THE FIRST PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
From Moses to Samuel
Message Six—Numbers (2)
Scripture Reading: Num. 1:1-3; Eph. 6:10-20; Deut. 8:2
I. The Bible shows us that God’s intention is to have a people formed into an army to take Christ as their meaning of life, testimony, center, Leader, way, and goal and to proceed on and fight for God so that He may gain the ground on earth and have a people built up as His kingdom and His house, which will consummate in the New Jerusalem—Num. 1-3; 2:1, 34; Eph. 6:10-20; 2:21-22; Rev. 21:2. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
II. The book of Numbers reveals that the redeemed and sanctified Israelites were formed into a holy army of God, which was to proceed by following God’s leading and was to fight for Him throughout their journey—Num. 1:1-3: (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
A. The picture in Numbers shows us God and His chosen people mingled together as one entity to conquer the enemy on earth—chs. 1—2. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
B. The formation of the children of Israel into an army to fight for God typifies the New Testament believers being built up into the organic Body of Christ to fight for God and with God for the carrying out of His economy—Eph. 4:16; 6:10-20. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
C. On the negative side, Canaan signifies the aerial part, the heavenly part, of the dark kingdom of Satan—Num. 21:1-3; Eph. 6:12: (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
1. The Canaanites typify the fallen angels, the rebellious angels who follow Satan, who have become the powers, rulers, and authorities in Satan’s kingdom—Matt. 12:26; Rev. 12:4, 7; cf. Dan. 10:13, 20. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
2. The fighting of the children of Israel against the Canaanites that they might possess the good land typifies the spiritual warfare of the church as a whole against “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlies”—Eph. 6:12. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
D. There is an exceedingly real spiritual warfare in which we must engage; we must fight the battle for God’s interests on earth—vv. 10-12; 1 Tim. 6:12a; 2 Tim. 2:3-4. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
E. We are always at war; therefore, we should constantly be under the sounding of the alarm—Num. 10:1-10: (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
1. In God’s thought, the children of Israel were continually at war; at any time they could hear the alarm for fighting—vv. 5-6. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
2. We have suffered a great deal because we did not have the consciousness that we were in a battle. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
3. To sound an alarm causes us to be remembered before Jehovah our God and to be saved from our enemies—v. 9. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
F. In order to take the land, God’s people needed to deny themselves, sacrifice themselves, give up their own interests and preferences in all things, and risk their lives for the carrying out of God’s economy—Phil. 2:21, 30; Rom. 16:3-4. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
G. Both in the church life and in the Lord’s work, we must resist the temptation to have our self-choice for the purpose of taking care of our own welfare; we need to learn not to have our own preferences but to be according to God’s ordination and arrangement—Num. 32:1-33. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
H. With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, those who were qualified and ready to take possession of the good land were the younger ones—Deut. 1:35-36; Num. 14:31: (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
1. The second generation did not pass through as much as the first generation did, but they received the benefit of what the first generation experienced. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
2. What the older ones experienced was effective in building up the younger ones; therefore, God could prepare from the second generation more than six hundred thousand men with a rich inheritance and strong background who were qualified to be formed into an army to fight for God’s kingdom. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
3. The principle is the same with us in the Lord’s recovery today; what the older ones have experienced is being passed on to the younger ones and will be very effective in building them up and preparing them to fight for God and with God. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
J. God’s army was prepared and ready to take the good land under the blessing of God in His Divine Trinity and also under the blessing of Moses, the man of God—6:22-27; 2 Cor. 13:14; Deut. 30:16; 33:1. (2006 MDC, msg. 4)
III. The frustrations suffered by God’s chosen and redeemed people on their journey to the God-promised good land; in a sense, actually are needed—Num. 11: 4-5; 12:1-15; 13:28—14:4; 16:1-12; 31:16. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
A. The first frustration was the exceeding lust of the mixed multitude among God’s chosen and redeemed people—Num. 11:4a. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
B. The lust of the god-chosen and god-redeemed people; God’s people remembered the Egyptian food, which suited their lust; God’s people were lusting for the worldly taste—Num. 11:5. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
C. The rebellion of Miriam; although she was Mose’s sister and served together with him, she still rebelled against him; this indicates that even those who are very close to one who takes the lead among God’s people may rebel against him—Num. 12:1-15. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
D. The unbelief of God’s chosen and redeemed people; this took place at Kadesh-barnea, after the spies had come back from spying out the good land—Num. 13:28—14:4. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
E. The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with two hundred fifty leaders among the assembly of God’s people; Korah was a Levite, and Dathan and Abiram were leaders among the people; they convinced two hundred fifty of the leaders to join in a conspiracy to rebel—Num. 16:1-12. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
F. Another frustration to God’s chosen and redeemed people was Balaam’s plot and teaching—Num. 31:16. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
IV. All the frustrations suffered by God’s chosen and redeemed people should be considered as means to humble God’s people by afflictions and to test them on their journey in the wilderness—Deut. 8:2: (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
A. This is our situation today; the different kinds of frustrations are used by God to humble us and to test us; as we make our journey through the great and terrible wilderness, we will suffer frustrations again and again—1 Pet. 5:5. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
B. Just as some made themselves sacrifices for the benefit of the children of Israel, today some may become sacrifices for our benefit, in particular for our purging and purification. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)
C. The record of the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness is a record of our journey today; the frustrations they experienced in their journey we will also experience in our journey. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 51)