Tag Archives: Numbers

Numbers 14:1ff The Community Raised Their Voices

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©1998-2016
Fellowship@CrossCreek
Life of Moses
The Community Raised Their Voices!
Numbers 14.1ff
2.14.16
No against the crowd
Introduction… When was the last time the majority intimidated you into doing something that you weren’t quite sure of? What did you do? Did you stand or cave? Why? How did you feel about it later, one way or the other?

Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb are all finding out the high price of doing the right thing…of trusting God, when all those around seem NOT to be. 
 
Most of us are crowd followers, whether we like to admit it or not. We often fail to have the “guts” to think and pray for ourselves. There is no way that so many could be wrong, and I could be right?!
 
But once a person understands the psychological make-up of a crowd (or a mob) it is not hard to see how we can become so intimidated and follow the guy just ahead of me off the cliff. 
 
“If everyone else is doing it, there must be some legitimacy to it. Right?” Not always! And probably, not even mostly! Do your homework! 
 
What happens, is at some point in time, out of fear of being left out or going against the grain, individuals stop doing their homework. Call it Beanie Babies, AOL, the 2001 tech bubble, the 2008 mortgage crisis or Israel’s moral failure at Kadesh Barnea, we all do it. It’s human nature. The real question is can we summon the moral fortitude to stand up to the mob, risk sacrifice, but in the end, live with ourselves because we did the right thing, even if not perfect? 
 
In this case, the mob’s choices will have disastrous consequences. 

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Numbers 13:1ff How is the Soil?

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©1998-2016
Fellowship@CrossCreek
Life of Moses
How is the Soil?
Numbers 13.1ff
1.4.4; ed. 2/7/16

Introduction…Ever felt the pressure of being a minority in a given situation? Where you thought one thing, but the group or majority thought another? Was your tendency, if possible, to give in and go along with the crowd, even if you knew or suspected something different or better? How did your experience turn out? Where you right? Wrong? Did you feel any guilt? Did anyone, in the end, stand up to the group’s seeming position? What happened to them? Was that person you? 
 
Probably, one of the most important skills you will ever develop as a Christ-follower is the courage to go against the crowd…to stand against the mob…to go against the grain…to risk rejection and possible ostracization or exclusion from the group. In fact, one has to have a tough backbone in order to risk this kind of pressure. But it’s a must if one is to follow Christ. 
Bird - the crowd 
On a secondary note: how and why does this affect happen…the power of the mob? 
 
Going a step further
 
Below is a link leading to PBS’s Frontline special A Class Divided (airing on March 26, 1985). The day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, a teacher in a small town in Iowa tried a daring classroom experiment. She decided to treat children with blue eyes as superior to children with brown eyes. FRONTLINE explores what those children learned about discrimination and how it still affects them today.
Learn about discrimination
 

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Numbers 12:1 Et tu, Brute?

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©1998-2016
Fellowship
Life of Moses
Et tu, Brute?
Numbers 12.1ff
Orig. 12/28/3; ed. 1.24.16

Introduction… Ever been jealous before? Why? Is jealousy normal? Why do people get jealous? What is at the heart of jealousy? 
 kid-knows-jealousy
How long did it take for jealousy to rear its ugly, deadly, destructive head within the biblical story? Try the first murder in Gen. 4? And who was it between and what were the deadly repercussions? Try between two brothers seeking to please God. I mean, even if something noble, such as seeking to bring appropriate offerings to God, can trigger hidden jealousies, then anything can and will. We all want to be loved, and somehow, when we perceive someone is getting better than we are, suddenly what was sufficient, now becomes less than…and less than can become deadly. 
 
On the other hand, have you experienced the painful side affects of someone else’s jealousy towards you? You were just being you, and then someone, because of your position or gifts or success, turned on you from seemingly out of nowhere, perhaps even a sibling? 
 
It’s a weird feeling. Typically, we don’t prepare our children for this type of experience. We tend to teach our children that the world is a good place…that justice prevails, and therefore, we are to do the right thing and we will be rewarded for it, right? Wrong. We forget to tell them, that even though they should still seek to do the right thing, your success can and usually does mean someone’s jealousy. Thus also the need to teach our kids about true humility even in the midst of perceived success. 
 

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Numbers 11:18-35 The Painful Provision

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©1998-2016
Fellowship
Life of Moses
The Painful Provision
Numbers 11:18-35
1.17.16

Introduction… Have you ever felt the presence of God? Have you ever had a God-moment in which God answered a prayer, or a sudden inspiration has come to you when only a moment or second before, you had never had that thought? How do you know it was God? How did things work out for you? Do you understand the importance of the Spirit’s role to not only the church in general, but to individual believers—how the Spirit, unlike the Son, is with and available to every person on the planet who puts their confidence, hope and trust in God the Son’s atonement for the forgiveness of all their sins, and thus allowing them to be reconciled with the holy, perfect, just and righteous Creator of the Universe?
spirit-of-god-breathe-in-me
In addition, it’s not always easy being a good Spiritual leader. Moses is finding this out the hard way. At times, especially early on, Moses was probably a bit too optimistic about people’s support. Now Moses is discovering that people…humans… can be very fickle, have short memories, say cruel things, as well as, cave into mob rule around them. 

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Numbers 11:1ff Leadership Training 11-29-15

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©1998-2015
Fellowship
Life of Moses
Leadership’s Training Grounds: 
When Someone Else’s Problems are Greater than my Human Resources…
Discontentment’s Rebellion, God’s Discipline, the Mediator’s Cry and the Spirit’s Comfort!
Numbers 11.1ff
11/30/3; ed. 11/29/15

Introduction…Ever notice how many people love to help when the help is short-term? Or when we do help someone in the short-term and it works, we tend to feel good about ourselves? 
Cowboy helping-others-ws31
But when our short-term answers run out too quickly and what we thought helped or fixed that person didn’t, then the helping or loving is NOT as much fun? Are you kidding me? You are NOT fixed? I don’t have time to really help you! How much help do you really need?! I can’t keep helping! I have other things to do…other people to help! Get your act together! Just how messed up are you?!
Remember earlier, when His impatient bride fashioned a golden calf to be her new god, how a frustrated Yahweh God was ready to be done with his fickle bride, but the Mediator, Moses, interceded on her behalf and the Groom relented? Feeling the increasing pressure of intervening on behalf of or attempting to please the fickle, often-discontented and constantly-aroused mob, the Mediator has finally reached his human limit and asks for Divine Help!

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Numbers 9-10 The Cloud: When to Move 11-22-15

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©1998-2015
Fellowship
Life of Moses
The Cloud: When to Pull Up Stakes and When Not To
Numbers 9-10
11/22/15
 
Introduction…How does one know if one is following the Cloud? Not the internet cloud, but the presence of God…i.e. for us, members of his church…his Spiritual gathering of saints? What do you think that means—to move and do when God leads, as well as, to rest and worship when the Cloud or Spirit ceases to move? I mean, how does one know if what I am doing is just me or from God? Do you think that God wants us to sit still sometimes…i.e. rest? And listen for or to his voice. I know, it seems for me when I have rested, it seems that God does inspire me with refreshed insights that I didn’t have before I rested and was Spiritually refreshed? Do you think that God does want us to go, go, go all the time? If God did say to sit still, could you? How would you? Would that sitting still at some point in time involve worship?
rest-848x300
If I were a teacher, I might even play a competitive game of still water to see who can be the stillest and why? Afterwards, I would ask my students, how it felt to be still for a few moments? Was it comfortable or uncomfortable and why? What were the greatest distractions to remaining still? 
 
General Study Introduction…
 
Note: Today’s passage represents a major transition. 
 
We are skipping over the later portion of ExodusLeviticus and the beginning of Numbers
 
Both Exodus and Leviticus contain significant sections dedicated to the establishment and construction of the tabernacle or movable tent where Yahweh God intends to Spiritually dwell with his bride, Israel. 
 
Also prescribed are special sacrifices, along with offerings, that Israel was to bring to her divine husband, either as acts of devotion or to atone for her sins committed against the Law or her covenant with Yahweh. In turn, these sacrifices and offerings were ritually received by and offered by the Levites (one of the 12 tribes of Israel), as well as a set apart subset of the Levites, the anointed Priests. The Priests were descendants of Moses’ brother Aaron, both of whom were members of the tribe of Levi. 
 
Numbers gets it’s title from the national census that begins the book. Ultimately, the book of Numbers takes Israel from God’s mountain at Sinai where she receives her Covenant or Law, to her promised ancestral lands in Canaan. Along the way, there are several major plot twists that dramatically shape the biblical narrative. 
 
It has now been almost one year (see Ex 19:1; Numbers 10:11) since Israel first arrived at Mt. Sinai to enter into her covenant with her Divine Sovereign, and almost 15 months since she first left Egypt (Ex 12:1). 
 
Now with her law in hand and having committed a major spiritual debacle, under the leadership of her mediator, Moses, Israel prepares to leave for her promised ancestral lands.
 
Pray…
 
Read Passage several times…
 
Ask Questions…
 
9:15 On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire.   
 
What kind of cloud? Was God in the cloud? Why a cloud? And why did the cloud appear like fire at night? Was this to reveal that this was no ordinary cloud, but the glory of God? 
Mountain in cloud

The Mountain in the Clouds

The peak of Mt. Olivia emerges briefly from the morning clouds behind Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. Mt. Olivia can be seen behind Ushuaia in yesterday’s picture, and is part of the Southern Andes of Patagonia. https://www.flickr.com/photos/12496504@N06/8520510333/
16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.   
 
Why over the tabernacle, the set apart place where God chose to meet with his bride Israel via their mediator Moses?
 
17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.   
 
No doubt, this represents a repeated pattern. When the cloud lifted, the bride knew it was time to pack up and travel. When it did not, she would remain camped. Follow the cloud. Israel’s total dependence was upon this God…this manifestation of God. 
 
18 At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.   
 
The cloud was everything. Everything. 
 
19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out.   
 
What was a long time? And why? What was God up to when the cloud remained stationary for extended periods of time? 
 
20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out.  
 
A few days…
 
21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out.   
Tent City
Tent city: An aerial view of the thousands of campers that Prince Charles witnessed at Glastonbury
 
Sometimes even just one day…

22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.   

Sounds like obedience to me. Heaven’s timetable—do we understand, or does it make any difference? To us, it is solely about being and undertaking life with the presence of God, our direction, power, love and refuge. 

23 At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

Now that a Spiritual rationale has been giving of why they traveled or not has been given, it is time for Israel, armed with her covenant and God’s presence, and much as believers in the New Testament, armed with their New Covenant and the Spirit of God, to take her next step, as God’s bride, towards her promised destiny.
 
(Skipping to 10:11…)

10:11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. 

Just over a year after Israel departed from Egypt—since the Passover plague occurred freeing Israel from her Egyptian slavery on the fifteenth day of the first month (Ex. 12)—Israel prepares to depart Sinai. 

12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran.   

How far was Paran from Sinai? Notice, this is from one desert to another. How many days was this journey? 
Wilderness of Sin Map copy
(Skipping to 10:33…)

10:33 So they set out from the mountain of the LORD and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.   

Their covenant with God leads them to their next temporary place of rest…

34 The cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.   

35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.”   

No doubt a confession of faith….

36 Whenever it came to rest, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel.”

The cloud descending and enveloping the tent of meeting? 

Summary… Through Moses’ command and the visibility of the fiery cloud, Israel strictly followed the Lord’s leading and presence.
 
Bottom line…The Lord leads his people through the wilderness via his fiery cloud.
 
What truths do I learn about God, man, people, myself, life?
 
• God was present with his people in a very visible way. 
 
• God directed their journey, including how far they would travel and how long they would rest. Does not the Divine do the same with us, beginning with our Spiritual rest forever in Christ’s atonement for our sin, thus ensuring us…God’s children…the promise of heaven forever? So both in Christ’s atonement for sin and the giving of the Holy Spirit, the church and its individual members are given both daily and eternal Spiritual leadership and rest at the same time and forever. 
 
• And, in this case, the people were obedient. They did stick close to God, and thus his direction and protection. 
 
• Moses pronounces a blessing or confession upon the Divine who is both leading and protecting Israel’s dangerous journey. 
 
• In the end, God both protects and leads his children through the haunting deserts of this world to their promised objective—rest with God forever in his presence. As God leads and move, so we move and live. As God rests, so we rest. And as he leads and moves or rest, we worship or confess the truth that it is God that lead, protects and rests, an no other. 
 
So What? 
 
2015 Application…Ironically, over the years, little has changed in the way of dealing with the changing seasons and motivations. These days, thank God, I do have a part-time executive assistant that God has sent my way and that works with me to overcome my seasonal fatigue and rebellion. We are learning that because there is so much, I have to be held accountable for smaller tasks over smaller amounts of time. In other words, such as writing, we break huge tasks into smaller bites in order to fit into what can feel like a very demanding schedule at times…demanding not just in time, but emotionally-draining as well. For instance, I spent four hours with a couple last night. I had not intended to, but it just worked out that way. They were referred to me by a member of our body, thus they have not attended our church, but I am teaching them about love and marriage. I help them sort out and untie their marital and relationship knots. At the same time, I am not kidding myself concerning the mental and emotional energy required to focus this intensely for this amount of time. So it is not just time, but how I spend that time.  
 
Thanksgiving…So appropriate, now that we are at this culturally seasonal moment for giving thanks. I am thankful for so so so much. 1) God’s financial provision still remains amazing, and I certainly don’t want to take this for granted. 2) It seems like everyday God is also providing for me Spiritually. I mean every day something amazing takes place—some answered prayer, a great counseling session, someone being broken and coming back to God, a truth I have never thought about before revealed in his word, a song…some kind of seemingly more mystical revealing of God’s presence, a crucial text…It’s like I am beginning to see God in so many thing and in so many ways…I am very very very blessed. 
 
Struggle…My counseling load seems demanding and at times draining, but I just keep on going everyday, thankful whether an appointment makes it or not. I just pick up one counseling foot and place it in front of another. At the same time, it has been difficult to focus on writing, as well as, other crucial pastoral duties. In response, I am attempting to leverage my part-time executive assistant, and that is what she certainly is, because of her over-the-top competence and Spiritual sensitivity, into more and more accountability with respect to either doing or managing all the tasks, lists, needs, dreams, hopes, goals and demands that fill my mind. My prayer and hope is the work, dreaming and planning that we are doing now will translate into my better empowering the Body to do whatever the heck the Spirit has in mind for our precious body…
Truth…I think as I relook at this passage 12 years later, almost to the day, and certainly to the week, is both the unrevealed, but clearly-communicated, day-by-day plan that Yahweh God had for his bride. In other words, whether she was to travel or rest for a day or a year, that was what she was supposed to do. Oh for a people of God that would be that obedient to the Spirit or the Cloud’s leading and protection. Are we supposed to sit still, rest and wait or are we to pull up stakes and follow the Cloud for this day. Heaven has a timetable for all things, but it is our temptation to NOT watch the cloud and either do it all on our own or sit stubbornly, when we ought to be moving. What an amazing paradoxically and beautiful plan of truth, trust, presence, rest and risk…all with the expressed purpose of bringing us through the world’s wildernesses to our promised destiny and rest in the real presence of God. What a plan! What a journey! What a Divine! Amen. 
 
Application…Today, I will finish the lesson; get some rest…and then see what God has in store. A few pastoral contacts perhaps. Some writing…simplifying almost seven hundred references concerning what is ultimately implied as Spiritual love…not just love, but Spiritual love…not just agape, but Spiritual agape. Hopefully a walk. God, I will move and rest as you lead. I trust you. I pray my Body will also follow my lead and trust you with going and resting as well. Amen. 
 
Your servant,
Joseph M. Cross

Your Struggle?
 


Your Truth? 



Your Application? 
 
 
Scripture quotations, unless noted otherwise, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version‚ NIV‚ Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.