A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Related Articles
RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 4
LESSON #05
YOUR SERVICE TO THE GLORY OF GOD
v MEMORY VERSE: 1COR 4:2
v MOVING THE CAMP
Ø MOSES AND AARON DID NOT DECIDE WHEN IT WASTIME TO MOVE THE CAMP TO ANOTHER PLACE IN THE DESERT. GOD MADE THAT DECISION. EVERYMORNING MOSES WOULD LOOK FOR THE CLOUD OVER THE TABERNACLE. IF THE CLOUD REMAINED OVER THETABERNACLE, THEY DID NOT MOVE THE CAMP. IF THE CLOUD HAD LIFTED DURING THE NIGHT, THEYWOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE APART THE TABERNACLE AND GET READY TO MARCH.
§ IT WAS BECAUSE OF THEPRESENCE OF THE CLOUD THAT THE PEOPLE KNEW GOD’S DIRECTION.
· DISCUSSION: HOW DOES THE CHRISTIAN KNOW GOD’S DIRECTION TODAY?
¨ WE KNOW IT BY THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Ø THEREFORE, THE PILLAR OF CLOUD IN THE OLDTESTAMENT REPRESENTS THE HOLY SPIRIT. (ROM 8:14)
¨ LET’S BE MORE SPECIFIC. WE DON’T SEE ANYTHINGVISIBLE LIKE THEY DID IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. THERE MUST BE A WAY WE CAN KNOW GOD’SDIRECTION FOR SURE. HOW?
Ø PSA 119:105
Ø PSA 31:3
Ø 2COR 5:7
Ø LUK 1:78-79
Ø PHIL 4:7
Ø PSA 95:7-11
Ø JOH 10:27
v READ NUM 4:1-3 WHO IS TO SERVE?
Ø LEVITE MEN WERE TO SERVE THE LORD IN THEPRIME OF THEIR LIVES, FROM 30 TO 50 YEARS OLD.
§ THIS WAS THE AGE OF JOSEPHWHEN HE WAS PUT INTO AUTHORITY IN GENESIS.
· THIS WAS THE AGE OF DAVID WHEN WEBECAME KING.
· THIS WAS THE AGE OF JESUS WHEN HEBEGAN HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY.
· DAVID LATER CHANGED THE AGEREQUIREMENTS OF THE PRIESTS TO BEGIN AT AGE 20 INSTEAD OF AGE 30. (1CHR 23:24-27)
v READ NUM 4:4-6, 15 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE FAMILY OF KOHATH
Ø THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER SAW THE BEAUTIFULARK OF GOLD FURNITURE IN THE TABERNACLE WAS THE HIGH PRIEST. DURING THE TIME OF NUMBERS,AARON WAS THE HIGH PRIEST. AARON ONLY SAW THE ARK OF THE COVENANT ONCE A YEAR WHEN HESPRINKLED BLOOD ON THE MERCY SEAT FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
§ HOWEVER, WHEN GOD SAID TOMOVE THE CAMP, EVEN AARON WAS NOT TO SEE THE ARK. HE WOULD GO INTO THE HOLY PLACE ANDLOWER THE VEIL SO IT COVERED THE ARK. THEN AARON WOULD WRAP THE ARK AND VEIL IN LINEN.FINALLY AARON AND HIS SONS WOULD COVER ALL THE PIECES OF GOLD FURNITURE WITH BLUE CLOTH.THEN THE FAMILY OF KOHATH WOULD COME AND CARRY THE PIECES OF FURNITURE. HOWEVER, THEY DIDNOT CARRY THEM IN THEIR HANDS. THEY CARRIED THEM BY POLES. THEY WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO TOUCHTHESE HOLY OBJECTS.
· NOTICE THE WARNING OF POSSIBLEDEATH IF ANYONE VIOLATED THE HOLY THINGS OF GOD.
v READ NUM 4:16 ELEAZER
Ø ELEAZER WAS AARON’S THIRD SON. HE WOULD BETHE NEXT HIGH PRIEST WHEN AARON DIED. (DEU 10:6) REMEMBER THAT AARON’S FIRST 2 SONS HADDIED (NADAB AND ABIHU) BECAUSE OF REBELLION.
§ ELEAZER HAD A SPECIFIC JOBTO DO. HE WAS TO TAKE CARE OF THE ITEMS USED IN WORSHIP AND SACRIFICE TO GOD. FOR EXAMPLE,HE TOOK CARE OF THE OIL USED TO LIGHT THE CANDLESTICK IN THE TABERNACLE AND ANOINTING OILUSED FOR WORSHIP. OIL REPRESENTS THE HOLY SPIRIT. HE ALSO WAS TO TAKE CARE OF THE INCENSEUSED IN WORSHIP IN THE TABERNACLE. INCENSE REPRESENTS THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS.
v READ NUM 4:24-25 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE FAMILY OF GERSHON
v READ NUM 4:29,31-32 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO THE FAMILY OF MERARI
Ø EVERY MAN HAD A SPECIFIC OBJECT HE WAS TOTAKE CARE OF. HE WAS TO BE SURE IT WAS PROPERLY HANDLED. HE HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKESURE IT DID NOT GET LOST. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SOME MAN LOST ASMALL SILVER PIN IN THE DESERT. THE ISRAELITES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SET UP THE TABERNACLEFOR WORSHIP WITHOUT EVERY SILVER PIN IN PLACE TO HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER. EVERY PERSON KNEWEXACTLY WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO AND DID IT WITHOUT FAIL.
§ SETTING UP THE CAMP:
· THE CAMP WAS SET UP QUICKLY. ITDID NOT TAKE THEM WEEKS OR DAYS TO DO IT. GOD HAD ESTABLISHED THE ORDER PRECISELY SO THATWHEN EVERYONE WORKED TOGETHER AND DID HIS SPECIFIC PART, EVERYTHING WAS FACILITATEDEASILY. THE WORK OF THE LORD WAS NOT A BURDEN FOR ANYONE.
¨ IT WAS VERY MUCH LIKE SETTING UP A CIRCUS.
Ø WHEN I WAS A CHILD, THE CIRCUS WOULD COME TOTOWN AND THEY WOULD SET ALL OF IT UP IN A FEW HOURS AND HAVE A CIRCUS PERFORMANCE IN THEAFTERNOON.
¨ THERE IS ANOTHER INTERESTING THING ABOUTSETTING UP THE CAMP. THEY DID NOT FIRST BUILD THE BUILDING AND THEN PUT THE FURNITUREINSIDE. THE ARK WAS SET DOWN AND THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND IT. IN THAT WAY, NOONE WOULD EVER SEE THE ARK. THE CAMP ARRANGED ITSELF AROUND THE VERY PRESENCE OF GOD INTHEIR MIDST.
v SUMMARY AND APPLICATION: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM NUMBERS 4?
v GOD HAS ESTABLISHED A SPECIFIC ORDER OF OPERATION.
Ø GOD IS STILL A GOD OF ORDER TODAY.
§ JUST LIKE THE ISRAELITES,WE SHOULD ARRANGE OURSELVES, OUR LIVES, OUR JOBS, EVERYTHING, AROUND THE PRESENCE OF GODIN OUR MIDST.
v GOD HAS GIVEN HIS PRIESTS A JOB TO DO FOR HISKINGDOM.
Ø -EACH BELIEVER IS A PRIEST IN THE KINGDOM OFGOD. (1PE 2:9)
Ø -EACH BELIEVER HAS BEEN GIVEN SPECIFIC GIFTSAND A JOB TO DO FOR GOD. (ROM 12:5-8)
§ THE JOB YOU DO IN THECHURCH SHOULD NOT BE WHAT YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO DO, BUT WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU TODO.
· GOD EXPECTED EVERYONE TO DO HISPART TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY.
¨ -GOD EXPECTS EVERY BELIEVER TO WORK TOGETHERWITH OTHER BELIEVERS TO GET THE JOB DONE.
Ø READ 1COR 12:14-25
¨ -GOD EXPECTS EACH BELIEVER TO DO HIS VERYBEST WORK FOR GOD. DO EVERYTHING TO THE GLORY OF GOD AS THOUGH YOU ARE DOING ITSPECIFICALLY FOR JESUS.
¨ GOD HAS NOT CALLED EVERYONE TO DO MAGNIFICENTTHINGS, BUT HE HAS CALLED EVERYONE TO DO LITTLE THINGS MAGNIFICENTLY.
Ø -WITHOUT DISCOURAGEMENT
Ø -WITHOUT COMPLAINING
Ø -WITHOUT VISIBLE REWARD AS TO ITS IMPORTANCE
¨ GOD REWARDS BELIEVERS FOR FAITHFULNESS IN THELITTLE THINGS OF LIFE NOT FOR THE AMOUNT DONE.
Ø -WITHOUT A NEGLIGENT ATTITUDE.
Ø -WITHOUT A DISOBEDIENT ATTITUDE.
§ THE PROPER ATTITUDE FORSERVICE:
· READ 1COR 10:31
Ø STEPS TO BECOME A MOVE-ER SO YOUCAN STAND UP AND BE COUNTED:
§ STEP #1 = KNOW YOURIDENTITY IN RELATION SHIP TO GOD AND THE CROSS. NUM 1-2
§ STEP #2 = KNOW YOUR PLACEIN THE BODY OF CHRIST. NUM 3-4
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS5
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION FOR NUM 4
Ø EXAMINE YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE JOBS YOU DOIN THE CHURCH.
§ DO YOU DO THEM:
· -WITHOUT DISCOURAGEMENT?
· -WITHOUT COMPLAINING?
· -WITHOUT VISIBLE REWARD AS TO ITSIMPORTANCE?
· -WITHOUT A NEGLIGENT ATTITUDE?
Ø HOW CAN YOU DO A BETTER JOB WITH A BETTERATTITUDE TOWARD THE JOB GOD HAS GIVEN YOU TO DO?
Ø IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A JOB THAT GOD HAS GIVENYOU, WHAT CAN YOU DO THIS WEEK TO DISCOVER IT?
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 5
Ø READ NUM 5:1-4
§ WHAT THREE PHYSICALCONDITIONS MADE THE CAMP UNCLEAN?
§ WHY DO YOU THINK GOD MADETHIS HARSH RULE?
Ø READ NUM 5:5-10
§ WHAT PART SHOULDRESTITUTION HAVE IN REPENTANCE FROM SIN?
Ø READ NUM 5:11-31
§ HOW DOES THE TRIAL OF THEUNFAITHFUL WIFE GIVE US A PICTURE OF ISRAEL?
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 32:5
