Numbers (Part 15)
Bible Study Time 4-20-08
(From James Roberts 5-9-99)
Bible Study Time 4-20-08
(From James Roberts 5-9-99)
This morning, we are going to be looking at I Corinthians, Chapter 10, and then we will return to the book of Numbers where we will see in Chapter 21 one of the most significant events that occurred as the children of Israel wondered in the wilderness.
All of the wilderness events are significant because God uses them in the writings of the New Testament to illustrate spiritual truths. Notice what the Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians, Chapter 10.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV
1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The children of Israel were baptized into Moses as they passed through the Red Sea and as they followed the cloud. They followed Moses as Moses followed the Lord. In this baptism, it is significant that not a drop of water touched any of the people. The ones who were exposed to the water were the Egyptians who were drowned.
The children of Israel were spiritually identified with Moses as they passed through the Red Sea and as they followed the cloud. In this process, the children of Israel became Moses’ people, and Moses became their intercessor. This means that he was the one who stood as the mediator between them and God.
In past lessons, we have seen God feeding the people of Israel with manna which came down from heaven. This manna was physical food, but because it had great spiritual significance Paul called it spiritual food. In John, Chapter 6, we see that the manna was actually a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who came as the bread of life.
The Jews in the wilderness not only ate of that spiritual food, but they drank of that spiritual drink which came from the rock. When they were thirsty and started complaining against God, God brought them to the rock. When Moses struck the rock, water came forth and God refreshed them. He refreshed them with that life-giving water, and they were fully satisfied.
The second time they ran out of water, God brought them once again to the rock. This time God told Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses disobeyed by smiting the rock as he had done before. God punished Moses for his disobedience by telling him that he would not be allowed to lead the children of Israel into the land of Canaan.
It was important for the rock to be smitten once because it was a picture of the Lord Jesus who had to die on the cross to save us. It was not enough for Christ to live a perfect life because it was His death that would bring salvation to those who believe.
He had to live a perfect life in order to die the perfect death. But it’s not His life that supplies us with living water; that comes to us as a result of His death.
So, Jesus Christ was smitten once for sin, but there is no need to strike the Rock again and again. Once we believe in Christ, we come to the Rock and speak to the Rock, confessing our sins and seeking guidance. In this fellowship we find the water that satisfies the longing soul. Now, notice in I Corinthians 10:5.
1 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV
5 But with most of them God was not well pleased . . .
All of the children of Israel ate the spiritual food but with most of them God was not pleased.
1 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV
5 . . . for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
As they wondered in the wilderness, they died one by one and their bodies were buried in the wilderness. Different people died at different places and wherever they would die, that’s where they buried the body. So their bodies were scattered throughout the wilderness. Now, notice verse 6:
1 Corinthians 10:6-8 NKJV
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
Later in our study we will see this incident in the book of Numbers where 23,000 people died because of their sin, but Paul wanted to remind the Corinthians that God does judge sin very harshly. He said this that incident was recorded so that people would be reminded not follow the example of those who sinned in the wilderness. Now, verse 9:
1 Corinthians 10:9 NKJV
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
We’re going to be looking at this incident this morning, when we look back at Numbers 21.
1 Corinthians 10:10-11 NKJV
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
So Paul says that these Old Testament events happened and were written down as examples for us so that we might learn from them.
Now let’s look back at Numbers, Chapter 21. In the first few verses we see God giving the people a great victory over one of the kings of the Canaanites. But then, as they continued their journey, they became discouraged and began to complain against God and against Moses. They said:
Numbers 21:5 NKJV
5 . . . "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."
Even today we often see people blaming God for the terrible things that are happening in our world. They blame God for the tragic events in Kosovo and also at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. It was refreshing to hear Billy Graham in his interview with Larry King. Billy Graham said that God is not the one who is doing these terrible things; there is an enemy of God called Satan and the book of Hebrews tells us that Satan has the power of death.
Sin originally entered into the world because Satan deceived Eve and caused Adam to disobey God. Because of Adam’s disobedience, sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men. There is confusion and death throughout the whole universe because of the entrance of sin and Satan uses this situation to bring about the terrible things that we see in our world.
But, the children of Israel blamed God for their meager existence in the wilderness, and they asked:
Numbers 21:5 NKJV
5 . . . "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."
This is a reference back to the manna that God was providing for them. This manna was precious in the sight of God because it was a picture of Jesus Christ, but the people said, our soul does loathe this worthless bread.
To them, this bread was worthless. It was such a light thing for them and they got tired of eating it. This is so significant because this is the attitude that many people have today about Jesus Christ. Even though He is the bread of life, they think of Him as worthless, of no value whatsoever. They count Him as nothing.
When Jesus came to the earth, He came to be the cornerstone of the building of God. He came to fulfill all of God’s plan and purpose. However, He was rejected by the Jews. They considered that Rock to be worthless, and they said, away with Him, crucify Him, we have no king but Caesar. Sadly, people today still count the Rock of Ages as worthless, and they refuse to come to Him that they might have eternal life. But God says that the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. He is the one who will someday bring to completion the sum total of God plan and purpose.
The people counted the manna as worthless, so the Lord sent fiery serpents among them. Many people died when they were bit by the serpents. Numbers 21:7 says:
Numbers 21:7 NKJV
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
Here again we see the identification of the people of Israel with Moses. They had become identified with Moses as they passed through the Red Sea, and now Moses was in a position to make intercession for them.
What a wonderful thing it is to know that we have one who intercedes for us who is greater than Moses. The Bible says that Moses was a great servant in the house of God, but we have one who is greater than Moses. Our intercessor is the Son of God who sits at the right hand of the Father and He alone makes intercession for us.
Today, there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Those of us who trust Him as Savior are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ and are identified with Him. Accordingly, He is in a position to pray for us and make intercession for us.
Now Notice what the Lord said:
Numbers 21:8-9 NKJV
8 Then the Lord said to Moses,"Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
The Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again. Then the Lord mentioned this incident with the bronze serpent. He said:
John 3:14-15 NKJV
14 . . . as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus was telling Nicodemus that He, like the bronze serpent, was going to be lifted up between heaven and earth that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Then Jesus said:
John 3:16 NKJV
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
In the Gospel of John, Chapter 12, the Lord Jesus said that He would be lifted up so that He might draw all men unto Himself. This too showed that Jesus was going to be lifted up between heaven and earth and John said that this signified the kind of death that Jesus would die. Jesus Christ was lifted up as the mediator between God and man. No man can come to the Father except through faith in Jesus Christ.
As we close the program, I wonder if there is one listening who has never looked to the one who was lifted up between heaven and earth, never looked to the Rock who was smitten at Calvary, never looked to the one who bore our sins in His own body on the tree and was raised from the dead to give us eternal life.
If you have never looked to the Lord Jesus Christ for your personal salvation then you are still dying in your sins. Won’t you turn your eyes toward Him today and trust Him as the one who died for you and was buried and rose again that you might have eternal life? These events that we’ve been studying all happened and were recorded in the word of God so that we might learn from them and be drawn to Jesus Christ.
Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. Thank you for studying with me in this another broadcast of Bible Study Time.
Church links:
All of the wilderness events are significant because God uses them in the writings of the New Testament to illustrate spiritual truths. Notice what the Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians, Chapter 10.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV
1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,
3 all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The children of Israel were baptized into Moses as they passed through the Red Sea and as they followed the cloud. They followed Moses as Moses followed the Lord. In this baptism, it is significant that not a drop of water touched any of the people. The ones who were exposed to the water were the Egyptians who were drowned.
The children of Israel were spiritually identified with Moses as they passed through the Red Sea and as they followed the cloud. In this process, the children of Israel became Moses’ people, and Moses became their intercessor. This means that he was the one who stood as the mediator between them and God.
In past lessons, we have seen God feeding the people of Israel with manna which came down from heaven. This manna was physical food, but because it had great spiritual significance Paul called it spiritual food. In John, Chapter 6, we see that the manna was actually a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who came as the bread of life.
The Jews in the wilderness not only ate of that spiritual food, but they drank of that spiritual drink which came from the rock. When they were thirsty and started complaining against God, God brought them to the rock. When Moses struck the rock, water came forth and God refreshed them. He refreshed them with that life-giving water, and they were fully satisfied.
The second time they ran out of water, God brought them once again to the rock. This time God told Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses disobeyed by smiting the rock as he had done before. God punished Moses for his disobedience by telling him that he would not be allowed to lead the children of Israel into the land of Canaan.
It was important for the rock to be smitten once because it was a picture of the Lord Jesus who had to die on the cross to save us. It was not enough for Christ to live a perfect life because it was His death that would bring salvation to those who believe.
He had to live a perfect life in order to die the perfect death. But it’s not His life that supplies us with living water; that comes to us as a result of His death.
So, Jesus Christ was smitten once for sin, but there is no need to strike the Rock again and again. Once we believe in Christ, we come to the Rock and speak to the Rock, confessing our sins and seeking guidance. In this fellowship we find the water that satisfies the longing soul. Now, notice in I Corinthians 10:5.
1 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV
5 But with most of them God was not well pleased . . .
All of the children of Israel ate the spiritual food but with most of them God was not pleased.
1 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV
5 . . . for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
As they wondered in the wilderness, they died one by one and their bodies were buried in the wilderness. Different people died at different places and wherever they would die, that’s where they buried the body. So their bodies were scattered throughout the wilderness. Now, notice verse 6:
1 Corinthians 10:6-8 NKJV
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.
7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."
8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
Later in our study we will see this incident in the book of Numbers where 23,000 people died because of their sin, but Paul wanted to remind the Corinthians that God does judge sin very harshly. He said this that incident was recorded so that people would be reminded not follow the example of those who sinned in the wilderness. Now, verse 9:
1 Corinthians 10:9 NKJV
9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents;
We’re going to be looking at this incident this morning, when we look back at Numbers 21.
1 Corinthians 10:10-11 NKJV
10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
So Paul says that these Old Testament events happened and were written down as examples for us so that we might learn from them.
Now let’s look back at Numbers, Chapter 21. In the first few verses we see God giving the people a great victory over one of the kings of the Canaanites. But then, as they continued their journey, they became discouraged and began to complain against God and against Moses. They said:
Numbers 21:5 NKJV
5 . . . "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."
Even today we often see people blaming God for the terrible things that are happening in our world. They blame God for the tragic events in Kosovo and also at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. It was refreshing to hear Billy Graham in his interview with Larry King. Billy Graham said that God is not the one who is doing these terrible things; there is an enemy of God called Satan and the book of Hebrews tells us that Satan has the power of death.
Sin originally entered into the world because Satan deceived Eve and caused Adam to disobey God. Because of Adam’s disobedience, sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men. There is confusion and death throughout the whole universe because of the entrance of sin and Satan uses this situation to bring about the terrible things that we see in our world.
But, the children of Israel blamed God for their meager existence in the wilderness, and they asked:
Numbers 21:5 NKJV
5 . . . "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."
This is a reference back to the manna that God was providing for them. This manna was precious in the sight of God because it was a picture of Jesus Christ, but the people said, our soul does loathe this worthless bread.
To them, this bread was worthless. It was such a light thing for them and they got tired of eating it. This is so significant because this is the attitude that many people have today about Jesus Christ. Even though He is the bread of life, they think of Him as worthless, of no value whatsoever. They count Him as nothing.
When Jesus came to the earth, He came to be the cornerstone of the building of God. He came to fulfill all of God’s plan and purpose. However, He was rejected by the Jews. They considered that Rock to be worthless, and they said, away with Him, crucify Him, we have no king but Caesar. Sadly, people today still count the Rock of Ages as worthless, and they refuse to come to Him that they might have eternal life. But God says that the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. He is the one who will someday bring to completion the sum total of God plan and purpose.
The people counted the manna as worthless, so the Lord sent fiery serpents among them. Many people died when they were bit by the serpents. Numbers 21:7 says:
Numbers 21:7 NKJV
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
Here again we see the identification of the people of Israel with Moses. They had become identified with Moses as they passed through the Red Sea, and now Moses was in a position to make intercession for them.
What a wonderful thing it is to know that we have one who intercedes for us who is greater than Moses. The Bible says that Moses was a great servant in the house of God, but we have one who is greater than Moses. Our intercessor is the Son of God who sits at the right hand of the Father and He alone makes intercession for us.
Today, there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Those of us who trust Him as Savior are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ and are identified with Him. Accordingly, He is in a position to pray for us and make intercession for us.
Now Notice what the Lord said:
Numbers 21:8-9 NKJV
8 Then the Lord said to Moses,"Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live."
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
The Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again. Then the Lord mentioned this incident with the bronze serpent. He said:
John 3:14-15 NKJV
14 . . . as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus was telling Nicodemus that He, like the bronze serpent, was going to be lifted up between heaven and earth that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Then Jesus said:
John 3:16 NKJV
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
In the Gospel of John, Chapter 12, the Lord Jesus said that He would be lifted up so that He might draw all men unto Himself. This too showed that Jesus was going to be lifted up between heaven and earth and John said that this signified the kind of death that Jesus would die. Jesus Christ was lifted up as the mediator between God and man. No man can come to the Father except through faith in Jesus Christ.
As we close the program, I wonder if there is one listening who has never looked to the one who was lifted up between heaven and earth, never looked to the Rock who was smitten at Calvary, never looked to the one who bore our sins in His own body on the tree and was raised from the dead to give us eternal life.
If you have never looked to the Lord Jesus Christ for your personal salvation then you are still dying in your sins. Won’t you turn your eyes toward Him today and trust Him as the one who died for you and was buried and rose again that you might have eternal life? These events that we’ve been studying all happened and were recorded in the word of God so that we might learn from them and be drawn to Jesus Christ.
Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. Thank you for studying with me in this another broadcast of Bible Study Time.
Church links:
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