Remember God's Purpose

Living faithfully so the nations can see God's glory.

Deuteronomy 4:1-2 "And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you.

In my previous post, we looked at Moses' first lesson for Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses wanted God's people to know that they needed to remember God's blessings so that they would trust and obey him enough to cross the Jordan River and face "the giants in the land."

You see the giants are still there, they didn't go anywhere in the past 40 years, and I am sure that the Israelites did what we would all do. They often focused on the negatives, whether it's the giants in the land or the hardships of the wilderness instead of focusing on God's faithfulness.

But this is exactly how God works. He often leads His people into situations where their own strength is clearly not enough. Why? So they can see His power, His faithfulness, and His love more clearly.

Now Moses reveals the only strategy Israel would ever need for success in the Promised Land. They didn’t have superior military strength or better weapons but that is okay because they didn’t need them.

God's strategy to overcome the "giant" problem was remarkably simple:

1. Listen carefully.
2. Obey faithfully.

If Israel would hear God’s Word and obey it wholeheartedly, they would experience His blessing. But those blessings were never meant to end with Israel. God blessed His people so they could become a blessing to the nations.

From the moment God called Abraham, His purpose had always been bigger than one family or one nation. Israel was chosen to reveal the one true God to a world that did not know Him. Their obedience would serve as a living testimony that drew other nations to the Lord.

Three visible blessings the nations would recognize in faithful Israel:

1. Wisdom and Discernment

Deuteronomy 4:5-6 "Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

6 Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, 'How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!'

Before repeating the Law given at Mount Sinai, Moses wanted the new generation to understand why God had given it. These commands were not arbitrary rules. They were the revelation of God’s own wisdom for their good and His glory.

Israel would never look more attractive to the world than when they faithfully obeyed God’s Word. Their wisdom wouldn’t come from human achievement, but from living according to God’s perfect wisdom.

2. Intimacy With God

Deuteronomy 4:7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the LORD our God is near to us whenever we call on him?

Israel’s greatest privilege wasn’t just possessing God’s Law—it was that His Law made intimate fellowship with Him possible. God didn’t redeem them simply to give them rules. He redeemed them so they could know Him personally.

Their obedience wasn’t cold religion. It was the expression of a loving relationship with the God who had rescued them. As the nations watched Israel walk closely with the Lord, they would be drawn to a God so near to His people.

3. God's Way Is The Best

Deuteronomy 4:8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?

God’s commands were never meant to make life miserable. They were given so His people could flourish. His instructions reflected His holy character and showed that His ways are always good, always right, and always best.

When Israel lived according to these righteous ways, the surrounding nations would clearly see that the Lord’s way of life was superior to anything their false gods could offer.

A Life That Points Others to God

Moses wanted Israel to understand that their lives mattered. After forty years in the wilderness, it would have been easy to feel that their story had been wasted.

Many had grown up knowing nothing but desert wandering. Even Joshua and Caleb, though faithful, had shared in the nation’s long season of discipline.

They must have felt like all of their days were meaningless, but Moses wanted Israel to know that the wilderness was not wasted time.

The Life Application Study Bible brings up a good point:

What good would the Promised Land have been if Israel became just as wicked as the nations they were replacing? The journey was a painful but necessary part of their preparation.

Through it God taught the Israelites who he was: the living God, the Leader of their nation. He also taught them who they were: people who were fallen, sinful, and prone to rebellion and doubt.

He gave his rebellious people the law to help them understand how to relate to him and to other people

There wasn't any reason to allow God's people to exercise God's judgment over wicked nations if they were no better. They needed to be different so that the Canaanites would see their testimony and their victories and turn to God.

God was preparing His people.

• He taught them who He is, the living God who faithfully leads His people.
• He also taught them who they were, fallen people who desperately needed His grace and His guidance.
• He prepared them to become a holy people living under the rule of a holy God.

God has always desired more than outward obedience. He desires a relationship with His people that transforms the way they live.

The same principle applies today.

God's commands are still an expression of his love. They are an invitation to know him more deeply, experience his blessing, grow in holiness, and display his goodness to a watching world.

We are called to be distinct from the world, not as a requirement for salvation and not as an unnecessary burden. The purpose of our uniqueness as God's people is so that others might come to know and draw near the God who has drawn near to us.

RELATED ARTICLES

Video: Redeemed To Be Redeemers (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)

Remembering God’s Blessings

We need to prepare for our future by remembering our past.

Deuteronomy 1:1-5 These are the words that Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness east of the Jordan River. They were camped in the Jordan Valley near Suph, between Paran on one side and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab on the other.

2 Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. 3 But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them everything the LORD had commanded him to say. 4 This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, and at Edrei had defeated King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

5 While the Israelites were in the land of Moab east of the Jordan River, Moses carefully explained the LORD's instructions as follows.

Deuteronomy 1:8 Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.'"

In my previous post we saw that God brought the second generation of his chosen people back to the Plains of Moab. That's the place where the first generation did not have enough faith that God would take them safely to their promised new home.

Moses knows that his own time on earth is coming to an end, so he focuses on preparing the people for what lies ahead. He understands that this new generation was either small children or not yet born when God unleashed the plagues on Egypt, buried their enemies in the Red Sea, or when God spoke from the thunder of Mount Sinai. After all of those miracles, their parents still failed to trust and obey God, but we will also see that their children will be no better.

The wilderness years should have been a forty-year lesson in faith, passed from parent to child, but the parents failed their children. Instead, the older generation taught mainly by negative example, their children grew up seeing their parents complain, fear, rebellion, and unbelief instead of learning a deep trust in God.

After forty years of wandering, the people have learned almost nothing about themselves or their Creator. The book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ final effort to teach the new generation what they must know and do in order to enter the Promised Land successfully.

God brought them to the land twice.

Deuteronomy 1:26-27 "But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to go in. You complained in your tents and said, 'The LORD must hate us. That's why he has brought us here from Egypt-to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered.

The new generation must learn about God's love and what he has done for them to prove his love. They unfairly complained about God and swore that he must hate them and he must have brought them so far just to kill them. But the truth is, they have always been treated better than they deserved. As bad as they were God could not be convinced that he should curse them and he went out of his way to prevent Balaam from cursing them.

Moses wants to help them learn from the past to see that the evidence of God's love for his people and even though they can't win against the Canaanites, God still can. They can look to God who can or they can look at their lack of resources or the giants in the land and say "we can't."

God controls history and blesses his children.

Deuteronomy 2:7 For the LORD your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step through this great wilderness. During these forty years, the LORD your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing."'

The new generation needed to learn that their circumstances were not a measure of God's love for them. For centuries, their circumstances have been marked by hardship and tragedy. 

Think about their past, before Egypt they endured famine. In Egypt, after a brief period of prosperity, they suffered under slavery. Then, in the wilderness, they faced conditions that were impossible to survive, but through it all God remained faithful, providing for them and keeping His promises.

Israel survived the wilderness only because God provided for them, they had a supernatural supply line that Egypt could not duplicate. Egypt had no such provision to rely on, and after the plagues and the loss of their military at the Red Sea, they were hurting severely. Egypt had already been weakened by God’s power so that the wilderness that looked like a curse to God's people was actually an incredible blessing

I wonder how God's people, who had done little but complain for forty years, reacted when Moses told them, "You have lacked nothing." If anyone was complaining at that moment, I bet they stopped!

God is able to defeat even the strongest enemies and giants.

Deuteronomy 3:21-22 "At that time I gave Joshua this charge: 'You have seen for yourself everything the LORD your God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan. Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the LORD your God will fight for you.'

The same God that protected and provided for his people as they survived the impossible for forty years would also provide military strength for them to get rid of the Canaanites. 

It is remarkable that they could wage war at all, they didn't have raw materials and a plant to manufacture weapons, they didn't have food to send to the front line and they didn't have a mobile hospital unit to take care of wounded troops. 

But they didn't need logistics, they already survived for 40 years despite the lack of logistics. These former slaves without military training were supposed to have faith by now that the same God who brought them out would also bring them in.

It sounds silly to us but we do the very same thing.

Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

God's people are no different today. We have been rescued from slavery to the kingdom of darkness and are being led through our own wilderness—a place where God teaches, refines, and shapes us. Yet, like Israel, we are often quick to focus on what we lack instead of recognizing how faithfully God has cared for us. He has sustained us, taught us, and provided exactly what we need, yet we still grumble. 

Deuteronomy 4:20 Remember that the LORD rescued you from the iron-smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.

We need our own Moses today to teach us the same lesson. Despite being delivered from the bondage of sin, we often complain while living in blessings that previous generations could scarcely imagine. Our hearts can still be marked by unbelief and rebellion against our loving God, just as the writer of Hebrews warns: 

Hebrews 3:12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.

God intentionally leads us through seasons where our own strength and resources are insufficient. The wilderness exposes our dependence on Him so that His power, faithfulness, and love become unmistakable. What seems unsustainable apart from God becomes the very place where He proves that He is enough.

Preparing For The Future

God's people will cross the river to the Promised Land despite our failures.

Numbers 27:12-14  One day the LORD said to Moses, "Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, 14 for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin.

When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters." (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

In my study of the Torah, I have seen that God has given us plenty of overwhelming evidence of his majesty, power and his everlasting love for us, but I have also seen that it isn’t enough, we have all rejected the evidence and gone astray (Isaiah 53:6).

God's people drift so easily:

• The first generation that came out of Egypt saw God’s mighty acts before they left. They watched as He split the sea wide open, walked through it on dry ground, and still had the nerve to complain about lunch the next day (Exodus 14–16).
• The second generation of God’s people, almost 40 years later, were still reluctant to believe and commit to God’s ways. After the generation that worshiped the golden calf had died, the younger generation also broke the first commandment en masse by worshiping the Moabite gods—just a few months before entering the Promised Land.
• The second generation was still complaining about their situation. Life was harder now and the food was worse than it had been in Egypt. Even Aaron and Miriam complained. All of this was too much for Moses to handle (Numbers 11:1-15, 12:1-16).

Drifting away from God is what they did best. It is no wonder Moses was concerned about what would happen to God’s people after his departure. As God prepared Moses for his death, Moses became especially concerned about the nation and their future

God Prepares Moses

Numbers 27:16-17 "O LORD, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. 17 Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

God tells Moses that his ministry to God's people is almost over because of the incident at Meribah where Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it. God is going to keep his promise to Moses that he would not enter the Promised Land, a fact that is difficult for us to understand, Moses was a reliable leader that served Israel faithfully in many ways.

Moses served God's people as a picture of Jesus (Hebrews 3:1-6), he was a man that knew God intimately (Deuteronomy 34:10) and God came to his defense when Miriam and Aaron criticized him. (Numbers 12:5-9)

Moses tells God that his people need a replacement, something that God already knew and had been preparing for, the new guy was already being trained for almost 40 years even though it seems that nobody realized it. 

Moses Prepares Joshua

Numbers 27:18 The LORD replied, "Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him."

Moses did what God told him to do to transfer his power to Joshua, he laid hands on him and presented him to the priest in front of everyone so there would be no question about who the new leader is.

God has been preparing the new leader for a very long time, the smooth transition of power was easy to accomplish because Joshua had been serving under Moses beginning with the first military conflict with the Amalekites not long after the Red Sea crossing. (Exodus 17:8–16)

The Bible does not tell us how Moses knew that Joshua was the right man to lead that battle 40 years ago. Maybe Moses knew Joshua before they left Egypt, maybe Joshua served in slavery in Pharaoh's household or in some way that supported the military.

Joshua proved to be a man of God as he served under Moses, he relied on God for that first victory in battle, he was not in the camp when the people worshiped the gold calf and he was one of the two spies that gave a favorable report when the people refused to enter the Promised Land.

Moses Prepares the People

A new beginning is almost here with new leaders and a new generation of God's people that will enter the promised Land. Moses will remind the people before his death that they are on a mission from God despite their unfaithfulness to God.

It looks like a long goodbye when you look at how many chapters it spans from the last section of the book of Numbers through the entire book of Deuteronomy, that's 44 chapters, but it all happened rather quickly. (See the timeline here)

Moses goodbye message will be a reminder of God's goodness to them over the years as he chose them, redeemed them, protected them through the wilderness and now he can be trusted to take his people home. But all of this experience will not keep them faithful unless they wrestle with the natural tendency to drift.

To fight the urge to drift from God, remember:

• Obey God’s commands when they enter the Promised Land
• Don’t forget God when life becomes comfortable and easy
• Every moment presents a choice, choose life and blessing by following Him 
• Teach the next generation what God has done so they can know him

They had plenty of experience with God over the past 40 years but as the old hymn says "prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." 

God sought them and bought from their slavery as a picture of the truth found in that same hymn, "Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood."

Grace To Start Over

Psalm 103:7-12 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

There is hope for our drifting, unfaithful hearts! As sad as the history of God's people is in the wilderness (Psalms 78:1-72), God refused to curse them despite the fact that they were still the same people 40 years later, a truth that is still true for us thousands of years later.

Our fickle hearts still rebel against God as much as they did back in the Garden of Eden, the same as they did in Babylon as we built a tower to Heaven and the same as the multiple rebellions in the wilderness.

God's faithful heart to his people is greater than our fickle hearts! He has compassion and mercy that are new each day to forgive us that he has promised not to curse. We can be sure that he will bring us home to our Promised Land. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Timeline - Moses To Joshua

The last phase of Moses' life and the transition to Joshua.

Numbers 27:12-13,18-19  One day the LORD said to Moses, "Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron,

18 The LORD replied, "Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. 19 Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people.

Moses is barred from entering the land due to the incident at Meribah (Numbers 20:12; Deuteronomy 32:48-52). The biblical text provides specific Hebrew calendar dates for some events, showing a compressed period of roughly 6-7 months from early in the 40th year to Moses' death.

The beginning of the end for Moses is found in the last section of Numbers through the entire book of Deuteronomy, that's 44 chapters of Moses talking to the people, giving them final instructions and talking to God about his successor. 

The following timeline was created using Grok.com to help me understand the last days before Moses death and the transfer of leadership to Joshua.

The Last Phase Of Moses' Life

The appointment of Joshua as Moses' successor is a key event in this final period. It is first recorded in Numbers 27:12-23, where God instructs Moses to commission Joshua publicly by laying hands on him before Eleazar the priest and the assembly, transferring some authority. 

This occurs shortly after the second census (Numbers 26) and the case of Zelophehad's daughters (Numbers 27:1-11), placing it in the sequence of events after the Israelites' arrival in Moab but before the bulk of Deuteronomy's farewell speeches. 

Timeline of Events (40th Year After Exodus)

1st month (Nisan/Abib, roughly March/April):

• Israelites arrive back at Kadesh. Miriam dies (Numbers 20:1).
• Water crisis at Meribah, Moses strikes the rock and God decrees neither Moses or Aaron will enter the land (Numbers 20:2-13).
• Edom refuses passage (Numbers 20:14-21).

5th month (Av, roughly July/August):

• 1st day: Aaron dies on Mount Hor at age 123; 
• 30 days of mourning. (Numbers 20:22-29; 33:38-39)

Following months (roughly 6th–10th/early 11th months):

Continued journey and events in Moab area:

• Victory over Arad (Numbers 21:1-3).
• Fiery serpents and bronze serpent (Numbers 21:4-9).
• Conquests of Sihon (Amorites) and Og (Bashan) (Numbers 21:21-35).
• Encampment in plains of Moab opposite Jericho (Numbers 22:1).
• Balaam hired to curse Israel but blesses them (Numbers 22–24).
• Sin at Peor with Moabite/Midianite women; plague (Numbers 25).
• Second census of the new generation (Numbers 26).
• Case of Zelophehad's daughters and inheritance laws (Numbers 27:1-11).

Appointment of Joshua as successor: 

God tells Moses to view the land, announces his impending death, and commands him to commission Joshua publicly. Moses obeys, laying hands on Joshua before Eleazar and the people, transferring authority so the congregation will obey him. (Numbers 27:12-23)

In standard biblical timelines (using an early Exodus date around 1446 BC), both the commissioning and Moses' death fall in 1407–1406 BC, confirming they were close together in the final months of Moses' life. 

The focus is on a smooth transition of leadership rather than a long delay. Moses lived only a short additional time, probably several months, after commissioning Joshua in Numbers 27:22.

End of the book of Numbers:

• Daily/weekly offerings, vows (Numbers 28–30)
• War against Midian (Numbers 31)
• Land allocation east of Jordan to Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh (Numbers 32)
• Journey summary (Numbers 33)
• Land boundaries, cities of refuge (Numbers 34–35)
• Final inheritance rulings (Numbers 36)

Deuteronomy begins, 11th month (Shebat, roughly January/February):

Moses begins his extended farewell addresses (Deuteronomy 1:1-5 dates this explicitly to the 40th year, 11th month, 1st day). 

Deuteronomy records these speeches: 

• Historical recap (chapters 1–4), 
• Law restatement (chapters 5–26)
• Covenant renewal/blessings/curses (chapters 27–30) 
• Moses' song/witness (chapters 32)
• Tribal blessings and final instructions (chapters 33)

Within these addresses, Moses reaffirms Joshua's role as successor and he encourages Joshua publicly including a tent of meeting ceremony where God commissions Joshua directly.

God instructs Moses to ascend Mount Nebo (Pisgah/Abarim) to view the Promised Land and die (Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34:1-4).

Shortly after (likely still 11th month or very early 12th):

• Moses ascends Mount Nebo, views the land, and dies at age 120 (Deuteronomy 34:1-7)
• God buries him in an unknown spot in Moab (Deuteronomy 34:5-6)
• Israelites mourn for 30 days (Deuteronomy 34:8)
• After mourning, Joshua assumes full leadership and leads the crossing of the Jordan in the 41st year, 1st month (Joshua 3–4; Joshua 4:19)

This final stretch from their arrival in Moab through Joshua's commissioning to the Deuteronomy speeches and Moses' death emphasizes preparation, a review of the law, covenant renewal, and orderly leadership transition.

One More Day - Sons Of Sunday

What more can I say but hallelujah, thank you Jesus!

Video: One More Day | Sons Of Sunday

I'm a sinner grace is still healing
I'm a story time is revealing
I'm all of these things
But mostly, I'm thankful, yes, I am
I'm a fighter caught in a struggle
A survivor rising above it
I'm all of these things
But mostly, I'm thankful

'Cause You gave me one more day
To say I love You
You have brought me all this way
To testify Your grace
What more can I say but Hallelujah
Thank You, Jesus
Thank You, Jesus
Thank You, Jesus
'Cause You gave me one more day
One more day

Ooh, when the night was closing in on me
Didn't know if I'd see the morning
You held onto me
And Jesus, I'm grateful, yeah
When my enemies turned up the fire
El Shaddai, You were right there beside me
You showed up for me
And Jesus, I'm grateful

'Cause You gave me one more day (Hallelujah)
To say I love You (oh, God)
You have brought me all this way
To testify Your grace
What more can I say but Hallelujah
Thank You, Jesus

Reluctant Believers

God's people continue to have problems being loyal to him.

Numbers 25:1-5 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. 2 These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. 3 In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD's anger to blaze against his people.

4 The LORD issued the following command to Moses: "Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel." 5 So Moses ordered Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor."

In my recent post we saw that God was in control of situations and protecting his people at times that they didn't even know about. Israel wasn't aware at all that King Balak was trying desperately to have God's chosen people get "unchosen" with a curse from Balaam. The king was desperate to keep his job because he saw the success of the Israelites in recent battles but God never changed his mind about Israel despite the fact that they changed their mind about him.

• God was not reluctant to bless Israel, he went to great lengths in dealing with Balaam to bless Israel and to announce one of the first prophecies about Jesus.      
• Balaam was reluctant to bless Israel, he didn't care about the people he was asked to curse and he was careless about his own life because of the greed in his evil heart.       
• Israel was not reluctant to give in to their neighbors when they received an invitation to join them in worship, despite God's loyalty to them.

In Balaam's last prophecy he told about Israel's amazing future and the coming Messiah but right after he tells about it they are sinning against God the same way their ancestors did at Mt Sinai. I started to compare the two eventsfound in Exodus 32 and Numbers 25.

Comparison of the Rebellions at Sinai and Moab

1. Both of these rebellions took place immediately following a great display of God’s care for His people. 

• At Sinai, He performed miracles to deliver them from Egypt and brought them through the Red Sea. 
• At Moab, He reaffirmed their blessed future by turning Balaam’s intended curse into an amazing blessing.

2. Both of these instances reveal the wickedness of our hearts, our desire to worship but our lack of wisdom about worship, that's why the first of the Ten Commandments told us to worship the one and only real God. 

3. In both instances worshiping false gods led to immorality, the Bible shows us a very strong link between satisfying our desire to worship the wrong way and satisfying our desire for physical pleasures the wrong way.

4. Moses ordered the death penalty in both situations. The reaction of certain people to this command proved their loyalty to God and earned them a special place of service in the temple.

• At Mount Sinai, the Levites' killed the people involved and they were designated as the tribe that the priest would come from. It is important to know that all priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests, just the Levites that were sons of Aaron.
• At Moab, Phinehas was the zealous priest, a grandson of Aaron, that executed judgment. Moses had just told the judges to judge but before they could start judging somebody comes along and jumps to the front of the line to be executed.

5. What a contrast between Phinehas and his grandfather. Aaron was responsible for bringing judgment on God's people due to his role in the creation of the gold calf but Phinehas quickly reacted to the man's sin and killed the Israelite man and the woman both at the same time. 

As you can see, it only took them one generation to forget about the rebellion at Sinai and do it all over again at Moab, this pattern continued throughout the Old Testament as God's people were reluctant to trust and obey. Breaking the first commandment caused so many deaths in the wilderness and it was the reason that God's people were in exile before Jesus' arrival.

God's People Continue To Be Reluctant

Matthew 11:2-3 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?"

Even a man as great as John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11) was not immune to wavering in his faith when Jesus actions were so confusing. Early in his ministry John stated that his reason for coming was to reveal the Messiah to Israel (John 1:29-31) but he was still overcome with doubt as he sat in prison without any assistance from his cousin. I'm sure that John had no idea how true his words were when he said "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

Even the twelve men that gave it all up to follow were not sure about Jesus and struggled with faith even as they were experiencing him in supernatural ways. Jesus did miraculous things that prove his identity but nobody was as sure as the evil spirit that Jesus cast out. The evil spirit knew but a few chapters later the disciples are asking "Who is this man?" (Mark 1:23-28, 4:35-41)

We Are Reluctant Disciples

Even today with all of the evidence we have in God's word:

• We are reluctant to worship properly. It is easy to look back at the people that God chose back in the Old Testament and be amazed that they worshiped wrong after all of their supernatural experiences with God but we are the same.
• We are reluctant to trust and obey. Doing things our way will never measure up to God's ways and his plans, it is so hard to let go of absolutely everything and acknowledge that God is in control, instead we want our way just as much as Balaam and Jonah did. 
• We are reluctant to get rid of our pride. As we look at our evil hearts and see the darkness within, it should help us defeat our pride but instead we embrace it and it is a strong proof that Jesus was right when he told Nicodemus that we love the dark. (John 3:19)

Our own lives prove to us what the Bible shows: the ongoing struggle to trust and obey God. We are just like the people in Scripture, but the good news is that God is just as faithful as He was back then. Their imperfect faith and God's perfect, gracious response to it should be a great source of encouragement for us today when we struggle to fully believe.

The wilderness is still God's classroom where he leads us into situations that give us opportunities to exercise our faith, helping us become less reluctant to believe and trust Him. We will always have room to grow in this area, it's a slow, lifelong process that we can't simply check off of our to-do list and move on.

Mark 9:23-24 "What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes." The father instantly cried out, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!"

Just like the believing father that desperately wanted his son to be healed, our belief will always be tested with some degree of unbelief that we should pray to overcome. Despite our imperfections and inconsistant faith, we can expect the same grace and faithfulness that God offered His people long ago as he takes us to the Promised Land.

Reluctant Prophets - Balaam and Jonah

Be willing to seek out God's plan and adopt it as your own.

Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.

Jonah 4:11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?"

One of the predominate themes that runs through the Bible is the contrast between something true and something that is false. There is true and false: worship, doctrine, believers, and as we have recently studied there are true teachers and prophets and there are also false teachers and prophets.  

In my study of Balaam I have learned that God used the ungodly prophet that had every intention of cursing God's people and preventing them from receiving the blessing that God swore to give them. That study made me think of another prophet that was unwilling to bless a people that he would rather curse. 

Reluctant Prophets

I started considering the contrast and similarities of Balaam and Jonah and how God worked through both of these men despite their desire to allow people to perish. God had much better plans for the people that they were called to bless that could not be stopped by man's free will.

It is interesting to notice that after sparing Nineveh from the punishment that Jonah prophesied they would be raised up against God's people to bring God's punishment to the Jews. The Jew and the Gentile were both used by God to bless and to punish their enemies.

God's undeserved mercy is available to everyone, the reluctant Jewish prophet and the reluctant Gentile prophet both saw God's undeserved mercy given across ethnic barriers to their most hated enemies.

We like to think that we are in control but Balaam and Jonah help to prove that man's free will isn't as powerful as we would like to think it is. Neither one of these men were willing and they both actively resisted God's will but that didn't stop God, he changed their plans, not his own.

Rebuked Prophets

A refusal to obey God isn't going to hinder his sovereignty, both of these men experienced life threatening situations with nature that were sent to correct them so that God could use them as a tool for his purposes and his glory. 

Saved by a donkey - Balaam had a visit on the road to King Balak that was probably God himself and Balaam suddenly finds out that he owns a talking donkey. (Numbers 22:20-22)

Saved by a fish - Jonah's intervention with God that also involved nature, he had an experience with a huge storm and a huge fish that ate something he didn't like. (Jonah 1:17-2:10)

In church circles we like to say that we need to be willing to be used by God, that' a great attitude to have, but Balaam and Jonah prove that God can use us and have great outcomes even when our hearts are not in it. 

God Is In Control

God's plans cannot be opposed successfully, he often works through human resistance or ignorance to bring about his will. (A few more examples: Genesis 50:20, Isaiah 10:5-10, Romans 9:17) 

God's control causes Balaam to bless Israel and he goes even further and includes a prophecy about King David and the victory that he would have over many nations including the people of Moab that Balaam was trying to help. (Numbers 24:15-19 // 2 Samuel 8:2) 

God's control causes Jonah to bless Nineveh as he reluctantly gives them God's message of repentance that brings a great revival that puts off their destruction. Jonah's short sermon brought about a greater response than the prophet ever saw from preaching to Israel but he didn't like the response. (Jonah 4:1-3)

God's control will bring a greater blessing, the ultimate fulfillment of these two prophets are seen in Jesus. Balaam and Jonah both give us a picture of who Jesus is and what he will do, Jonah gives us a picture of Jesus resurrection and Balaam tells us that we still have the reign of Jesus to look forward to.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 

God's will takes over our story, even when we don't want it to, his will is causing everything to work together in harmony for his unstoppable purposes but we still think that we know better. Since it is all working out to God's good purpose, we should be more willing to seek out his plan and adopt it as our own.

Faithful Prophet

Jeremiah 10:23-24 I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die.

Jeremiah's willingness and faithful obedience despite suffering stands in contrast to Balaam and Jonah. His concern for the people really stands out as he is called the weeping prophet, Balaam and Jonah were never for the people.

I need to remember the prayer of the prophet Jeremiah, he knew that "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." In fact Jeremiah came from the Tribe of Levi so being a priest was probably his plan but God called him at a young age to become a prophet instead. (Jeremiah 1:4–10)

I need to remember that my life is not my own, I need to hold on loosly to my plans and be anxious to change when God shows me what his plan is. Thankfully he has bigger and better plans than I have ever made for myself so I need to trust and obey.

We Have Seen His Star

The light showed the way to the Promised Land and the way to Emmanuel.

Numbers 24:17 I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.

We saw in the previous post that God is always in control, it is difficult to understand this idea, but somehow this is true even when he is allowing us to have free will. We saw this truth in action in the life of Balaam, we learned that God let him have his way so that he could use this unwilling false prophet.

God shows us in his word that he is sovereign at all times and he will use anyone to work out his divine plans and his purpose despite our free will. We saw that Balaam had no desire to bless God's people and he certainly had no desire to announce the ultimate blessing.

Balaam's prophecies concluded with one of the earliest predictions of the Messiah:

• A Savior that would be the redeemer of God's people, the Star that would bring light to our darkness.
• A Ruler that would be the Lord of God's people, the Scepter would establish an eternal kingdom.

Each time that God came to Balaam there wasn't anything spectacular about it, God spoke to him like he had done so many times before in scripture, it was just a normal conversation. There are plenty of times when this was true like when God spoke to Adam and Eve, or to Abraham, or Hagar or Jacob. (Genesis 3:8-9, 6:13, 12:1, 16:7-12, 28:12) 

But that was not always the case, as we will see, sometimes God's presence was very visible.

The Light To The Chosen

1 John 1:5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.

Sometimes when God interacted with people, his presence was an impressive display of light so spectacular that it is amazing that he interacted with some people without his glory being on display.

Abraham was the first to directly experience God's glorious light, not the first time when God called him from his homeland but later when God showed himself in a ceremony to confirm the covenant to bless Abraham's descendants. (Genesis 15)

Moses saw the light as it got his attention when God's glory caused a bush to light up as if it were on fire yet it was not consumed. The voice from withing the bush makes it clear that the source of the light was not natural. (Exodus 3:1-5)

God's people saw the light as it led them away from the darkness of Egypt to the land that was promised. But first the light led them to Mount Sinai where they saw the light as a sign of God's presence.

And now we will see the same Light that was revealed to God's chosen people throughout the Torah will also guide the nations to the new Promised Land. (Isaiah 9:2; 60:1–3).

The Light Of Christmas

Matthew 2:2,9-10 "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him."

9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!

The same God that occupied the mountain in the wilderness came without the grand entrance that he deserved to occupy a lowly manger in Bethlehem. It seems that the Light was revealed only to a very select group of people that God chose. 

The men that saw the star were not part of God's original chosen people, none of the Jews, including the religious leaders in Jerusalem seem to know anything about the star even after the Magi asked about it. Even if they looked outside for it, they may have missed it because the star did not always appear or maybe the star wasn't for them.

The special star that led them to Bethlehem reminds me of the Old Testament pillar of fire that gave direction to a specific people to go to a specific place. Think about the unique characteristics of the pillar, it appeared and disappeared, it moved in various directions and it started and stopped at various times and locations. 

It is very unlikely that either of these lights were natural, it seems to me that God's glorious presence that led his people in the Old Testament is the same source of light that led the Magi. It makes more sense that God was personally guiding these men in a similar manner instead of trying to explain the source of light as a natural star or astronomical event. 

The understated entrance didn't confuse the Magi, they knew this was divine revelation that the King of the Jews was here, they had anticipated this event because they knew God's word, they knew that this wasn't an ordinary star and this was no ordinary baby. 

Once again, God chose to guide men on the right path as he did for his people in the wilderness, but this time he is lighting the way for the nations to come to him. (Psalms 119:105, Isaiah 60:3, Matthew 28:19)

The Light Of The World

John 3:19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil."

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

The light showed the way to the Promised Land and it showed the way to Emmanuel. The same God that said "Let there be light" was now with us in our world as the Light that dispels the darkness of sin and death for anyone who follows Him.

When Jesus announced at Sokkot that he is the Light of the World the people knew without a doubt that he was claiming to be the Messiah. Many rabbis and prophets understood that the blazing lights that filled the temple on the Feast of Tabernacles was pointing to the coming Messiah. (Zechariah 14:16–19)

Jesus ministry to everyone was an invitation to leave the darkness and come to the light to become children of the light that would then also become the light of the world that would show God's glory to others. (Matthew 5:14-16, Ephesians 5:8)

The Light Of Eternity

Revelation 22:5 And there will be no night there-no need for lamps or sun-for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.

Our Savior proved that the light cannot be extinguished, even in death, he defeated death in his own life and he will defeat it again in each of our lives as well. He will take us to our Promised Land to dwell with him in light that is unending.

The end of the story is bright for those that have seen the Light, miss the light and you will spend eternity in darkness.

The True Prophet, Priest And King

The bright morning star will return with the royal scepter to rule the nations.

Numbers 24:15-19 This is the message Balaam delivered: "This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly, 16 the message of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:

17 I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the heads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.

18 Edom will be taken over, and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered, while Israel marches on in triumph. 19 A ruler will rise in Jacob who will destroy the survivors of Ir."

We have seen in the past few post about Balaam and King Balak that a false prophet, a false priest and an evil king cannot stand against the will of God. They were sure that God's people didn't deserve the promises after the way they have been behaving in the wilderness so they tried but failed to change God's mind.

There are a lot of images of Jesus seen in the Old Testament, types of Christ, but this is the only opposite type of Christ that I am aware of. Balaam and King Balak have formed an unholy alliance against God's people that looks similar to the unholy trinity that the Bible shows us in Revelation.

The Unholy Trinity

As a prophet and priest, Balaam is:

• A false prophet that is an unwilling messenger for God, he wants to prophecy that God's people are cursed in order to please the king but God is in control so he is forced to bless
• An unholy priest that used excessive sacrifices multiple times in high places the way the pagans did to manipulate their "gods" to try and get different outcomes

As a king, Balak is:

• Trying to be in control against God's will in order to protect his own interest
• Furious that his money, military threat, and religious activity are powerless (Numbers 24:10-11)

It is easy to see how Satan is using these men to imitate what is holy, these men give us a clear preview of what is going to be seen in the end times. Satan, the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet will be defeated as God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit win the ultimate battle with a permanent outcome. (Revelation 16:13)

The True Prophet, Priest And King Comes With Blessings

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the LORD's favor has come."

Jesus came to earth on a mission to bless, he makes it obvious at the beginning of his ministry by applying the verses in Isaiah 61:1-2 to himself in Luke 4:18-19. It is interesting that Jesus stopped reading in Isaiah mid-sentence to omit the next phrase that talks about his second coming as the king that will judge the nations.

Jesus came to be Emmanuel, God with us, to be a blessing to us. Because of God's great love he came to redeem his people from slavery to the kingdom of darkness where we live still today. Scripture gave us a picture of this when God took his people out of Egypt and made them into a holy nation that would bless the world.

Jesus told us that he came to seek and save the lost to save us from the day of judgment that has been postponed until after the church age when grace and salvation will be replaced by judgment and wrath. (John 3:16-17, Luke 19:10)

Jesus is our:

• Prophet, Jesus spoke only what the Father gave Him, blessings instead of curses (John 7:16; 8:28; 12:49–50)
• Priest, Jesus blessed us by offering himself as the true sacrifice that became cursed for our sins (Galatians 3:13-14)
• King, Jesus established a new, eternal kingdom that is not of this world and he transferred our citizenship there (John 18:36, Colossians 1:13-14, Revelation 11:15)

Thankfully the prophet and priest came first, we need the true high priest to forgive us of our sins and the true prophet to help us know God so we can prepare ourselves for the arrival of the king. The same Jesus who came as the gentle shepherd to care for his sheep in this life as he prepares us will take care of us eternally as he prepares a place for us to live with him. (Revelation 19:9 21:4–5; 22:3)

The Bright Morning Star

Revelation 22:14-16 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. 15 Outside the city are the dogs-the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. 16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star."

The end of the story, way back in the end of our Bible in Revelation, assures us that the star that was to come from Jacob really did come! When Jesus was with us the first time he told us that he is the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46) and at the end of our Bible he makes it clear that he is the bright morning star.

The Bright Morning Star will return but this time he will arrive with the Royal Scepter to rule the nations. When the king returns to reign he will allow those who have washed their robes to enter the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. We will dwell with him in his kingdom where no sun or moon is needed as Jesus himself will be our everlasting light (Revelation 21:23; 22:5).

The same King who gently calls, "Come to me, all who are weary and I will give you rest" will one day say to the unrepentant, "Depart from me" (Matthew 11:28, 25:41).

This Christmas, as we celebrate the Star that rose over Bethlehem, the question remains: Will the King invite you in? 

Come to him today willing to accept him as your High Priest so that you can live with the King for eternity.

The False Prophet Becomes A False Priest

Giving God bigger and better worship will not help you get your way.

Numbers 23:1-3 Then Balaam said to King Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice." 2 Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the LORD will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill.

In the previous post we learned that Balaam is not at all who he seems to be from a casual reading of his life story in the Book of Numbers. We have to look at all of the scriptures about him to get the rest of the story. This is a double minded man that God will use as a tool to tell us about his chosen people.

After Balaam encounters God on the road he arrives to find that the king is irritated with him for taking so long to get there, this would have been a great opportunity for Balaam to tell the king what happened that caused the delay, instead he suddenly changes the conversation. Maybe he didn't want to give a testimony of what God had done in his life because it may lead to the king changing his mind and canceling the offer to pay him big for his services. (Numbers 22:35-41)

Balaam didn't testify about his experience with God on the road but later he does testify that he cannot say what God doesn't allow. But the king doesn't care about the disclaimer, in the morning Balak took him up to a location that was a good lookout to see God's people. The people of Moab are so involved in worship to false gods that every time the king takes Balaam to a high place it is a location that is used to worship Baal.

The False Prophet

The blessing is the Lord's and a prophet for hire cannot change what God has declared about His people. Balaam is paid to speak the king’s desires, but he is shrewd enough to protect his reputation. If he curses Israel and God still blesses them, his credibility—and future business—is destroyed. Who would hire a prophet proven so wrong?

Balaam demonstrates that even the most extraordinary revelations from God can be squandered by a stubborn heart. God revealed Himself multiple times—sending an angel with a drawn sword, even opening the mouth of Balaam’s donkey—yet Balaam still sought to curse God’s people for profit.

The False Priest

To become more effective as a false prophet, Balaam tries to gain God's favor by also pretending to be a priest, he is probably hoping that he can get a different answer from God after he sacrifices a bunch of animals. Balaam ordered the building of too many altars, and he sacrifices too many animals as if he were trying to impress God with his worship in order to get what he wanted from God.

Balaam seems to know the number seven is used by God to signify that something is set apart as perfect, complete or holy. The number seven shows up hundreds of times in the Bible starting in Genesis with the days of creation and the day set aside for the Sabbath. Seven's continue throughout the Bible to Revelation where there are seven churches, seals, bowls and more.

Balaam tried to give God "better worship" in order to get his way, instead of serving God as a real priest should, this priest is self serving, trying to manipulate God to get the desired outcome. That might work on the other "gods" that he is familiar with but not the God of Israel.

"Better Worship" Didn't Change God's Mind

Numbers 23:20-21 Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! 21 No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.

Balaam has done everything possible to gain favor with God and change God's mind about his chosen people but none of it has made any difference. God sees the heart of his worship and is not impressed, instead of Balaam getting his way, God's will is still going to happen. Balaam will be used as God's tool to confirm and clarify the blessings of God's people.

This false prophet, false priest and the ungodly king are a picture of the opposite of Jesus (anti-type). This unholy trinity will come against God's people but Satan's power is limited in strength and it will only last for a season. (Revelation 12–13 and Revelation 16:13)

Just as God had a plan for his people in the wilderness in the days of Moses he has a plan for his people in the wilderness of today's world. God has declared a blessing in my life that can not be reversed. I can be confident that God will take me to the Promised Land despite the accusations of Satan about all of my shortcomings.