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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 31 AND 32
LESSON #32
THE HALF-HEARTED BELIEVER
v MEMORY VERSE: GALATIANS 6:7
v NUMBERS 31 DEALS WITH JUDGMENT ON ISRAELSENEMIES, THE MIDIANITES AND THE MOABITES. ALSO, WE WILL SEE A JUDGMENT ON BALAAM FORTEACHING THOSE ENEMIES TO INTERMARRY WITH THE ISRAELITES IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE IDOLATRY.
Ø THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY THIS SPECIFICALLY BUTWE CAN ASSUME IT TO BE TRUE: THE ISRAELITES HAD EVIDENTLY STOPPED IN THEIR PROGRESS TOWARDTHE PROMISE LAND. THEY STOPPED TO INTERMARRY. THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM WAS SATANSLAST-CHANCE EFFORT TO SIDETRACK THE ISRAELITES.
§ THE MIDIANITES AND THEMOABITES WERE SATANS TOOLS. THEY JOINED THEMSELVES TOGETHER IN THIS ATTEMPT TO DRAWISRAEL INTO IDOLATRY. THEREFORE, MIDIAN REPRESENTS THE BEGUILING NATURE OF FALSERELIGIONS.
· BEFORE ENTERING THE PROMISE LAND,THERE IS WARFARE AND A JUDGMENT ON GENTILES AND THEIR FALSE RELIGION.
¨ THE SAME PATTERN WILL OCCUR AT THE SECONDCOMING OF CHRIST. BEFORE CHRIST SETS UP THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM PROMISED BY GOD, HE WILLJUDGE THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION CALLED MYSTERY BABYLON IN REV 18. THIS FALSERELIGION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL DRAW SOME BELIEVERS INTO APOSTASY AND IDOLATRY JUST ASTHE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM DREW ISRAELITES INTO IDOLATRY IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS.
v READ NUM 31:1-7 THE CALL TO WAR
Ø ONE THOUSAND MEN FROM EACH OF THE 12 TRIBESWENT TO WAR. THIS WAS A SPIRITUAL WAR. THEREFORE, THE FURNITURE OF THE TABERNACLE WAS TOBE PART OF THE BATTLE.
§ THE ENEMIES OF MIDIAN ANDMOAB GREATLY OUTNUMBERED ISRAEL.
v READ NUM 31:8 THE DEATH OF BALAAM
Ø BALAAM WAS ONE OF THE CASUALTIES OF THE WAR.HE FOUND HIMSELF ON THE WRONG SIDE WHEN THE BATTLE CAME. THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES AMONGTHE ISRAELITES.
§ REMEMBER WHEN YOU ARE INGODS PERMISSIVE WILL YOU OPEN YOURSELF TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE UNBELIEVER.
v READ NUM 31:9-14 ISRAELS MISTAKE
Ø THE ISRAELITES WERE SUPPOSED TO KILL ALL OFTHE ENEMY. INSTEAD THEY KEPT THE WOMEN ALIVE AND TOOK THEM CAPTIVE. BESIDES THE ACT OFDISOBEDIENCE, WHY WAS MOSES SO ANGRY?
§ THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WASTHAT THE MEN OF ISRAEL FELL INTO THE TEMPTATION OF FOREIGN WOMEN. IF THEY KEPT FOREIGNWOMEN CAPTIVE, IT WOULD ONLY CONTINUE THE WORLDLY COMPROMISE THAT LED TO IDOLATRY.
v READ NUM 31:15-20 MOSES ANSWER
Ø MOSES SOLUTION WAS TO KILL EVERY MALE CHILDAND EVERY WOMAN WHO WAS NOT A VIRGIN.
§ WHY WOULD A LOVING GODORDER SO MUCH DEATH AND DESTRUCTION? WE NEEDTO SEE THINGS FROM GODS PERSPECTIVE.
· GOD HAD A PROBLEM:
¨ HOW DO YOU ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE FREE WILL ANDSTILL GUARD A MINORITY OF PEOPLE FROM TOTAL SPIRITUAL DESTRUCTION?
Ø THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY…AND THAT IS TODESTROY THE BEGUILING INFLUENCE THAT WOULD ENTICE EVEN THE FAITHFUL REMNANT.
§ MAINTAINING A FAITHFULREMNANT THOUGH HISTORY WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO GOD. (ISA 1:9 JER 42:2-3 EZE 14:20-23)
· HOW DO YOU BALANCE JUSTICE ANDMERCY?
¨ GOD IS A JUST GOD AND MUST ALWAYS JUDGE SIN.
¨ (ROM 6:23)
¨ BUT GOD ALWAYS EXTENDS MERCY TO THOSE WHOSEEK GOD.
¨ HOW DO YOU KEEP ISRAEL PURE TO PRODUCE ABLOOD LINE FOR THE MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST, ANDTO REMAIN A REPOSITORY FOR GODS TRUTH?
Ø THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY…TO PUT A MERCIFULHEDGE OF PROTECTION AROUND ISRAEL AND BY JUDGING ALL ENEMIES WHO SEEK TO TOTALLY DESTROYGODS PEOPLE.
v READ NUM 31:21-24 THE LAW OF PURIFICATION
Ø AFTER THE DESTRUCTION, THE ISRAELITES HAD TOPERFORM RITES OF PURIFICATION.
§ REMEMBER WE PREVIOUSLYDISCUSSED THE RITES OF PURIFICATION AS SYMBOLIC ACTS THAT INDICATE SPIRITUAL PURIFICATION.
· AS NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS, WEARE PURIFIED THROUGH REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS BASED ON THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
§ THE FIRE AND WATER OFSEPARATION:
· NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS ARECALLED BY GOD TO BE SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD SYSTEM. (2COR6:17-18) THE PURIFYING FIRE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE PURIFYING WATER OF THE WORD OF GODCLEANSES BELIEVERS.
¨ DISCUSSION:
Ø WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS TO BESEPARATE?
v THE CHAPTER ENDS WITH A DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPOILFROM THE BATTLE AND AN OFFERING OF PRAISE TO GOD FOR VICTORY.
v READ NUM 32:1-5 THE SURPRISING REQUEST OF THE HALF-HEARTED TRIBES
Ø THE TRIBES OF REUBEN AND GAD WANTED TO SETTLEIN THE LAND EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER.
§ WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THEREQUEST BY THE TRIBES OF REUBEN AND GAD?
· IT FALLS SHORT OF GODSPERFECT WILL WHICH WAS TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE LAND WEST OF THE JORDAN RIVER.
§ WHAT WERE THEIR MOTIVES FORSUCH A REQUEST?
· THEY WANTED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WASTHE BEST LAND FOR THEIR CATTLE. THEY HAD NOTSEEN THE PROMISE LAND. THEREFORE, THEY MAKE THEIR CHOICE ON WHAT SEEMED GOOD TO THEM. THISCHOICE REMINDS US OF THE STORY OF LOT WHO CHOSE WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE BEST LAND FORHIMSELF.
v READ NUM 32:6-15 MOSES REACTION TO THE REQUEST
Ø MOSES THOUGHT THESE TRIBES WERE AFRAID TO GOTO WAR FOR THE PROMISE LAND.
Ø MOSES THOUGHT THEIR REQUEST WOULD DISCOURAGETHE REST OF THE TRIBES FROM CROSSING THE JORDAN AND RESULT IN ANOTHER 40 YEARS OFWANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS.
v READ NUM 32:16-23 THE COMPROMISED DECISION
Ø MOSES AND THE 2 TRIBES CAME TO A COMPROMISEDDECISION. THE 2 TRIBES HAD TO GO TO WAR ACROSS THE JORDAN TO HELP THE REST OF THE TRIBESFIGHT THE GIANTS IN THE PROMISE LAND. IF THEY DID THAT, GOD WOULD ALLOW THEM TO POSSESSTHE LAND ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE JORDAN.
§ DID THESE TWO TRIBESFULFILL THEIR PROMISE? YES. JOSHUA 12-16TELLS US THEY DID.
Ø NUM 32:23 IS A VERY INTERESTING VERSE ANDOFTEN MISQUOTED AND MISUNDERSTOOD.
§ BE SURE YOUR SIN WILLFIND YOU OUT
· THIS DOES NOT MEAN, BE SUREYOUR SIN WILL BE FOUND OUT. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHOSE SINS ARE NEVER DISCOVERED INTHEIR LIFETIME. THIS PHRASE MEANS, ACCORDING TO GAL 6:7, THAT GOD IS NOT DECEIVED ORMOCKED. WHATEVER YOU SOW, THAT WILL YOU REAP. WE HAVE SEEN THIS IN PRACTICE THROUGH THEBOOK OF NUMBERS. IN THE WAY THAT YOU SIN, THAT IS THE WAY IT WILL EVENTUALLY COME BACK TOYOU.
¨ FOR EXAMPLE: REMEMBER MIRIAMS HATREDFOR MOSES BLACK WIFE. SHE THOUGHT WHITE SKIN WAS BETTER. SHE REAPED A WHITER SKINWHEN SHE GOT LEPROSY.
Ø WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THESE 2 TRIBES THATFAILED TO CROSS THE JORDAN INTO THE PROMISE LAND?
§ THESE TRIBES CHOSE TO LIVEIN GODS PERMISSIVE WILL. THEY DID NOT WANT TO POSSESS THE FULL BLESSINGS GOD HAD FORTHEM. THEY CHOSE FAR BELOW GODS WONDERFUL PROMISE.
· THERE ARE PEOPLE TODAY WHO DO THESAME. THEY DO NOT IDENTIFY THEMSELVES WITH CHRIST BY CROSSING THE JORDANRIVER. THEY ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH A CHURCH BUT THEY ARE NEVER REALLY PART OF THEKINGDOM OF GOD BY BEING BORN AGAIN.
Ø WHAT EVENTUALLY HAPPENED TO THESE 2 TRIBES?
§ BECAUSE OF A LACK OF UNITY,THERE WAS A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THESE TRIBES AND THE REST OF THE TRIBES IN JOS 22WHICH ALMOST LED TO A CIVIL WAR.
§ THESE WERE THE FIRST TRIBESTO FALL INTO IDOLATRY AND THE WORSHIP OF HEATHEN GODS. THEY INTERMARRIED WITH SURROUNDINGHEATHEN TRIBES.
· AS A RESULT THEY WERE THE FIRSTTO BE TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THEIR ENEMIES. (1CHR5:18-26)
§ DURING NEW TESTAMENT TIMES,THESE PEOPLE WERE CALLED THE GADARENES. THEY RAISED PIGS WHICH WAS A GREAT ABOMINATION TOORTHODOX JUDAISM. (MAR 5)
v APPLICATION:
Ø STEP #17 IN BECOMING A MOVE-ER INTHE KINGDOM OF GOD:
§ DONT BE A HALFHEARTED CHRISTIAN…GO ALL THE WAY WITH GOD!
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS33
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 31 AND 32
Ø READ ROM 9:15 EPH 2:3-6
§ IN WHAT SPECIFIC WAYS HAVEYOU SEEN GOD BALANCE JUSTICE AND MERCY IN YOUR LIFE?
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 33
Ø READ CHAPTER 33
§ THIS IS NOT INTERESTINGREADING, BUT LOOK FOR SOME SPIRITUAL TRUTHS. FOREXAMPLE:
· WHY DO YOU THINK GOD PUT THISCHAPTER IN THE BIBLE?
· IN VERSES 51-56 GOD TELLS THEM TODRIVE OUT AND DESTROY ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE PROMISE LAND. WHY?
v MEMORY VERSE: HEB 13:5b
