Numbers Lesson #18

v     MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 65:4

v     THE EXPERIENCES OF THE ISRAELITES GIVE US ANEXAMPLE OF OUR OWN CHRISTIAN LIVES AND THE THINGS WITH WHICH WE STRUGGLE TO GET TO KNOWGOD.

Ø      1. THE RED SEA CROSSING THAT SEPARATED THEPEOPLE OF GOD FROM EGYPT = THE BORN AGAIN EXPERIENCE THAT SEPARATES THE NEW TESTAMENTBELIEVER FROM THE EVIL WORLD SYSTEM. GAL 6:14

Ø      2. MARAH (EXO 15) WHERE THE PEOPLE COMPLAINEDTHAT THE WATERS WERE BITTER = GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS POWER TO TURN THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE INTOBLESSINGS.

Ø      3. ELIM (EXO 15:27) WHERE THE PEOPLE RESTEDIN AN OASIS = THROUGH THE TRIALS OF LIFE, GOD PLACES SMALL AREAS OF REST AND REFRESHMENTFOR HIS PEOPLE.                                

Ø      4. MT. SINAI (EXO 19) WHERE GOD GAVE THEM HISSTANDARDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (THE LAW) = GOD DEMONSTRATES TO US OUR HUMAN INADEQUACY. WECANNOT LIVE UP TO THE LAW. WE NEED A SAVIOR. (ROM 7:7-25)

Ø      5. KADESH (NUM 13) WHERE GOD TESTED THEIRFAITH TO ENTER THE LAND = GOD PERIODICALLY TESTS OUR FAITH TO SHOW US OUR INADEQUATEFAITH.

v     FROM KADESH ON TO THE ENTRY INTO THE PROMISED LANDIN THE BOOK OF JOSHUA, THE PEOPLE NOW WALK IN GOD’S PERMISSIVE WILL. THEY ARE NOLONGER IN HIS PERFECT WILL. EVEN IF WE ARE IN GOD’S PERMISSIVE WILL, WE CAN LEARN ALOT ABOUT OURSELVES AND ABOUT GOD IF WE HAVE AN OPEN HEART TO LEARN.

v     REVIEW:

Ø      BY THIS TIME IN OUR STUDY OF NUMBERS WE HAVENOTICED HOW THE PEOPLE CONTINUALLY COMPLAIN AGAINST GOD AND AGAINST THOSE GOD PLACED INAUTHORITY OVER THEM. BEFORE COMING TO NUMBERS 17, THERE ARE 6 MAJOR INCIDENTS OFCOMPLAINING OR MURMURING IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS:

§         NUM 11 = THE COMPLAINTAGAINST THE MANNA AND THE LACK OF MEAT. AS A RESULT, GOD SENT QUAIL.

§         NUM 12 = THE COMPLAINTAGAINST MOSES’ LEADERSHIP BY MIRIAM AND AARON.

§         NUM 13 = THE COMPLAINTAGAINST THE GIANTS IN THE LAND AND HAVING LEFT EGYPT. THE RESULT WAS THE EVIL REPORT.

§         NUM 14 = THE REFUSAL TOENTER THE PROMISED LAND AND THE COMPLAINT ABOUT THE WILDERNESS.

§         IN CHAPTER 16 THERE ARE 2MORE INCIDENTS OF COMPLAINING.

v     READ NUM 16:1-3   250 RESPECTED LEADERS REBEL

Ø      THIS WAS NOT A SMALL REBELLION. THIS WAS NOTAN INSIGNIFICANT REBELLION. IT CONSISTED OF 250 PEOPLE. HOWEVER, THEY WERE NOT JUSTPEOPLE, THEY WERE WELL-RESPECTED LEADERS.

§         WERE THE LEADERS OF THEREBELLION LEVITES OR PRIESTS?

·        KORAH WAS A LEVITE, NOT A PRIEST.OTHERS THAT JOINED HIM WERE ALSO LEVITES. ALSO SOME OF THE REBELLIOUS PEOPLE WERE FROM THETRIBE OF REUBEN.

Ø      THE NATURE OF THE PROTEST MOVEMENT: WHAT WASTHEIR COMPLAINT?

§         YOUR RIGHTS ARE BEING TAKENAWAY.

§         AUTHORITY HAS TOO MUCHPOWER. THEREFORE:

§         YOU NEED TO FIGHT FOR YOURRIGHTS.

Ø      THE NATURE OF THE PROTEST MOVEMENT: THE REALMOTIVE!

§         THE JEALOUSY OF ONE MAN,KORAH.

·        KORAH WAS A KOHATHITE. REMEMBERTHAT THIS FAMILY OF LEVITES WAS GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CARRY THE TABERNACLE FURNITUREON THEIR SHOULDERS. IT WAS A MINISTRY OF BURDEN BEARING. THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY DECISIONMAKING POWER. KORAH WANTED THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS.

¨      MANY PEOPLE SEEK THE POWER TO CONTROL OTHERPEOPLE. IT MAKES THEM FEEL IMPORTANT. UNFORTUNATELY THEY OFTEN GET OTHERS TO JOIN THEIRCAUSE USING FALSE PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES.

§         THE TRUE, GODLY NATURE OFAUTHORITY:

·        GODLY LEADERS ARE CALLED TO BESERVANTS.

¨      A PERSON WHO TAKES HIS GODLY AUTHORITYSERIOUSLY SEEKS TO SERVE PEOPLE, NOT CONTROL PEOPLE. (MAT 20:27)

·        ALL AUTHORITY IS CHOSENAND ELEVATED TO THAT POSITION BY GOD.

¨      -1- FOR THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF SOCIETY.

¨      -2- TO BRING THE PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE TRUTH.

¨      -3- TO BRING PEOPLE TO REPENTANCE.

¨      -4- TO BRING PEOPLE TO TRUST IN GOD, NOT MEN.

·        IF SCRIPTURE INDICATES THAT ALLLEADERS ARE PUT IN THAT POSITION BY GOD, THAT WOULD INCLUDE EVEN BAD LEADERS. WHY WOULDGOD PERMIT AUTHORITY AND POWER BE GIVEN TO EVIL LEADERS?

¨      IT IS LIKE BEING IN GOD’S PERMISSIVEWILL. HE ALLOWS EVIL AS A CONSEQUENCE FOR SIN AND FOR THE ULTIMATE GOOD.

Ø      SEE #2, #3, AND #4 ABOVE.

v     READ NUM 16:4-11  MOSES’ RESPONSE TO CRITICISM:

Ø      MOSES DID NOT GET ANGRY, AT LEAST NOTINITIALLY.

§         HE REACTED WITH HUMILITY(4)

§         HE DID SHOW RIGHTEOUS ANGERWHEN THE SATANIC TRINITY GOT INVOLVED IN THE SITUATION.

Ø      MOSES LET GOD SETTLE IT.

§         HE REACTED WITH FAITH ANDTRUST IN GOD (5,7)

Ø      MOSES TOLD KORAH THE TRUTH:

§         KORAH, IN PRIDE, PRESUMESTO CHANGE GOD’S WISDOM AND PLAN.

§         KORAH UNDER VALUES THEPOSITION GOD HAS GIVEN HIM IN THE TABERNACLE.

§         KORAH’S PLAN:

·        THEY WERE ALL SUPPOSED TO BRINGINCENSE AND BURN IT BEFORE GOD. IT IS IMPLIED THAT THIS PLAN WAS TO TEST THESE MEN IF THEYCAME FROM GOD. HOW CAN WE KNOW THIS?

¨      READ EXO 30:9 LEV 10:1-5 HEB 5:1,4

Ø      THERE WAS TO BE NO “STRANGE”INCENSE THAT WAS MADE TO WORSHIP OTHER GOD’S AND IDOLS.

Ø      THERE WAS TO BE NO “STRANGE” FIRE.

§         FIRE WAS SUPPOSED TO COMEFROM THE COALS OFF THE ALTAR THAT WAS LIT BY GOD.

Ø      THERE WAS TO BE NO PERSON WHO INTRUDED INTOTHE OFFICE OF HIGH PRIEST.

v     READ NUM 16:12-17   THE SATANIC TRINITY

Ø      KORAH, DATHAN, AND ABIRAM REPRESENT THESATANIC TRINITY THAT THROUGH HUMAN HISTORY SEEKS TO SET ASIDE GOD’S DIVINE PLAN.

§         IN THE BOOK OF REVELATIONWE SEE THIS SATANIC TRINITY NAMED FOR WHO THEY ARE AND THEIR FINAL DEFEAT:

·        THE DRAGON = SATAN, THE FATHER OFLIES

·        THE ANTICHRIST = HE SEEKS TO TAKETHE PLACE OF JESUS CHRIST.

·        THE FALSE PROPHET = HE DOES FALSEMIRACLES WITH GREAT POWER.

¨      THESE THREE HAVE BEEN ACTIVE THROUGH HISTORYTHOUGH WE SEE THEM CALLED BY DIFFERENT NAMES HERE AND THERE IN SCRIPTURE AS THEY INFLUENCEAND POSSES INDIVIDUALS TO DO THEIR WILL. FOR EXAMPLE:

Ø      WE SEE THEM IN THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH:

§         SANBALLAT, TOBIAH, GESHEM(NEH 2:19)

Ø      WE SEE THEM IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL.

§         SATAN IS CALLED THE KING OFTYRE, WHILE IN THE BOOK OF ISAIAH HE IS CALLED THE KING OF BABYLON. (EZE 28 ISA 14)

Ø      THE SATANIC DECEPTION:

§         NOTICE THAT THESE THREECALL EGYPT, WHICH REPRESENTS THE EVIL WORLD SYSTEM, A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY.THIS WAS GOD’S PHRASE FOR THE PROMISED LAND.

·        SATAN ALWAYS TWISTS AND TURNSTHINGS AROUND TO MAKE BLACK APPEAR WHITE AND GOOD APPEAR EVIL. (13)

·        SATAN ALWAYS IMITATES AND NEVERORIGINATES ANYTHING.

Ø      THE DESIRES OF DATHAN AND ABIRAM:

§         KORAH WANTED TO BE HIGHPRIEST, TAKING AARON’S PLACE. (10)    

§         DATHAN AND ABIRAM WANTED ANEW LEADER TO TAKE MOSES’ PLACE. (13)

v     DISCUSSION:

Ø      WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOD’S ATTITUDETOWARD THOSE WHO HAVE A SPIRIT OF DIVISION AND DIVIDE HIS PEOPLE?

v     HOMEWORK

v     NUMBERS 16 continued

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.

v     THINK ABOUT AND CONSIDER FOR DISCUSSION:

Ø      IN WHAT WAYS IS MOSES A PREFIGURE OF JESUSCHRIST?

v     MEMORY VERSE: GAL 6:7