Numbers (Part 18)(BST 5-11-08)

Numbers (Part 18)
Bible Study Time 5-11-08
(From James Roberts 5-30-99)

Thank you for joining us for another session of Bible Study Time. Last week we saw that as the Israelites approached the land of the Moabites, Balak, the King of the Moabites, became afraid so He tried to hire a prophet by the name of Balaam to put a curse on the children of Israel. Balaam was a false prophet who loved the riches of this world and so he was more than willing to accommodate Balak.

However, when Balaam started to speak this curse, God intervened and spoke through Balaam a blessing rather than a curse. In doing so, God showed that He was able to speak through Balaam even as He had earlier spoken through Balaam’s donkey. Balaam voice was merely being used as an instrument in the hand of God.

As God spoke this blessing through Balaam, He gave a very important prophesy concerning the first and second coming of Israel’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ came the first time, His birth was accompanied by a star. As we all know, the wise men were guided by a star. But when Christ comes the second time, He will come with a scepter in His hand, and this speaks to the fact that Christ will rule and reign over the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The star and the scepter were both noted in Balaam’s prophesy when he said:

Numbers 24:17 NKJV
17 "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.

In Numbers, Chapter 25, we see that the Moabites and the Midianites conspired to seduce the men of Israel with the Midianite women. They felt confident that if the Midianite women could seduce the men of Israel to commit sexual sin, this would set the stage for these women to lure Israel into worshipping Baal of Peor, the god of the Moabites and the Midianites. They knew that according to God’s covenant with Israel, God would bless Israel only if Israel was willing to keep the Law of Moses.

How did they know this? It would appear that Balaam taught them all about these things and that this whole conspiracy was a result of Balaam’s doctrine. This is implied by the fact that the New Testament speaks not only of the error of Balaam but also of the doctrine of Balaam.

Numbers, Chapter 25, tells us that the Moabites and the Midianites successfully implemented this plan of seduction. Verse 1 says:

Numbers 25:1-2 NKJV
1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab.
2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

Here we find Israel doing two things that were strictly forbidden by the Law. The word harlotry refers to their sexual immorality and this, of course, was strictly forbidden. Under the Law, anyone who was found guilty of adultery was to be put to death. Secondly, the Law forbade the worship of any god other than the Lord God of Israel. Here again, under the Law the punishment for idolatry was death. Therefore, God told Moses to enforce the Law. Verse 3 says:

Numbers 25:3-5 NKJV
3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.
4 Then the Lord said to Moses,"Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel."
5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel,"Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor."

It’s interesting that these men were not stoned to death as would have been done under normal circumstances. Instead, these men were hung out in the sun to serve as a warning for all to see. Obviously, God wanted everyone to know the seriousness of breaking the Law. Then verse 6 says:

Numbers 25:6 NKJV
6 And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

Undoubtedly, while this capital punishment was being carried out, some of the women were crying at the door of the tabernacle. They were very upset that these men were being put to death. But, in the midst of all this activity, there was a man who defiantly brought into the public assembly one of the Midianite women, and he took her into his tent.

Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, was outraged at this blatant disregard for the laws of God, so he decided to take action. Verse 7 says:

Numbers 25:7-9 NKJV
7 Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand;
8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.
9 And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

This was summary judgment on the part of Phinehas. There was no trial; there was no opportunity for lawyers to present evidence. This was simply instantaneous summary judgment, and the Bible says that God was very pleased with Phinehas .

This is a perfect picture of the way that the Lord Jesus will rule in His kingdom when He returns to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In this kingdom, the Spirit of God will write the Law of God on the hearts of the believers. The believers will all know the Lord from the least of them to the greatest of them, and they will obey the spirit of the Law by the power of the Holy Spirit.

However, in the kingdom, there will also be unbelievers who are born into the kingdom. These unbelievers will have to be taught to know the Lord, but many of them will rebel. When these unbelievers sin against the Lord, they will be executed with summary judgment. Some Bible scholars have noted that the kingdom will not only be based on the Golden Rule but it will be a rule of iron for the Lord will rule in true righteousness and will establish true justice for all.

A good example of summary judgment is seen in the case of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts, Chapter 5. When Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit about the proceeds from the sale of their land, the Lord instantly struck them dead. This is the kind of summary judgment that will be administered in the kingdom.

In Numbers, Chapter 25, God decides to bless Phinehas with a covenant of peace because of his zeal for the righteousness of God. But then, in the last few verses of Numbers, Chapter 25, we read God’s instructions to Moses concerning the Moabites and the Midianites. Verse 14 says:

Numbers 25:14-18 NKJV
14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's house among the Simeonites.
15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a father's house in Midian.
16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
17 "Harass the Midianites, and attack them;
18 for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor."

In Numbers, Chapter 31, we read that Moses and the children of Israel did carry out this command by the Lord to attack the Midianites. This attack was carried out specifically because the Midianites implemented this scheme to seduce the men of Israel into sexual immorality.

As the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth, he was having to deal with the sexual sins of some the people. In Chapter 10 of I Corinthians, Paul referred back to this incident in Numbers, Chapter 25. He reminded them that God’s judgment for their sexual sins had resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. He instructed them that God still hates sexual sin and will most certainly judge those who commit such things.

As we close our lesson today, may we all be challenged to keep ourselves pure in our walk with the Lord. As we endeavor to serve the Lord, we need to be reminded that only a clean vessel can be used by the Lord to bring glory and honor to His name.

Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. The Lord willing, we will take up in our journey through the scripture next week. Thank you for studying with me in this another broadcast of Bible Study Time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 17)(BST 5-4-08)

Numbers (Part 17)
Bible Study Time 5-4-08
(From James Roberts 5-23-99)

This morning we are going to be looking at three passages of scripture. We are going to begin with Numbers, Chapter 24, and then we will look back at Genesis, Chapter 49, before going on to Isaiah, Chapter 11.

In our study last week we saw that there was a King of Moab by the name of Balak who was afraid of the people of Israel. He tried to hire a false prophet by the name of Balaam to put a curse on the people of Israel, and Balaam was more than willing to do so because he wanted the money that Balak was offering. However, God did an unusual thing. In spite of Balaam’s desire to pronounce this curse, Balaam actually pronounced a blessing upon Israel because God spoke through Balaam. As we look at Numbers, Chapter 24, we see some of the details of Balaam’s prophecy. Verse 15 says:

Numbers 24:15-16 NKJV
15 So (Balaam) took up his oracle and said: "The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;
16 The utterance of him who hears the words of God, And has the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

In order to understand this first part of Balaam’s prophesy, we need to go back to last week’s lesson in which we saw Balaam’s journey to meet with Balak. He was riding on his donkey and all of a sudden the donkey turned aside out of the path and into the field. The donkey did this because she had seen the Angel of the Lord standing in the path with His sword drawn. Balaam did not see the Angel of the Lord so he struck and cursed the donkey.

Later, as Balaam and his donkey were passing through a narrow passageway which had a wall on either side, the donkey once again saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the pathway. When the donkey tried to move around the Angel of the Lord, the donkey crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. Again, Balaam did not see the Angel of the Lord and so he struck the donkey again.

Finally, as Balaam and the donkey headed down the pathway again, they came to a place that was even narrower than before, and when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord in the pathway, she simply lay down under Balaam. When Balaam began to beat the donkey, the donkey spoke to Balaam and Balaam started arguing with the donkey. But this time Balaam’s eyes were opened and he saw the Angel of the Lord with His sword drawn.

The Angel of the Lord then spoke to Balaam and said that if the donkey had not swerved, Balaam would have been killed, so Balaam fell down before the Lord. Later, as Balaam stood with Balak ready to pronounce a curse upon Israel, he said that he spoke as one whose eyes had been opened. Truly, he did speak as one who had seen the Lord and had heard the voice of God. As he spoke, he gave this prophesy in Numbers 22 and verse 17:

Numbers 24:17-19 NKJV
17 "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.
18 "And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, While Israel does valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, And destroy the remains of the city."

This is a prophesy concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Balaam said, I see Him, but not now. He said that the Star that shall come out of Jacob is not yet here, but when that Star does appear, He will bear a mighty Scepter and will destroy all of His enemies. Balaam also said that when this ruler comes, Israel will do valiantly, meaning that Israel will be a mighty force upon the earth.

This reminds us of what we read in Genesis, Chapter 49, where we see Jacob on his deathbed. Jacob gathers his sons around him and gives prophecies concerning the tribes that were to arise from his sons. When Jacob spoke to Judah, he said:

Genesis 49:8-12 NKJV
8 "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.

This too is a beautiful description of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jacob refers to the Lord Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and we see both His first and second coming. Jacob said that this coming ruler would first come riding upon a donkey, and this refers to the humiliation of the Lord Jesus at His first coming.

As we know, the Lord Jesus did come into Jerusalem riding on a donkey knowing that His crucifixion was at hand. Jacob said that His clothes would be washed in the blood of grapes, and this speaks of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus. At His first coming, the Lord Jesus went to the cross to shed His own blood so that you and I might have eternal life.

But Jacob said that this promised one would also come with a scepter in His hand, and this scepter stands for the authority and power with which the Lord Jesus will come at His second coming. At His second coming He will establish His dominion over the nations of the earth. At this second coming the Lord Jesus will truly be revealed as the great Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Jacob and Balaam both gave prophesies concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus. Balaam lived many years after Jacob but said that the coming of the promised ruler was still not at hand. He said, I see Him, but not now; the Star will come, His scepter will rise and He will cause His enemies to bow down before Him.

There are many prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, but this morning we are going to look at Isaiah, Chapter 11, verses 1 and 2, where we read:

Isaiah 11:1 NKJV
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

It’s obvious from this verse that the tree of Jesse has been cut down, but the root stock has survived in the ground. This is a subtle but accurate description of the fact that Israel was going to be temporarily set aside and that the throne of David would be left vacant for a certain period of time. During this time David’s throne would not be destroyed, however. The root stock of David would remain viable contrary to all appearances.

This prophecy was first fulfilled when the armies of Babylon carried away the people of Israel into Babylon and left the throne of David vacant. But this prophesy also speaks of the time when Israel and her kingdom program were temporarily set aside at the end of the Acts period, or the time period covered by the book of Acts.

Today, no descendant of David is sitting upon the throne of David in Jerusalem. The tree of Jesse has been cut off because the nation of Israel rejected the Lord Jesus Christ as her promised Messiah. Jesus Christ came to fulfill the prophesies that were given through Jacob and Balaam but was not able to fulfill those prophesies because the nation of Israel rejected the Lord Jesus.

Israel’s kingdom program was set aside, but make no mistake about it, one day there will be a branch that will grow up out of the root stock of Jesse. Someday the Lord Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the Son of David. He will sit upon the throne of David and establish His dominion of righteousness over all the earth. Isaiah 11 goes on to describe the beautiful character of this Kingdom and its King. Isaiah 11, verse 2, says:

Isaiah 11:2-5 NKJV
2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

Beloved, do not expect righteousness to come from the governments of this world. There will be no equity for people on this earth as long as men have charge over the earth. In fact, someday all of the governments of the world will end up in anarchy, and the man of sin will seize this opportunity to establish his authority and power over the earth.

The kingdom of the man of sin will be a reign of terror that will last until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth from heaven. When the Lord returns, He will slay the wicked with the rod that comes out of His mouth, even the word of God. He will speak the word and the wicked will die. Then He, Himself, will establish His kingdom of righteousness.

Now today, God offers righteousness to all those who are willing to come to the Lord Jesus Christ and trust Him as the One who died, was buried and then rose again so that we might have eternal life. Do you know Him today as the One who is your peace, the One who died for you that you might have eternal life?

Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. The Lord willing, we will take up in our journey through the scripture next week. Thank you for studying with me in this another broadcast of Bible Study Time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 16)(BST 4-27-08)

Numbers (Part 16)
Bible Study Time 4-27-08
(From James Roberts 5-16-99)

Last week we saw that God gave a great victory over one of the kings of Canaan, but afterward the children of Israel began to complain against God and Moses. As a result, God sent fiery serpents into their midst, and many of the people died when they were bit by the serpents.

Some of the people came to Moses and asked Moses to pray for them. They recognized that the serpents were a judgment from God and so they asked Moses to pray that God would take them away. While Moses prayed, God told Moses to fashion a serpent of brass and lift it up between heaven and earth. God said that when the people looked at that brazen serpent after having been bit by a poisonous snake, they would live.

The Lord Jesus spoke of this brazen serpent in His conversation with Nicodemus. He said:

John 3:14-17 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.
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.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

In John, Chapter 12, the Lord Jesus made reference to this brazen serpent when He said:

John 12:32 NKJV
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."

After quoting this statement by the Lord Jesus, John said:

John 12:33 NKJV
33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

So that brazen serpent which was lifted up in the wilderness was a picture of the sacrificial death on the cross by our Savior, the Lord Jesus.

After this incident with the fiery serpents, God gave Israel two great military victories. He gave them the victory over King Sihon of the Amorites in Heshbon, and then He gave them victory over King Og of Bashan. These victories greatly disturbed King Balak of the Moabites. He became fearful of the Israelites and so he decided to take action. Let’s read Numbers, Chapter 22, beginning in verse 1:

Numbers 22:1-6 NKJV
1 Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.
2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.
4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5 Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: "Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me!
6 Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."

Well, while these messengers where staying with Balaam, Balaam got a visit from the Lord. In verse 9, we read:

Numbers 22:9-12 NKJV
9 Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"
10 So Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,
11 'Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.'"
12 And God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed."

This goes back to the promise that God made to Abraham in Genesis, Chapter 12. In that passage God promised Abraham that his descendants would be blessed. God also promised blessing to those who bless Israel, and He promised a curse to those who curse Israel. So in Numbers 22, God told Balaam in very specific terms that he should not go with Balak’s messengers because they wanted to curse the children of Israel.

Accordingly, Balaam told the messengers to go back to their land without him because God had refused to give him permission to go with them. But when these men returned to Moab without Balaam, Balak refused to take no for an answer. Verse 15 says:

Numbers 22:15-17 NKJV
15 Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than (the first).
16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: 'Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me;
17 for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.'"

Unfortunately for Balaam, this promise of great reward got Balaam’s attention. Deep down inside Balaam really wanted to take advantage of Balak’s offer, so he went back to the Lord for further instructions. This time, God told Balaam to go with Balak’s messengers. Verse 21 says that:

Numbers 22:21 NKJV
21 . . . Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

On the road to Moab, a very unusual thing happened. Verse 22 says:

Numbers 22:22-28 NKJV
22 Then God's anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.
24 Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.
25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck her again.
26 Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam's anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?"

Notice that in this instance God used a dumb donkey to speak to Balaam. It would appear that the donkey had more sense than Balaam. But notice also that Balaam was not even astonished at the fact that his donkey started talking to him. He simply answered his donkey’s question, saying:

Numbers 22:29-30 NKJV
29 . . . " (I struck you) Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!"
30 So the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?" And he said, "No."

One would think that at this point Balaam would surely suspect that something very unusual was going on, but Balaam’s eyes were blind to the things of God until:

Numbers 22:31-33 NKJV
31 . . . 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.
32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.
33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live."

With this said, Balaam acknowledged his sin against the Lord, but he still wanted to curse the people of Israel, so God told Balaam to go to Balak. However, God told Balaam to speak only the words that He would put into Balaam’s mouth.

When the time came, God did put words in Balaam’s mouth just as He had put words in the mouth of Balaam’s donkey, and to Balak’s great displeasure, they were words of blessing rather than a curse. II Peter, Chapter 2, sheds some light upon this event. Peter warned the people about false teachers and said:

2 Peter 2:15 NKJV
15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

This lets us know that Balaam wanted to curse the people of Israel because he wanted Balak’s money. Balaam was not interested in the people of Israel. He was not interested in their welfare. He was merely interested in the money. So Peter warned his readers to beware of those come and are only interested in the wages of unrighteousness, who want to please people for profit. Verse 16 says that:

2 Peter 2:16 NKJV
16 . . . (Balaam) was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

Then Peter says that prophets such as these:

2 Peter 2:17 NKJV
17 . . . are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Jude also speaks about false teachers and says:

Jude 10-11 NKJV
10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit . . .

The Scofield Reference Bible distinguishes between the error of Balaam which we see here in Jude with the doctrine of Balaam which is mentioned in Revelation, Chapter 2. In Revelation, Chapter 2, the Apostle John says to the Church at Pergamos:

Revelation 2:14 NKJV
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Here we see that the doctrine of Balaam had to do with the fact that he advised Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel by tempting them with sexual immorality and things sacrificed to idols. However, the error of Balaam in the book of Jude had to do with the fact that Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness and was willing to go against the plan and purpose of God in exchange for money.

False teachers who come in with the error of Balaam will often bring with them the doctrine of Balaam. Because they love the wages of unrighteousness, they preach doctrine that will lead the people away from the righteousness of God.

Today, we need to remember that Satan is our adversary. II Corinthians, Chapter 11, says that:

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NKJV
13 . . . false apostles, deceitful workers, (transform) themselves into apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

We need to be careful about the things that we hear from religious teachers. We need to follow the example of the Bereans, who in Acts, Chapter 17, were said to have received the word of God with readiness of mind but then searched the scriptures daily to verify those things which they had been taught.

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:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 15)(BST 4-20-08)

Numbers (Part 15)
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:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 14)(BST 4-13-08)

Numbers (Part 14)
Bible Study Time 4-13-08
(From James Roberts 5-2-99)

This morning we are going be looking at several different aspects of Numbers, Chapter 20. We have already seen in the first few verses how that the children of Israel were in the wilderness with no water. As far as they could see, they were going to die of thirst. They began to complain against God and against Moses and Aaron.

God told Moses to gather the people around the rock so that they could receive water. All of this was very familiar to Moses because this same situation had occurred earlier. On the first occasion, God told Moses to strike the rock to produce water. When Moses did strike the rock, water came gushing out. There was enough water to satisfy all of the people and their cattle. But on this second occasion, God told Moses to speak to the rock.

Like so many of the things that we read about in the book of Numbers, these events picture spiritual truths which are so important for us to understand. The rock points to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was first smitten upon the cross of Calvary. He came to the earth as the Rock of Ages to die on the cross for our sins.

On the cross, the Lord Jesus cried out, it is finished, because the work of redemption had been accomplished. Nothing that we do today can add to what Christ accomplished on the cross. To receive God’s gift of eternal salvation, we must simply put our faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross.

Oh, how God loves you and me. He proved His love by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. John 3:16 says:

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.

Romans 8:32 assures us further that God not only saves us, but He is willing and able to supply our every need. It says:

Romans 8:32 NKJV
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Christ as the Rock of Ages was smitten to bring us the living water that flows from the Holy Spirit of God. His blood was shed to open the floodgate of God’s blessings to those who believe. However, there are times even after we are saved when we get thirsty and need to be refreshed. At such times we can go to the Rock, but we don’t have to smite the Rock again. Christ died once for all, and now we have the privilege of speaking to the Rock. John says that:

1 John 1:7 NKJV
7 . . . if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

It may be that there is one listening today who has never experienced the living water that flows from Jesus Christ. To experience this living water, you must first put your faith in the effectiveness of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. You must believe that His shed blood can cleanse you from all sin. Then after you believe, if you find yourself in a spiritual wilderness with no water to quench your thirst, you can go to the Lord Jesus and speak to Him, and He will refresh you with more of the living water that satisfies the thirsting soul.

Now, we see in Numbers, Chapter 20, that Moses came to the rock the second time and struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock as he had been told to do. This was an act of disobedience before the Lord, but God did not allow Moses’ disobedience to keep Him from supplying the needs of His chosen people. God caused water to flow from the rock, but Moses was told that he would not be allowed to take the children of Israel into the Promised Land.

Moses is a picture of the Law which has no power to take its followers into the realm of God’s blessing. Even the most ardent followers of the Law will fall short of its perfect standard of righteousness. Many people will be disappointed when they stand before the Lord Jesus on the Judgment Day because all of their attempts to live a righteous life will prove futile without a personal faith in work of Christ on the cross.

Moses did not inherit the Promised Land during his lifetime, but we know that he did ultimately enter into the land. In Mark, Chapter 9, we read about Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration where Peter, James and John were allowed to see the true glory of Jesus Christ. As they beheld His glory, suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared in their midst.

Clearly, Moses had entered into the Promised Land, but he did not enter in by the power of the Law. He was ushered in by the Spirit of God after his death. He entered in because of His relationship with Jesus Christ. The only way that anyone can gain access to the blessings of God is by coming to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ is the smitten Rock who paid for our sins. He is the way, the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father except through Him. Only after we accept by faith the smitten Rock can we have fellowship with the Rock. Only then can we speak to the Rock of Ages and experience the joy of a relationship with Him.

Now, as we move on in our study of Numbers, Chapter 20, we see that Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom. They told the king of the hardships of the children of Israel in their wilderness journey. They asked the king to let the people of Israel pass through the land of Edom, and they assured the king that the children of Israel would not take anything from the land as they passed through. They said that the cattle that belonged to the Jews would not even graze upon the pastures of Edom.

Now, the Edomites were the children of Esau, who was Jacob’s brother, so the Edomites were relatives of the children of Israel. But the king of Edom still refused to allow the Jews to pass through his land. He said that if they did pass through, he would meet them with his sword drawn. As a result, God judged the Edomites.

This is a picture of the period of great tribulation which the Jews will go through before they enter into the Promised Land of the worldwide earthly kingdom. In the book of Daniel and in the book of the Revelation, we read a great deal about this period of great tribulation. During this time, the antichrist will try to completely destroy the nation of Israel because he will be aware of God’s plan to use the nation of Israel to establish His worldwide kingdom of peace and righteousness.

The antichrist will know that his time is short, and he will throw all of his fury against the nation of Israel. In the book of Matthew, Chapter 25, we see that there will be certain nations that will be kind to Israel during this tribulation period. These nations will feed the Jews and clothe them and visit them, and because of their willingness to do this, God will invite them into Israel’s glorious kingdom.

Other nations, like Edom and Moab, will not be kind to Israel during the tribulation period, and they will therefore be judged by God. They will not be allowed to enter into the kingdom.

Now, as we move on in Numbers, Chapter 20, we see the death of Aaron. Moses was not allowed to enter into the Promised Land and neither was Aaron. Miriam and Aaron both had to die and be buried in the wilderness. The significance of Aaron’s death is the subject of Hebrews, Chapter 7, where we read that:

Hebrews 7:22-28 NKJV
22 . . . Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.
23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing.
24 But (Christ), because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Therefore (Christ) is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
27 (Christ) does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

Aaron symbolizes the weakness of the Levitical priesthood which was established by the Law. Even though Aaron was the great High Priest of Israel, he was not able to take the children of Israel into the land of promise. All of the priests who followed after Aaron in the Levitical priesthood ultimately died. Because they were unable to continue in their priestly duties, other priests had to be appointed to take their place.

When the Lord Jesus Christ died, He died once for all. He died for all of the sins of all people. But then He was raised from the dead and taken up into heaven. He became Israel’s great High Priest in heaven, and He will continue as such forever. He is the High Priest who ever lives to make intercession for His people.

Today, the Lord Jesus Christ is not technically officiating as the great High Priest of the Church to which we belong to day. His duties as the High Priest relate specifically to the nation of Israel. However, Christ does make intercession for us today in His exalted position as the Head over all things to the Church which is His Body. Romans 8 says:

Romans 8:34 NKJV
34 . . . It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

What a comfort it is to know that Christ ever lives to make intercession not only for the nation of Israel but for us as well.

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:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 13)(BST 4-6-08)

Numbers (Part 13)
Bible Study Time 4-6-08
(From James Roberts 4-25-99)

We’re going to be looking at Numbers, Chapter 20, again this morning as we continue our journey through the scripture. Last week we saw the significance of Miriam’s death in the wilderness. Then in verses 2 through 6, we found the children of Israel complaining about the fact that they had no water. They were truly afraid that they would die of thirst.

First, the children of Israel blamed the Lord. The Lord had severely judged some of the people in previous rebellions, and now those who had survived were saying that it would have been better if they had also died.

Then, the people accused Moses and Aaron, saying that Moses and Aaron had not lived up to their promises. They pointed out that the wilderness had no pomegranates, no grain, no vines, and it didn’t even have water.

Well, the fact is that Moses and Aaron were not responsible for the fact that the children of Israel were still in the wilderness. It was the children of Israel who had refused to go into the Promised Land at Kadesh Barnea. Because they had refused to go in by faith, God had shut up the gate, as it were, and had turned them back. God had sentenced them to wonder in the wilderness for forty years.

Blaming others for our own failures is a characteristic of the old Adamic nature, and it is very displeasing to God. God wants us to acknowledge our sin so that we can confess it to the Lord and be forgiven.

In our study today, we are going to begin reading with verse 7 of Numbers, Chapter 20, where we read:

Numbers 20:7-10 NKJV
7 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
8 "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals."
9 So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock . . .

So far, Moses and Aaron were doing exactly as God had instructed them to do. They took the rod and gathered all the people around the rock. But notice what happened next:

Numbers 20:10-13 NKJV
10 . . . (Moses) said to them,"Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?"
11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."
13 This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and He was hallowed among them.

As we study this passage, we need to recognize first of all that Moses and Aaron are representatives of the Law. The Law came by Moses, and Aaron was the first High Priest under the Law.

Moses was a great man. He was one of only two people whom God referred to as “my servant.” God called Moses, “My servant, Moses.” But as great as Moses was, even he failed under the Law. He was weak in the flesh and did not obey the Lord.

This is a picture of all people who try to come to God by keeping the Law. They all fail to live up to the perfect righteousness of the Law. No one has kept the Law perfectly except the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. Christ came to fulfill the righteousness of the Law so that we might be made righteous in Him.

Romans 8:3-4 NKJV
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Moses was not allowed to go into the Promised Land because of his disobedience, but that does not mean that Moses was lost for all of eternity. His life is simply a picture of those who are lost because of their misplaced confidence in the Law. The fact is that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and therefore, faith in Christ is the only way to gain the approval and acceptance of God.

The second point that we need understand as we study this passage is that when Moses struck the rock, he was operating in the flesh. He was frustrated with the children of Israel because they were blaming him for all of their problems. As a result, he was not fully relying on the Lord, so he said, must we bring water out of this rock for you?

Previously, the people had accused Moses of taking too much upon Himself. They thought he was grabbing too much glory for himself. However, God said that of all the people that were living on the earth at that time no one was as meek as Moses.

One of Moses’ strengths had been that he was humble. For the most part, He had recognized his own weaknesses, and he had recognized that his strength came from the Lord. However, it does seem at this point that Moses became overconfident in his own strength. He said, must we bring water out of this rock for you?

Moses and Aaron had no power to bring a drop of water out of that rock. Only the Lord could do that. Moses was operating in the flesh, so rather than speaking to the rock as God had told him to do, he struck the rock. However, God revealed His faithfulness and His mercy by allowing water to flow from the rock in spite of Moses’ disobedience.

God had a plan and a purpose for the children of Israel, and Moses’ disobedience could not derail that plan. Israel got their water, but Moses was told that he would not be allowed to lead the people into the Promised Land.

The third thing that I want us to keep in mind as we study this passage is that this was not the first time Moses had come to the rock for water. On a previous occasion, when the people were out of water, God had brought the people to the rock and had instructed Moses to smite the rock. When Moses obeyed God and struck the rock, water came rushing out.

It would appear that as Moses came to the rock the second time, he was relying too heavily on his previous experience because he simply struck the rock as he had done before. There is a danger in trusting too much in past experiences. What a wonderful experience that was the first time, when Moses struck the rock and water came gushing out. But this time, God’s instructions were different. This time Moses was to speak to the rock.

As we serve the Lord, we need to look at the past and learn from the past, but we should not expect God to work today in exactly the same manner that He has worked in the past. We need to recognize this principle particularly as we study the scriptures.

II Timothy 2:15 says that we should study to show ourselves approved unto God as workmen who need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. God does not do everything today as He did in the past, and He expects us to make Biblical distinctions based on this principle. Making these distinctions will make it possible for us to serve the Lord with confidence, knowing what things are for us and what things are for the people of other ages.

During the few moments that we have left this morning, I would like to ask if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as the Rock who was smitten for you on the cross so that you could then speak to the Rock? Do you know Him as the one who was buried and then raised from the dead so that you could have fellowship with Him throughout eternity? I trust that you do.

It’s been good to be with you this morning. Thank you for studying with me in this another broadcast of Bible Study Time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 12)(BST 3-30-08)

Numbers (Part 12)
Bible Study Time 3-30-08
(From James Roberts 4-18-99)

Last week we took another look at the significance of the ordinance of the Red Heifer in Numbers, Chapter 19. This was a very unusual ordinance in which the children of Israel were asked to take a red heifer with no spot or blemish and sacrifice it outside the camp. It was to be burned upon the altar, and then its ashes were to be mixed with water.

If a person became unclean by coming into contact with a dead body, he could be made pure once again by being sprinkled with this mixture of water and ashes. Therefore, this mixture was called the water of purification.

Routinely the priests would come into contact with dead bodies as they did their priestly duties in the tabernacle. When this happened, they would become ceremonially unclean, and this meant that they could not participate in the religious ceremonies of the tabernacle. However, they could be cleansed and made pure by being sprinkled with the water of purification.

The book of Hebrews tells us that we today are not cleansed by the blood of animals or by a ceremonial washing with water. We are made clean by the blood of Christ. We are all born in sin as sons of Adam, and therefore our defilement goes far beyond the outward defilement associated with being near a dead body.

Our defilement is that of the heart and conscience, and our only hope for cleansing is to confess our sinful state before the Lord as we put our faith in the cleansing power of the blood of Christ. I John 1:9 says:

1 John 1:9 NKJV
9 If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Even after we make this confession and receive eternal life, we still have to deal with a sinful nature. When we sin as believers, our sin causes a spiritual separation between us and God. Our fellowship with God is broken, but when we come to God, confessing our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and the blood of Jesus Christ keeps on cleansing us. With our sins forgiven, our fellowship with God is restored.

Confession is not a matter of begging for forgiveness. It is a matter of revealing to God a heartfelt brokenness that flows from a sincere conviction of sin. If we recognize our sins and acknowledge them before God, God looks to the blood of Christ which was shed for our sins, and He forgives our sins.

As we move into Numbers, Chapter 20, we see the death of Miriam. She, like all children of Adam, had to face death because of the curse of sin. All human beings are in Adam by nature, and the Bible says that in Adam all die. The only way to escape the curse of eternal death is to trust in the work of Christ upon the cross. Jesus told Nicodemus that:

John 3:16 NKJV
16 . . . God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The Bible makes it clear that Miriam died in the wilderness, and there are two reasons why Miriam had to die in the wilderness. First, she was not only identified with Adam, but she was identified with the congregation of Jews that had refused to go into the promised land.

God had promised the children of Israel that He would conquer the Canaanites and give their land to the Jews as an inheritance. However, the Jews refused to believe the word of God. Therefore, all those who were twenty years of age and older were sentenced to die in the wilderness. Miriam was identified with these rebels and so she had to face death in the wilderness. God is always faithful to His word in His promises and in His judgments.

The second reason that Miriam had to die in the wilderness is that she was identified with Moses. Moses was the Lawgiver, and the Law was an instrument of condemnation. The Law could never bring its followers into the inheritance of God. Moses, himself, was not allowed to enter into the promised land and neither was Aaron. These things happened to picture the inadequacies of the Law.

When it was time for the children of Israel to enter into the promised land, they were led by a man named Joshua, not Moses. Joshua is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and, in fact, Joshua and Jesus are the same name but in different languages.

After wondering in the wilderness for forty years, those Jews who were identified with Moses died in the wilderness, while those who were identified with Joshua were taken into the promised land. The Law does not have the power to bring salvation even to those who are its strictest followers. In reality, the inheritance of God is promised only to those who put their faith in Christ. Paul said, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus for they have obtained the inheritance of God by faith.

In the second verse of Numbers 20, we find the children of Israel in the wilderness with no water, and we find that once again they started complaining against Moses and Aaron. But notice that as they complained against Moses and Aaron, they implied that God, Himself, was also to blame for their predicament.

They said that it would have been better for them if they had died with their brothers before the face of the Lord. They recognized that they were in the wilderness because of the judgment of God, and they were saying that it would have been better if they too had died like so many of their friends and relatives. They were essentially blaming God for their circumstances.

Ultimately, however, their formal accusation was against Moses and Aaron. They accused Moses and Aaron of bringing them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness without water. They accused Moses and Aaron of lying to them, saying that the wilderness was certainly not a place of figs and vines and pomegranates.

The truth is that the blame did not belong with the Lord, and it did not belong with Moses and Aaron. No, the blame belonged with the children of Israel. They were the ones who had refused to believe the word of God, and they were the ones who had refused to go into the promised land.

They could have simply entered into the land of promise by faith, but when they refused to enter, the Lord shut the door. They could blame no one but themselves for their meager existence in the wilderness.

Isn’t this just like human nature though? When we fail, we like to blame someone else. And isn’t it interesting that so many people blame the Lord for all of the problems in this world? However, the fact is that all of the problems that we face in this world are a result of sin. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, a curse was placed upon man and upon all of the creation. Romans 8 says that the whole creation groans together in pain because of this curse. God is not responsible for all of the terrible things that we see in our world.

When we see tornadoes and earthquakes and other natural disasters, people often say, if there is a God in heaven, why does He allow such things? Well, all of these things happen as a consequence of the curse of sin. Sin always brings heartache, disappointment and trouble, but the blame does not belong with God.

May I say to you this morning, if you are in the midst of trials and afflictions, God has provided a remedy for sin. Those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are given the peace and the joy of the Lord. He gives peace and joy in the midst of trouble and in the midst of sorrow.

The Bible does not say that all of our troubles will disappear when we put our faith in Christ, but it does say that Jesus Christ will give us the strength, the grace and the ability to endure any difficulty or trial. The Apostle Paul tells us that:

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

This verse literally means that with each new trial, God will literally provide the way to escape.

For those who are burdened down with the cares of this world, God has provided the remedy. If you find yourself burdened down this morning, wondering why God has allowed this or that in your life, you can turn to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

God is the ever loving God, the omniscient God, the all powerful God, and He is the one who loves you more than you can imagine. He loves you so much that He sent His own Son to die on the cross for your sins. Simply trust Him, and He will save you. Then, He will sustain you and strengthen you.

There are those who blame God for their problems, but there are others who like to blame other people. The children of Israel blamed Moses, but Moses was not responsible for their difficulties. They, themselves, were responsible. God does not want us to blame other people for our failures. He wants us to come to Him and acknowledge our sin and our shortcomings. When we do, we find salvation and the peace that passes understanding.

Next week we are going to see the failure of Moses and Aaron as they struck the rock to produce water. They did this even though God had instructed them to speak to the rock. To truly serve the Lord, we must listen carefully to His word, and then do what He bids us to do.

Well, I see that our time is gone for this morning. Thank you for studying with me in this, another broadcast, of Bible Study Time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 11)(BST 3-23-08)

Numbers (Part 11)
Bible Study Time 3-23-08
(From James Roberts 4-11-99)

Last week, as we continued our journey through the scripture, we looked in the book of Numbers, Chapter 19, where we saw a very unusual ordinance that God gave to the people of Israel. It was the ordinance of the red heifer.

After the red heifer was checked to ensure that it had no spot or blemish, it was taken outside the camp and burned. Then the ashes of the red heifer were gathered and mixed with water. If and when the priests became ceremonially unclean by coming into contact with a dead body, they were to be sprinkled with this water. This water was the water of purification.

The book of Hebrews teaches us that the Old Covenant water of purification was only effective so far as the purification of the flesh was concerned. It had no power to purify the conscience. However, Hebrews goes on to remind us that if this water did purify the flesh, how much more effective is the blood of Christ when it comes to purifying our hearts and minds through the ministry of the New Covenant.

According to the terms of the Old Covenant Law, the nation of Israel was called to be a holy nation and a royal priesthood. They were to serve as a nation of priests over the Gentile nations. Unfortunately, they failed to fulfill their mission because of their own rebellion against the Lord and His Law.

However, Jeremiah spoke of the day when this mission would someday be fulfilled through the power of the New Covenant. Jeremiah said:

Jeremiah 31:31-32 (NKJ)
31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--
32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.

God’s plan and purpose for Israel was dependent upon the coming of the New Covenant, and Jesus indicated that His shed blood would serve as the blood of the New Covenant. After the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, Peter was anticipating the blessings of the New Covenant kingdom. In his first epistle to the Jews, he wrote:

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Zechariah describes the New Covenant kingdom, saying:

Zechariah 8:23 NKJV
23 . . . 'In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"

Beginning in Isaiah 60, Isaiah describes the ministry of the Jews in the New Covenant kingdom, then Malachi describes John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus as the messengers of the New Covenant. He says:

Malachi 3:1-3 NKJV
1 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts.
2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderers' soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.

John the Baptist came preaching the baptism of repentance to the people of Israel. They needed to prepare their hearts to serve the Lord as a nation of priests. In Luke, Chapter 3, John the Baptist baptized the people with water, and he told them to bring forth fruit worthy of repentance.

However, the children of Israel were not allowed to enter into the kingdom because they refused to accept the Lord Jesus as their promised Messiah. The religious leaders arrested Jesus, and the people shouted, away with Him, crucify Him, we have no king but Caesar. Pilate declared, I find no fault in this man, but the people insisted that Jesus should be put to death, saying, let His blood be upon us and upon our children.

This nation whom God had called to be a nation of priests became defiled by coming into contact with a dead body, and that dead body was that of the Lord Jesus. To perform their duties as a nation of priests in the kingdom, they would need to be purified by the water of purification.

Accordingly, in Acts, Chapter 2, Peter told the Jews to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. To enter into the kingdom, the Jews would have to submit to the water of purification as well as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If they had done these things, Jesus Christ would have returned from heaven to establish the kingdom.

However, throughout the book of Acts, the Jews proved their unwillingness to repent, and time and time again they refused to accept Jesus Christ as their promised Messiah. Therefore, at the end of the Acts period, God set aside Israel’s kingdom program so that He could bring in a totally new program. This program was the program for the church of our present age, and it was revealed exclusively to the Apostle Paul.

Believers today are members of the Church which is the Body of Christ, and we must look to the writings of Paul to find the specific instruction that God has given to us. In Ephesians, Chapter 4, Paul says that for us today:

Ephesians 4:4-5NKJV
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

In Acts, Chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, there were two baptisms. Believers at that time were baptized in water and then they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Today, we have only one baptism.

Romans, Chapter 6, tells us that believers today are baptized into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and Paul makes it clear that this is a spiritual baptism. This is the one baptism that is required of believers today. After experiencing this baptism, believers today can say with Paul:

Galatians 2:20 NKJV
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Israel had to have the water of purification to prepare them for their priestly duties in the kingdom of the New Covenant, but believers today have no expectation or hope concerning the earthy, New Covenant kingdom. The Apostle Paul tells us that we have a heavenly hope and a heavenly calling. We have been raised up to be seated with Christ in the heavens, and we are therefore citizens of heaven. In Colossians 3, Paul says:

Colossians 3:1-4 NKJV
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Israel’s hope was to serve the Lord in an earthly kingdom, but our hope today is to be caught up to be with Christ in the glory of heaven. Today, we do not look to a ritual of water to purify us, but we are purified by the word of God. Ephesians 5 says that:

Ephesians 5:25-26 NKJV
25 . . . Christ . . . loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

When the word of God convicts us of sin, we know that we can confess our sins, and God will be faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Well, I see that our time is gone for this morning. Thank you for studying with me in this, another broadcast, of Bible Study Time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 10)(BST 3-16-08)

Numbers (Part 10)
Bible Study Time 3-16-08
(From James Roberts 4-4-99)

This is the time of the year that man has set aside to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. John, Chapter 5, says that Jesus told the Jewish religious leaders:

John 5:39 NKJV
39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

As we study the scriptures from cover to cover, we find ample testimony regarding the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Last week in our journey through the scripture, we saw a type of Christ’s resurrection in Chapter 17 of the book of Numbers. The Lord told each leader of the twelve tribes of Israel to inscribe his name on a stick, or a rod, and bring it to the tabernacle of the Lord. Aaron was told to write his name on the rod that represented the tribe of Levi.

All the leaders of Israel brought their sticks and left them at the tabernacle, and the next morning they found that Aaron’s stick had actually come to life. His stick was covered with leaves and blossoms, and it was bearing ripe almonds.

This is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who came as the great High Priest of Israel. He was put to death by His own people, but as Aaron’s rod came to life after being dead, the Lord Jesus also came back from the dead. When He came back from the dead, He brought forth much fruit. Hebrews 2 says that Jesus died to bring many sons to glory.

Aaron was confirmed as the High Priest of Israel when God brought His dead stick back from the dead. In like manner, the Lord Jesus was confirmed as the great High Priest of Israel when God raised Him from the dead.

In Numbers, Chapter 18, God gave Moses certain responsibilities in regard to the nation of Israel and the duties of the Levites in the tabernacle, then in Numbers 19, God gave Israel a very unique ordinance. It was the ordinance of the red heifer. In Numbers 19:1, we read:

Numbers 19:1-22 NKJV
1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
2 "This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying: 'Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come.
3 You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him;
4 and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood seven times directly in front of the tabernacle of meeting.
5 Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: its hide, its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned.
6 And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the fire burning the heifer.
7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp; the priest shall be unclean until evening.
8 And the one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, bathe in water, and shall be unclean until evening.
9 Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.
10 And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. It shall be a statute forever to the children of Israel and to the stranger who dwells among them.
11'He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.
12 He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.
13 Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is still on him.
14'This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days;
15 and every open vessel, which has no cover fastened on it, is unclean.
16 Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17'And for an unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on them in a vessel.
18 A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave.
19 The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, wash his clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he shall be clean.
20'But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.
21 It shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until evening.
22 Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person who touches it shall be unclean until evening.'"

According to the Law, a person was to be considered unclean if he came into contact with a dead body. This did not signify moral defilement. It simply meant that they were ceremonially unclean and could not participate in the ceremonies of the tabernacle.

This was particularly significant for the priests. If a priest came into contact with a dead body, he was not allowed to officiate over the ceremonies of the tabernacle until he was purified by the water of purification. Strict obedience to this law would prevent any defilement of the tabernacle.

The book of Hebrews shows that this ceremony regarding the red heifer was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. The red heifer was taken outside the camp and killed even as the Lord Jesus suffered outside the city of Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus was taken out to Mt. Calvary where He died, the just one for the unjust. He was put to death, suffering in the fires of death for your sins and for mine.

After the red heifer was burned in the fire, its ashes were gathered and mixed with pure water. This water was then sprinkled upon the unclean person to accomplish his purification. This points to the cleansing of the human conscience which was made possible by the death of Christ. Hebrews, Chapter 9 and verse 11 tells us that:

Hebrews 9:11-14 NKJV
11 . . . Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.
12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Jesus Christ came as Israel’s great High Priest so that He could offer His own blood for Israel’s eternal redemption. He came to purge Israel from her sin, not just ceremonially with an outward cleansing, but He came to purge her conscience so that she could serve the true and the living God.

That very same offering of blood that was offered for Israel was also offered for us. When Christ died on the cross, He died for you and for me. His blood cleanses us from all sin and brings redemption. In the first chapter of I John, we are told that if we walk in the light as Christ is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Then, we are told that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Next week, we’re going to spend some more time on this subject to show that this particular ordinance of the red heifer was especially relevant to Israel. The Lord Jesus Christ came to be Israel’s High Priest, but when He came, the Jews said, away with Him, crucify Him, we have no king but Caesar. Later they said, let His blood be upon us and upon our children. By killing the Lord Jesus, the nation of Israel came into contact with a dead body, and they would have to be cleansed by the water of purification before they could do that work which God was calling them to do.

Next week we are going to see how the ceremony of the red heifer relates to the ministry of John the Baptist. The, we will see how it relates to the ministry of the twelve apostles before the cross and how it relates to their ministry after the cross.

But for the few moments that we have left today, I’d like for you to consider the fact that God loved you enough to come from heaven’s glory to live among men so that He could offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He lived perfectly before God not only according to the letter of the Law but also according to the spirit and intent of the Law. He lived a perfect life so that He could die for your sins.

Jesus Christ came to be the sin bearer. We could never pay the price for our own sins so Christ came to bear our sins on the cross. The Apostle John said that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. We are cleansed from all sin the moment we believe, but the blood of Christ keeps on cleansing us so that if we become defiled by sin after we believe, we can confess our sins and God will be faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Oh, what a wonderful gift God has given to us in the gift of His Son, in His death, His burial, His resurrection and His ascension back into the heaven.

Well, I see that our time is gone for this morning. Thank you for studying with me in this, another broadcast, of Bible Study Time.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/

Numbers (Part 9) (BST 3-9-08)

Numbers (Part 9)
Bible Study Time 3-9-08
(From James Roberts 3-28-99)

Last week in our journey through the scripture, we saw in the book of Numbers the rebellion of Korah and his followers. God had chosen Moses and Aaron to lead the children of Israel, but these men stubbornly refused to submit to their leadership.

As it turns out, Korah was a grandson of Levi, and the Levites were called by God to serve the Lord in the tabernacle. However, God had singled out Moses and Aaron, as members of the tribe of Levi, to lead the children of Israel. While Aaron and His sons were called as the priests of Israel, it was Moses who communicated directly with God.

Korah was of the tribe of Levi, but he was jealous of Aaron’s position as the High Priest. He was not content to serve the Lord in the mundane duties pertaining to the tabernacle. So Korah joined forces with two other Levites named Dathan and Abiram, and they went out and recruited 250 men from the various tribes of Israel to join them in their rebellion against Moses and Aaron.

God told Moses to have these men take censers which were lit with fire from the altar, and they were all to burn incense upon their censer. This was something that only the priests were allowed to do according to the Law, but this was God’s way of demonstrating exactly who had the authority to burn incense before the Lord.

Moses told the entire congregation to separate themselves from Korah, Dathan and Abiram. He said, if these men die a natural death then God has not chosen me as your leader; but if the earth opens up and swallows these men and their families and their possessions, then you will know that they have rebelled against the Lord; they have not just rebelled against me, but they have rebelled against the Lord. As the people watched, the earth opened up and swallowed these men with their families and the possessions. They all went down into the pit alive, and afterwards, the earth closed up behind them.

But that is not the end of the story. God was still going to deal with the 250 men who joined with Korah in this rebellion and who were burning incense on their censers. Since only the priests of the Lord were permitted to burn incense, fire came out from the Lord and consumed these men who were burning incense.

Then Moses instructed Eleazar, the son of Aaron, to pick up the censors of these 250 men. These censers were holy because they had been used to burn incense before the Lord, and they were not to be discarded as a common thing. God instructed the people to take those censers and hammer them out into bronze plates, and then He told them to place those bronze plates upon the altar in the tabernacle. He said that the bronze plates would stand as:

Numbers 16:40 NKJV
40 . . . a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the LORD, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the LORD had said to him through Moses.

By judging and slaying those who had rebelled against Moses and Aaron, God had clearly shown that Moses was His appointed leader over Israel. However, in verse 41, we read the response of the people.

Numbers 16:41 NKJV
41 On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the LORD."

Now, who was it that had judged the rebels? It wasn’t Moses, and it wasn’t Aaron. It was the Lord, Himself, who had judged them. The earth had opened up to swallow some and the fire came out from the Lord to consume the others. Moses could not have caused the earth to open up and swallow those who were swallowed. Only the Lord could have done that. But the people accused Moses and Aaron of killing the children of the Lord. Then verse 42 says:

Numbers 16:42 NKJV
42 Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

This must have been a frightening sight because they knew that when the glory of the Lord appeared in this manner, judgment was near. Then verse 43 says:

Numbers 16:43-45 NKJV
43 Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.
44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
45 "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." And they fell on their faces.

Obviously, the Lord was ready to consume all of the children of Israel, but I Corinthians, Chapter 10, says that the children of Israel were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Well, what does that mean? It means that these people had become identified with Moses; they had become his people. Moses was responsible before the Lord for these people, and so what did Moses do every time God was ready to destroy the people? Moses would stand as an intercessor before the Lord on behalf of the people.

When Moses prayed, God would listen. And even though there were consequences for their sin, God would spare the children of Israel. So in verse 45, God said, get away from the congregation that I may consume them, but Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Lord. Then:

Numbers 16:46-48 NKJV
46 . . . Moses said to Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun."
47 Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.
48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.

Here we see Aaron standing between the living and the dead with the censer in his hand offering up incense before the Lord. Then we read:

Numbers 16:49-50 NKJV
49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.
50 So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

This is so interesting because this is a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here was the High Priest standing between the living and the dead burning incense before the Lord.

The Book of the Revelation tells us that the incense is a picture of the prayers of the righteous. So here in the book of Numbers, the burning incense pictures the prayers of Moses and Aaron on behalf of the children of Israel. Aaron, the High Priest, was standing between the living and the dead, between the wrath of God and God’s people, making intercession for them.

In God’s long term plan for the nation of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ will stand as Israel’s great High Priest. He will stand between Israel and the wrath of God. He will make intercession for Israel, and God will forgive their sin. But today, we also have a great intercessor before the Lord. We too look to the Lord Jesus Christ as our intercessor. The Bible says that there is one mediator between God and man, and that’s the man, Christ Jesus. Today, Jesus Christ makes intercession for us. When we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.

God tells us today through the Apostle Paul that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Thank God, the plague has stopped because of the work of the Lord Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. He is ever ready to make intercession for us as He sits at the right hand of the Father.

Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior today? Have you come into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, the very Son of God? He is the one who died for you and was buried and rose again.

Now, in Numbers, Chapter 17, we see another demonstration of the mercy and the longsuffering of God. After all of these amazing events, God still gave the children of Israel another demonstration to prove that only Aaron and his sons were to serve as the priests of Israel.

God told Moses to collect a rod, or a stick, from each of the leaders of the tribes of Israel. Then Moses was told to write Aaron’s name on the stick that came from the tribe of Levi. At that point, Moses was told to put all twelve rods in the tabernacle. In verse 8 of Numbers 17, we read:

Numbers 17:8 NKJV
8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.

Miraculously, over one night, the stick from the tribe of Levi came to life and budded with blossoms. Not only had it budded and blossomed, but it had produced ripe almonds. So Moses took all of the rods out of the tabernacle and placed them before the people so that they could see what God had done. When the people saw it that only Aaron’s rod had had come to life, they were terrified before the Lord. In verse 10, we read that God told Moses to:

Numbers 17:10-13 NKJV
10 . . . "Bring Aaron's rod back before the Testimony (in the Ark of the Covenant), to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die."
11 Thus did Moses; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.
12 So the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, "Surely we die, we perish, we all perish!
13 Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD must die. Shall we all utterly die?"

But in Chapter 18, God revealed the means by which the people could enjoy the service of the tabernacle and not die. He said that they could come to the tabernacle to present their offerings to the priests, but only Aaron and his sons were to come near to God in the service of the tabernacle. Furthermore, God said that only the Levites were to come near to assist Aaron and his sons in the service of the tabernacle; the rest of the congregation was excluded from these duties. Then God said that the priests and the Levites were to be supported by the tithes and offerings of the people.

Well, I see that our time it gone for this morning. Thank you for listening to Bible Study Time this morning.

Church links:

http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/

http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/

http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/