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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 20 continued
LESSON #24
THE BLESSING OF TRUSTING GODS GRACE RATHER THAN LAW
v MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 16:7
v IN OUR PREVIOUS LESSON WE DISCUSSED IN DETAIL ABOUTMOSES DISOBEDIENCE THAT KEPT HIM FROM ENTERING THE PROMISED LAND. WE HAVE MORE TODISCUSS REGARDING THIS SAD EVENT.
v READ NUM 20:12-13
Ø MOSES AND AARON DID NOT SANCTIFY GOD INTHE EYES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. (12)
§ ACCORDING TO THIS VERSE,AARON WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN THIS DISOBEDIENCE. EXACTLY WHAT WAS HIS INVOLVEMENT, WE ARE NOTTOLD. HOWEVER, ENTRANCE INTO THE PROMISED LAND WAS ALSO DENIED HIM.
· A POSSIBLE ANSWER:
¨ THE ROD MOSES USED THE FIRST TIME IN EXODUSFOR STRIKING THE ROCK WAS MOSES ROD USED TO PART THE RED SEA. THE ROD USED INNUMBERS WAS PROBABLY AARONS ROD. REMEMBER THAT AARONS ROD WAS TO BE KEPT INTHE ARK AS A MEMORIAL. (NUM 17:10) IF THIS WAS AARONS ROD IN NUMBERS 20, HEDISOBEYED GOD BY REMOVING IT FROM THE ARK AND GIVING IT TO MOSES.
Ø NOTICE THAT GOD TOLD MOSES TO TAKE A ROD INNUM 20:8 AND GO AND SPEAK TO THE ROCK. WHICH OF THE TWO RODS WAS MOSES SUPPOSED TO TAKE?THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY.
· ALSO ACCORDING TO THIS VERSE,TO SANCTIFY GOD MEANS THAT MOSES AND AARON TOOK CREDIT FOR THE MIRACLE OFWATER FROM THE ROCK.
¨ READ PSA 106:32-33
Ø ACCORDING TO THESE VERSES, MOSES ALSO SINNEDBY WHAT HE SAID AS WELL AS WHAT HE DID.
Ø THE LARGER PERSPECTIVE:
§ WHEN WE VIEW THE WHOLEBIBLE IN LIGHT OF THIS INCIDENT, WE DISCOVER A VERY IMPORTANT TRUTH:
· THE PERSON OF MOSES REPRESENTEDTHE LAW. MANY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES TELL US THAT KEEPING THE LAW CANNOT SAVEYOU. (ROM 4:13-25 JAM 2:10)
· THE PROMISED LAND REPRESENTS THEFULNESS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WITH ALL ITS BLESSINGS OF SALVATION, PROVISION, ANDMATURITY.
¨ THEREFORE, IF MOSES HAD ENTERED THE PROMISEDLAND, GODS MESSAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT YOU COULD BE SAVED BY KEEPING THE LAW.
Ø MOSES FAILURE TO ENTER THE PROMISEDLAND MAINTAINS CONSISTENCY OF GODS MESSAGE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT TO THE NEWTESTAMENT.
Ø HOWEVER, WE DO SEE GODS MERCY WHEN HEPERMITTED MOSES TO SEE THE PROMISED LAND FROM MT. NEBO.
§ READ DEU 34:1-4
§ MOSES ALSO FINALLY SET FOOTON THE PROMISED LAND WHEN HE MET JESUS ON THE MT. OF TRANSFIGURATION IN MAT 17:1-3.
v READ NUM 20:14-22 THE RIGHT OF PASSAGE THROUGH EDOM
Ø MOSES REQUEST:
§ THE ISRAELITES WANTEDPERMISSION FROM THE KING OF EDOM TO PASS THROUGH THEIR LAND ON THEIR WAY TOWARD JERICHO.
· GOD DID NOT DIRECT MOSES TO MAKETHIS REQUEST TO THE KING OF EDOM. IF GOD WAS LEADING THEM WITH A CLOUD BY DAY AND FIRE BYNIGHT, THIS REQUEST WAS UNNECESSARY. REMEMBER THAT THEY WERE SIMPLY TO FOLLOW WHERE GODLED THEM. IF GOD LED THEM THROUGH THE LAND OF EDOM, HE WOULD MAKE THE WAY POSSIBLE FORTHEM. THIS REQUEST MEANS THAT THE KING OF EDOM WOULD DECIDE THE ROUTE THEY WOULD TAKE.
¨ WHO WERE THE EDOMITES?
Ø THEY WERE DESCENDANTS OF ESAU WHO SOLD HISBIRTHRIGHT TO JACOB FOR A BOWL OF RED STEW. THEREFORE THEY ARE DISTANTLY RELATED BY BLOODTO THE ISRAELITES. IN THE BIBLE EDOM REPRESENTS MANS FLESH NATURE.
§ WHEN CHRISTIANS DO NOTTRUST GOD TO LEAD THEM OR THEY GET AHEAD OF GOD, THEY SEEK GUIDANCE THROUGH THEIR FLESHNATURE. HOWEVER, THE BIBLE TELLS US WE CANNOT TRUST OUR FLESH NATURE TO GUIDE US.
· READ PRO 12:15
§ MOSES REMINDS THE KING OFEDOM OF THEIR DISTANT BLOOD RELATIONSHIP. (14)
§ MOSES REMINDS THEM OF THEIRHISTORY OF PERSECUTION. (15)
Ø EDOMS RESPONSE:
§ THROUGH ALL OF ISRAELSHISTORY, THE EDOMITES REMAINED ENEMIES OF THE ISRAELITES. THEY DENIED PASSAGE WITH ATHREAT OF ATTACK. THEREFORE, THE ISRAELITES HAD TO GO AROUND THE LAND OF EDOM.
· WHEN CHRISTIANS DO NOT TRUST GODTO LEAD THEM, IT RESULTS IN THE LONG WAY AROUND, WASTED TIME, AND WASTED ENERGY.
v READ NUM 20:23-24 THE DEATH OF AARON
Ø THIS CHAPTER BEGAN WITH THE DEATH OF MIRIAMAND ENDS WITH THE DEATH OF AARON.
§ AARONS LIFE IS LIKEMANY CHRISTIANS WHO ARE SAVED BUT THEY NEVER ENJOY A CLOSE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD. THEYNEVER KNOW AND ENJOY THE BLESSINGS AND PROMISES OF THE PROMISED LAND. THEY SPEND THEIRCHRISTIAN LIFE WANDERING IN THE DESERT OF UNBELIEF AND DYING IN THE WILDERNESS. HOW SAD!(HEB 4:1-3)
§ WITH THE DEATH OF AARON,THERE IS A NEW HIGH PRIEST, ELEAZAR, WHO WAS AARONS SON.
· THE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO GET USEDTO A DIFFERENT HIGH PRIEST.
¨ PRAISE GOD, WE HAVE A HIGH PRIEST, JESUSCHRIST, WHO WILL NEVER DIE. HE WILL NEVER BE REPLACED. HE KNOWS EACH OF US PERFECTLY. WECAN TRUST HIM TO ALWAYS BE THERE FOR US.
v APPLICATION:
Ø WE HAVE DISCUSSED MOSESS DISOBEDIENCEIN GREAT DETAIL. BECAUSE THE PROMISED LAND REPRESENTS THE FULLNESS OF GODSBLESSINGS, WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE BLESSINGS COME BY FAITH IN GODS GRACE. THOSEBLESSINGS ARE LOST BY UNBELIEF AND/OR DISOBEDIENCE. GODS BLESSINGS ARE NOT OBTAINEDBY KEEPING THE LAW OF MOSES.
Ø TRUSTING IN GODS GUIDANCE IS MORE SURETHAN TRUSTING OUR OWN FLESH NATURE.
Ø STEP #14 IN BECOMING A MOVE-ER INTHE KINGDOM OF GOD:
§ ALWAYS SEEK GODSGUIDANCE FOR YOUR DECISIONS.
· TRUST IN GODS GRACE AND NOTIN YOUR FLESH NATURE.
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS21
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 20
Ø HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEEK GODS GUIDANCE FORYOUR DECISIONS?
Ø WHAT NEW DECISION FACES YOU TODAY THATREQUIRES GODS GUIDANCE?
Ø IN PRAYER, SUBMIT IT TO GOD AND DETERMINETHAT YOU WILL WAIT ON HIS DIRECTION.
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 21
Ø READ NUM 21
§ WHAT WERE THE COMPLAINTS?
· WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENTSIGNIFICANCE OF THE SERPENT ON THE POLE? (READ JOH 3:14-16)
v MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 3:15
