estate, yes. God is my provider. He wanted them to show it and to recognize it by returning what they have received in the first place. This is something powerful because it speaks about the people and how they should relate to their possessions going into the land. This was an act of worship that would, as a second consequence, aid them in realizing that anything that they had received, in light of other things that they were to sacrifice as well in different seasons, God is the one who supplied it to me.
25:46 He wanted that to be ingrained in their mind. And so we look at that in the new covenant. We say, okay. Well, how does that relate to me? And I think one way it relates to us in a very practical sense is you look at your job.
26:00 Do you see it as a provision from God? You look at your promotion. Do you see it as an increase of God's blessing in your life? Any income that you've received, any reward, any bonus, where does our mind go to? God wants us to go to Him and realize that he's given it.
26:21 But not only that, not only there, he wanted them to have a reflex that when they received, they would be ready to give back. That they would always have that state of mind that anytime I do receive its purpose for me to grant it back to the Lord. And here's one question. It's a very sobering question because amongst many things that make us sensitive and perhaps make us feel uncomfortable, I believe one of the things that makes people, even Christians, really uncomfortable is being when you begin to touch the nerve of wallets, you know, and checkbooks and bank accounts. Stay away from that.
26:55 But here's one sobering question that you and I can ask ourselves concerning how we are relating righteously with our possessions. It's if you and I ask this question at one point with our money, whether you get it biweekly, whether you get it daily, whether you get it monthly, whatever it is, When that check comes in, when that deposit goes in, does our mind ever ask the question, Lord, thank you for you have provided for me. Now what do you want me to do with it? Think about that. That's that's radical almost.
27:26 And and we might be uncomfortable because this is very old covenant principle, but it's actually very much New Testament principle. If you and I are asking the this question at one point in our lives concerned, if we if we have that state of mind relating to our money and our possessions, this, Lord, I'm so grateful. I'm so thankful. I know that you've provided for my needs, my family's needs. Thank you for watching over us.
27:50 Do we go further than that and ask now, Lord, what do you want me to do with it? Or do we receive it and we immediately have our our understanding of where things are gonna go? Because if we ask that question, you would be shocked to know how God will actually answer it. And perhaps we're not convinced from Numbers chapter fifteen seventeen, we will be very convinced in the authority of the New Testament, I hope, in second Corinthians chapter nine. Second Corinthians chapter nine.
28:17 This is worth turning to. I was reading second Corinthians chapter nine the other day, and I was absolutely shocked because I realized something about this endless principle that God has established for his people. We're called to reflect God, are we not, in all things? If there's one description of God's character that perhaps we don't know much of or really don't emphasize much on, God's a giver. God loves to give.
28:52 God so loved the world, He gave. And it was through this chapter where that really opened my eyes more than anything. And as we read this, you're gonna hear some words that you perhaps heard in a different context, in a different type of ministry, type of approach that has probably put a sour taste in your mouth. And I'm there with you. But when I read this, I realized it's in the Bible.
29:21 And like any other false teaching, you take some truth and you take it too far. Right? That's how false teachings happen. It's there in the scripture, but it's out of context or it's overemphasized and blown out of proportion. So we look at chapter nine verse six.
29:37 We're just gonna read this. Bible study is not a sermon. We're family. We're casual here. We're gonna just read this.
29:42 Now we're gonna comment. Look what verse six says. The point is this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Now the part that might even bother us to some degree is that he's talking about money here. He's actually talking about possessions.
30:00 And we've heard this kind of language, Sow your seed. Sow your money. And we go, But Paul is agreeing to some degree, not for the reason why they these people are asking for it. A majority of people that are blasting this as though it's the gospel. But it's a principle.
30:20 Now here's the difference between the old covenant and the new covenant. It's in verse seven. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart. So I had somebody not too long ago ask me, Brother, I'm I got this new job. How much should I give to the church?
30:35 What percentage? So decide on your heart. Decide in your heart, what does your heart say? What do you feel as though have you asked the Lord what you wanna give? It's like, isn't there a percentage number that you're supposed to give me?
30:50 No. That's old covenant, and you don't see it once in the New Testament. Now you can do it, and I know some people who do do it. They have a percentage of mind. They do that with a weekly or monthly.
31:00 That's fine as well. But decide in your heart. This is what the Lord is saying. Decide in your heart what you want to give. Not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
31:12 And so Paul is saying by the spirit, there must be an attitude of giving, not an attitude of, oh, and then you leave the service and go, I I I don't know if that was too much or that was. No. No. No. He goes, I want you to be able to do it in a way in which you realize that it's a ministry.
31:25 That's what he says on. Look what he says here. This is where it gets crazy now. And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. In other words, God's willing to bless you abundantly so that you can be a blessing abundantly.
31:42 God is willing to shower you with all this stuff in order for you to be overwhelmingly displaying good works. And then he gives a Psalm. He has distributed freely. He has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever.
31:55 Now look what it says here. Verse let's go to verse 11. You will be enriched in every way for what purpose? Now this is where the the purpose of you will be enriched in every way for what reason? Why does God enrich me?
32:11 Why does God give me more? And there's some people, even in this room, that have more than others. I know some Christians that have way more than other Christians, and we think, why? Do we recognize it as God's provision? Verse 11 tells us, you will be enriched in every way.
32:27 Why? To be generous. In every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. What's the context? Jerusalem the churches in Jerusalem needed help, and Paul was calling to the Corinthian church, amongst other churches, to get a collection ready so that he can give for a need.
32:45 And he's saying God enriches you so that you could give. And when you give, it's gonna produce something in the lives of other believers, and that's thanksgiving to God. Look at verse 12. For the ministry of this service, it's a ministry. That's why it's a gift even in Romans chapter 12.
33:03 To those who give, let them give cheerfully. Some just have this disposition. Some have this desire. Some consider it their ministry. They're just like, I just want to give.
33:15 And there's so much joy behind it. And God is willing to fuel that kind of person for one purpose, to give. One purpose, to give. Now look at this. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many thanksgiving to God.
33:33 You're not only meeting needs, you're actually creating a reason for people to worship through your funds, through your means. It's a powerful truth. Now we might be thinking, well, God enriches us. It's it goes even you want to talk about die to self? It's not only God supernaturally provides for you so that you can be a source of giving to others.
33:53 Go to Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter four. Just a few pages over, and see another principle. Again, just to show I just really want us to see how God thinks about possessions, and he wants us to think about possessions. Ephesians chapter four verse 28.
34:13 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor. So now he's he's just calling believers to work. Don't be lazy. Don't be cheap. Don't try to find a way in which you break the law to make money.
34:26 Find a holy, righteous, good job. Let him labor, for what reason, doing honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. I just for the first time, I've always understood that, but I just see this trace of continual understanding concerning how when God gives, it's only as a reflex for us to say, Lord, what do you want me to do with it? What do you want me to do with it? I heard of a story of a pastor who was talking to his wife who genuinely wanted to give.
34:59 He wanted to be a giver, and he asked his wife, wouldn't it be amazing? And they didn't have even anything close to this. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could give away a million dollars? He was making like 30 something a year, and he was telling his wife, Wouldn't it be awesome if we can just somehow fund a ministry with a million dollars? Just in conversation, God heard that because he wrote a book, he sold a book, and guess how much he made out of it?
35:32 A million dollars. And guess what he did with it? He literally gave away every single penny. Every single penny away. And he said it was one of the most thrilling, joyful, liberating experiences.
35:46 And he was almost talking about I was just hearing him today. He was almost talking about it like giving was addicting because it didn't start with a million dollars. It started with 10,000, 50,000. He said something he just kept saying these numbers, and somehow because his heart was in that place, God was making ways for it to happen. And every single time he gave it away, And he says there's such a joy with it.
36:07 And he he he was honest. He was saying there's there's temptation even there. When you have that much money come your way. And so he found ways to be held accountable, to give it away. It was so powerful to hear.
36:17 And the craziest part with that is that when you do so, not only is it an act of worship, not only does it produce thanksgiving among the saints, the Lord sees it, takes record of it, and he stores up treasure in heaven. That's not even fair. Welcome to the realm of grace. He wants to teach back in Numbers 15 this principle of giving. To remember who is their provider and to cultivate this heart posture of saying, Lord, what do you want me to do with what you've given me?
36:46 Verse 22 of Numbers chapter 15, he speaks about unintentional sin. What happens if somebody makes a mistake? And what is the Lord trying to say to these people? If you make a mistake, if the community makes a mistake, there is sacrifice there for that. There's something that's it's okay, and it's a message of grace.
37:06 So we learn about worship. He wants the people to learn about worship. He wants the people to learn about giving, and he wants the people to learn something about grace. You fumble, you make a mistake, you know what to do, and he gives instruction. But then you come out of verse 30, and it's not just the message of grace, but of holiness and the severity of God.
37:27 But the person who does anything with a high hand, you know what that means? High hand. They know the commands of God. They know the instructions of the word, and they defiantly come before God and say, I'm going to break this in front of your face. I know it full well.
37:42 I've heard it. I've memorized it, and I'm gonna go right against that. Whether he is a native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among the people. Now whenever that's said, meaning in the context, depending on the context, it means kill him. If a person blatantly sins against God in light of this covenant, cut him out of the the fact that he's a part of the community of the believers.
38:06 Because he has despised the Word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, the person shall be utterly cut off his iniquity shall be on him. There is little provision of forgiveness in the Old Covenant when somebody willingly sins. There's plenty of coverage when a person makes a mistake or does something where he stumbles out of ignorance, but there's little mercy in the Old Covenant for anybody who knows the Word and goes against it. In fact, in most cases, it demands immediate execution. That's not true in the new covenant.
38:47 So we can put up first John one:seven because you can't hear the gospel enough. First John one seven, but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from what sin? From all sin. Not just sins of ignorance. You're saying, Brother, are you telling me that I can willfully sin and there's blood for that?
39:12 That's why you go to chapter two of the same thing in verse one. This is what John had in mind knowing that the readers could possibly flirt with that idea. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you can sin? No. So that you may not sin.
39:26 I'm not here to talk to you about the blood of Jesus and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can find ways to just say, well, thank God for the new covenant. He goes, I'm actually writing these things that you don't do it. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous. In fact, if somebody is in a state in which they continue to sin and think that there's nothing wrong with it and think that the blood of Jesus covers their willful disobedience, first John three nine is for that kind of person. So you go to first John three nine, and this is what John wants to warn that person in that place.
39:57 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, For God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. In other words, if you think that way about the blood of Jesus and the new covenant, you're in a dangerous place, and you need to sit down with some kind of spiritual leader that fears God enough to look you in the eye and say, you gotta check yourself, brother. And so this younger generation, what do they need to know? They need to know about the grace of God. I stumble.
40:22 I fall. We know what we do, we run to the blood of Jesus. They have to run to blood of goats or whatever. And then there's a warning there. If if you if you do this willfully in the old covenant, you lose your neck.
40:36 In the new covenant, we can come to God even in our stupidity and our rebellion at times, and say, Lord, even though I've I've been into church my whole life and I knew that was wrong, I still went for it. I still been into temptation. There's some blood. But if a person has that state of mind at all times and really they gotta go to first John three nine, sit with somebody meditating, get on their face before the Lord. Makes sense?
40:55 Then we come to this random scene in the midst of another random scene, and we read in Numbers chapter fifteen thirty two. And you've probably heard about this story where a man picked up sticks and he was stoned for it. So the regulation stopped. And all for a sudden we read what? While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, gathering sticks on a Sabbath day.
41:20 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. They put him in custody because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. And what did they do? The Lord speaks and says, kill him. Then he goes back to regulations.
41:36 Why is that there in light of the context? What's that story all about? Well, it's answering what we just read in verse thirty and thirty one. It's giving a real life picture of what it looks like when somebody blatantly sins against God, and so the context help us understand this story. So what we read if we read that without connecting these verses, we read this.
42:05 A man was just wandering around and goes, oh, it's a Sabbath, but I I collect sticks. So I'm gonna collect some sticks, and he collects sticks, and some guys see me and say, you can't do that, and they kill him. That's not what's happening here. In light of the context, this man is fully aware of the fact that there's no work to be done on the Sabbath. He's perhaps leading to building a fire when he should have collected manna the day before, and he is willfully defying the word of the Lord, and the Bible is giving us a clear picture of what is not supposed to happen if you disobey.
42:38 So this is what's happening here. It's giving us a real life example, a sermon illustration, so to speak. And remember this in light of your reading of the scripture, that God seems to give his most severe disciplines whenever there's a new phase of dealing with his people. Does that make sense? When God is ready to introduce a new phase of how he's gonna deal with his people, oftentimes, in order to make that thing concrete and clear, he will have to act in great severity to make sure that the guys know that he's not playing around.
43:08 So think of it. Have you have we have we passed through in this time of our Bible study any moments where there is a new phase of dealing with God's covenant people where they were trying to institute something new, and they disobeyed, and he killed some people to show that he wasn't playing around? Think Leviticus. Yes. The two priests who brought, unauthorized Nadab and Abayu, Leviticus chapter 10.
43:37 New phase of dealing. What's that new phase? We're gonna build something called the tabernacle. We're gonna set up this priesthood. In just a matter of a few days, you got two guys come in and just defy the whole thing.
43:48 God says, no. You really need to understand I'm not joking around with this, and he kills them. Then we go to the New Testament. New phase of dealing with God's people in the book of Acts chapter Ananias and Sapphira. Ananias and Sapphira chapter five.
44:04 New phase of dealing, new covenant. I wanna build something called my church. And you got some guys coming in there all confident saying, yeah, we gave everything. Then you'd lie to the Holy Spirit, drop dead. New phase of dealing in Numbers chapter 15, what's happening?
44:17 He's trying to disciple and train a new generation. He's trying to prepare his people. And already you got a guy in the middle of the instructions breaking it, and he goes, just get rid of them. I wanna show this generation that I'm not playing around. This is why this story is here.
44:31 Then we come to numbers fifteen thirty seven, a last instruction for this young group before it continues after the Korah Korah's rebellion. Speak to the people of Israel and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. Why? Not a fashion statement, but a visual reminder. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and to remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them and not follow look how he describes the human heart.
45:00 And not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. In other words, you and I are inclined to we're inclined to go the opposite direction with our own hearts. And so he provides them a visual reminder. You go to Deuteronomy, and it actually gives a detail of what it looks like. There's a garment, a cloth that has four corners with these tassels with a cord of blue.
45:30 They wear that cloth. And so whenever they would face temptation, they would see that thing hanging. They would be reminded of the commandment of the Lord, and it would perhaps put some kind of stop to the potential decision of sinning against God, a visual reminder. And so this is the final lesson that he wants his people to know: walk with the Word. Walk with the word.
45:53 Wherever you go, whenever you go, walk with a continual understanding and awareness that God's word is true, that God's word protects and guides, that God's word is the very thing that needs to keep keep you and is the only thing that can keep you. It's amazing because these things are mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus actually criticizes a group of people for taking this too far. Matthew 23. You don't have to turn there.
46:20 I'm just gonna read it. Matthew 23 verse five. He's talking about the Pharisees, and he says, they do all their deeds to be seen by others for they make their fringes long. What fringes? Numbers chapter 15.
46:34 So they took these fringes, they took this commandment, and they make them extra large and extra long to show the people we really uphold the law. We we really follow the the commandments of Moses. And they magnified it for others to see, when in fact earlier in that chapter he says, they preach but they don't do. So this is there's a holy purpose behind this, but the Pharisees took it into some legalistic thing. But the new covenant understanding of you and I concerning how we relate to this principle of God's heart for his people is walk with the word.
47:05 Psalms one nineteen verse 11. I have done what with your word? I have what? Stored hidden treasure. I have not I've glanced over your word that I might not sin against thee.
47:20 Please pay attention to this part. Not I have verse of the day I have verse of the day your words so that I might not sin against thee. He says, I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not do you wanna you wanna extract the full power of the Word of God and you're resistant against sin? Read it, meditate it, converse about it, take it, chew on it, think about it, do whatever you can to store it up in your heart. People go, That's not that powerful.
47:53 Yeah. Because you read the thing for three seconds, and then you go to your other app. The psalmist says, I've stored it up in my heart. You go to the Hebrew meaning, he's actually saying, I've treasured it. I've taken it, and I've made sure that it got deep inside there.
48:14 So I have my devotion, and when I read, I read it again. And I read it again. And I read it again. And I still don't get it. So you know what I do?
48:22 I write it down, and I put it in my pocket. What do I do? I Oh, I gotta go to work. I go to I go to work. I plug in my phone, and I listen to the word of God as I'm driving to work.
48:30 What does Paul mean by that? What does Peter mean by that? You chew on it. You're doing your work. You're doing your things.
48:35 You're not taking the word of God. You're not taking your devotion to the point where you don't do anything else. No. You're faithful. You're obeying the other commandments.
48:41 But you know what? You're gonna call up your buddy at lunch. Rah, how are you doing? Good. Good.
48:43 Work's good. Yeah. Listen, man. I'm reading Colossians one twenty four. I have no idea what Paul is saying to you.
48:47 You know what I mean? And you're chewing the word. You're meditating on the word, and it's getting deep into your veins. Store up your word in your heart. That's what he wants.
48:56 Not I glance. I just kinda looked through it. No. No. No.
48:59 That's not gonna extract the power of the word of God in your fight against sin. Only when you take it as you would your food and realize that this is not about devotion, this is about survival. You meet the word of God every day. Don't think this is my devotion. Realize if I don't have this, I don't survive, and you'll approach in a whole different manner.
49:20 So he gives these four instructions before we go to Numbers chapter 16 because we need to go to Numbers chapter 16 together tonight. He tells this young group, number one, Christ is the ultimate sacrifice, and we are, as a result, living a lifestyle of sacrifice. Number two, God blesses materially so that we can be an extension of blessing for his kingdom. Number three, to know God's grace and to know the severity in dealing with sin. And number four, walk with the word wherever and whenever at all times.
49:48 So this is why we can't skip through these chapters even though it seems like it's redundant and kind of dry. See what God is trying to say. Who is he speaking to? Why is the Holy Spirit putting this here? And you'll ring.
49:58 You'll you'll hear his voice. Numbers chapter 16. Interesting chapter. Long chapter. We're not covering this chapter altogether.
50:10 Something happens again. He gives these instructions, and now there's another shift. It's just really a downward spot. It really is, and you feel it. And it gets real ugly real quick, and you think to yourself, did you not hear the instructions that God just gave?
50:23 Do you not realize that God just spoke to you even after your rebellion? And he's willing to commune, and he's willing to bring you in, and he's willing to be faithful to his covenant. How do you come to this point? And we're gonna realize how somebody can come to this point. Now Korah, the son of Izar, son of Kohath, that sounds familiar.
50:42 We've been talking about these three groups of people that people under the tribe of Levi. What are their names? What are their names? Kohath, Gershon, and Merari. That's familiar.
51:01 Kohath, that's gonna be important. Son of Levi, Dathan and Abiram, the son of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, the sons of Reuben, took men. So you have four guys and they take men. What are these men gonna do? They rose up before Moses with a number of people in Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation chosen from the assembly, well known men.
51:24 These are not some just random people. You got leaders creating a path. And up to this point, it doesn't look good. What are they gonna do? They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, you've gone too far.
51:43 For all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord? Does that language sound familiar? Where does it come from? What what what kind of echo does it have?
52:05 Envy. Envy. Yes. But, to a particular scene in the book of Numbers. Resident with, Miriam and Aaron.
52:12 Ah, Miriam and Aaron voicing the very same complaint. Who do you think you are, Moses? We're we're the same level as you. Are we not all called to be a holy people? And you know what the funny thing is?
52:30 Who is Korah to Moses? Anybody know? Anybody make a guess who Korah is? Cousin. They're cousins.
52:45 Say how? You gotta go to Exodus six eighteen where it tells us that Moses' brother and this man's brother father are brothers. So you have Moses dealing with another family member that is eaten up by envy. Another family member, not just Miriam and Aram, now you have Korah. And so what happens?
53:08 These guys come like a big against him and say, who do you think you are? And you know what Moses did? He figured it out. He figured out why they're saying this, and the reason why he's saying this is because of verse eight to verse 10. Moses said to Korah, here now, you sons of Levi.
53:26 Is it too small the thing that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel? Now go down to verse 10. And that he has brought you near him and all your brothers, the sons of Levi with you. And would you seek the priesthood also? So why did Korah and these guys come up against Moses?
53:44 Is because they wanted to be priests. They wanted Aaron's position. That's why at the end of verse 11, it says, what is Aaron that you grumbled against him? So they've come to such a place of envy and comparison and competitiveness and lack of identity that they go up to this man, Moses and Aaron, they go, who do you think you are? And Moses, I know exactly why you're saying this because you want his position, don't you?
54:12 This is powerful. There are at least in these first twelve, thirteen verses, I want us to take out at least five lessons from this story of Korah. This whole thing is about a group of men that want to overthrow authority and leadership because they have a craving to be in that position. And this is how we can learn from it. We see here in verse four the first lesson.
54:39 So when they said, who do you think you are? Look how Moses responds. When Moses heard it, he fell on his face. That's always a good way to respond to rebellion. Just fall on your face and cry out to God.
54:48 God, I don't know how to handle this. This is yours. These are your people. And Moses learns all the time just how to fall on his face whenever he's faced with something that is over his head. He fell on his face, and he said to Korah and all his company, in the morning he says, listen.
55:03 I know where you guys are going with this. In the morning, the Lord will show who is his and who is holy and will bring him near to him. The one whom he chooses he will bring near to him. Do this, and then he gives instructions of what they are to do, which we'll cover next week. What does he say here?
55:16 What's the first lesson? We have to understand that whenever it comes to positions, whether ministry or any other context, God makes the decisions who's where and who does what, whom God chooses. They were accusing them based on a false assumption. They said, in other words, you've elevated yourself to this position when in fact Moses and Aaron were not the ones who they Moses wanted nothing to do with this position. God called me to this position.
55:46 God called Aaron to this position. We didn't choose this. God had brought us into this place to lead. And you and I, if we wanna protect ourselves from falling into this kind of mindset that Korah had, we have to understand that it is God who appoints. It is God who assigns.
56:04 It is God who gives an area of influence to each person. If you were there at Bible study, I believe it was last week or the week before rather, we touched on this verse. Just hear these verses. Look how Paul described ministry. In second Corinthians ten thirteen, he says, but we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us.
56:28 That is so comforting. Because if you desire to serve God in a way you wanna impact people, you don't have to push doors open. You don't have to manipulate. You don't have to trick. You don't have to twist.
56:43 You don't have to plan. God assigned an area of influence for you already. And he knows exactly when you need to get there, and he knows when to expand it. He knows when to limit it. He knows how far is too far.
56:54 He knows what He has it all figured out. So I don't need to do anything. Yes. I need to pray and seek and walk in obedience, but however God wants to expand that influence, however God wants to open doors, however God wants to expose the ministry that he's given me, that's up to God. He's assigned it.
57:17 So I'm just gonna trust and ride this wave of obedience and let it crash where it wants to crash. God is the one who's lifting this ministry. God is the one lifting your ministry. This is what we need to understand. They failed to realize that God is the one who chooses.
57:30 So, Cora, you can't push your way to leadership. You can't. You can't manipulate your way. God is the one who does these things, which is so comforting because he knows exactly what you and I can do and what we shouldn't be doing. Isn't it amazing that even to some degree God knows what we can handle, yes, but even what would affect our character?
57:52 Because God most rather have your heart and you reflecting the character of Christ than you having a platform or anything else. So God knows what to do in the right time. God knows how to mature. But there's a second lesson in verse nine. Look what he says.
58:09 Look how he speaks to these men. Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them? You know what he's saying there? You have a ministry. Why do you see it as a small thing?
58:33 Korah, son of who? Son of who? Izhar, the son of Kohath. Who are the Kohath? The group of Kohath.
58:43 What what were they instructed to do with the tabernacle? They were lifting the furniture. They were the one that was transporting all the material and all the things. Gershon and Mariah, they did the heavy stuff. They did the curtains and the bases.
58:57 These guys touched the holy things. And Moses is like, are you kidding me? Is it too small of a thing that you're doing this for God that you want this priesthood? When you begin to feel like your service to God is insignificant or small, it produces a breeding ground for covetousness. When you begin to see that what you're doing for God is irrelevant, is not effective, it's not like that ministry, it doesn't have that many likes, it doesn't have that much attention, it doesn't have that many followers, when you begin to see your service to God as a small thing, you are now in the first step of beginning to now compare, and from that comparison to feel bad about yourself, to feel worthless, and then as a result of that to begin to now pursue something that God did not assign for you.
59:54 That's how it started for them. They saw this task as great as it was as a small thing. And Moses says, you've missed it. You're serving God. You're doing something great for God.
1:00:09 No. We want what we want what Aaron has. And then you read something like Psalms 84. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. Who wrote that song?
1:00:27 The sons of Korah, not Korah. The sons of Korah. And what did the sons of Korah say in verse 10? I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. That's a different attitude than their fathers.
1:00:49 Their father said, we want the priesthood. We want the position. You know what the sons of Korah says? We want the presence. That's what they said.
1:00:57 So they've come to a place in their relationship with God. I would rather be the person at the fringes of the tabernacle in the temple that's just watching for people coming in and coming out, making sure that nothing defiled goes in. I rather be the doorkeeper because I'm near him, and I want him. I'm not doing this for position. I'm not doing this for title.
1:01:19 I'm doing this because I'm in love with God. Read Psalms 84, and you'll realize that these men were consumed with a love for God. You say, how do you know? Because they wrote Psalms 42. I said, dear panteth for the water brooks.
1:01:34 So my soul panteth for you. Oh, God. Those are the people see, you and I will you and I will only come to a contentment in our service to God when we realize our identity is not in our service. When you begin to be consumed, I see it all the time, and I just wanna listen if you just knew the secret to this whole thing. That even when the disciples came back after doing crusades and casting out devils and come, Jesus, did you did you know that in your name these devils submit to us?
1:02:07 He goes, listen. Don't rejoice in that. He saw where that could have gone. You need to understand that your joy comes with that fact that you're a son of God, and that your name has been written in the book of life. So in who I am in Christ, in my intimate relationship with him, we we need to come to a place where that is the reason why we do everything.
1:02:29 Because when that ministry is taken, when you come to a place where for whatever reason you can't serve, you're fine. And when somebody comes along that's more gifted and has more influence, you're fine. Because God, I would I would go from a microphone to a mop because this is all about knowing you and loving you and knowing that you are pleased with whatever service you've assigned to me. This is where freedom comes. And we see here that there's another lesson.
1:03:05 Verse 11. What happens in verse 11? Therefore, it is against the Lord that you are you and all your company have gathered together. When they were rebelling against what God had assigned, they were really rebelling against God. And so the lesson here we have to understand is that rebellion against God lead God's leaders is ultimately an attack on God himself.
1:03:28 This is why David did not touch Saul. You read about David's life and how he was even anointed to be king, and Saul was a terrible king. Like he wasn't even an okay king. Messed up dude. Running around trying to kill his son-in-law when there's a kingdom waiting to be governed and managed, and here he is running around with soldiers looking in caves to try to slice up the person that he actually loved that person recruited in the first place.
1:03:57 It's amazing what jealousy and envy can do to somebody. And David understood. The Lord has appointed him. Never mind if he's holy. Never mind if he the Lord has appointed him, and I will not touch the the Lord's anointing.
1:04:14 What was he saying there? I'm not gonna mess around with how God hires and fires people. And we have to be careful with that because we understand that even even in second Timothy, we know that their instructions rather first, their instructions that if a leader steps out of bounds, that there has to be elders and there has to be people and witnesses that come and bring that charge. We know that. There's accountability.
1:04:35 People have taken that don't touch my anointed thing to a whole another level. It's like, don't speak about it even though he's just messing everything up. That's not the point. The point is this, that David knew something. I don't have to I don't have to get my way into getting where I know God has called me to do.
1:04:51 God hires and God fires. And I'm gonna trust in that process. I'm gonna trust that God knows how to run his church. I'm gonna trust that God knows my call and God knows his call, and he's gonna deal with us accordingly to how we treat it. It's a powerful thing.
1:05:07 Then we come to the final lesson here. Two more. Verse 12. And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and they said, we will not come up. So the first few verses, it was Korah.
1:05:20 Korah comes up, he goes, who do you think you are? And he goes, you you you've missed what your calling is all about, didn't you? And he gives this whole spiel. And then he says, there are others with you, aren't there? In other words, he found out that there were three others that have joined this rebellion.
1:05:35 Remember the first verse, there's four in total that have created this group of rebels. How many were there total? Four. Right? And who did he talk to already?
1:05:50 Korah. And now he's calling how many is he supposed to call? If there's four, he already talked to one. There's three. And so when he calls the three, we read in verse 12, and Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and they said we will not come up.
1:06:08 Did you catch it? And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and they said we will not come up. There's three, but Moses calls for who? Two. So we're left with one.
1:06:20 And who's that one? We go to verse one. An. You never see An mentioned for the rest of this account. Something happened to An.
1:06:35 Something turned on for An. He realized that I've stepped out of bounds, and he backed off. He had realized that this is the wrong thing to do. It was in his heart initially. He knew that this was something that was wrong at one point, and he stepped back.
1:06:56 And he's never mentioned in the rest of the chapter again. And here's the hopeful thing. Even if for some reason we let our guard down, and we, because of weakness and understanding who we are in Christ, and putting our identity in what we do, even if our hearts slip there, it's possible to turn away from it. That's what Adam does. He he realized this is wrong.
1:07:21 I was there. I entertained the thought. I even joined with others in criticism and all this stuff and planning. And here I am now saying, no. And he's never mentioned in the rest of this chapter again.
1:07:30 He's not indicted or disciplined or judged. Even with this kind of sin, even with envy and criticism and wanting to rebel, you can still turn away from that. Isn't it amazing that three of the four men are Reubenites? Korah, we understand. He's a son of Koath, a descendant of Koath.
1:07:50 But these Reubenites, there are three Reubenites. Out of all the tribes, why the the tribe of Reuben? Do we remember what happened to Reuben? What happened to Reuben, the firstborn of the sons of Jacob? He he was the firstborn, and he lost his birthright.
1:08:08 He lost privileges, and so perhaps they were motivated by the fact that they as a tribe have lost a lot, and they want to push their way to get more. But An realized, I'm not doing this. I'm not stepping out of balance. And he pulled back. And the final lesson is for those who are recipients of that attack.
1:08:32 What happened? Look what they say to Moses as we close in verse 13. Dathan and Abiram say, is it a small thing that you have brought us out of the land that flowing with milk and honey? Do you see what they're saying here? To kill us in the wilderness that you must also make yourself a prince over us?
1:08:51 Moreover, you have not brought us into the land flowing with milk and honey. Are are you serious? Nor given us the inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.
1:09:05 They literally accused Moses for the reason why they are not going into the promised land. The man that prayed for them, the man that interceded that they would not be swallowed up by death is the very person that is now being railed against with false accusation that the reason why we're not going into that land is because of you, Moses, the insanity. What do you do when you're a victim of false accusation? Look what Moses does. And Moses was very angry.
1:09:48 What do you do with that anger? And said to the Lord and said to the Lord, do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them. I remember hearing a pastor who's known on YouTube, who has his sermons on YouTube, people have posted his sermons on YouTube. And when you get that kind of attention and that those kind of views, especially if you're a person that preaches uncompromising truth, you're bound to get some kind of negative criticism.
1:10:23 This man had admitted that he had received unbelievable statements, blog post about him and all these false things that he's a false teacher and all this stuff. And it was so amazing to hear how he dealt with that issue. He had said that when I get stuff from my staff or I see things I he says I try to stay offline as much as possible not to go into those things. But when I when it pops up and I read it and I realize that these things are not true and they're out of my control, I go to my room, I turn off all the lights, I get on my knees, and sometimes I lean back. And all I say to the lord over and over again is, you know, lord.
1:11:08 You know. You know. You know. And I just say that over and over and over again. You know, Lord.
1:11:20 And he does know. So this man, the meekest man on the earth, is a target of venom being spewed on him. And he just came to the Lord and says, Lord, you know. And that's how you and I need to handle those things in life, especially if you're aspiring or you're called to be a leader. Get ready for it.
1:11:43 Get ready for it and know how to handle it. Come to the Lord and say, You know. You know. If there's one thing I can take out of this because we're going to finish the rest of this chapter next week, amongst all the amazing things is how the sons of Korah were so different from their fathers. And we're gonna see what happened to the sons of Korah in this very chapter later on, but I want us to close with this thought, with that point.
1:12:10 You know what I learned from Psalms 84 and these different Psalms that these men have written? That even though you had a specific upbringing or you had a bad example in life, whether it's spiritual leaders or even parents that were not godly, you don't have to be the same way. You don't have to fall victim to the place where you're like, well, because of that, then that's why I'm the reason I am. These men went the complete opposite direction. You hear so many stories of people saying, well, I'm not a Christian or I'm not this or I'm not gonna serve God because of that leader in my life or even my own parents that were hypocrites.
1:12:42 The sons of Korah did not take that approach. They learned from the mistakes of those that were above them because these were spiritual men. These were men carrying the Ark of the Covenant in different pieces. These were chief, not common men, chief men, 200 and something of them that were rebelling and showing their Adamic nature. And these sons said, I want nothing to do with that.
1:13:08 And they, on their own, learned how to worship, love, obey, and seek God for themselves. Let's close with this thought as we worship. Korah or sons of Korah? Korah, I need the position. Sons of Korah, I need his presence.
1:13:28 I need his presence. How do you serve God? Do you see it as a small thing, insignificant thing, worthless thing, or do you see even this act of service as a fragrant offering to God? Let's close with that in prayer. If you're weary tonight just bring it to the Lord.
1:13:59 If you're distracted tonight, just bring it to the Lord. If your heart is not engaged tonight, just bring it to the Lord. God is so merciful and forgiving. God is so gracious to bring allow us to come to him in any form or shape or state we're in. But with the little strength that we might have at the end of this week on a Friday night, let's take God's word and say, Lord, bring me to that place where I don't have to covet what wasn't assigned to me.
1:14:38 Bring me to that place of contentment that protects me from coveting and comparing Or maybe that wasn't it, maybe it was the second Corinthians nine where God enriches us so that we can be a blessing to others. We can pray, God help me see my things righteously. Help me see my bank cards righteously. Help me see my bank account righteously. Help me see my promotion righteously.
1:15:12 Father, tonight we come before you thankful for your word and Lord, we ask that you would lift off any burdens on anybody's hearts, perhaps overwhelmed, perhaps tired and weary in the flesh, or maybe just contemplating some things that need some answers from you. But Lord, you see it all. And Lord, we ask that you would come and work in us and through us. Lord in heaven, we've heard what you have to say through Numbers chapter fifteen and sixteen. And we ask desperately, Lord, that it would not go in one ear and out the other.
1:15:46 That, Lord, it would resonate and it would produce obedience. And Lord, you know our hearts, God. This heart that's hidden from the sight of man is not hidden from you. And so, Lord, we will not try to be in the dark. We will be in the light, and we take our hearts and we lay it before you.
1:16:03 We ask, Lord, cleanse it from the things that we just heard of that are not according to your will. Help us realize that each person has been given an assignment with a level of influence, with a level of gifting, and that's exactly how you've ordained it to be. Help us trust, Lord, in your callings for us. Help us trust, Lord, in the ministries that you have prepared for us. And, Lord, not only that, whether you give us something or not, may our identity be in the fact that you have called us to an intimate relationship with you.
1:16:38 And that is the most life giving, mind altering, satisfying truth that will only remain theory unless it's experienced. So bring us into that experience daily, Lord. We don't have tassels but Lord we take your word and we store it in our hearts tonight. And we ask that it would be the theme of our conversation, the theme of our thoughts, and that we would be a people that would be greatly protected because of the power of the scriptures. Lord, we ask that you would hear us as we sing to you.
1:17:09 Help us, Lord, by giving us an extra measure of grace in your presence tonight. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
