INTRODUCTION
I present these Bible Studies as a free-gift resource for those who struggle to find such as they attempt to lead a study into God’s Word, our Holy Bible.
— I’ve tried to make the sessions cut and paste friendly (Set your page margins to 0.80 cm)
— I am trusting the Lord to maintain the integrity of this work, as it is inspired and dedicated to the truths found in HIS OWN HOLY WORDS. …As such you should judge your use of these accordingly.
As a prelude to these studies on Joshua and Caleb from the Book of Numbers, I want to explain why I’m undertaking a study into OT writings…
— In Romans 1:16-17, the Apostle Paul makes a strong statement against any who would compromise the integrity of the Christian Faith. Those are the ones who step away from things that Jesus stood for.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17)
— This even deals with whether we accept the Old Testament writings or not… Why?
Because Jesus made it His life’s commitment to fulfill those writings, not to destroy them.
— Jesus said boldly in Matthew 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
— One of the chief cornerstones of the doctrine of the early church, first established in Jerusalem, was the teaching of how Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies of the OT scriptures…
Jesus held as sacred those scriptures, HOW CAN WE DO ANY LESS?
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(Click on the Highlighted text to scroll to session.)
SESSION #1 What is the call to be a generation of Joshuas and Calebs?
SESSION #2 What did Caleb and Joshua know of God? (And how does that apply to us?)
SESSION #3 The blessings that Joshua and Caleb gained as they made their stand for God…
Introduction to Questions Sessions…
Point #1/ How would you react if a leader came forward with such a strong agenda?
Point #2/ How must we treat the ones called of God to a ministry or task? (What do we do if they go astray?)
Point #3/ Does God change from age to age? (Why the LAW of the OT, and the AGE OF GRACE in the NT?)
Point #4/ Must God stand trial in the courts of man? (Are we able to judge God?)
Point #6/ How diligent are we to be in obeying God’s commands?
Point #7/ What makes things holy? (Are there things which we should consider holy, and why so?)
Point #8/ What do we do with this account of God’s dealing with mankind? (Do we reject His authority today?)
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SESSION #1 What is the call to be a generation of Joshuas and Calebs?
— To understand this call, we must first look at just who Joshua and Caleb were from the Bible’s history book of Numbers #13 & #14… (This is fundamental before we proceed, so I have them for you here.)
Numbers 13:1-33 (ESV) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” (3) So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel. (4) And these were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur; (5) from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori; (6) from the tribe of Judah, *Caleb the son of Jephunneh; (7) from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph; (8) from the tribe of Ephraim, **Hoshea the son of Nun (This is another version of the name Joshua SEE vs.16); (9) from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu; (10) from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi; (11) from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi the son of Susi; (12) from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli; (13) from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael; (14) from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi; (15) from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. (16) These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun Joshua. (17) Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, “Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, (18) and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, (19) and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, (20) and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. (21) So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. (22) They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) (23) And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. (24) That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there. (25) At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. (26) And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. (27) And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. (28) However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. (29) The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.” (30) But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” (31) Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” (32) So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. (33) And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
Numbers 14:1-12 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. (2) And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! (3) Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (4) And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” (5) Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. (6) And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes (7) and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. (8) If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. (9) Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” (10) Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. (11) And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? (12) I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
— What is this call to be like another Joshua or Caleb? – It is simply to KNOW the truth of what they say in Numbers 14:9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
Where do you want to stand?
— With the majority of these counselors who bring a report of the over-powering giants that hold you back from entering into God’s promised land?
— Or do you wish to stand with Joshua and Caleb, the only two of the twelve, who don’t see the giants, but instead they see that God will always prevail, and His promises are sure.
The disciples of the New Testament followers stood with Joshua and Caleb,
…for they understood 1st John 4:4-6 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (5) They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. (6) We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
— WHAT IS TRUE, AND WHAT IS ERROR?
— Stay tuned to these studies and we will examine this crucial question further.
In the meantime, I trust that as you dwell on these verses, that God will speak to you of where you stand, and the great promises and victories He has ahead for you.
— And as we shall see, this has nothing to do with your age, but it has all to do with your commitment to follow Him.
…Til next time, I pray that you will understand the awesome presence of Almighty God walking right beside you and within you! (KK)
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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SESSION #2 Q1 — What did Caleb and Joshua know of God? (And how does that apply to us?)
— This is a very good question to look into, for it will help us to know God better.
— So let’s review the story of their trip to spy out God’s promised land…
Numbers 14:1-12 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. (2) And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! (3) Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (4) And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
— (5) Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. (6) And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes (7) and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. (8) If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. (9) Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
— (10) Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. (11) And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? (12) I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
Q2 — To take a stand as they did took courage and faith, why did Caleb and Joshua believe God would help them defeat the fortified cities and the giant warriors there?
— What had they seen of God? …What had God done before their eyes?
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Now we must decide if any of their knowledge of God applies to us today…
— In other words, is the God of the Old Testament the same as our God of the New Testament?
Q3 — Are there GIANTS and FORTIFIED CITIES (spiritually speaking) for us to conquer?
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There is a-moving-away-from the discussion of OT scriptures in some churches these days.
— We hear it from their leadership in a new ‘preach Jesus only’ message… This is a stance taken by many that are trying to minister to those of the Generation ‘Z’ers and younger. It stems from a real difficulty in gaining serious thought with these generations from worldly backgrounds if you bring up some extremely controversial accounts of the moving of God from the OT. (Such as the ‘Six-day creation account; or the Mass destruction of families and peoples such as in Numbers 16:28-33 or 1st Samuel 15:1-3.) — However, let’s take this time to discuss these controversial subjects…
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This problem of accepting these accounts of God comes from our modern-day culture of ‘humanism’. — I use that term in an effort to expose an ingrained (taught to us from the womb) attitude that man is able to sit in judgment of everything, including God. As such if we determine His actions are against what we now see as true and acceptable, then we will forsake any idea of following Him.
Q4 — What position do we take when we decide to JUDGE GOD?
— The safe position to try to reach out to these generations is a New Testament approach, preaching only Jesus. – For indeed the message of Jesus (who is GOD), was a message of reconciliation, love, mercy, and forgiveness. And we struggle to see it in the OT writings, and yet it existed there as well …if you look more closely.
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This position of not discussing the OT scriptures does mankind an injustice, as for one thing, it fails to teach proper HUMILITY of the CREATED before the CREATOR. – And without proper humility, we cannot stand before God Almighty. In truth without understanding a proper position of our humility before God, we cannot truly, and fully, know HIM.
— Therefore let’s seek an answer about a changeable God from His prophet in Malachi 3:1-6… “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; and 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 fullers’ soap.
*(3) He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. (4) Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.
**(5) “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.
***(6) “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
I am using Vs.6 (underlined) in context so we can see that this is a prophecy of the coming of John the Baptist Vs.1(a), and the coming Messiah (Jesus) Vs. 1(b) – Vs.3…
— God is telling us, through His servant Malachi, that HE NEVER CHANGES…
(So the God of the OT is still the God of the NT.)
Here we see that the Bible tells us the God of Caleb and Joshua is the same as our God of today…
— These verses give us three sources of encouragement: (Let’s look at these in more detail.)
*Firstly, SEE (Vs.3-4) – Jesus is still refining God’s ministers, and His people so He can bring them into all the blessings of God the Father.
Q5 – Can we share some personal testimonies of how we see God working on us, refining us?
**Secondly, SEE (Vs.5) – We can be assured that the wicked deceivers of this world will not always prosper, but without repentance, their end in a righteous judgment is assured.
Q6 – Does this help us or hinder us in our growth as Christians? (Might we be tempted to ‘write sinners off’ and retreat to our own FORTIFIED CITY?)
NOTE — Please, people of faith, never think to take this judgment into your own hands, for it is written, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”” (Romans 12:17-19)
***Thirdly, in (Vs.6) we find great comfort in the fact that God’s mercy never runs out to those who repent.
Q7 – In what part of Vs.6 do we find this comfort?
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Malachi 3:2 asks another question for us to think about… 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 fullers’ soap.
Q8 – If this is talking of the coming of the Messiah (Jesus), why this scary question? (Isn’t Jesus all about love and forgiveness?)
— What is “fullers’ soap” ? – This is the kind of material used to dissolve impurities and bleach clothes. Just as the refiner’s fire removes what is impure, destroying what’s undesirable, so too does this “fullers’ soap” wash away stains and spots. Verse 3 will remind readers that God’s first priority for purification will be the priesthood
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Q9 – What does God’s Word tell us to expect the next time Jesus comes to rule over the earth?
— SEE Mark 13:24-27 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, (25) and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. (26) And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. (27) And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
— SEE Matthew 24:22-27 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (23) Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. (24) For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (25) See, I have told you beforehand. (26) So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. (27) For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
— SEE Revelations 1:7-8 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (8) “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
— SEE Revelations 19:11-16 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. (12) His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. (13) He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. (14) And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. (15) From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. (16) On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
(This may bring out a discussion of the ‘Time of the Tribulation’, which is what it is referring to.)
Q10 – What does this tell us of our Lord Jesus, who now sits at the right hand of Father God, waiting for the time for His return to this earth?
Q11 – Do you think this similar to the person of God that Joshua and Caleb worshipped?
Q12 – If we realize that GOD DOES NOT CHANGE, how can that correct our behavior towards Him and our expectations of Him? (EG. Our prayers; …Our use of His name; …Our daily actions.)
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I like to think this study will encourage us to make sure we stay on the straight-and-narrow and to follow the examples of Caleb and Joshua. I trust that this will help us all to “Keep in step with God’s Spirit”, and as such live from victory to victory, being sure to give the credit to where it belongs, to our Lord God Almighty.
— In the next study I will take us to look at the life-long calling and anointing that Joshua and Caleb received for their strong and steady faithfulness to God.
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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SESSION #3 The blessings that Joshua and Caleb gained as they made their stand for God…
Joshua and Caleb stood up to tell God’s people in Numbers 14:9 “Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
— Here they tell them that to shrink back in fear of failure while following God’s commands, was the same as REBELLION. This is true, because lacking faith in God is essentially denying who God is.
— As they stood against the popular testimony of their peers, and took this bold stand for God and truth, they both gained a life-long blessing from God.
— This is a true aspect of following God, it is a promise for you and I, that if we commit to follow by faith, His commands, and put our trust in God’s power over our circumstances, we will also gain God’s approval and blessings.
So what are the blessings that Joshua and Caleb gained that day?
— We find them in scriptures that followed their lives as recorded in the Bible…
Here is a reminder of the situation as it stood when the people chose to listen to the ten discouraging ‘spies’.
— God considered it rebellion and decided to destroy the people and start again with Moses and a faithful few.
Numbers 14:6-13 (CEV) Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow and said: We saw the land ourselves, and it’s very good. If we obey the LORD, He will surely give us that land rich with milk and honey. So don’t rebel. We have no reason to be afraid of the people who live there. The LORD is on our side, and they won’t stand a chance against us!
The crowd threatened to stone Moses and Aaron to death. But just then, the LORD appeared in a cloud at the sacred tent.
The LORD said to Moses, “I have done great things for these people, and they still reject me by refusing to believe in my power. So they will no longer be my people. I will destroy them, but I will make you the ancestor of a nation even stronger than theirs.”
Moses replied: With your mighty power you rescued your people from Egypt, so please don’t destroy us here in the desert. If you do, the Egyptians will hear about it and tell the people of Canaan. Those Canaanites already know that we are your people, and that we see you face to face. And they have heard how you lead us with a thick cloud during the day and flaming fire at night. But if you kill us, they will claim it was because you weren’t powerful enough to lead us into Canaan as you promised.
— So as we read, the people were judged by God and condemned to instead wander in the desert for forty years, until all their generation (EXCEPT Joshua, and Caleb) passed away.
SEE Numbers 26:63-65 (CEV) Moses and Eleazar counted the Israelites while they were camped in the hills of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho. None of the people that Moses and Aaron had counted in the Sinai Desert were still alive, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. The LORD had said that everyone else would die there in the desert.
— Already we see the just rule of God Almighty, who will never ignore those who make a stand for His Holy Name, as He judges those who rebel against Him.
However, that was not the end of their blessings…
— For the story of Joshua was one of the blessings of victorious leadership, complete with God’s Spirit to talk to and guide him.
— Some of the further blessings towards Caleb are found in the book of Joshua 14:6-15… One day while the Israelites were still camped at Gilgal, Caleb the son of Jephunneh went to talk with Joshua. Caleb belonged to the Kenaz clan, and many other people from the Judah tribe went with Caleb. He told Joshua: You know that back in Kadesh-Barnea the LORD talked to his prophet Moses about you and me. I was forty years old at the time Moses sent me from Kadesh-Barnea into Canaan as a spy. When I came back and told him about the land, everything I said was true. The other spies said things that made our people afraid, but I completely trusted the LORD God. The same day I came back, Moses told me, “Since you were faithful to the LORD God, I promise that the places where you went as a spy will belong to you and your descendants forever.” Joshua, it was forty-five years ago that the LORD told Moses to make that promise, and now I am eighty-five. Even though Israel has moved from place to place in the desert, the LORD has kept me alive all this time as he said he would. I’m just as strong today as I was then, and I can still fight as well in battle. So I’m asking you for the hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You were there. You heard the other spies talk about that part of the hill country and the large, walled towns where the Anakim live. But maybe the LORD will help me take their land, just as he promised.
Joshua prayed that God would help Caleb, then he gave Hebron to Caleb and his descendants. And Hebron still belongs to Caleb’s descendants, because he was faithful to the LORD God of Israel.
Hebron used to be called Arba’s Town, because Arba had been one of the greatest of the Anakim. There was peace in the land.
— Do you desire the ability to hear from God, and to be guided in your daily walk with Him?
— Do you want to live a healthy, robust, and vital life into your old age?
The opportunity lays before you… as I close this session, I will let Joshua challenge us all from his own words, Joshua 24:14-15 Then Joshua told the people: Worship the LORD, obey him, and always be faithful. Get rid of the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. But if you don’t want to worship the LORD, then choose right now! Will you worship the same idols your ancestors did? Or since you’re living on land that once belonged to the Amorites, maybe you’ll worship their gods.
I won’t. My family and I are going to worship and obey the LORD!
— Have you made your choice?
— In future sessions, we will look at the truth of some of the choices we make…
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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Christians cannot become AVOIDERS OF THE TRUTH…
— Caleb and Joshua took a stand for SPIRITUAL TRUTH and were blessed by God.
— The other ten led the people to follow physical evidence and to depart from FAITH in God’s overriding authority over all things and all situations.
I hope you are far enough along in your walk with the Lord to look into some HARD TRUTHS.
— Lord willing I will be taking these next few studies to examine one that Caleb and Joshua witnessed first hand, that is God’s punishment for those who followed the rebellion of Korah. (From Numbers chapter 16.)
We are going to read through chapter 16 so to correctly discuss this further…
— As we read through this chapter here are QUESTIONS WE WILL BE LOOKING AT:
1/ How would you react if a leader came forward with such a strong agenda?
2/ How must we treat the ones called of God to a ministry or task? (What do we do if they go astray?)
3/ Does God change from age to age? (Why the LAW of the OT, and the AGE OF GRACE in the NT?)
4/ Must God stand trial in the courts of man? (Are we able to judge God?)
5/ What happens to the innocent children and others who are caught up in the judgments of God?
6/ How diligent are we to be in obeying God’s commands?
7/ What makes things holy? (Are there things which we should consider holy, and why so?)
8/ What do we do with this account of God’s dealing with mankind? (Do we reject His authority today?)
As you see, I am asking you to cover a lot of ground. Therefore I am breaking these studies into manageable parts.
— The setting for these questions comes from the account found in Numbers chapters 15 & 16.
As such, I ask that you read these full chapters before moving on to the rest of our studies.
And we will pick up next week from there. God Bless
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POINT #1/ How would you react if a leader came forward with such a strong agenda?
— Q1) Is it understandable that they would react to these new rules?
(We all agreed that it would be difficult for many to accept without questioning, a leader who brings forth such a strong agenda.)
— Q2) What evidence had they as to the authority of Moses?
(This becomes the KEY to their accepting such a lead in their time.)
Our time is blessed with the full guidance of God through scriptures, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit… It is the use of discerning the scriptures and the lead of this same Holy Spirit, that allows us tests to determine if a proposed leader’s agenda is acceptable or not.
— These people of Israel at this time, could only be led by what they saw of God’s power in their Prophets. That is how they had to test their lead, and from dealing with Pharaoh to this point, God had shown His anointing on Moses and Aaron.
— Q3) What was their accusation against Moses? (SEE Numbers 16:3)
(They accuse Moses of ‘Power-grasping’ and ‘arrogance’. – This is denied by Moses, as He appeals to the throne of God in Vs.15.)
– Q4) What would have happened to the people of Israel if this rebellion succeeded? (SEE Numbers 16:12-14) (We see throughout the struggle of God with this generation, as He leads Israel using Moses and Aaron, a strong group who rebel and want to return to Egypt… It always seems to come from those who had a preferred place in the slavery situation there. One of our group commented, “This desire to return to Egypt didn’t come from those who had to slave away making bricks with no straw.”)
Sometimes God will ask us to step out of the boat and walk on the water… However, He will never ask anything that contradicts His word as we find it in our Bibles.
Next, we look into question #2/ How must we treat the ones called of God to a ministry or task?
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Point #2/ How must we treat the ones called of God to a ministry or task?
(What if they go astray?)
— How should they have handled their discontentment with the leadership of Moses?
(This is a theoretical question, as it is only good for us to ponder for ourselves…)
Somethings we can bring out of this are:
1/ The need to put our fleshly power-struggles away;
2/ The need to communicate privately any concerns first person to person;
3/ Prayerfully seeking the guidance of God before any decision is made…
— I pray that if you ever find yourself in this quandary, the Holy Spirit will grant you all the wisdom, compassion, and strength to find God’s best outcome for a difficult situation. If you will remain faithful to the Lord, He will be faithful to show you the way. …KK
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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Point #3/ Does God change from age to age?
— Q1) Why the LAW of Moses in the OT, and the AGE OF GRACE in the NT? (Is this ‘God changing’ or a ‘Relationship changing’?)
We covered one fact in our last study of Malachi 3:1-6… “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (God does not change, and therefore His mercy is still available.)
— However, it seems the relationship between God and Man differs from OT to NT times.
— Can we gain some understanding of why this is? – I think we can if we follow the time frame of God’s working with mankind.
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– In the beginning, Adam and Eve walked and talked with God freely. Whenever God so chose, He would show Himself and converse with them. At this time there were no barriers of sin.
— Q2) How would you evaluate this relationship? (What was the only requirement from Adam and Eve? – Simple OBEDIENCE.)
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– Then sin becomes a separation issue, and we come to the Old Testament times where God sets out rules for the disciplining of mankind, so they might have a respectful, healthy, and blessed relationship. This is a key point in reading the OT scriptures, these rules were given to help God’s chosen people to remain in a LOVING RELATIONSHIP with GOD. You will find many of the rules were to help them keep their focus on God, and thus to lead them away from temptation and ruin.
– We need to be aware that in these times, only on special occasions and only certain select people could have direct contact with God. (God’s Prophets, and certain priests) …See how the high priest could only go into the ‘Holy of Holies’ once a year and that was only on the ‘Day of Atonement’.
— Q3) What kind of relationship do we find here? (There is a distance in this relationship between God and the people, for the ‘Day of Pentecost infilling of God’s Holy Spirit is not yet available for everyone. However, we must be aware that all these LAWS are to protect the people, and they are given in a display of God’s love, not meanness.)
— Q4) John the Baptist prepared the people to follow the Messiah by bringing them into a proper relationship for worshippers before the time of Christ… What relationship did John call them to?
(A relationship of REPENTANCE.)
(Did this relationship exist in OT times? – As an example, king David / 2nd Samuel 12:15-17)
(Or king Hezekiah in sackcloth / Isaiah 37:1)
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– Then Jesus brought us into the New Testament times, and He said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24)
— The advent of Jesus ushered in a return, for those who choose His Lordship and forgiveness, to a personal, walking, and talking (spiritually speaking) relationship with God. (Note how the ‘Holy of Holies’ curtain was torn after the crucifixion. See Matthew 27:50-54.)
— Q5) Now think carefully… What kind of relationship did His disciples have with God when Jesus walked with them on the earth? (Did they know who Jesus was? Did they know what He was doing?)
— (They all could not see past the earthly expectations that Jesus would bring Israel to return to the power and glory of the times of Solomon. – That is why they could not understand the cross.)
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– This worship in spirit and truth came to completion, when obeying the words of Jesus, His disciples stayed in Jerusalem waiting for the ‘Day of Pentecost’ experience. Then the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel came to pass. We now have the ability to allow the Holy Spirit to talk to, guide, and empower us. (Note I write that we may allow because it is up to us.)
— Q6) Can you list some of the aspects of the relationship we have with God that we now are blessed to be able to live under? (EG: God’s direct guidance in… prayer; understanding; knowledge; healing; wisdom; compassion; patience; endurance… so much more.)
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– There is another time of relationship with God still to come… The ‘Millennial Rule’ of Christ on this earth, for a thousand years after His return. (SEE Revelations 19:11-16) A different sort of relationship to the SAME UNCHANGING GOD.
— Q7) Does this relationship offend you? (Our modern culture seems quite anti-authoritarian.)
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The Old Testament was given to Moses for God’s people of Israel to protect them… because He loved them.
— The point of this whole time frame is to show how the Old Testament LAW was there to lead His people to a relationship of repentance, and it was all that a common-place follower had with God.
— Repentance is still the only way to come back to a proper relationship with God.
…Only specially anointed persons, could relate to God and hear from Him directly, because of the sin-gap which happened in the Garden of Eden. Therefore the relationship of any normal follower depended on repentance and obedience to God’s rules and His proven anointed authorities.
— Disobedience, would lead to rebellion and endanger God’s people. God even sent times that tested their obedience. To fail a test of obedience would put you outside of the faith until proper sacrifices were made. (These sacrifices pointed ahead to the time of the New Testament redemption, through Jesus dying for our sins.)
— Aren’t you glad, we now live in the NT age of grace and redemption?
— But Korah and his followers were still following the LAW of OT faith. And so they suffered the judgment of God.
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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Point #4/ God standing in the courts of man?
This week we look at… What right does God have in the courts of man?
— Does it matter if we accept God’s TOTAL AUTHORITY over His creation (or not)?
I’ll start with a bit of wisdom we are taught in Proverbs 22:6…
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
— This little gem of wisdom is played out in our lives in some of the smallest actions.
For example: The parents of little Johnny have insisted on a meeting with his school teachers, they feel that the school system is failing him because the other children are refusing to play with their Johnny.
— They have not witnessed how little Johnny pursues and torments various children, interrupting and then refusing to join in with their playing, instead insisting that they should play his game.
— Over time these other children have developed the habit of avoiding Johnny. So now we have an issue.
Now let’s take a sneak-peek at our little Johnny at home… He is raised to have complete freedom to do and say whatever he wants, whenever he wants to. He interrupts conversations without so much as an “excuse me”. No one is allowed to correct him for destructive behaviour, or rudeness, unless it is in an extreme situation. He is being brought up to believe his rights overrule the rights of any others.
— Now do we see why other children struggle with trying to get along with Johnny?
— Who is at fault when he can’t find someone to play with him, is it the school or the parents?
— I’ll let you answer that for yourselves… But it does lead us back to the wisdom of Proverbs 22:6.
This truth of ingrained behavior is at the heart of our discussion for today…
Q1 — Do we have a nature that resists authority and critiques harshly any in positions of authority?
(Who is responsible when evil behavior is dealt with by authorities? …Read the book of Job if you question God’s authority.))
As we looked into the call for HUMILITY BEFORE GOD… We came face to face with a moral dilemma: How could a loving God punish whole families, including their children as found in Numbers 16 in the Bible?
— Numbers chapter 15 gives us the reasons for a confrontation of egos recorded in chapter 16.
— A quick read gives you the basic idea. (God gave Moses instructions as to the various rules of sin sacrifices. And the leaders of the various families react to these new rules in chapter 16.)
The question becomes — Are we able to judge God? – This stems from us questioning how God could condemn whole families for the sins of their fathers. SEE Numbers 16:22 & 27-33…
That brings up Point #4/ What right does God have in the courts of man?
— What happens in Numbers 16:22 & 27-33… may seem unfair to us… However, I believe this is because we cannot see as God does. I am going to ask you to step out of earthly limitations into Godly heights.
— This requires you to understand that God sees the future, as well as the past and present.
— What you or I become in the future, is as clear to God as who we are today.
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Q2 — How many times has mankind been guilty of carrying the revenge of a past hurt by someone against them, into acting against the families of the guilty party? (It is called a ‘VENDETTA’ = any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like.)
— Is this a common thing in some cultures in the past, and even today?
— Have you heard of, or experienced a mindset that believes in REVENGE?
God knows who will carry on the vendetta and who will not… DO YOU?
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I will try to give an illustration of how things might change if you also could see the future…
— If you had somehow come to rescue a young tiger and you now are keeping it as a pet, and yet YOU KNOW that it will grow up and kill your children, would you not need to get rid of it? – (If you were to let it go into your surrounding forest, but you knew it would come back to devour them at a later date what would you do for the protection of your family?)
Q3 — Is that not a terribly hard decision, for the tiger is only doing what is its nature to do?
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I hope that you can see an ALL-KNOWING GOD sees the future clearly, and as such brings things to pass that we could never understand or be comfortable with. For we are limited in our understanding.
— It is this lack of ability to see things as God sees things, which makes us unfit to judge Him…
(In proper humility we need to trust His Word from Genesis 18:23-26 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
— We had a good discussion on the grace of God being shown even to children who die in their youth. This subject comes up in a following study… KK
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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Point #5/ What happens to the innocent children?
This week we look at… Point #5/ What happens to the innocent children and others who are caught up in God’s judgments?
— This goes back to our discussion from our study of the account of God’s judgment on the rebellious people of Israel found in Numbers 16:28-33…
And Moses said, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, and that it has not been of my own accord. (29) If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me. (30) But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD.” (31) And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart. (32) And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. (33) So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.
From this, we come to ask the question… What happens to the innocent children in this judgment?
— I find comfort in letting our loving God be God and by the words of Romans 5:12-15…
Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned. (13) There was sin in the world before the Law was given; but where there is no law, no account is kept of sins. (14) But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, death ruled over all human beings, even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam did when he disobeyed God’s command. Adam was a figure of the one who was to come. (15) But the two are not the same, because God’s free gift is not like Adam’s sin. It is true that many people died because of the sin of that one man. But God’s grace is much greater, and so is his free gift to so many people through the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:14-15… Do all things without grumbling or disputing, (15) that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…
Note the insight of King David in 2nd Samuel 12:22-23 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ (23) But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”
— Does David expect to see his baby again?
Even though God knows the future and can see what our decisions would be, He has the ability to deliver us from future disasters. This may be hard for us to understand, for our vision is limited.
— I have a brother who has gone to be with the Lord, and I am convinced that God took him home because Rick could not withstand the addictions he suffered under. If he were to be left to grow old here in our sad and evil world, I think God delivered him from a struggle he couldn’t cope with. (Rick was killed by a car as he turned in repentance from his last drunken binge and was returning to his first nation’s home, where he always went to ‘dry-up’ in an effort to walk with God.)
— In a letter left behind Rick shared his struggles to hold fast to sobriety as he was determined to keep his faith in the saving grace of Jesus.
So knowing God’s mercy, even in taking people home who are doomed in this world to struggle and fail if left to the temptations of evil… I combine these verses, and I see this as evidence that all the TRULY BLAMELESS and INNOCENT are God’s children. So when they die, I trust this truth of God’s mercy, extends to all babies, and children in Numbers chapter 16.
— I also believe this applies to those who mentally never pass a child-like mindset. …KK
— As was mentioned by Diane in the last study of Numbers 16, this can actually be God showing mercy on the innocent children who are growing up under the parenting of Korab and the others.
Do you have difficulty seeing that our just and loving God would do this?
Any other thoughts from these verses we’re looking at today?
(We will discuss this further if anyone has a comment or question.)
— In closing, due to the real bias against Bible believers and the scriptures in our media and politics these days… I would like you to share your thoughts when you hear the command to fear the Lord… As we find in Psalm 33…
Psalm 33:8-12 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! (9) For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (10) The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. (11) The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. (12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
Maybe we better pray more for our nations… DO YOU THINK SO?
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Next time we move to Point #6… How diligent are we to be in obeying God’s commands? (And what is required of us in doing so?)
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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Point #6… How diligent are we to be in obeying God’s commands?
In our Bible study, we move to Point #6… How diligent are we to be in obeying God’s commands? (And what is required of us in doing so?)
Our scriptures for today are from: Numbers 16:39-50; 1st Samuel 24:1-6; Hebrews 5:12-14; Mark 12:29-31; and Matthew 23:11-12.
— This study stems from Numbers 16:39-50… So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, (40) to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the LORD said to him through Moses. (41) But on the next day all the congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the LORD.” (42) And when the congregation had assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they turned toward the tent of meeting. And behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.
— (43) And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, (44) and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (45) “Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces. (46) And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire on it from off the altar and lay incense on it and carry it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun.” (47) So Aaron took it as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. And behold, the plague had already begun among the people. And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. (48) And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped. (49) Now those who died in the plague were 14,700, besides those who died in the affair of Korah. (50) And Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the tent of meeting, when the plague was stopped.
Q1/ — We see here that God commands a remembrance for the people to be made… WHAT IS IT?
Q2/ — What lesson in diligence to God’s word is to be remembered by this?
Do you want to see a positive, Biblical example of diligent obedience to God?
— Note how diligently David followed God’s commands while under a truly grievous attack from his anointed leader in 1st Samuel 24:1-6…
(1) When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” (2) Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. (3) And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. (4) And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. (5) And afterward David’s heart struck him because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. (6) He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed.”
— In this situation, Saul was the king, and there was no way to remove him without violence.
— What was David worried about? Why did he not kill his pursuing enemy? (Who did David fear?)
Another pertinent question for you?
Q3/ — Did David TOTALLY SUBMIT to King Saul? (Hint: NO!) …He lived as an outlaw of the state.
— David calls us to be prepared to sacrifice our RIGHTS and comforts in submission to God’s commands.
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This diligence in obedience, and the knowledge of its blessings, is a process of growth…
— David, who was anointed by God’s Holy Spirit, grew in faith and obedience from the time he trusted God to deliver the Giant Goliath into his hand, to the point where here he refuses to take the life of his evil pursuer, who happened to be the anointed King of Israel.
— The people of Israel showed they had not yet grown to respect God’s anointed in Numbers 16.
In our own lives, we have all witnessed examples of growth in obedience and respect…
— We’ve all seen a young child who only wants sweets and chocolate to eat, and yet a loving parent denies giving in to their demands and noisy outbursts. For the parent knows that a diet that would please this child would truly damage his/her health, so they insist the child obey their edicts and learn to gain an appetite for more healthy foods.
— This is a lesson in growth.
Let’s look at how the Apostle Paul calls for diligence and growth in Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, (13) for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. (14) But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
— “TRAINED BY CONSTANT PRACTICE TO DISTINGUISH GOOD FROM EVIL.”
— The Apostle Paul wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God so that the religious people of Israel would grow into maturity, understanding the truth of the gospel of Jesus. This letter was first written to Jewish believers, however, it applies to all who have heard a call to follow Jesus.
This teaching seems a bit harsh because Paul starts with an accusation that they are immature…(Vs.12-13) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, (13) for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.
Q4/ — What do you think these followers may have been struggling with that kept them immature in faith? (We do know from scripture that they struggled with the idea of Gentiles being accepted by Christ, and of Gentiles not being required to convert to Judaism (circumcision), and racial preferencing involving caring of the widows in the church.)
Q5/ — What kind of things side-track us Christians from staying on the course of God’s righteousness?
— (HINT: Politics, Protests, Racial preferences, Trying to resist bowing to ‘Ceasar’, Materialism…)
Q6/ What is the REMEDY recommended by Paul?
(Note Vs.12) “…you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.”
Q7/ — What do you consider the BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GOD?
HINT: A baby is self-centered, everything is all about them… and when they don’t get their way, WAH, WAH!
SEE Mark 12:29-31 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (30) And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (31) The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
— We come into salvation by acknowledging that Jesus died for OUR SINS, and we accept HIS GIFT of eternal life… That moment is really, all about us. God wants you to start there, and then yield your life in OBEDIENCE to His call as LORD OF YOUR LIFE to serving others.
— Isn’t that a call to grow from milk to meat?
SEE further teaching on this from Jesus’ own words: Matthew 23:11-12… The greatest among you shall be your servant. (12) Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Q8/ — What basic behavior is this teaching of Christ striving to correct in us? (HINT: Q9 & Q10 deal with this teaching.)
Q9/ — What if someone were to ask an unreasonable request of you? …How do you handle that? (Maybe you can share an example for us… LET’S KEEP NAMES TO OURSELVES THOUGH.)
— Is there a scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to your thoughts as you consider this? (HINTS: Going the extra mile, and bowing to a golden idol.)
Q10/ — How do we react to these government edicts? (Some of these even contradict our constitutional rights. – What governs your actions and speech as you respond?)
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Q11/ When you choose to rise and take a stand — What scriptures do you have to defend your behaviors and thinking on this subject?
— Do you feel like you need to be backed by scripture? (If you do, then you are growing in Godly knowledge and are able to handle the MEATY subjects of life.)
— Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, (13) for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. (14) But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
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Q12/ — I’ll close by asking you to find THREE tools the Apostle Paul tells us we must use to GROW:
1/ “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you…” (Hebrews 5:12)
— What is Paul telling us to use here to grow?
2/ How do we become ‘skilled’ in the word of righteousness? (Hebrews 5:13)
3/ And finally there are actually two answers here… “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)
— Can you find them?
Is there ever a time (while on this earth), when we no longer need… church fellowship; Godly worship; preaching; teaching; and Bible reading?
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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Point #7… What makes things holy?
(Are there things which we should consider holy, and why so?)
— In Numbers 16 we find God giving a command to collect the censors that had fallen from the hands of the 250 rebellious leaders who died when fire from God consumed them.
Read Numbers 16:36-40 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (37) “Tell Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest to take up the censers out of the blaze. Then scatter the fire far and wide, for they have become holy. (38) As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar, for they offered them before the LORD, and they became holy. Thus they shall be a sign to the people of Israel.” (39) So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned had offered, and they were hammered out as a covering for the altar, (40) to be a reminder to the people of Israel, so that no outsider, who is not of the descendants of Aaron, should draw near to burn incense before the LORD, lest he become like Korah and his company—as the LORD said to him through Moses.
Q1/ — What did those men do wrong, that all Israel was to remember? (Hint: Vs.40)
Q2/ — What is God telling us here about what makes a ‘thing’ holy? (Hint: Vs. 38)
The Apostle Peter had a lot to say on what is holy…
SEE 1st Peter 2:4-9 (4) As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, (5) you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (6) For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (7) So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” (8) and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. (9) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Q3/ — What makes us a ‘holy nation/priesthood’? (Hint: Do the underlined sections tell us anything about who we belong to?)
Q4/ — Does 1st Peter 1:18-19 tell us why we are holy?’
1st Peter 1:13-19 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (14) As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, (15) but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (16) since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (17) And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, (18) knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
This leads to some questions which apply to us today:
Q5/ — Are there things in our churches that we should consider holy? …WHY?
Q6/ — Is the church building a holy place? …WHY?
Time for discussion… And then close in our prayer time.
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Point #8/ How do we react to God’s authority?
What do we do with this account of God’s dealing with mankind?
How would a generation of Calebs and joshuas reacte? (How do we react to His authority in our world today?)
— I am going to take us on a ‘Flash-back’ of what the people of Israel witnessed from our studies of the account in Numbers 16… (A look back at a display of God’s Authority these people witnessed in the ‘Exodus’…)
Exodus 15:1-13
(1-5) Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. (2) The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. (3) The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is his name. (4) “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. (5) The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone.
(6-9) Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. (7) In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble. (8) At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. (9) The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
(10-13) You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters. (11) “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (12) You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. (13) “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
Q1/ What has this to do with the Numbers 16 account, and the people’s response to God’s orders through Moses?
Are you aware that in our country, our homeland which we love and admire, there are people who would like to tear down every Christian church and destroy every Bible?
— They have been cleverly misled into a position of belief that we Christ-followers (specifically the Bible believers) are an evil force in the world.
— They are sadly ignorant of the variety of doctrinal beliefs in Christianity or of our stance on ‘Hating the life-destroying sin, while still loving the sinner’.
— Their rejection is an overt act of rejecting God and His authority over themselves as His created beings.
— This is a follow-up belief system that starts by rejecting the whole idea of Creation and a Creator.
Okay, I expect that none of us would consider joining their ranks… In fact, I expect we see them as part of the army that Satan is raising to stand against God and His authority in heaven and on earth…
Q2/ So how do we deal with these people? (How do we react to them and what do we do when confronted by them?)
May I suggest that one of the best examples of how to deal with them is found in the life and ministry of Christians like the honorable Billy Graham…
— Are you aware of anyone who doesn’t respect the honesty and loving concern of Pastor Graham? (It is hard to find a person that would disrespect his memory.)
— And yet he spoke clearly and decisively about the need for sinners to repent.
I was constantly impressed by the passion of his preaching as he called the lost to salvation.
— So I am going to ask us to discuss some of what we saw in Pastor Billy Graham’s life example.
I am going to list for discussion some of what I’ve seen in the ministry that he was the leader of:
— Commitment…
— Sacrifice…
— Prayer…
— Compassion…
— Outreach…
— Submission…
— Integrity…
— Strength of faith…
— Endurance and Long-suffering…
— No compromise…
— The role of God’s Holy Spirit…
— (Any others I may have missed.)
Q/3 How do all these display respect for God’s authority?
Q4/ How can we use this example in our own call to be witnesses of Christ?
A generation of Calebs and Joshuas would be those who are found faithful and true to God’s Word… As such they would be protected and blessed, even when having to suffer and endure hard times with the rest of the people.
We will end our studies on the account found in Numbers 16 by turning the focus on how we can follow their examples of what we must do in the here-and-now.