In the Wilderness

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Unknown

Numbers 1-28
In Greek we have the title that was given later, the book of Numbers, however in Hebrew the title of this book translates "In the Wilderness".  This does not sound all that appealing, does it? Not somewhere you would want to go on your 10th wedding anniversary.  *(Mine is coming up soon)*.  However, God uses this wandering, drifting, unappealing scene to tell the story of his love for his people.

In the book of Numbers, we have three scenes, which we will look at today. 

**Scene 1- A Holy Community**:  Numbers 1-10
In the Sinai wilderness it is here that God consecrated his people, and makes covenant with them.  Here, in the middle of nowhere, they are set aside as God's people, as a holy community.  Here God declared his intentions and prepared them to receive the land, the promises, that he was to give them. 

What were his intentions? He intended them to be a holy people.  He intended to dwell with them.  For his love and purposes to reign in them always. God intends to dwell with them, so he can… 
1) …fulfill what he promised to Abraham. To establish a nation to be his people and for he to be their God. The arrangement of the camp with the tabernacle in the middle is a visible display of this.
2) …bless them.  Numbers 6 is the Aaronic blessing. 
>The Lord bless you and keep you;  the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;  the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26
It is his desire to bless his people.  However, for this to occur, they must be faithful to him.  We are the same. Let us remain faithful to him. 
3) …dwell with them.  This is almost like a return to the Garden of Eden.  Why?  Because this is the first time since then that God dwelt with man, with a people of his own.  But the good news is that this is now no longer limited to Israel. In fact, in Christ the people of God are found and fulfilled.  It is his design that we dwell with him in holy communion.  If you are not living with God, then you are missing out on the reason God created you. God is calling you, wooing you, come dwell with me.  What is our answer?

**Scene 2 - Rebellion and Ruin**: Numbers 11-25
A complete turn around begins right at chapter 11.  Like whiplash, that flip around, and "the people complained in the hearing of the Lord." From this point forward they rebel not just once, but 11 times. They complain about food, the "nice things" they left behind, the leadership, the land they were given, the military plans, working on the Sabbath, Koran's rebellion, then the people afterward, and even Moses himself when he struck the rock. Finally, they complain again about the food and water, and finally giving themselves to Baal, Baal worshipers.
Honestly, this is hard to grasp. How, could a people who saw the plagues in Egypt forget so easily?  But our hearts are wicked to the core.  Rebellion isn't a problem for Israel, it is a human problem.  We have all rejected in this same way if we are honest.  We have made our authority greater than his. 
>"a..prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love."
It is a terrible issue, for rebellion always leads to ruin.  The ground opened up.  Plagues and disease, fiery servants.  Their enemies destroyed them.  Moses gets left outside the promised land. 

What do we learn?  God must judge sin.  See the dichotomy here.  God has set us aside for Holy communion, but we rebellion and we receive ruin.  We are without hope in this.

**Scene 3- A New Generation** Numbers 26-36

But this leads us to our third scene.  For God is faithful, despite our unfaithfulness and he raises up a new generation for himself.  Note that there are two censuses in Numbers.  The first is the old generation who was dying out, the second is that of the new generation, the one who would receive the promised land.

Consider all that God does in this section.  He raises up Balaam, outside of the camp completely who gives a blessing.  Joshua succeeds Moses.  The people begin to settle in the land.  The cities of refuge are made. 

We see this picture in the serpent raised up in Number 21.  Here we see a picture of Christ.  In Jesus, we see the final outcome, for Christ was raised up like that serpent.  For all that look on Christ, we to will be healed, saved, and brought into this holy communion with God. 

Balaam in his blessing put in his mouth by God declares it. 

>I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.  Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly.  And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!" Numbers 24:17-19

God intends to dwell with his people in holy communion.  That is what heaven is.  To dwell with God eternally.  This is what Jesus Christ has done for us. He has made a way for us to dwell with our creator.  This is our hope.  This is our destiny.  Let us seek the New Jerusalem, the new Heaven and the new Earth. 

This is the glorious truth.  This on this, for God is good to his word.  Amen.



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