Posts that reference the book of Numbers

Signs of Hardness: Discontent

One of the memorable details in the Exodus is Pharaoh hardening his heart. Despite the miracles, the plagues, the pronouncements of Moses, he persisted, and the end result was God’s judgment on him and his nation. Pharaoh wasn’t the only one with a hard heart. Israel soon developed one in the wilderness. In the Old Testament and New Testament, we are warned not to harden our hearts. Of course, we would never … It doesn’t happen overnight though. It starts with an action or an attitude and before we know it, we are cold and indifferent to God and His word. We’ve begun considering some cautionary signposts that mean we are on the road to a heart hardened toward God. So far, we’ve discussed disobedience and wealth. Today, let’s look at discontent.

What is discontent?

From the dictionary, discontent is a sense of grievance, a lack of satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation. It is rampant in our culture. We are taught to constantly take inventory, to compare and even disparage those who have what we believe we should have. We manifest our discontent through complaining. We probably don’t think of ourselves as complainers, but we probably know someone who is. (That was tongue in cheek.) Consider your daily routine. The traffic was slow. The coffee has too much or not enough whatever in it. The order wasn’t quick enough. The internet is slow (I’m repenting as I type). That person doesn’t pull their weight. Those rules are useless. That costs too much. And on Sunday, the sermon was too long, too shallow, didn’t address my needs. The music was dull. Or too loud. And on and on and on.

How does complaining produce hardness?

Theologically, it is borne out of envy or covetousness. It is an accusation that God is not good, that He is not fair, that His provision for us is neither adequate nor appropriate. It teaches us that we are the ultimate arbiters of good and right and not Almighty God. Because we don;t want to give up our position, we harden our hearts toward the True God.

“How long must I endure this evil community that keeps complaining about me? I have heard the Israelites’ complaints that they make against me.
Numbers 14:27

God does not tolerate any other gods.

How do you soften a heart hardened by discontent?

The New Testament has some advice for how to soften our hearts.

Service

“It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:26-28

Humility

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:3-5

Contentment

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”
Hebrews 13:5

If your primary thought about others is how to love and serve them, there isn’t room for the envy that produces discontent. When we add to that the perspective that we have Christ’s presence with us, no material things can compare. Finally, our contentment is a powerful witness to the world around us. Paul explains:

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.
Philippians 2:14-15

A Study in Contrasts: The Spies

By Paula

Study in Contrasts The Spies title graphic

The spies reported “But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.” Numbers 13:28 (NIV)

You may remember from beginning grammar that conjunctions are words that connect words or ideas. “But” is the conjunction that joins contrasting ideas. When “but” appears in Scripture, it highlights something God wants us to notice, to learn from. We’re looking at some of these contrasts.

In Numbers 13, the nation of Israel is poised to enter the Promised Land. Moses sent a team of twelve spies to check out the land in preparation for its conquest. On their return, they gave Moses their report: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.” Numbers 13:27

In other words, the land is everything God promised it would be. It is beautiful. It is fruitful. BUT… The people are powerful. The cities are fortified. There are giants.

That report is enough to make the people decide they don’t want any part of the Promised Land.

As the narrative continues in chapter 14, Joshua makes a last-ditch effort to encourage the people to take hold of the land God is giving them.

If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites. Numbers 14:8-10 (NIV)

Joshua said, “Do not be afraid. The Lord is with us.” BUT the people wanted to stone him for suggesting that.

This moment represents one of the greatest failures in Scripture, and the lessons we can take away are important.

A sense of entitlement is destructive – It hadn’t been that long ago that the nation of Israel were slaves in Egypt. Most recently, they have been dependent on God for their provision as they trekked across the desert. Now they presume to treat the gracious gift of a homeland and the abiding presence of God with the critical eye of a used car buyer. They were critical, ungrateful, and rebellious. Joshua was right. The Promised Land lay before them. All they had to do was step out in faith. They chose to sit back in hard-heartedness.

If we aren’t careful, we can nitpick God’s grace. We can determine He really doesn’t care. He really isn’t good. His gifts aren’t great and we deserve more.

Leaders who don’t follow God can lead us astray – The ten spies were handpicked representatives of their tribes. They were well-respected, but they were completely wrong. Not only that, but their report was designed and delivered to maximize its impact. Scripture doesn’t record their motive. We don’t know if they were looking to push Moses out or if they were genuinely opposed to taking the land. But clearly they lacked faith in God and His promises.

We can embrace leaders who are more pragmatic than Kingdom-minded. Joshua, Caleb, and Moses returned again and again to God’s clear commands and His character. The other spies were pushing comfort, safety, and ease, but ultimately disobedience.

We have to trust God more than we trust our own assessment of the situation -The ten spies were not wrong. The people of Canaan were powerful warriors. The cities were well-fortified. There were giants. However, like Joshua said, “But the LORD is with us.”

Carrying out the gospel, making disciples, living like Jesus day in and day out is a difficult assignment. There is no question about that. Culture is hostile. Temptations are a real struggle. The enemy is active and fights dirty. But the LORD is with us. The Holy Spirit lives in us and Jesus promised that we will reap if we don’t faint.

Don’t be like the spies. Be like Joshua. Be bold. Cling to His promises. Encourage others to do the same.

Next week: David

Hebron: A Promise Kept

By Paula

long shot of mount hebron today with post title

And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Joshua 14:13

When Israel reached the border of Canaan, Moses sent twelve men in to survey the land in preparation for taking it. Caleb was one of those men. In spite of the failure of Israel there at Kadesh-Barnea, God promised Caleb that the land he surveyed would be given to him as his inheritance. In Joshua 14, after the conquest of the land, Caleb came to Joshua to claim that inheritance, including Mount Hebron. There is a city called Hebron as well. The mountain is more of a ridge or group of hills than a distinct peak. The city sits a little over 3000 above sea level.

So what happened at Hebron?

A promise realized – Forty-five years after God declared Hebron would be his, Caleb saw that fulfilled. Forty-five years. It’s tempting to shake our heads and wonder what good the promise is if you have to wait so long to see it kept. But it is a reminder that God is working an eternal plan, not a temporal one. The here and now is not nearly as important as the there and then. God, however, is as faithful to a forty-year promise as He is an eternal one.

A commitment affirmed – Hebron is evidence of Caleb’s whole-hearted commitment to follow God. It was a commitment that did not waver even when he and Joshua were the only two people in the entire nation who believed God would give Israel the land. Even when the nation demanded his death by stoning for the mere suggestion. Our commitment wavers in the face of far, far less opposition.

A reward received – In Joshua 14:9, Caleb reminds Joshua, So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ This was a restatement of God’s own declaration in Numbers 14:24. We don’t serve God for what we get out of it. That was Satan’s premise in his attacks on Job. However, it is undeniable that God takes note and rewards faithful obedience to Him. He rewards us with the intangible wonder of knowing Him more intimately, with the riches of His grace. At times, He rewards with the more tangible as a testimony to His goodness.

A new challenge undertaken – Caleb had no illusions about Hebron. He knew the Anakim, the giants, were there. He knew the cities were strong and fortified. But he also knew that God had kept him alive and strong, and if God continued to be with him, he would drive the Anakim out. Sometimes God responds to faithfulness, not with a promise of leisure, but the next –greater– task. May we meet them like Caleb, assured that the God who brought us to it, will bring us through it.

Read all the Mountains series

When God Told Moses ‘No’

By Paula

But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the LORD said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. Deuteronomy 3:26

No one likes to be told “no,” whether it’s asking for time off, looking for volunteers, or seeing if there’s one last piece of cake left. It is even more significant, sometimes even faith-shattering, when we hear “no” from God. Somewhere along the line, we’ve grabbed on to an idea that because God loves us, He’s supposed to answer us with a ‘yes.’ The reality is God often says ‘no,’ and we can learn a lot about ourselves and our relationship with God in those times.

In Numbers 20, Moses is instructed to take up his rod and then speak to the rock there and God would provide water for the nation of Israel. Instead, Moses hit the rock … twice. In verse 12, God decrees that neither Moses nor Aaron would enter the Promised Land with the nation. Now that’s a rich account in itself, but let’s jump ahead to Deuteronomy 3.

Then I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying … I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.’ But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the LORD said to me: ‘Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.’ Deuteronomy 3:23-26

Moses earnestly, sincerely asked God to reconsider, to allow him to lead Israel into Canaan. And God said no. No, and don’t bring it up again. A cursory reading might give the impression that God is needlessly harsh and intractable. However, if we consider the exchange more carefully we find out God reveals quite a bit about Himself and His dealings with His people.

God’s holiness cannot disregard defamation. At Meribah, (besides the Christ-typology in the water from the rock) Moses communicated to Israel through his own short-tempered frustration was that God was put out with meeting the needs of His people, that He was weary of hearing their requests, that it was a hassle to fulfill the very things He had promised. God cannot simply let such distortion and disrespect slide. He didn’t then with Moses and He won’t now with us.

Intimacy with God doesn’t bring privilege. Moses enjoyed an amazingly intimate relationship with God, a fact Yahweh acknowledged in Numbers 12. “I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. “ Numbers 12:8. I admit, reading the exchange in Deuteronomy, my reaction is, “But God, it’s MOSES… and it’s the PROMISED LAND…” But the standards God holds us to apply equally to all of us. Those who cultivate a close relationship with the Almighty are not afforded Teacher’s Pet status. We are all equally bound to obedience. Even Moses.

Grace doesn’t grant presumption. God is gracious beyond measure and understanding. However, His grace is dispensed in line with His will and His purposes and always reflects His character and His holiness. Because God is gracious and has demonstrated the grace to us doesn’t give us place to presume on that grace. The idea that we can do what we want – even if that is giving in to frustration like Moses – and then God will forgive us later because He’s gracious is contrary to the declaration that He is Lord. He is in no way obligated to show grace or to forgive. Grace, by definition, is a gift, an undeserved one. That’s what makes it amazing.

Another result of this ‘no’ was the increased humility and transparency it brought out in Moses. Since the exchange with God was private, Moses could have kept it quiet. Israel would have never known. However, in the book of Deuteronomy, he very candidly reveals what God said, and he doesn’t hide his grief and disappointment. Moses was a great leader, though, and he understood that leading Israel out of Egypt was not just a matter of geography or socioeconomics. It was a process of replacing false notions about God with revealed truth, even if the revelation came from hard circumstances.

Moses wasn’t the only one who heard God say, ‘No.’ Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at a few of them, beginning with David next week.

Consider a time when God told you ‘no.’ What was your reaction? What did you learn from the experience?

A Lesson about Speaking God’s Words from a Rotten Prophet

By Paula

Balaam was a freelance prophet operating in and around Moab. He claimed to have insight into what the local gods were thinking and he could pass that information on to anyone who asked … if the price was right. Yes, speaking God’s words, any god’s words, was a good gig. When Balak, king of Moab, contacted him to curse Israel, he saw a tremendous opportunity. How great would that be for business? Consulted by a king. So, not to look too eager and instead more prophet-y, he had the king’s messengers wait overnight while he consulted with Yahweh. You know, people who know Him call Him that.

But the thing was, it actually fit with God’s plan that Balaam speak His message. So He came to Balaam with the injunction to go and speak only the words he was given. I imagine Balaam’s unrecorded response was something along the lines of, “Look, I’ve been a prophet for a while. I know how the game works. You speak the words from the gods the hearers want to hear and everybody goes home happy.”

Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. Numbers 22:31

Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes. Ironic, isn’t it? The “seer.” The one who claimed special knowledge and understanding. The prophet who had his finger on the pulse of all that the gods were thinking, all they required or desired. He got his eyes opened by the One True God.

Balaam shows us that speaking for God is not a game. It’s not a means to personal gain. It’s not a way to enhance your reputation or standing. But the cautions are not just for leaders and teachers. Claiming you’ve prayed about something is not a way to justify what you planned to do anyway. You can’t bend God’s words to meet the demands of politics or culture or ambition. You can’t put words in God’s mouth. And you can’t leave out the ones you don’t like.

Although many try.

May we learn from Balaam’s terrible example. May God open our eyes to who He is before we open our mouths.

Abundance

By Paula

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 1 Kings 18:41

You’re probably familiar with the story. Israel had endured three and a half years with no rain. Elijah met the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and God demonstrated the He alone was God. Then Elijah says, “There is the sound of abundance of rain.”

The dictionary defines abundance as plenty, having an ample amount. Theologically, I think it goes beyond that. The abundance of rain meant that not only were the immediate needs in Israel met, but they didn’t have to worry about the future. They could plant crops. The livestock would survive. The pressure was off.

Rain isn’t all that is abundant.

‘The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.’ Numbers 14:18a
God’s mercy is abundant. That means not only does He forgive our sins, but we don’t have to live in fear

He is excellent in power, In judgment and abundant justice; He does not oppress. Job 37:23b
He is abundant in justice. We don’t despair at unfairness and inequity. Wrongs will be made right.

In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more. Psalm 72:7
God brings peace not only in our hearts and relationship, but we are no longer His enemies through Christ. We don’t have to question where we stand with Him.

O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. Psalm 130:7
We are redeemed from sin, but God continues to work turning our failures into something He can use for His glory. We don’t have to worry.

Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth. Jeremiah 33:6
His truth is vast in scope and relevance. It does not expire.

I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Jonah 4:2b
Lovingkindness is God’s covenant love. He doesn’t rescind it because of what we do. It is steadfast and secure.

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17
We receive an abundance of grace through the work of Christ. That grace covers, completely covers, our sins and shortcomings. It doesn’t run out. There is no fine print.

To recap: Mercy, justice, peace, redemption, truth, lovingkindness, and grace. Not just to meet today’s needs, but tomorrow’s, the next day’s and so on. We don’t have to wonder if that one thing we did can be forgiven. We don’t have to be concerned about whether the promises still apply. God has dealt, currently deals, and will continue to deal with us out of His abundance.

Signs of Hardness: Discontent

What is discontent?

How does complaining produce hardness?

How do you soften a heart hardened by discontent?

A Study in Contrasts: The Spies

Hebron: A Promise Kept

When God Told Moses ‘No’

A Lesson about Speaking God’s Words from a Rotten Prophet

Abundance

Encounters Series

Covenant of Trust Series

Foundations Series