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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 16 continued
LESSON #19
THE NATURE OF DIVISION AND SEPARATION
v MEMORY VERSE: GAL 6:7
v IN THE LAST LESSON WE BEGAN TO DISCUSS THEREBELLION OF KORAH CONSISTING OF 250 PEOPLE. THE REBELLION WAS AGAINST MOSES AND AARON ASLEADERS.
Ø MOSES LEFT THE DECISION OF LEADERSHIP TO GOD.ALL THOSE THAT REBELLED WERE TO BRING A CENSER WITH INCENSE AND BURN IT BEFORE THE LORD.GOD WOULD DECIDE WHO WAS ACCEPTABLE.
v READ NUM 16:18-22 THE REBELLION
Ø IN THE LAST LESSON I EXPLAINED THAT FOR APERSON TO BRING STRANGE INCENSE TO GOD, OR FOR A PERSON TO BRING STRANGEFIRE OR COALS TO GOD TO BURN THE INCENSE, WAS AN ABOMINATION TO GOD. GOD HAD ALSO SAIDTHAT NO ONE WHO WAS NOT A PRIEST COULD ENTER THE TABERNACLE AND PRESUME TO BE A PRIEST ANDLIVE. KING SAUL VIOLATED THIS COMMAND AND PAID THE PRICE.
v READ NUM 16:23-30 INTERCESSION AND SEPARATION
Ø GOD WAS SO ANGRY HE WOULD HAVE DESTROYED ALLTHE PEOPLE, BUT MOSES PRAYED FOR GODS MERCY.
§ THIS IS THE SECOND TIME GODMAKES THIS SUGGESTION.
§ THERE IS A SEPARATION OFTHE PEOPLE: THOSE WHO CHOSE TO REBEL WITHKORAH, AND THOSE WHO CHOSE TO CONTINUE WITH MOSES AS THEIR LEADER.
· THE IMPORTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCEOF THE SEPARATION:
¨ ALL THROUGH HUMAN HISTORY GOD HAS MADE THISSEPARATION AND STILL DOES TODAY. MAN MUST CHOOSE WHOM HE WILL SERVE, GOD OR SATAN. ITBEGAN WITH ADAM AND HIS CHOICE TO DISOBEY GOD IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. NOTICE THERE WAS NOTHIRD GROUP. THERE ARE ONLY 2 GROUPS OF PEOPLE: THOSE WHO SERVE GOD AND THOSE WHO DO NOT.YOU CANNOT BE IN THE MIDDLE, FOR THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUP.
Ø GOD PLACED HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, IN HISTORYTO BE THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THESE TWO GROUPS.
§ IT IS INTERESTING THATJESUS DIVIDES HUMAN HISTORY INTO TWO SEGMENTS, BEFORE CHRISTS BIRTH (BC) AND AFTERCHRIST(AD). THEREFORE, EVEN IN THE SECULAR WORLD, CHRIST IS THE DIVIDING LINE OF TIME.
§ HOWEVER, MORE THAN DIVIDINGTIME, HE DIVIDES PEOPLE FOR ALL ETERNITY. (MAT 12:30) THIS DIVISION IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERSDEMONSTATES TO US THE DIVISION THAT JESUS MAKES IN PEOPLES LIVES THAT WILL SEPARATETHEM FROM THE KINGDOM OF SATAN AND PUT THEM INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD FOR ALL ETERNITY.THEREFORE, IN THIS INSTANCE, MOSES IS A PREFIGURE OF JESUS CHRIST SEPARATING PEOPLE FORGODS KINGDOM.
¨ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEPARATIONS:
Ø WE NOTICE THAT KORAH DIVIDED THE PEOPLE, ANDMOSES DIVIDED THE PEOPLE. THERE ARE 2 IMPORTANT THOUGHTS HERE:
§ GOD USUALLY JUDGES IN THESAME WAY IN WHICH THE SIN WAS COMMITTED. IN OTHER WORDS JUDGEMENT AND CONSEQUENCES FIT THECRIME.
· WE SAW THIS BEFORE WITH MIRIAMWHO THOUGHT WHITE SKIN WAS BETTER THAN BLACK SKIN. GOD GAVE HER LEPROSY WHICH TURNED HERSKIN MORE WHITE.
§ THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCEBETWEEN THESE TWO ACTS OF DIVISION.
· MOSES DIVIDED THE RIGHTEOUS FROMTHE UNRIGHTEOUS. I HAVE SHOWN YOU THAT THIS WAS GODS PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING.
· KORAH DIVIDED THE PEOPLE BASED ONDECEPTION. I HAVE SHOWED YOU THAT THIS WAS SATANS PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING. THIS ISWHY KORAH AND HIS GROUP REPRESENT THE SATANIC TRINITY.
§ PEOPLE SOMETIMES DIVIDECHURCHES.
· IF THE DIVISION IS BASED ONRIGHTEOUS DOCTRINE OF THE WORD OF GOD, THE DIVISION IS LEGITIMATE AND MAINTAINS GODSSTANDARD.
· IF THE DIVISION IS BASED ONPERSONALITIES, ULTERIOR MOTIVES, WORLDLY COMPROMISE, ETC, THE DIVISION IS NOT LEGITIMATEAND GOD WILL JUDGE IT.
v READ NUM 16:31-35 DIVINE JUDGMENT (GAL 6:7)
Ø GOD DIVIDED THE PEOPLE ACCORDING TORIGHTEOUSNESS AND THEN GOD DIVIDED THE EARTH TO SWALLOW THEM.
§ AGAIN, THIS IS A PICTURE OFTHE FINAL DIVISION OF MANKIND BASED ON THE CRITERIA OF JESUS CHRIST AS THE DIVIDING LINE.AN ETERNAL HELL AND SEPARATION FROM GOD IS NOT A PRETTY PICTURE, BUT WE SEE ITDEMONSTRATED HERE IN NUMBERS. EVEN JESUS TALKED ABOUT THIS DIVISION IN PARABLE FORM:
· MAT 13:24-30 THE PARABLE OF THEWHEAT AND THE TARES.
v READ NUM 16:36-40 THE HOLY CENSERS
Ø GOD GAVE SOME VERY INTERESTING INSTRUCTIONSTHAT NEED SOME EXPLANATION.
§ FIRST HE SAYS THE CENSERSARE HOLY WHICH THE REBELS USED TO BURN STRANGE INCENSE WITH STRANGE FIRE.WHY DID GOD SAY THEY WERE HOLY WHEN THEY WERE THE INSTRUMENTS OF REBELLION?
· READ LEV 27:28-29
¨ ANYTHING DEDICATED TO GOD BECAME HOLY AND WASDOOMED FOR DESTRUCTION UNLESS IT WAS REDEEMED BY THE PAYMENT OF A PRICE.
Ø THE CITY OF JERICHO IS AN EXAMPLE. (JOS6:19,24)
Ø THE FIRSTBORN ISRAELITE CHILD IN EGYPT AT THEPASSOVER IS AN EXAMPLE.
Ø NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS ARE AN EXAMPLE:
§ IN THE OLD TESTAMENTOBJECTS WERE SANCTIFIED AND MADE HOLY, BUT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT PEOPLE ARE SANCTIFIED ANDMADE HOLY.
· WE ARE DEDICATED TO GOD AND HECALLS US SAINTS = HOLY AND SET APART FOR HIS GLORY. THE BLOOD OF CHRISTREDEEMED US AND PAID THE PRICE FOR OUR ETERNAL LIFE. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THAT PAYMENT, WEWOULD SUFFER ETERNAL DEATH AND SEPARATION FROM GOD.
¨ MEANWHILE WE ARE TO PUT TO DESTRUCTION OUROWN SELF WILL AND DESIRES.
§ NEXT GOD TELLS THEM TO MELTDOWN THESE CENSERS INTO SHEETS OF BRONZE AND USE THEM TO COVER THE SIDES OF THE ALTAR.WHY?
· IT WAS TO BE A MEMORIAL TO REMINDTHEM ALWAYS OF KORAHS REBELLION. EVERYTIME THEY BROUGHT AN ANIMAL TO BE SACRIFICEDON THE ALTAR, THEY WOULD BE REMINDED OF THIS INCIDENT.
· BRONZE IS A BIBLICAL SYMBOL OFJUDGMENT.
· THE BRAZEN ALTAR IS A SYMBOL OFTHE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST.
¨ THE ALTAR WAS WHERE LAMBS WERE SACRIFICED FORTAKING AWAY THE SIN OF THE PEOPLE. THE CROSS WAS WHERE JESUS CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD, WASSACRIFICED TO TAKE AWAY OUR SINS. (JOH 1:29)
· IT IS A PICTURE OF A SPIRITUALTRUTH.
¨ -ORIGINALLY THE SIDES OF THE BRAZEN ALTARWERE SMOOTH ENOUGH TO REFLECT ONES IMAGE LIKE A MIRROR.
Ø WHEN A PERSON APPROACHED THE ALTAR WITH HISANIMAL SACRIFICE, HE WOULD SEE HIMSELF AND HIS SINFULNESS.
Ø -NOW THE SIDES OF THE BRAZEN ALTAR WOULD HAVEA HAMMERED FINISH CAUSING A PERSON NOT TO SEE HIMSELF IN THE REFLECTION. INSTEAD HE WOULDNOT BE DISTRACTED BUT COULD CONCENTRATE ON THE SACRIFICE THAT PAID FOR HIS SINS.
v READ NUM 16:41-50 THE SIXTH MURMURING
Ø THE COMPLAINERS BLAMED MOSES FORTHE DEATH OF ALL THESE PEOPLE. WHILE THEY COMPLAIN TO MOSES, THEIR REAL COMPLAINT ISAGAINST GOD. IN OTHER WORDS, GODS PUNISHMENT IS TOO HARSH.
§ THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE,CHRISTIANS INCLUDED, THINK THAT GODS ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF HELL IS TOO HARSH. IF YOUTHINK SO, LET ME ASK YOU 2 QUESTIONS:
· WHO ARE WE TO DECIDE SUCH ANISSUE?
¨ READ ISA 29:15-16
· ISNT QUESTIONING GODSETERNAL WISDOM, AN ACT OF PRIDE?
¨ MOSES AGAIN INTERCEEDED FOR THE PEOPLE FORFORGIVENESS AND MERCY IN ORDER TO AVERT GODS JUDGMENT.
v FOR DISCUSSION: IN WHAT WAYS IS MOSES APREFIGURE OF JESUS CHRIST?
Ø JESUS SEPARATES MANKIND: THE RIGHTEOUS FROMTHE UNRIGHTEOUS.
Ø JESUS STANDS BETWEEN A RIGHTEOUS AND JUST GODAND MANKIND DESERVING ETERNAL PUNISHMENT FOR SIN.
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS17
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 16
§ WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS HAVEYOU LEARNED FROM NUMBERS 16 THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO YOUR LIFE TODAY?
§ HOW WILL YOU APPLY THESETRUTHS?
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 17
§ READ NUM 17
· WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE NEWTESTAMENT MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUDDING ROD?
· IN WHAT WAYS IS AARON A PREFIGUREOF JESUS CHRIST?
v MEMORY VERSE: HEBREWS 4:14
