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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 15
LESSON #17
LIVING IN THE CONSEQUENCES OF GODS PERMISSIVE WILL:
LESSONS IN IGNORANCE AND UNFAITHFULNESS
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 101:6
v CHAPTER 15 BEGINS THE WANDERING PHASE OF ISRAELSDESERT EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF. INSTEAD OF WALKING WITH GOD, THEY NOW WANDERIN THEIR UNBELIEF. INSTEAD OF MARCHING IN FAITH, THEY MURMUR IN DISCONTENT. INSTEAD OFSINGING THE PRAISES OF GOD, THEY SIGH IN THEIR DESPAIR. THE ACCOUNT OF THE REMAINING 40YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS IS INCOMPLETE AND LACKS A LOT OF DETAIL. GENERALLY THEY AREWASTED, UNEVENTFUL YEARS OF DIRECTIONLESS WANDERING IN GODS PERMISSIVE WILL.
Ø THE PEOPLE HAD MADE THEIR DECISION NOT TOENTER THE PROMISE LAND. THEN THEY PRESUMED TO ENTER BY THEIR OWN STRENGTH, AND THEY WEREDEFEATED. THE WILL OF GOD IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN UNBELIEF AND PRESUMPTION.
v WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THESE WASTED YEARS:
Ø THE ISRAELITES DID NOT CIRCUMCISE THEIRCHILDREN ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD. (JOS 5:2-7)
§ CIRCUMCISION WAS A PHYSICALMARK THEY BORE TO INDICATE THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE COVENANT THAT GOD HAD MADE WITHABRAHAM.
· THIS LACK OF CIRCUMCISION IS ANINDICATION OF A LACK OF COMMITMENT TO GODS WILL, GODS WAY, AND GODSDIRECTION.
Ø THE ISRAELITES DID NOT OFFER SACRIFICES INTHE WILDERNESS. (AMO 5:25)
§ THEY HAD THEIR HERDS OFANIMALS. THEY HAD THE TABERNACLE, BUT IN THEIR BITTERNESS TOWARD GOD, THEY TURNED AWAYFROM WORSHIPING HIM.
· THIS LACK OF WORSHIP IS ANINDICATION OF A LIFE OF SELF-FULFILLMENT AND PRIDE.
Ø INSTEAD, THE ISRAELITES WORSHIPED IDOLS INTHE WILDERNESS. (AMO 5:26)(ACT 7:42-43)
§ THEY TURNED BACK TO THEGODS THEY HAD WORSHIPED IN EGYPT.
· THESE ARE THE IDOLS THEY BROUGHTWITH THEM OUT OF EGYPT.
Ø WITH THESE FAILURES IN MIND, GOD GIVESFURTHER INSTRUCTION IN NUM 15.
v READ NUM 15:1-4 DELAYED BLESSING BUT AN UNDESTROYED PROMISE
Ø GOD SAYS THEY WILL ENTER THE PROMISE LAND.GOD HAS NOT ABANDONED HIS PURPOSE AND PLAN.
§ IF THE PEOPLE WILL NOTENTER THE PROMISE LAND FOR 40 YEARS, WHY DOES GOD GIVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS HERE?
· THIS IS TO BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TOTHEM. WHILE THEY SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNBELIEF. NOTICE THAT GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL.GOD IS STILL FAITHFUL. GOD IS STILL AVAILABLE. THEY COULD HAVE USED THE TIME TO LEARN MOREABOUT GOD AND DRAW CLOSER TO HIM, BUT THEY DID NOT.
¨ THIS TELLS US AN IMPORTANT CONCEPT. WHEN YOUARE SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN, REBELLION, AND UNBELIEF, YOU CAN EITHER CHOOSE TOLEARN MORE ABOUT GOD AND DRAW CLOSER TO HIM, OR LIKE THE ISRAELITES YOU CAN CONTINUE YOURREBELLION AND UNBELIEF IN BITTERNESS AGAINST GOD.
· THE INSTRUCTIONS HERE ARE NOTJUST FOR THE FUTURE AND FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THEY ARE FOR THE ADULTS WHO MUST TEACH THOSECHILDREN.
¨ WE SHOULD TEACH OUR CHILDREN THE THINGS WELEARNED FROM THE MISTAKES WE MADE.
v READ NUM 15:14-16 THE STRANGER
Ø THE OFFERINGS:
§ MUCH OF THE REST OF THECHAPTER REPEATS BRIEFLY ALL THE OFFERINGS FROM THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. THEY COVER:
· THE SIN NATURE INHERITED FROMADAM:
¨ COVERED BY THE SIN OFFERING
· PERSONAL SINS COMMITTED AGAINSTOTHERS:
¨ COVERED BY THE TRESPASS OFFERING
· SUBMISSION TO THE WILL OF GOD:
¨ COVERED BY THE MEAL (MEAT) (GRAIN) OFFERING
· GIVING THE BEST OF OUR LIVES TOGOD:
¨ COVERED BY THE BURNT OFFERING
· THE JOYFUL FELLOWSHIP WITH GODOBTAINED THROUGH CHRIST:
¨ COVERED BY THE PEACE OFFERING
Ø IN VERSES 14-16 IT MENTIONS THAT THEOFFERINGS ARE NOT JUST FOR THE ISRAELITES BUT FOR THE STRANGERS IN THEIR MIDST.
§ THE STRANGERS IN THEIRMIDST WERE THE MIXED MULTITUDE. REMEMBER THAT ALL THE TROUBLE STARTED WITH THE MURMURINGAND GOSSIPING OF THE MIXED MULTITUDE.
· THEREFORE, GOD IS SAYING THATEVEN THESE STRANGERS CAN COME TO GOD AND SHARE IN THE WORSHIP.
v READ NUM 15:24-26 SINS OF IGNORANCE
Ø THESE VERSES MENTION AN OFFERING FORFORGIVENESS OF THE SINS OF IGNORANCE.
§ PEOPLE COMMIT MANY SINSBECAUSE OF IGNORANCE. JESUS CHRIST FULFILLED ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT OFFERINGS BY PAYING FOROUR FORGIVENESS ON THE CROSS.
· THEREFORE, THE QUESTION COMES UP:
¨ ARE UNSAVED PEOPLE GOING TO HELLBECAUSE OF IGNORANCE?
Ø WHAT ABOUT THE POOR HEATHEN IN DEEPEST AFRICAWHO NEVER HEARD THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST?
§ PEOPLE ARE NOT CONDEMNEDBECAUSE OF IGNORANCE BUT BECAUSE OF SIN.
· READ ROM 1:18-23
¨ PEOPLE IN HEATHEN TRIBES MAY BE IGNORANT OFJESUS AND HIS SACRIFICE FOR SIN, BUT THEY ARE GUILTY NOT BECAUSE OF THAT IGNORANCE BUTBECAUSE OF THE SIN NATURE INHERITED FROM ADAM.
¨ ROMANS TELLS US THAT ALL MEN ARE WITHOUTEXCUSE, BECAUSE EVEN CREATION AROUND US TESTIFIES THAT THERE IS A GOD WE MUST SEEK TOWORSHIP. (ROM 1)
v READ NUM 15:32-36 THE PENALTY OF SIN IS DEATH
Ø IN THESE VERSES WE HAVE A SPECIFIC INCIDENTOF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR THE SIN OF BREAKING THE SABBATH.
§ THIS INCIDENT IS AN EXAMPLEOF THE ETERNAL SPIRITUAL PUNISHMENT FOR UNFORGIVEN SIN–ETERNAL DEATH AND SEPARATION FROMGOD.
· READ ROM 6:23
v READ NUM 15:37-41 THE TASSELS (FRINGES) OF BLUE
Ø WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THETASSELS OF BLUE?
§ GOD COMMANDED THEY PUT BLUETASSELS ON THE CORNERS OF THEIR CLOTHING. WHY?
· THEY WERE TO BE A REMINDER TO THEPEOPLE TO BE FAITHFUL TO GOD. UP TO THISPOINT THEY HAD FAILED. THIS MARKING WOULD SET THE PEOPLE APART FROM THE HEATHEN TRIBES. ITWOULD REMIND THEM ABOUT GODS FAITHFULNESS AND THEIR LACK OF FAITHFULNESS. BLUE,THEREFORE, IS A SYMBOLIC COLOR OF FAITHFULNESS TO GOD.
¨ THERE WERE 613 FRINGES OR TASSEL THREADS OFBLUE. THEY REPRESENT THE 613 MEMORIZED LAWS (NUM 15:39). IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE WAYTHE BLUE THREADS ARE TWISTED AT THE CORNERS FORM A TRINITY OF THREADS AND HAVE ASIGNIFICANCE TO THE MESSIAH.
Ø ORTHODOX JEWS ADOPTED THIS PRACTICE OF BLUETHREADS AND CARRIED IT DOWN TO OUR DAY. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES.
§ FOR EXAMPLE, GOD COMMANDEDTHESE TASSELS TO BE ON ALL THEIR CLOTHING. THE ORTHODOX JEWS EVENTUALLY LIMITED THEPRACTICE TO A PRAYER SHAWL WORN BY ORTHODOX JEWS DURING PRAYER.
· WE DO THE SAME THING. GOD WANTSTO BE GOD OF ALL OUR LIFE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. BUT MANY TIMES WE LIMIT HIM TO ONLY CHURCHON SUNDAY, OR ONLY TO THE TIMES WE PRAY AND ASK HIM TO HELP US OUT OF TROUBLE.
§ AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OFTHE TEMPLE IN 70 AD BY THE ROMANS, THE BLUE THREADS WERE CHANGED TO BLACK OUT OF SORROWFOR THE DESTRUCTION AND BURNING OF JERUSALEM.
· HOWEVER, WHEN ISRAEL BECAME ANATION AND CHOSE THE COLORS FOR THEIR FLAG, THEY CHOSE BLUE AND WHITE TO INDICATEFAITHFULNESS AND PURITY. THEY ALSO CHOSE THE STAR OF DAVID TO INDICATE THE ETERNAL PROMISEOF A KINGDOM AND A KING LIKE DAVID.
v APPLICATION:
Ø WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS CHAPTER?
§ GOD IS FAITHFUL EVEN WHENWE ARE NOT.
§ GOD PROVIDES FORGIVENESSTHROUGH JESUS CHRIST WHEN WE FAIL.
§ WE CAN LEARN AND DRAWCLOSER TO GOD WHEN WE SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN, IF WE HUMBLE OURSELVES TO GOD.
§ GOD WANTS US TO REMEMBERTHAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A HEAVENLY WALK (TASSELS OF BLUE).
§ GOD WANTS US TO BE FAITHFULTO HIM IN EVERY AREA OF OUR LIFE.
Ø STEP #11 IN BECOMING A MOVE-ER INTHE KINGDOM OF GOD:
§ LET THE FAITHFULNESS OF GODBECOME A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE.
· WHEN THE UNSAVED SEE YOURFAITHFULNESS TO GOD, THEY WILL SEE HIS FAITHFULNESS TO YOU.
¨ THIS WAS HOW THE JEWS WERE TO BE A LIGHT TOTHE GENTILES. THEY WERE TO BE FAITHFUL TO GOD, AND GOD WOULD PROVE HIS FAITHFULNESS TOTHEM BY BLESSING THEM.
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS16
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 15:
Ø HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR FAITHFULNESS TO GOD?
Ø IF YOU ARE SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOMEPAST SIN IN YOUR LIFE, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN LEARN THROUGH IT THAT WILL BRING YOUCLOSER TO GOD?
§ READ PSA 94:12 AND HEB12:6-13
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 16:
Ø READ NUM 16
§ WERE THE LEADERS OF THEREBELLION LEVITES OR PRIESTS?
§ WHAT WAS THEIR COMPLAINT?
§ WHAT WAS THEIR MOTIVE?
§ WHAT IS GODS ATTITUDETOWARD THOSE WHO HAVE A SPIRIT OF DIVISION AND DIVIDE HIS PEOPLE?
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 65:4
