In dealing with a chronic discharge of a disease, the key phrase is that there was to be a washing, a scrubbing, a cleansing with water. This predated medical knowledge by thousands of years, for it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that doctors understood the importance of cleanliness. Prior to that time, a clean doctor was considered to be about as effective as a clean football player. They wore blood on their clothes and hands as a sign of success. But in 1847, a Hungarian physician by the name of Ignaz Semmelweis made a correlation between the number of autopsies performed and the number of patients who, treated by the same doctors who performed the autopsies hours earlier, died from infectious disease. When he realized it was the doctors themselves who were spreading disease, he came to the revolutionary conclusion that doctors should wash after every operation.

“How shall a young man cleanse his way?” David asked. “By taking heed to the word” (see Psalm 119:9).

“We are washed by the water which is the word” Paul said (see Ephesians 5:26).

“Now ye are clean by the word which I have spoken unto you,” Jesus declared (John 15:3).

There is indeed a washing and a cleansing from spiritual disease as we drink of the Scriptures. Like the doctors in the dark ages of medicine, we mistakenly think we don’t have to wash ourselves spiritually all that often. Yet we wonder why we remain in an infected condition. God’s way is that His Word would be the cleansing agent that would purify and protect us from the infection of lustful thoughts, bad attitudes, cynical spirits, and a host of other diseases we think no one else sees.

It’s amazing how much better those who take time to be in the Word personally and fellowship with the Lord intimately do than those who think they don’t need to wash. Spending time in Bible study says, “Lord, I’m trusting that something is happening miraculously, supernaturally even now, that Your Word is doing a cleansing work in me.”

Linked to chapter 10, these opening verses of chapter 16 hint that, in addition to burning strange fire, Nadab and Abihu violated God’s law by going into the Holy of Holies.

Suppose you are an Amorite, Ammonite, or a Jebusite watching the Israelites fervently engaged in pitching a huge tent. An Israelite happens across your path and you ask him what he’s doing. “Erecting the Tabernacle,” he would answer, “the tent where God meets with His people.”

“I want to go there and meet Him too,” you would say.

“Sorry, it’s just for Israelites,” he would answer.

“Then I wish I were an Israelite,” you would say.

“It’s not enough to simply be an Israelite,” he would answer. “You have to be of the tribe of Levi. They’re the only ones who get to put up the Tabernacle.”

“Then I wish I were a Levite,” you would say.

“It’s not that simple,” he would say. “To go into the Tabernacle, you must be a priest, which means you must be of the family of Aaron.”

“Then I wish I were of the family of Aaron,” you would say.

“It’s not that simple,” he would say. “Only the oldest member of the family can serve as the high priest. And only the high priest can actually meet with God.”

“Then I wish I were the oldest member of the family of Aaron so I could meet with God whenever I wished,” you would say.

“It’s not that simple,” he would say. “The high priest can only meet with God one day each year on Yom Kippur. And if he’s not properly prepared, he’ll die.”

We can have the tendency to read the Old Testament and think it would be wonderful to live in the days when people saw firsthand the parting of the Red Sea, the drowning of Pharaoh’s army, and manna falling from Heaven. Yet, in reality, we live in much better days because we experience every day that which only one of them could experience on only one day each year: the Chabod, the glory of God. It’s an unbelievable privilege God has given to you and me. Thus, these days are better indeed.

The sin offering required two goats. One was to be sacrificed because the wages of sin is death. But the other goat was brought before Aaron in order that he might lay his hands on its head and verbally, articulately, and carefully confess the sins of the nation and, in a sense, transfer the sin to the goat. Symbolically bearing the sins of the whole nation, the goat was then led to the wilderness, where it symbolically carried the sins of the congregation out of sight.

The scapegoat is an illustration of God’s declaration that He will remember our sins and iniquities no more (Jeremiah 31:34). When this understanding finally drops from one’s head to one’s heart, it is so exhilarating, and so liberating because most of us believe that God, like Santa Claus, is making a list and checking it twice, that God is keeping score. He’s not. We remember each other’s sin. But God has chosen to erase from His memory bank the sins we confess.

Most people know this doctrinally, but because they don’t believe it in the deepest part of their soul, they believe God is disappointed with them due to what happened ten years ago or ten weeks ago or ten minutes ago. In Psalm 103, God says, “As far as the east is from the west, so I have put your iniquities from Me” (see verse 12). In Isaiah, He says, “I have cast your sins behind My back” (see 38:17). Isaiah 44:22 tells us He has blotted out our sins like a thick cloud; Job 14:17 says that He puts our sins in a bag and sews it up; Micah 7:19 declares that our sins are cast into the depths of the sea.

What the scapegoat pictured symbolically and temporarily, the Lamb of God achieved practically and eternally when He died on the Cross of Calvary for each and every sin of all of humanity.

The Day of Atonement took place in the seventh month, on the tenth day. Seven is the number of perfection, ten the number of the law. Do we keep the law perfectly? No. And that is the reason for the Day of Atonement.

On the Day of Atonement, how would the children of Israel know if the offering was sufficient? They would know their sins were covered if the high priest emerged from the Tabernacle - for if he was not properly prepared, if his offering was unacceptable, he would die in the Holy of Holies, in the presence of a holy, almighty God.

So too, I know with certainty that I am forgiven because our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, came out of the tomb. Therefore, the book of Hebrews declares, “Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we might find grace and mercy to help in time of need” (4:16). Because the work of atonement has been accomplished completely and perfectly, God invites us specifically and personally to come into the Holy of Holies, to come before His throne. The question is, will we take advantage of the invitation?

The story is told of a telegraph company in the 1800s seeking to hire an operator. The salary offered being quite substantial, only the most qualified were encouraged to apply. On the day of the invitation, seven men showed up. As they sat outside the boss’ office waiting for their interview and listening to the telegraph operators working in the background, suddenly, the last one to arrive suddenly stood up and went into the boss’ office without being asked. The boss emerged a few minutes later and said, “Gentlemen, thank you for coming. But there will be no need for an interview. I’ve hired this man for the position.”

“Wait a minute,” one of the remaining six protested, “that’s not fair. This man was the last to arrive. We should have had our chance to be interviewed for this position.”

“You did,” the boss said. “While you were sitting here, one of our operators was tapping out a message saying, ‘If you receive this message, come into my office immediately. The job is yours.’”

All of the men were trained. All were qualified. All had knowledge of Morse code, but only one of the seven was tuned into the message being tapped out right then.

I can’t help but wonder today if there is one in seven who has really heard the message being tapped out that says, “Come boldly to My throne. Talk with Me. Cast your care upon Me. Receive from Me help, strength, and instruction.”

Have you heard the message, mom - the tap, tap, tap of the Morse code of the Master saying, “Come and talk to Me about your son or daughter. This is the moment”?

Have you heard the message, husband? Do you hear the tapping of the Master saying, “Come boldly to the throne of grace that you might find help for your marriage which is presently unraveling”?

If you’re wondering whether to go to college, take the job, or move away; if you’re struggling with physical affliction or fighting depression, I wonder if there is one in seven who hears the Lord saying, “The stone is rolled away. The veil is rent. The way is open. Come on in!”

Ezekiel 20 tells us that, when the Israelites were in Egypt for four hundred years, they were involved in idolatry. Therefore, because God the Father was very concerned about the tendency of His people to fall into heresy, which often led to idolatry, He said, “I want all sacrifices to be made at the Tabernacle.”

“We don’t like the Tabernacle. It’s too confining,” some might have protested. “Can’t five of us just get together and sacrifice in the woods?”

“No,” God said.

“Who needs priests?” others might have asked. “Aren’t we all spiritual? Can’t we all offer sacrifices?”

“No,” God said.

There are those today who think they can worship God without going to church. “My church is on the golf course,” they say, or “at the lake,” or “on the beach.” “Why go into a stuffy building?” they ask. “Isn’t God the God of creation?”

This passage reveals God’s heart concerning the way He wants to be worshiped, not because He is stuffy and contrary, but because He knows what will happen practically. You see, over the years, I have noticed that the people who choose to seek the Lord at their lake house rather than in the sanctuary with the congregation never do well over the long haul. There can be a tendency, especially for older Christians, to say, “church was great for our first ten years, but now we just need some space on Sundays,” failing to realize that it’s when we’re with our brothers and sisters - living stones being fit together for a holy habitation (1 Peter 2:5) - that sometimes we’re rubbed the wrong way by necessity. That is, it is the interaction, the fellowship, the seeking of God together that not only smoothes our rough edges, but also gives us stability.

When Peter Marshall, chaplain of the United States Senate in the 1940s, first arrived in Washington, D.C., to pastor the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, an elderly lady is said to have greeted him by saying, “I do so hope you won’t talk too much about the blood, as our previous pastor did.”

“I promise I won’t talk too much about the blood,” the young Scotsman assured her, “because it is impossible to talk too much about the blood.”

Peter Marshall nailed it perfectly. It is impossible to talk too much about the blood of Jesus Christ. Why? Because the Bible is soaked in blood, saturated with blood. Ours is a bloody religion indeed. And there’s a reason for that. The book of Hebrews tells us that without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin (9:22). Therefore, with man’s greatest need being forgiveness, it only stands to reason that blood would be spoken of freely and consistently throughout the Word.

Why is blood the key to forgiveness? Because, as seen in our text, the life of the flesh is in the blood. That is why it was blood that cried out when the first murder was committed (Genesis 4:10). There is indeed a potency, a mystery, a power in blood for it is the essence of life. And in Leviticus, God uses these powerful properties of blood to not only show us the seriousness of our sin, but to point to the sacrifice of His Son.

Because the blood is sacred, orthodox Jews, as they do to this day, were exceedingly careful not to eat any meat not thoroughly drained of every drop of blood. And then an itinerant Rabbi from Galilee came along one day and had the audacity to proclaim, “Except you drink My blood, you have no life in you” (see John 6:53). No wonder it was at that point that many walked away to follow Him no more (John 6:66).

I know what Jesus was saying. So do you. He wasn’t talking about cannibalism, about drinking His blood literally in violation of Leviticus 17. He was talking about intimacy, how we are to devour the Word, how we are to open our hearts, how we are to embrace the work He did when He shed His blood for our sin. Yet, when His followers turned away, Jesus didn’t say, “Wait a minute. Let Me explain what I meant. It’s not what you think.” Why didn’t He do that? Why didn’t He clarify the issue? I believe it was for three basic reasons . . .

He knew what the Holy Spirit would do. That is, He knew that which He shared could only be made real when the Holy Spirit made it alive. And because it is the work of the Spirit to bring all things to remembrance (John 14:26), Jesus knew the Spirit would bring this occasion to their minds and make application in due season.

Second, Jesus knew what the Father alone could do. Only the Father can cause a person to come to Jesus (John 6:44). The Spirit gives revelation, but it is the Father who determines who will come to His Son.

Third, Jesus knew what the true disciples should do. When asked if he was about to leave with the rest, Peter answered, “Where else would we go? You alone have the words of eternal life” (see John 6:67–68). Jesus didn’t hurry to explain His words to those who left because He knew that they must learn to do what you and I must do: walk by faith. Why? Because only faith is strong enough to weather the storms ahead.

When we don’t understand what’s going on, when we’re troubled by a teaching we’ve heard or a passage we’ve read, when we’re going through a tragedy or a heartbreak, if we’re not careful, we will be like those in John 6:66, failing to understand that the only way our faith becomes strong is when, like Peter, we believe in spite of what we don’t initially understand.

Jesus knew what the Holy Spirit would do. He knew what the Father alone could do. He knew what His true disciples should do. And knowing these things, Jesus ministered in a way that was wonderfully relaxed and incredibly peaceful.

Here, verse 11 is repeated: the life of the flesh is in the blood. Physiologically, this understanding preceded medicine by thousands of years, for it wasn’t until 1628 that an anatomist named Dr. Harvey identified the importance of the red fluid circulating within us. Spiritually, we know that just as our own blood keeps us alive temporarily, the shed blood of the Lamb of God gives us life eternally.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. - 1 Peter 1:18–21

When Jesus died on the Cross, He paid for each one of our sins specifically. How could He have accomplished this in only six hours two thousand years ago on Calvary? Peter tells us He was slain before the foundation of the world. And John tells us that when we see Him, we’ll see Him as a Lamb having just been slain (Revelation 5:6). Therefore, from the perspective of the time/space continuum, the work of salvation was indeed complete in six hours on the Cross. But from the eternal perspective, where there is no future and no past (Ecclesiastes 3:15), Jesus’ suffering was infinitely greater than anything we can even begin to comprehend. With this being the case, how can I lightly say, “It doesn’t matter if I harbor an unforgiving spirit, have a lousy attitude, or engage in a questionable activity. It’s all forgiven because of Calvary”?

The work of salvation is complete, finished, done. Yet as true as that is, it is also true that the price Jesus paid for each of our sins individually is unspeakably more than we can understand this side of eternity.

Because the life of the flesh is in the blood, Jesus gave His blood so that we can have life.

Here, God declares, “I am the Lord your God. You are to behave in a way unlike that which you saw in Egypt.” During the four hundred-year period the children of Israel were in Egypt, the Egyptians were the most advanced culture in world history. Although it was impressive in many ways, it was also an immoral culture. In reference to the Canaanites, who were even more immoral than the Egyptians, God said, “You are to be neither like those in the land from which you came nor like those in the land to which you are going. I am the Lord your God. I know how you were created. I know what will bring you lasting joy, true peace. If you do what I say, you’ll experience life the way it was meant to be.”

Leviticus 19 issues a call to holiness. Holiness is related to wholeness. And God wants us to be a whole people. When you understand this, you’ll find that the commands of God are no longer burdensome. You’ll find yourself wanting to embrace them, eager to learn them, ready to practice them. The Father wants us to be a blessed people - blessed in our families and our marriages, in our relationships and our occupations. He truly desires us to be happy. Satan, the deceiver and liar, says holiness leads to strangeness. “You’ll be miserable,” he hisses. “You’ll miss out on all the fun.” Not so.

God doesn’t look in the mirror and say, “I’m not really pleased with this aspect of Myself,” or “I wish I was a bit different in this area of My personality.” No, because He is holy, God is totally, completely, and absolutely happy with every part of His being. You see, in essence, the word holy simply means “whole.” And because He’s whole, because He lacks nothing, God is supremely happy with who He is. And He wants nothing less for us.

Holiness leads to happiness. That’s an absolute, non-negotiable, irrefutable spiritual principle. God wants us to be holy for He is holy. He commands us to be holy, for He wants us to be happy.

In addition to the obvious injunction not to be hardened to those who are physically inflicted, blindness and deafness are pictures throughout Scripture of the spiritual insensitivity of a world that’s lost.

Cursing the deaf is subtle. Do we have an attitude of cursing those who bother us, those who act worldly because their ears are closed to an awareness of God? How did Jesus deal with the deaf? Consider these words from the Gospel of Mark . . .

And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to Heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. - Mark 7:32–35

Jesus not only took the deaf man aside from the crowd and gave him individual attention, but He put His fingers in the deaf man’s ears and gave him an individual touch. Jesus didn’t have to touch him. He could have spoken the word and that would have sufficed, but had He done so, the deaf man wouldn’t have heard it. So He related to the man where he was. Then Jesus looked to Heaven, showing the man from whence his healing would come. That’s the pattern - touching people and relating to them where they are concerning their knowledge and understanding. When Jesus spoke, the man’s ears were opened. And as you and I speak the Word of God, spiritually deaf ears are opened as well.

Second, we’re not to trip the blind. The concept of being a stumbling block is also seen in 1 Corinthians 8, where a controversy had arisen concerning meat that had been offered to idols before it was sold in discount markets. Looking for a good buy and knowing that idols were powerless to affect meat, some Christians would purchase the meat at discount prices. Others, however, said the meat was defiled and not to be eaten. Paul’s answer was that while believers are the freest of men, we’re not to use our freedom in a way that causes others to stumble. In any given situation, each of us will either be a stumbling block or a stepping stone. People will either be hindered in coming to Jesus or we’ll be stepping stones on their path to Him.

Sometimes I feel we’re the ones with blinded eyes, the ones who don’t see people properly; we’re the ones with deaf ears, unable to hear the cries of lost humanity. How can the Lord make us more like Himself? Look again at Mark’s Gospel . . .

And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. - Mark 8:22–25

Sometimes I think we who have been touched by the hand of Jesus Christ, we who have received divine enlightenment, still see men as trees: trees that are in our way, trees that are to be cut down and used for our own purposes. How did Jesus solve this problem? He touched the blind man a second time and made him look up. And then the man saw every man clearly.

You and I also need to look up, for when we fix our eyes on Jesus, we become like Him (1 John 3:2). When I don’t look up to the Lord, I’ll look down on men. I’ll see them as trees. But when I focus on Jesus, I will see people as He sees them.

A talebearer hurts three people: the person he talks about, the person he talks to, and himself.

First, in a very real sense, people are who we say they are, regardless of whether what we say is true. People will either be lifted up or put down in the estimation of others by what we say about them. Jesus draws a direct parallel between murder and the tongue because we have the power to kill another person’s reputation with our words (Matthew 5:21–22). Second, telling tales, or gossiping, hurts the person who listens because it affects the way he or she will view the person being talked about. Finally, gossip hurts the talebearer himself because every time we gossip, we become smaller and smaller. As has been wisely said, great minds talk about ideas or ideals; average minds about events; small minds about people. In which company are you?

“Sanctify,” or qadash in Hebrew, means “to set apart” - set apart to God and set apart from sin. Can we really be set apart from sin? Can we truly be sanctified?

John Wesley and his brother, Charles, both godly men, believed that if people lived a disciplined life before God, they could achieve a state of sanctity in which they would never sin again. Determined to see this understanding come to fruition, they developed a method to do this, and the Methodist movement was born. On other hand, John Calvin and others said it was impossible to be completely and totally sanctified in this life. And these two views remain in the church to this day.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He didn’t say, “To be continued,” or “This will do for now.” He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). That is why Paul could address the Corinthian believers as those who have been sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2). Practically, the Corinthian congregation was full of problems. So are we. But positionally, the Corinthians were sanctified. And so are we.

Verse 7 begins with “Sanctify yourselves.” Verse 8 ends with, “I am the LORD which sanctify you.” Is sanctification something we do, or is it something God does for us? It’s both. God sanctifies us, yet He won’t do it without our participation. We see this illustrated perfectly in 2 Kings 5 . . .

Plagued by leprosy, a Syrian general named Naaman heard there was a prophet in Israel doing miracles. He traveled there and was told by Elisha to dip in the Jordan River seven times.

Naaman was offended. “That dirty river? We have bigger, cleaner rivers in Syria,” he protested.

But when his advisors said, “What do you have to lose?” he followed Elisha’s instructions, and after his seventh dip, his leprosy was gone.

If we want to be free from the leprosy eating away at our marriages, our families, and our joy, we have a part to play. Seven being the number of completion, and water being emblematic of the Word, we are to dip into the Word over and over and over again. And as we do, God meets us and we begin to see we are indeed sanctified. As we fellowship with Him, listen to Him, and obey Him, we experience the unmistakable sanctifying process. “Sanctify yourselves,” God says, “and as you do, I will sanctify you.” Without Him, we can’t. Without us, He won’t.

The story is told of a man who, after parking his car, set out for a day hike in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Three miles into what was to be a relaxing afternoon outing, he noticed ominous storm clouds forming as the temperature dropped dangerously. Realizing a freak snowstorm was headed his way, the man began backtracking toward his car. He had a mile or so to go when the storm became so intense that he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Losing his way, he walked for two hours until he realized he was freezing. Feeling a deadly lethargy, the man knew that if he sat down, he would never get up, so he fought it for as long as he could. But finally, the desire to rest was just too overpowering, so he sat down at the base of a tree, the snow still falling intensely. As he sat down, he felt something next to him. Brushing away the snow, he discovered the body of a man who had evidently stopped to rest only a few moments earlier. Finding a pulse, the young man stood to his feet and, with a burst of newfound energy, picked up the man who had almost frozen to death, put him on his shoulders, and began walking feverishly. After walking fifty yards or so, he bumped into the side of a cabin. Feeling his way to the front, he banged on the door, which was opened by a man who welcomed the pair inside to warm themselves by his roaring fire.

The application is obvious. In attempting to save someone else, the young man was himself saved. In caring for someone else, he himself was cared for. And that’s what Jesus meant when He said, “The measure you give out will be measured back to you” (see Luke 6:38).

When tragedy strikes or when trials come, we’ll either say, “This ought not to be. Poor me,” or we’ll say, “This can be used for Your glory, so pour me, Lord. Pour me out to the people in need all around.”

What did our great High Priest do in His time of tragedy, in His time of pain? Even as He hung on the Cross in agony, He ministered to a man beside Him, to a woman below Him, and to the crowd around Him . . .

“This day you shall be with Me in Paradise,” He said to the needy thief beside Him (see Luke 23:43).

“Woman, behold thy son,” He said to His grieving mother standing at the foot of the Cross below Him (John 19:26).

“Father, forgive them,” He prayed concerning the jeering crowd surrounding Him (Luke 23:34).

No wonder Caiaphas rent his garments that day (Matthew 26:65), for he was disqualified from priestly ministry at that moment, superseded by the great High Priest whose garment was not rent (John 19:24).

The garment of Caiaphas was torn. Not so the garment of Jesus, for Jesus will never lose control emotionally or grieve hysterically. Therefore, neither must we. I’m not talking about “keeping a stiff upper lip,” having a “positive mental attitude,” or a “don’t worry, be happy” mentality. I’m talking about the reality of our great High Priest living in you and me through both good days and bad.

Stay in the place of ministry, gang. Follow the example of Jesus. When difficulties come your way, the best thing you can do is go for it more than you ever have previously, in giving out, in sharing with, and in caring for those beside and all around you.

The remedy for uncleanness is first waiting and then washing. First, the unclean person was to wait until evening. Why evening? Because in Jewish economy, the setting of the sun signaled a new day . . .

It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22–23

The Lord ordered our lives in such a way that every day after about sixteen or eighteen hours, we go to bed and basically “die.” To me, His plan is ingenious because I find that after about sixteen hours of living, I’ve pretty much messed it up. I’ve dropped the ball once too often and fumbled one too many times. I need to die and start over in a fresh way. So I think it’s wonderful that God lets us die every eighteen hours.

How I love the morning hours. Whether I spend them at church, in my place of prayer at home, or walking the streets of town on a spring or summer morning, I love the morning when it’s quiet, when I can receive a piping hot batch of mercy fresh from the oven of God’s grace.

Second, the priest who was unclean - whether by his own flesh or through contact with the dead things of the world - was to wash. As New Testament priests, the washing refers to the water of the Word (John 15:3). Did you wash today in the water of the Word? We’re bombarded every day by creeping things and dead carcasses, by that which would defile us and render us unable to serve or eat that which would satisfy our souls. God would say, “The solution is simple, the remedy is real: wait on Me in this new day and wash in the water of My Word.”

When an Israelite willingly offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving, it was to be completely eaten on the same day it was offered. Why? First, it was to protect against pollution, against the food becoming spoiled for lack of refrigeration. Spiritually, I believe our thanksgiving can also become spoiled unless offered consistently. Over time, our minds have a way of explaining away God’s miraculous hand in any given situation, of attributing His goodness in our lives to our own efforts, to luck, or to coincidence. And thus, our thanksgiving becomes spoiled if not offered immediately, consistently, and wholeheartedly.

Second, I believe this word was given to us to provide satiation. It is as if the Lord is saying, “When you bring Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving, I want you to leave with a full belly. I want you to be deeply satisfied, totally satiated, and completely happy.”

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. - Hebrews 13:15

God wants us to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving not because He needs to be thanked but because we need to be thankful. Why? Thanksgiving is the antidote to depression, the remedy for a cynical spirit. Yes, there are very real battles facing each of us. We are not to pretend they don’t exist. But neither are we to indulge in doubt and self-pity. Rather, we’re to do what Jehoshaphat did . . .

With a confederation of Edomite, Ammonite, and Moabite troops arrayed against him, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, called unto God for help. God responded through a prophet, saying, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17).

Jehoshaphat could have said, “What kind of battle plan is that?” Instead, he bowed his head and worshiped. Although all he had was a promise, the next morning, rather than sending his troops to battle, Jehoshaphat sent a choir to praise. And although this made no sense militarily, it disoriented the enemy, they drew their swords in confusion, and they annihilated one another (see verses 20–24).

The same thing is true in the Spirit. We have an Enemy who surrounds us constantly, an adversary who wants to intimidate and depress us daily, whose goal is to rob us of the riches of our joy and peace. But this Enemy is beaten back, confused, and overwhelmed through the power of praise and thanksgiving.

On the Day of Atonement, the nation confessed their sin and afflicted their souls. The result? A party five days later at the Feast of Tabernacles (five being the number of grace). Every morning during the Feast of Tabernacles, the priests would divide into two processionals. One group would go directly east to the Valley of Kidron and gather willow, palm, myrtle, and citrus branches to pass out to the people and to lay in the courtyard of the Temple where sacrifices were made. The second group of priests would go south to the pool of Siloam, carrying a golden pitcher, which they would dip into the water. Both companies of priests - those carrying the branches and those carrying the water - would meet at the Temple, where the water was poured out from the pitcher before the altar as a reminder of God’s provision of water for them during their wilderness wanderings. On the eighth day, the great day of the feast, the priests would go to the pool of Siloam, but they would return with an empty pitcher, acknowledging the fact that because they were now in the Promised Land, there was no longer need for the supernatural provision of water. And as they did, the priests would pray this prayer . . .

Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. - Isaiah 44:2–4

Why would they read this passage? Because they understood that Isaiah 44 was a prophecy of the pouring out of the Spirit that could transpire only when Messiah came to their land.

The year is approximately AD 32. On the great day of the feast, everyone watched as the processional returned from the pool of Siloam, poured out the empty pitcher, and prayed for Messiah to come. Then a young thirty-three-year-old rabbi from Galilee shouts out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. . . . out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37–38), thereby presenting Himself as Messiah and offering the living water, the rain of the Holy Spirit.

But Jesus’ declaration was not yet complete . . .

Every night during the Feast of Tabernacles, the celebration of illumination took place on the temple mount. In this celebration, four huge menorahs, with wicks made of priest’s robes which had been worn out, were lit, and shined so brightly that light could be seen one hundred miles away. At the end of the feast, the menorahs would be extinguished, not to be relit until the following year. John tells us that it was on the day after the Feast of Tabernacles, the day after the menorahs were extinguished, that Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12) - the true Light which would never be extinguished.

Don’t lose sight of the fact that the Lord’s coming is near, gang. In the meantime, drink deeply of the water of His Spirit and illuminate your life, not with a pillar of fire or a huge menorah which was used and then extinguished, but by the presence and promises of the One who will never leave you nor forsake you as you walk daily with Him.

Here we see the responsibility of the people to protect God’s holy name. When, during a fight, the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian man blasphemed the name of the Lord, the people of God weren’t sure whether he was to be held to the same standards as they were. So they put him in ward, in custody, and sought the mind of the Lord - always a wise thing to do.

Had Moses come to me asking what I thought he should do with a man who was half Egyptian and half Jew and had blasphemed the Lord’s name during a fight, my tendency would have been to say, “Let’s discuss this. He doesn’t have the background the rest of us have had. Here’s a chance for us to be merciful, to show grace, to demonstrate to the Egyptian people how kind, big-hearted, and loving we are. Let’s not rush into this matter. Let’s give him a warning, explain why we don’t say those things around here, and let him go. After all, he’s half Egyptian.”

But verses 13 through 16 show me just how far my thoughts are from God’s, that I’m not nearly as wise as I think I am.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death. - Leviticus 24:13–16

Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you think you know what’s right and what’s wise. But, on the basis of this passage, I encourage you, even as I remind myself, rather than making a decision based upon dialogue, discussion, and debate, to seek the Lord in prayer and see what He says concerning any given matter.

God speaks to those who are on their knees seeking Him sincerely, admitting they lack wisdom. God’s will is not a mystery. The only question is, will we do what He tells us to do?

In the year of Jubilee, any land that had been sold was to be returned to its original owner. That is, if a piece of property was sold to cover a debt or to rescue a household financially, it was to be restored to the family of the one who had sold it initially.

With release of debt, rest from labor, and restoration of property, the year of Jubilee seems like a golden opportunity. And yet neither the Bible nor extra-biblical writers give any indication it was ever observed.

Before we chide the Israelites for failing to take advantage of the glorious year of Jubilee, however, we would do well to look in the mirror. If you want to experience jubilee in your own life presently, it begins with releasing people from the captivity in which you hold them because you think they let you down, disappointed, or hurt you. “For if ye forgive men their trespasses,” Jesus said, “your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15). It is the one who doesn’t set the debtor free who remains bound in misery. Even though you don’t feel it emotionally, you can decide today to do that which Israel never did: to cancel all debts and to experience jubilee in your soul.

If you’re a believer in Jesus, Satan knows he’s lost your soul. But he’ll seek to neutralize and nullify your witness by attacking you, by sending out his demons to cause destruction and deception. What do we do with these images, these powers that plague and haunt us? Consider the following four suggestions . . .

In dealing with the entities that war against your soul, there must first of all be realization. We are at war. And because we’re at war, there will be casualties. When a person sins, the reaction can be, “He has blown it. Shame on him.” But we need to realize that he has been attacked and therefore look at him not as vicious but as a victim of the Enemy’s attack.

Second, there must be preparation. When the disciples were unable to cast out a demon from a boy who was possessed, Jesus told them to do so required prayer and fasting (Matthew 17). Therefore, we must be prepared before the attack comes. How? I suggest one way is by fasting. Before running a marathon, runners stock up on carbohydrates. To prepare spiritually, we are to do just the opposite because something happens when we say “no” to our stomachs. Saying “no” to our appetites physically strengthens the inner man spiritually.

Third, there must be confrontation against these entities. We can’t run from them. We must move in authority, fervency, and intensity in dealing with them. And yet all too often when we sense a spiritual attack headed our way, we just give up and get depressed. It took a shout to bring down the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:20). It took a spoken, authoritative command to cast out demons (Mark 5:8). Thus, if we are to wage war against the demonic entities that plague us, we must confront them with authority, and at times even vocally.

Finally, we move in expectation, for without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). We can expect to be victorious knowing that our Enemy and his hordes from hell are doomed to one day be thrown into the bottomless pit forever (Revelation 12).

The victory is ours, gang. All we have to do is take it and act upon it. May we be those who keep ourselves from idols as we recognize them, prepare for them, and confront them in the name of Jesus.

Even in the time of captivity, even in the place of bondage which was due to their own disobedience, God says, “I won’t forget or forsake My people.” And that is the Word of the Lord for you and me today. God is saying, “If you walk in My law, you’ll be blessed. If you wander from My law, you’ll be burned. But even if you’re in captivity, know this: I have not forsaken you, for lo, I am with you always” (see Matthew 28:20).

Every broken commandment, every ignored precept can be forgiven because of what Jesus did for us on Calvary. Therefore, even if we’re in the land of the Enemy, God still cares about us. If we’ll confess our sin to Him, if we’ll call upon His name, He’ll restore us once again. “If you wander from My ways, terror will come,” God says. “If you walk in My ways, I’ll bless you. It’s your choice. The ball is in your court.”

In Genesis, we see in the person of Abraham God’s people waiting - waiting for the son promised to him, the first of a nation which was to number as the stars in the heavens, the sand on the seashore. In Exodus, we see God’s people watching, as God raised up a deliverer named Moses to set them free. In Leviticus, we see God’s people worshiping, as He outlined for them the way they were to commune with Him. Here in Numbers, we see God’s people warring, as they organized into camps to do battle against the enemies they would encounter in the Promised Land.

It was in the wilderness that Moses heard the Word of the Lord. I point this out because sometimes when we go through a wilderness experience, although we try to extract things from the Word, although we spend time in prayer, we don’t hear the voice of the Lord. All of us go through such times. But notice exactly where Moses was in the wilderness when the Lord spoke to him - he was in the Tabernacle of the congregation when he heard the voice of the Lord. And I believe the best place to hear the Lord speak is still the tabernacle of the congregation, in church.

So many times in my walk when I have been dry, when I haven’t heard the heart of the Lord, no sooner would I go into a church service and plop down on a back pew somewhere, than I would begin to listen and wonder, Who told this preacher what I’m going through? The Word spoke directly and specifically to my situation. I say this because sometimes we fail to remember that one of the most effective ways to study the Bible is to consistently and faithfully come to church and travel through the Word with our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

The Tabernacle was the place wherein dwelt the Chabod, the glory of God - that which every person, whether he knows it or not, craves. You might think you’re craving a bigger house, a faster car, or a new boyfriend. But in reality, what you’re truly craving is the Chabod, the glory of God. And the degree to which you experience the glory of God is the degree to which you will be satisfied in this life presently. Otherwise, you’ll fall into the trap of thinking you’ll be content as soon as you get the next promotion - failing to understand that it is only the weight, the substance, and the glory of God that will satisfy your soul.

Here we see that the Levites - those who served in the Tabernacle - had the privilege of camping closest to the place where the Chabod resided. The same is true today. The way to experience the presence of God is to serve - be it teaching a Sunday school class, coaching a Little League team in a way that you are an example of what it means to be a lover of God, raising your kids in the ways of God, serving as a missionary, or being involved in intercessory prayer. Jesus said whatever measure we give out will be given back to us (Matthew 7:2). And I have found this to be oh, so true. The key to experiencing the glory of God is to be involved in service, for if we only take in, we become bloated and groggy; but if we share with others what we’re learning, what we’ve been given, and what we’re experiencing, we will receive a continuous fresh supply.

The significance of the camping assignments for the twelve tribes seen in Numbers 2 becomes evident twenty chapters later, for in Numbers 22, we see the children of Israel, en route to the Promised Land, camped in the plain of Moab. This caused consternation in the heart of Balak, the king of Moab, for he had heard of the Israelites’ victory over the Ammonites. So, in addition to forming an alliance with the Midianites, Balak persuaded Balaam, a prophet of the Lord, to curse the Israelites.

Accompanied by Balak to the top of a mountain from which he could see the entire Israelite camp, Balaam looked down to see the Tabernacle in the midst with a contingent of 108,100 to the west; 186,400 to the east; 157,600 to the north; and 151,450 to the south. In other words, he would have seen the configuration of a cross. No wonder he was unable to curse the Israelites. You see, Balaam thought the Israelites were to be cursed because they were a bunch of complainers and idolaters. God, however, saw no iniquity in them because they were encamped in the Cross.

And the same is true for us. Because we’re encamped in the Cross, because we’re in Christ, we can go boldly before the throne of God today and receive what we need (Hebrews 4:16). For whatever battle you’re fighting, or whatever issue you’re facing, the solution is found at the throne of grace simply because you’re encamped in, cleansed by, and forgiven through the Cross of Calvary.

A year after Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, he climbed the mountain again to find God’s mind, His heart, and His plan. So too, if your life feels disorganized or confused, don’t look to a self-help book to solve it for you. The best thing we can do individually, as families or as a church, is to go to the mountain. Although the temptation is to reverse the order, we need to agonize in prayer before we organize a plan. When you feel scattered or out of focus, when your family is frayed by all of its activities, follow the example of Moses. Find a place where you can hear from the Lord.

Due to the fact that He created these children, and also spared them at Passover, God owned the firstborn. In other words, they were His, not only by creative right, but also by redemptive right. It was the Lord’s original intent that the firstborn of every family in each tribe be a priest. But when only the Levites came forward as those who were on the Lord’s side, they became the exclusive tribe God chose to minister to Him. The men of Reuben, Gad, and Naphtali backed away, knowing they would have to deal with their friends and neighbors. The men of Judah, Benjamin, and Zebulun knew that they would have to inflict pain in order to save the nation. In the end, only one tribe was willing to say, “It’s not a pleasant task, not an easy thing to do, but we’re on the Lord’s side and this needs to be done. So we will do it.” And, as a result, they were blessed (Exodus 32:29).

In this, I understand why oftentimes we are not used to the degree we would like to be or think we ought to be. Hebrews 4:12 tells us the Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. If the Lord so directs, am I willing to unsheathe the sword of the Word and deal with situations which are detrimental, dangerous, or diseased in the lives of friends, neighbors, or family members? Or will I be like Simeon, Issachar, and Asher who shied away?

It’s one thing to say, “I’ll take the sword and deal with the Jebusites, the Philistines, and the Canaanites.” But will you deal with your own family, your own friends, your own co-workers? Proverbs 29:25 says the fear of man is a snare. It will trip me up. At any given moment, I am living in fear. So are you. The question is, whom do I fear? I will either be walking in the fear of God - not wanting to disappoint Him or disobey Him - or I will be walking in the fear of man - concerned about what others think of me.

The fear of man says, “I care more about you liking me than I do about you doing well.” The fear of God, on the other hand, says, “You might not like this, but I’m going to tell you the truth because I care more about you doing well than I do about you not liking me.”

Knowing the story of Levi, I would have thought it would be any tribe but his to step up to the task. After all, it was Levi who, along with Simeon, decided to avenge the rape of their sister Dinah by unsheathing the sword and slaying all the men of Shechem (Genesis 34), an offense of such magnitude that Simeon and Levi were cursed and denied an inheritance in the Promised Land (Genesis 49:5–7). Therefore, when Moses asked who would mete out judgment upon Israel, I would have thought Levi would have said, “Not us. We’ve been down this road before. We’re cursed to this day. Let Reuben do it.” But that’s not what happened, for even though they had failed previously, Levi said, “We will do what’s necessary.” Amazing.

“How can I correct him?” we say. “I failed in the past the same way he’s failing now.” Or, “I have no right to confront her. I made the very same mistakes she’s making.” That’s what Levi could have said. Instead, he did what Paul teaches us to do: he forgot that which was behind, pressed ahead, and did what had to be done (Philippians 3:13). As a result, although the curse remained because the Levites chose to stand for the Lord, not only would they be used in ministry, but God Himself would be their inheritance ultimately (Joshua 13:33).

The principle of redemption was to be a life for a life. In place of a life, that which most closely touched a man’s life was to be offered: namely, money. Because one’s work is where one invests the bulk of his time and energy, that which reveals most about someone’s priorities is the way he uses his money. Talk is cheap. The proof is not in the song I sing, but what I do when the basket goes by.

Does this mean we can purchase our salvation? No. Our salvation was already purchased, not by our own efforts or money but by the blood of Christ on the Cross of Calvary (1 Peter 1:18–19). Therefore, the way we spend money - as well as the way we spend our time, talents, and every other resource given to us - should reflect that which was so freely and sacrificially spent for us when our Lord gave His life to set us free.

Those with leprosy, those with a running issue, those defiled by contact with the dead were to be removed from the camp. Why? Not because leprosy was contagious, nor because running issues and dead bodies lead to all kinds of disease. The singular reason God gave for ridding the camp of this kind of impurity was because He dwelt in it.

The trend today in churches is that of being “seeker sensitive.” To this end, we’re not to sing too many songs, carry our Bibles, or talk about sin and repentance. I wholeheartedly disagree with this trend, for while we are indeed to be seeker sensitive, it is not the sinner who is the seeker, but the Father who seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock,” Jesus declares (Revelation 3:20). And here, God says, “Honor Me. Deal with the leprosy, the issues, and the defilement not only because those things will destroy you, but more importantly because I’m in the camp.”

To “lift up the countenance” simply means “to smile.” Here the priests were to say to the people, “May the Lord smile upon you and give you peace.” In the blessing of verses 24–26, we see the name of the Lord repeated three times. In this, there is a suggestion of the Trinity. In verse 24, the reference is to God the Father, in verse 25, to God the Son, and in verse 26, to God the Holy Spirit.

In verse 24, we see God the Father as the Giver.

In verse 25, we see God the Son as the Revealer.

In verse 26, we see God the Holy Spirit as the Soother.

These three characteristics correspond to our needs. God is a Trinity. Made in His image, in a sense, we are as well, for while God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are body, soul, and spirit. The body relates to the material - the realm where the Father blesses us physically. The soul is the mind and the emotions - that which we think and feel. Sometimes we get confused. Sometimes we have questions. Sometimes we’re disturbed. That’s where God the Son comes in. Any issue I’m wrestling with or any struggle I’m dealing with will ultimately find its answer in Jesus Christ. The spirit is the deepest part of my being, the part of me that will live forever. And because the spirit within me can lack peace, it’s the Holy Spirit who inhabits my spirit, who indwells my spirit, who communes with me in the deepest part of my being and gives me peace.

In our society, we place a high premium on fairness and equality. With that in mind, look at our text . . .

On the day the Tabernacle was dedicated and anointed, the leaders of the tribes of Israel brought twelve oxen and six wagons as an offering to the Lord. The wagons and oxen were divided between the three groups of Levites. The first group, the Gershonites, were given two wagons and four oxen. So far so good. But when the next group, the sons of Merari, was given four wagons and eight oxen, the Gershonites must have said, “Wait a minute. This isn’t fair. We only got four oxen and two wagons.” But if the Gershonites didn’t like this, imagine how the third group, the Kohathites, felt when there was nothing left for them. “Unfair!” they must have cried. And we do the same.

“Wait a minute,” we say. “We’re all called to serve God, aren’t we? Why, then, does he have four wagons and eight oxen and I have none? Look at the position he holds, the prosperity she enjoys, the prominence they have. Why don’t I?” And then we fall into the subtle mindset that God is not truly fair, that He plays favorites. And we’re not one of them.

Why were the wagons distributed the way they were? Does God indeed have favorites? The answer is found in a significant phrase where it says the wagons were given according to their service (Numbers 7:5). Earlier, we read that the sons of Gershon were in charge of the fabric and coverings of the Tabernacle, to take them up and down and pack them along. But the Merarites had an even heavier load, for they were in charge of the boards, silver sockets, and bars which made up the walls of the Tabernacle. In fact, those who study these things say the weight the sons of Merari carried would have been approximately twice as great as that which the sons of Gershon carried. Consequently, called to bear twice as great a burden, it makes sense the Merarites would have twice as many oxen and twice as many wagons.

Of those who appear to be more blessed than we are, we say, “Look at the wagons they have. Look at their oxen.” Yes, they may have more oxen and more wagons. But they also have heavier burdens. They have obligations that you and I don’t understand. God is fair. With those wagons come added responsibilities and burdens, because to whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48).

The Kohathites were to carry the furniture of the Tabernacle - including the Ark of the Covenant - upon their shoulders, which speaks of intimacy, of close proximity. And now I begin to understand. Maybe I don’t have four wagons or eight oxen. Maybe I don’t even have two wagons and four oxen. Maybe I’m on foot. But maybe that’s because the Lord knows that not having the position or possessions others have will result in a deeper intimacy than if there were oxen and wagons rumbling around.

Jesus opted for this when He said, “Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). The priests and Pharisees had an abundance of oxen and wagons. But Jesus chose a different direction. Yet He was so happy and so full of joy that even those with lots of oxen and wagons, so to speak, left everything to follow Him.

He was able to focus on that which mattered. And as a result, there was a sparkle in His eyes, a smile on His face, and a winsome quality to His personality which caused multitudes - of which we are a part - to want to be around Him.

If God has given you four carts and eight oxen, rejoice. But be on guard lest these blessings distract you from walking with Jesus in simplicity. Carts and oxen aren’t always as good as they look. Carts lose their wheels; oxen make messes; and life becomes complicated. Thus, it is the wise man who says, “Lord, You set the agenda. You give me what You know is best for me.”

My tendency would be to say, “I don’t think things are fair. We’re going to have a fundraising campaign to buy carts for the Kohathites.” But would that truly be best for the Kohathites?

To those with no wagons and no oxen, God says, “You have Me. And I’m all you need.”

Although Moses sprinkled water on the priests, they were to shave themselves. The first part of their cleansing was passive, the second part required their participation. So too, although I am clean positionally, I must participate in my cleansing practically. “How shall a young man cleanse his ways?” David asked. “By taking heed to the Word” (see Psalm 119:9). “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11).

Positionally, I’m being cleansed every day by the blood of Jesus Christ. But practically, there’s a bunch of sin in my life and the only way it will be worked out is by the working in of the Word. I’ve got to wash myself in the water of the Word, take in the Scriptures, meditate on the Word, listen to the Word, and learn the Word.

Isaiah 63 tells us the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night was the Holy Spirit. Thus, it was the Spirit of God that told the children of Israel where to stop and settle in, when to pack up and move out. Yet although we think it would be wonderful to have a visible, tangible cloud leading us, the children of Israel murmured and complained. And this shows me there’s a better way to be led than by the external, the visible, or the tangible.

“I’m going to do something new,” God told Jeremiah. “I’m going to write My will on the tables of the hearts of My people” (see Jeremiah 31:33).

I’m so thankful for the new covenant, for God directing us by placing impressions on our hearts. And I have found that the most satisfying, adventurous, and fulfilling life is experienced when I am led by the Spirit, as He writes His will upon my heart.

One reason the trumpets were to sound was for the purpose of celebration, to signal the feasts and festivals, as well as the solemn days.

Everything in the Old Testament is an illustration of New Testament truth, and the trumpets made of silver, the metal of redemption, are no exception, for they give us understanding about that which Paul called a mystery . . .

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. - 1 Corinthians 15:51–52

The idea of being changed is that of being metamorphosed, like caterpillars miraculously changed into butterflies. Paul says the same thing is true concerning people. We’re not all going to die. But we’re all going to be metamorphosed. When? At the last trumpet.

Here in Numbers 10, we see two trumpets. So too, although the Bible is filled with trumpets, there are only two trumpets of God: the first trump and the last trump. The first trump was sounded in Exodus 19 when God gathered His people at the base of Mount Sinai and gave them the Ten Commandments. It was during that convocation that Israel became a nation.

But there is a second trumpet, called the last trump. And it has not yet been heard. When it is, even as Numbers 10 illustrates, it will signal a grand convocation as the dead in Christ shall rise, and we who are alive will be caught up - or raptured - to meet the Lord in the air.

This leads us to mobilization, the second reason the trumpets were sounded here in Numbers 10. When the last trumpet sounds, we’ll leave the snares and entanglements of this world behind as we pull up stakes, pack up our tents, and move on to Heaven. Oh, what a glorious day that will be!

This leads us to the third reason the trumpets were sounded, for war also is part of the equation. After we are reunited and taken on our journey to our new home in Heaven, Revelation 6–19 describes the war that will break out on earth during the horrendous seven-year period of the tribulation.

But this leads to celebration, the last reason the trumpet was to sound. At the end of seven years, when Jesus comes back to the earth and we come back with Him, the earth enters into a new day, a day of unparalleled peace and prosperity.

As I read Numbers 10, I realize that these folks in the wilderness were instructed to keep their ears tuned toward the sound of the trumpet. And I need to do the same in the wilderness I’m in. So do you. We need to remind others to do the same, to keep focused on eternity, to keep their ears tuned for the final trumpet which will sound on a day I believe is not far away.

How long has it been since you took someone by the hand, looked him in the eye, and said, “You need to be saved. We’re going to Heaven. If you don’t come with us, the alternative is awful. And on the way, we’ll do you good. It will be good for you to travel with us. I know you feel more comfortable in the world, but we need you in the Kingdom. Would you pray with me right now?”

Maybe you’ve invited your unsaved brother-in-law or your nephew to church five Christmases in a row, only to have them decline every time. But do you fully comprehend that they are going to hell unless they understand that God has prepared a mansion for them, that God places great value upon them, that they can be helpful to the believing community, that we’ll be good to them? We can’t let go. We can’t give up. We can’t stop. The stakes are too high.

One writer said, “If Heaven and hell are true, nothing else matters. If Heaven and hell aren’t true, then nothing matters at all.”

I have found that the most effective way to bring people to Jesus is not by discussing doctrine endlessly, debating evolution passionately, or even inviting them to church repeatedly. It is to share with them the way of salvation clearly and to pray with them immediately. I begin by opening my Bible and showing them Romans 3:23 . . .

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

“You and I and everyone have fallen short of the glory, the standard, the requirement of God,” I say.

Then I turn a few pages to Romans 5:6 . . .

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

“When we were pulled down, wiped out, done in by sin, Christ died for us,” I say. “It was when we were hopelessly lost that Christ died for you and me.”

Then I turn the page and show them Romans 6:23 . . .

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“The wages of sin is certain death,” I say. “You’ll be dead in your heart internally. Your marriage will fall short of what it was supposed to be. Your family will be dead relationally. And most importantly, sin brings death eternally. But the gift of God is eternal life, which begins now and lasts through eternity.”

From there, I take them to Romans 8:1 . . .

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

“Once we change direction and follow Jesus,” I explain, “we experience a resurrection of relationships and emotions as the sentence of death is removed from our lives.”

Finally, we turn to Romans 10:8–10 . . .

The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

“If you confess that Jesus is Lord, you’ll be saved,” I tell them. “And you’ll never regret it.”

Known as the “Romans Road,” I have found this to be a most effective way to share the Gospel.

“What if they don’t believe the Bible is God’s Word?” you ask. “Don’t you have to convince them?”

Not necessarily. When asked how to defend the Bible, C. H. Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” answered, “Defend the Bible? I would just as soon defend a lion. Just turn the Bible loose. It will defend itself.”

The greatest blessing on earth is to lead someone into eternal life. The Bible says that when one soul is saved, all of Heaven breaks out in a cosmic celebration (Luke 15:10). And the same thing will happen in your heart. The issues, problems, and concerns facing you will suddenly matter no longer when you’ve seen someone take their first step toward Heaven.

The Lord had given instruction to His people. He had appeared unto them. He had been patient with them. And now at last, the trumpets are sounding. Moses says, “Rise up, O Lord, and go before us.” Now, the children of Israel are on their way, and the first thing they do is complain about something evidently so insignificant that Scripture doesn’t even bother to record the reason. Oh, it must have seemed important to the Israelites at the time, but from God’s perspective, it wasn’t.

After hearing their complaints, it’s as if the Lord gave His people something to complain about through the fire that broke out in their midst. The lesson is a good one for me because through it I understand that complaining causes confusion. If I’m complaining about something in one part of my life, a fire is sure to flare up in another part.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul tells us that if we bite and devour one another, we ourselves will be consumed (5:15). And here at the outset of the Israelites’ journey, God reminds us that we’ll get burned if we’re a people given to complaining.

Many speculate that it was actually the overindulgence of the people that brought about this plague. And they could be right . . .

They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. - Psalm 106:13–15

The Lord sent the children of Israel that which they desired, but it killed them. That’s important for me to understand. I think I know what I want, but only God sees what is truly best for me. And He promises to withhold no good thing from them who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). Therefore, we can be the most peaceful people on the planet because, while everyone else is trying to figure out how to get ahead and how to make it happen, we get to say, “Father, You know my situation. You know what’s best for me. I trust You.”

I’m so glad we don’t have to figure out what’s best and make our demands accordingly, but rather we can simply say, “Lord, Your will be done today,” fully confident that He will do what’s best.

After Miriam questioned Moses’ authority, the Lord struck her with leprosy, and the children of Israel were unable to journey until she was healed. In one way or another, envy always holds others back. The entire congregation was stuck for seven days, waiting for Miriam to be healed of her leprous, envious condition.

The book of Romans says we are to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (12:15). Moses modeled this as he rejoiced for Eldad and Medad and wept for Miriam.

Do we rejoice with those who rejoice? Moses did. Envy weeps over those who rejoice and rejoices over those who weep. Moses did just the opposite. Do we?

Watch out, Moses. Don’t send in the spies. Just step out in faith and follow the command of the Lord who promised to give you the land of destiny.

I believe Moses made a mistake the moment he sent in the spies.

“Wait,” you say. “Wasn’t it the Lord who told Moses to send men in to search out the land?”

In the book of Deuteronomy, we see what really happened that day . . .

And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe: and they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out. - Deuteronomy 1:22–24

The people said, “Send spies to scope out the land to which we’re headed.”

“Sounds good to me,” Moses said of the plan which originated in the hearts of the people.

So finally, God said, “If that’s what you want to do, then that’s the plan.”

The same thing can happen to you and me. If we set our own agenda, if we demand our own way, God very likely will say, “Okay. If that’s your plan, go ahead.”

That’s why it’s the wise man or woman who increasingly prays, “Not my will but Your will be done. Here’s how I see the situation, Lord, but I lay it before You. Please adjust, modify, or correct it as You desire.”

Ten spies had an evil report. Two believed God. People can’t name one of the ten spies, but all of us know the names of Joshua and Caleb. Here’s a key to being forgotten in history, by your family, or in the work of the Kingdom: Murmur, be cynical, be a doubter, be skeptical, be a critic. Sit back and say, “This isn’t right and that will never happen.” On the other hand, the men, women, and congregations who leave an imprint on history are those who say, “We believe God will do great things.”

Ten of the spies saw the foes.

Joshua and Caleb saw the fruit.

Ten of the spies saw the giants.

Joshua and Caleb saw God.

Ten of the spies saw the walls and their faith crumbled.

Joshua and Caleb had faith and knew the walls would crumble.

It’s all a matter of perspective. We will have faith in that which we fear. The ten spies had faith in the giants because they feared them. But Joshua and Caleb feared God, and therefore, had faith in Him.

I saw a nature movie years ago in which, seeing a mountain lion headed his way, a little bear cub stood on its back legs, raised its little paws, and let forth a high-pitched growl. The mountain lion immediately stopped in his tracks, turned around, and ran away, leaving the little bear cub thinking, This is great! Look what I did! And then the camera panned back to show that standing behind the little bear was his mama - a huge grizzly!

We have a great big God standing with us who makes any giant seem like a grasshopper in comparison. The spies lifted up their eyes to the giants. Joshua and Caleb lifted them higher and saw the Father.

“Would to God that we die in the wilderness,” the children of Israel repeatedly said (see Numbers 14:2).

And, because life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), God said, “Okay. As you have spoken, so shall it be.”

Faith and words go hand in hand, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). That is why to be saved, we must believe in our hearts as well as confess with our mouths (Romans 10:9–10).

The longer I live, the more I realize that what I say has a huge impact on the unseen world around me. I’m beginning to understand more and more that if I speak critically and cynically even only to my wife, the impact is sure to boomerang back on me. Conversely, if I speak words of faith, I open the door for the Lord to work miraculously.

When God said, “Go,” His people refused. Yet now they’re saying, “We’ve learned our lesson. We’re going to do it now.” But God had already spoken. He had already told them they would wander forty years in the wilderness until the entire generation died.

There can be a presumption that looks like faith but in reality is folly. What’s the difference between faith and presumption? Simply this: God’s Word. Are you launching out because you’re trying to prove your spiritual prowess, or because of some fantastic fantasy, or do you have God’s Word on the matter? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore, it is the promise of God found in the Word of God upon which we are to stand.

Even after God said that the entire generation was to die, even though He knew they wouldn’t be obedient to Him, He reiterates His intention to bring His people into the Land. He doesn’t say, “If you come into the land . . .” He says, “When you come into the land . . .” And to the nineteen-year-olds, sixteen-year-olds, and eight-year-olds hearing this, it would be just as God declared, for although His people could delay His blessings, they could not destroy His purpose.

So too, I can delay God’s blessings in my life for forty minutes or forty hours, forty days, forty weeks, or even forty years. But I cannot delay His purpose . . .

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in Heaven, and which are on earth; even in him. - Ephesians 1:9–10

God’s ultimate plan is that in the fullness of time, everything and everyone will be brought into unity in Christ, intimacy with Christ, and conformity to Christ. That is where life is going. Therefore, because God created everything to be brought together in Christ, focused on Christ, united by Christ, the degree to which I do that today will be the degree to which I will move in the same direction as all of creation. Conversely, the degree to which I do anything other than that is the degree to which I’ll go against the flow of that which God has predetermined for all of creation.

It’s so wonderful to relax in an inner tube in the center of the river. As you cruise along in the sun, it’s refreshing and wonderful with some thrills along the way. If, on the other hand, you’re trying to go upstream against the flow, it’s miserable. You get tired and go nowhere.

Gang, go with the flow of what God determined all of history to do. Be one with Christ; focus on Christ; live for Christ.

Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day. - Exodus 35:2–3

For gathering sticks to kindle a fire, the man in our text was put to death. Working on the Sabbath killed him physically just as it will kill us spiritually. You see, although I realize that Jesus died for my sins, that He paid the price, that He secured my salvation, I can mistakenly think that I need to stoke things up a bit, that I can get things hotter by my own efforts. So I begin to gather sticks by promising to pray four minutes every day and to read my Bible at least once a month. And if I do that, I can think I’m pretty hot. But, like any fire, the fire I’ve kindled demands more. So I find myself thinking that I better read a chapter a week and pray an hour a day, which then becomes a chapter and two hours of prayer every day and pretty soon fifteen chapters and six hours of prayer a day, until finally, I say, “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t follow through with these obligations and commitments. I’m so burned out, I’m going to forget the whole thing.”

That’s what legalism does. That’s what this man in our text was doing. He should have been resting, enjoying the Sabbath - but instead he was gathering wood to stoke the fire. And he died in the process because legalism always kills (2 Corinthians 3:6). That’s why the Christian life is all about grace. It’s not about the sticks I gather or the fire I ignite. It’s all about what Jesus did, not with sticks, but on two beams of wood that formed the Cross of Calvary.

“It is finished,” He said.

And so it is. The person who finally gets it is the one who is truly blessed. This person says, “I’m going to learn to receive grace graciously. I’m going to rest. Instead of trying to impress God, I’m going to enjoy Him.” Our Enemy would have us believe that our Father is a stern God who overreacts in rage to a man innocently picking up sticks, when in fact, He is a Father who wants us to rest in Him because He is a God of immeasurable grace.

Any Israelite over the age of twenty would not enter the Promised Land because, although there is forgiveness of sin, there are also repercussions; although God forgives and forgets, the scars remain. This is the message of Numbers 15, the first of ten chapters that will chronicle God’s dealings with a group of people who had not only failed miserably, but who would continue to do so over the next fifty years.

And yet at the end of this chapter, God says this: “Here’s what will make the wilderness wandering which you’ve brought upon yourselves bearable: around your garments make a border of blue.” In Scripture, blue is the color of Heaven. Therefore, God was essentially saying, “Never forget that you’re on your way to Heaven.”

“Let not your heart be troubled,” Jesus would echo centuries later, “Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions” (see John 14:1–2). My heart can be troubled. So can yours. But because Jesus will never ask us to do that which He doesn’t empower us to do, I don’t have to let my heart be troubled. What’s the key? Heaven - to think about Heaven, to be focused on Heaven, to be constantly aware that Heaven is close at hand. The children of Israel were to have borders of blue on their hems so that when they looked down at their feet as they trudged through the wilderness, they would see a dusty border of blue, reminding them of their higher calling, their grand destination.

The same is true today. From the time I get dressed each morning until the time I undress each night, I am to see the border of blue. That is, I’m to remember that I’m headed for Heaven, where all those things I wish I could redo, where all the opportunities I’ve missed and the mistakes I’ve made will be set right.

If you remove the border of blue from your garments, if you remove Heaven from the equation, you’ll be depressed in the wilderness, for the key to being happy and joyful on earth is to live for Heaven.

Like Miriam before them, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram questioned Moses’ position of authority. That they, along with two hundred fifty leaders, came to the Tabernacle with censers in hand indicates that they thought they had a case, they thought they would be vindicated, and they thought God would justify their rebellion.

As I look back over my life, I am amazed by the times I thought I was right only to find out how wrong I was. “We all see through a glass darkly,” Paul said (see 1 Corinthians 13:12). And perhaps he understood this better than anyone. “I know this is the right thing to do,” he no doubt said as he dragged Christians from their homes, believing they were ruining Judaism and polluting the people of God. What a shock it must have been when, on his way to Damascus one day to imprison more believers, he was knocked to the ground. In that moment, this intellectual giant, this spiritually passionate man, must have realized that he had been absolutely, completely, and one hundred percent wrong (Acts 9).

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram thought they were right, but what they failed to factor into the equation was God’s sovereignty. God is on the throne. God is in control. Therefore, it’s not up to us to pull people down or prop people up. Sometimes I mistakenly think, “I need to straighten this guy out or pull that group down because if it’s gonna happen, it’s up to me.”

God, however, says, “Promotion does not come from the east, the west, or the south. I am the Lord who raises up one and puts down the other” (see Psalm 75:6–7).

It’s a great day when a person finally realizes that because God is on the throne and is in control, he can simply say, “Lord, You’re the One who will raise up one and put down another, be it the boss of my company or the leaders of our country. Therefore, I’m going to be submitted to You as I submit to those in authority over me.”

We can’t learn to be humble without being humiliated, to be forgiving without being wronged, to be sweet without bitter experiences. Therefore God uses people and situations in our lives to allow us to experience these things personally rather than just to propound them philosophically.

Not only did Aaron’s rod blossom, but it yielded fruit. So too, no one before Jesus and no one since Him has borne the fruit of the Spirit like He did. He perfectly personified a love characterized by joy, peace, and longsuffering; gentleness, goodness, and faith; and meekness and temperance (Galatians 5:22).

Second, we can recognize those to whom we are to be linked, those to whom we are to listen, those to whom we are to submit by the presence of the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.

Mom and Dad, if you’re wishing you had more impact on your teenage daughter or junior high grandson, the key is not to beat them with the rod, but to let them see your passion for God, to let them see the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Kids and adults alike can sense if a person is walking with the Lord and is full of the Spirit because such a life manifests itself in love.

When you have decisions to make about people who claim to have authority, remember Numbers 17 and look for the budding, the blossoming, and the fruit.

God’s Word is very dangerous. Why? Because Hebrews 4:12 says it is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. No wonder, then, that we feel cut up. The Word divides the soul and the spirit - my intellect and emotions from my true self that will live forever. It divides my joints and marrow, an act that, if done physically, would immobilize and kill me. It divides the thoughts and intents of my heart, as it gets to the center of any given matter.

No wonder when I hear or read the Word, I can feel pierced and poked, sliced and diced. That’s what the Word does, not only to those who hear it, but to those who speak it . . .

Mistakenly thinking Jeremiah was coming down on them, the people captured him and threw him into a pit. “That’s it,” Jeremiah said. “I quit. I’m tired of the pit. Enough is enough. I will speak no more in the name of the Lord” . . . until the Word was like fire in his bones and he couldn’t keep quiet (see Jeremiah 20:9).

We’ve all felt that way. When you share the Word, you can be convicted by the very things you share. Because the Word is a two-edged sword, it cuts both ways. Yes, it comforts, inspires, and delights. But because it’s a two-edged sword, it also pierces and penetrates, prods and provokes.

“Shall we be consumed in dying?” the children of Israel asked.

The answer is “Yes.”

Jesus said, “If any man come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, die daily, and follow Me” (see Luke 9:23).

“I die daily,” said Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31).

The flesh must die before the Spirit can live. And because my flesh seems to reawaken every day, like Paul, I must die daily.

How?

The only way I know to deal with the flesh is with the sword of the Spirit. That’s why I need to allow the Word to kill my flesh day after day. And as it does, like the resurrected Jesus, I find I am able to walk through walls and locked doors (John 20:26).

“My son won’t talk to me,” a father sighs.

“My daughter has shut me out,” a mother cries.

“My wife has locked the door,” says a weary husband.

“He’s built a wall,” says the devastated wife.

I suggest that when I allow my flesh to be sliced and diced by the piercing and poking of the Word every day, although it’s painful in some ways, humbling and difficult in others, the end result is that I have entry into places I would never have had otherwise. High walls, locked doors, and pulled shades begin to open as my critical, cynical, and harsh nature softens, giving me access into places that were previously closed.

I’m convinced it’s our own flesh that keeps us out of places we long to enter. There’s no Resurrection without death. There’s no Easter Sunday without Good Friday. There’s no way to enter in without first being broken down. It's a process that must happen daily and continually. And the way it happens is through the Word of God very simply, very powerfully, and very definitely.

Concerning the offerings given to the Lord, He said to those who were serving Him, “This has been offered to Me, but now I’m giving it to you.” That is, when a heave offering was made, God didn’t receive it physically, but rather gave it to the priests. And when a sin offering or trespass offering was made, although a portion of it went up in smoke to the Lord, the majority of meat remained and was given to the priests.

In offering meat to the Lord on behalf of the people, the priests themselves would be fed. That’s always the way it is. If you feel like you’re not being fed, teach Sunday school, start a Bible study at work, disciple someone, have family devotions. The priests would be fed to the degree they fed others. And the principle is still true.

Look at what the children of Israel said when they were here at Kadesh thirty-eight years earlier . . .

And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? - Numbers 14:2–3

This sobers me because I realize it is possible for a man or congregation to murmur or complain in the same way we murmured or complained a generation earlier. When we’re younger, we think we’ll outgrow certain tendencies. “When I’m seventy, I’m going to be a patriarch,” we tell ourselves. “My family will highly esteem me. People will want to listen to me. Sure, I’m busy now at age thirty-five or forty. But when I’m seventy, I’ll have made a mark spiritually.”

Time itself does not make one mature. The only way we will be wise at age seventy is to make wise decisions at age forty. You’re making that choice by studying the Word right now, for God has determined that people grow in wisdom by taking heed to His Word chapter by chapter, verse by verse. How I pray that if the Lord tarries, I will not be as foolish at age seventy as I am now. “Lord,” I pray, “deepen me.” How does that happen? By spending time in and obeying the Word.

Without question, Moses was one of the greatest men in history. He had an awesome responsibility. He led three million people out of slavery on a journey toward the land of their destiny. He also had a glorious opportunity, for he heard from the Lord directly (Numbers 12:8). Moses was a uniquely blessed and godly man, but he was still a man. And here we see the humanity of Moses in what would be his greatest sin.

If you were to ask Moses’ contemporaries what his great sin was, some would point to his murder of the Egyptian in Exodus 2. Others might point to his failure to tend his own children in Exodus 4. Others might point to his marriage to the Ethiopian woman in Numbers 12. But none of those things disqualified Moses in the way this sin does.

The people were thirsty. They were murmuring. They wanted water to drink. In response, God told Moses to take the rod that had blossomed and budded three chapters earlier and to speak to the rock. Moses took the rod but then looked at the people and called them rebels. In the Greek Septuagint, the word translated “rebels” is moros, from which we get the word “moron.” “You morons, must we fetch you water?” Moses cried as he struck the rock twice (see verse 11).

And although God provided water, He said, “Because of this, Moses, you will not be allowed into the Promised Land.”

Moses had been leading this congregation for decades. He had put up with the murmuring, the complaining, the sin of three million people. How, then, can it be that God would disqualify him when he’s so close to the finish line? What was the sin Moses committed that marred his record? The sin was obviously related to anger. We know this not only from the context, but from the Psalms . . .

They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips. - Psalm 106:32–33

As I read the Bible, I understand that the point of a man’s greatest strength is more often than not the point of his greatest failure. Known for his meekness, which the Greeks defined as “strength under control,” Moses failed when he lost control and lost his temper. Peter was a man known for his courage, as one who walked on water in the midst of a storm and who chopped off Malchus’ ear. But where did he fail? He failed when he became a coward before a servant girl (Matthew 26:69). Job was a man who was abundantly patient, and yet he was rebuked by the Lord for a lack of patience (Job 40). David was a man after God’s heart, a lover of God, and yet he fell because he lusted after a woman (2 Samuel 11). Unlike the others around him, Noah was a righteous man, yet he failed when he got drunk in his tent (Genesis 9:21).

The same is true of us. Where we think we are strongest will be the point of our greatest vulnerability. If you think your marriage is so strong that you will never be in danger, be careful. If you think you have so much integrity that you would never cheat on your taxes, wait a minute. If you think you’re so honest that you would never tell a lie, beware. Where I’m weak, I’m aware of my vulnerability. I know I’ve got to pray about it. I know I’ve got to keep my guard up. But when I think I’m together, I fail to pray and I don’t watch as carefully as I ought to. I rely on my own strength, not realizing that my own strength is limited.

Moses misrepresented the nature and character of the Father. In blowing his top, Moses signaled to the people that God must be angry with them. But He wasn’t. Psalm 103 says our Father has compassion on us, remembering our frames, knowing that we are dust. Our God is a God of incredible mercy, a Father of intense compassion. And because Moses misrepresented Him, he would not be able to lead the congregation into the Land of Promise.

Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. - 1 Corinthians 10:1–4

When the children of Israel began their journey, God told Moses to smite the rock. And out of the rock came water (Exodus 17:6). The Rock is Christ. Christ was smitten once, never to be smitten again. Yes, our sin demanded the Rock be smitten. But He died once for all - for all sin, for all time, for all men. The price has been paid, and now Moses was to speak to the rock. The rock was only to be smitten once because Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient. But Moses ruined the picture by striking the rock again.

It’s not our job to beat people up or straighten them out. Yes, we are to share the truth with them in love, but anger or bitterness will disqualify us from true leadership, for the wrath of man never works the righteousness of God (James 1:20). Moses no doubt thought, “This is it. It’s been almost forty years and these people never stop complaining. Certainly, God, You must have had it up to here with Your people.” God’s mercy, however, is inexhaustible. It extends all the way to the heavens (Psalm 36:5).

“Your mercies are new every morning,” the prophet proclaimed (see Lamentations 3:22–23). Like Moses, we can think God surely must be exhausted, upset, or angry with us and the rest of the sinners surrounding us. But He’s not. His mercy is new every morning, and where sin abounds, grace abounds much more (Romans 5:20).

Why would it be here - only weeks away from their entering the Promised Land - that God would have poisonous serpents bite His people? Because if they’re not taught in the wilderness, they will be distraught in the Land of Promise. So too, God is willing to go to great extremes to get us to understand that if we’re not happy today, we’ll not be happy tomorrow regardless of what comes our way or where we might be. Happiness is an inside job.

God allows His children to feel a lot of pain and even to die in order that they might see and understand that He is with them, that He is enough for them, that He will take care of them. If they don’t learn to quit their complaining here, they’ll not experience His presence even in the Land of Promise.

How about you? Has it been a week of complaining? Have you heard yourself say, “This is hard right now, but as soon as I get the job or as soon as I retire, as soon as she marries me or as soon as my wife leaves me, as soon as we have kids or as soon as the kids move out, I’ll be happy”?

If you’re not happy today, you’ll not be happy tomorrow unless you get to the root issue. We get so deceived about this. We think we’re going to be happy “just as soon as,” but “just as soon as” never comes.

What does this mean? Jesus explained it perfectly . . .

“Master, I know no man can do the works You do except God be with Him,” Nicodemus said to Jesus.

“Truly, I say unto you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God,” Jesus answered, as if to say, “Let’s not talk about miracles, Nicodemus. I want to get to the root: you must be born again.”

“Born again?” Nicodemus asked. “Can a man enter into his mother’s womb a second time?”

“That which is born of flesh is flesh, but that which is born of Spirit is spirit,” Jesus said. And then He reached back to this story in Numbers 21 when He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3).

Jesus likens Himself to the serpent - the very creature that caused Eve to question God’s goodness in the garden of Eden. Why? Because He who knew no sin would be made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Here in Numbers 21, there were no doubt those who said, “You’re telling me all I have to do to be healed is look at a pole and see a brass snake? What good will that do? I need some anti-venom.” Or, “If I can get the right prescription, I can get over this infection.” And, because of their stubbornness, they would die unnecessarily.

So too, there are people today who will not look to the One who hung on the pole of the Cross. “All I need is some Prozac,” they say, “or a beer, or a hot fudge sundae. All I need is something to fill up the hole in my soul.”

God said the only thing we must do is to realize we’ve been bitten and look to the serpent - the Son of Man - on the Cross. The one who does so will be made whole. It’s just that simple.

The children of Israel sang and water gushed forth. That’s always the way it is. When we come to dry times and difficult days in our pilgrimage, we can either choose to murmur or to make music.

Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. - Isaiah 54:1

“Are you barren?” the Lord asks you and me. “I don’t want you to grumble about your situation. I want you to sing.” An overriding principle seen throughout the Word is that when people are in barren conditions or dry times, power and blessing are released when they choose not to murmur but to praise the Lord. The children of Israel did this, water gushed forth, and they moved on.

Why was God’s anger kindled? Hadn’t He told Balaam to go? When, like Balaam, we beg and insist on our own way, God might say, “Okay.” But it’s not necessarily His plan or His will.

If you’re a parent, you will sometimes let your kids go the way they insist on going, even though you know there will be needless pain and heartache down the road. Sometimes God will do the same with His children. That’s why the “name-it-and-claim-it” movement is so frightening to me. I don’t want to name and claim anything God knows isn’t best for me. I want to pray like Jesus: “Father, . . . not My will, but Thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

Although the size of the tribe would determine the size of the property given them, the location of the property would be determined by lot, by “drawing straws.”

I find the combination of verses 53 to 54, and 55 to 56 fascinating because in the former we see Jesus’ parable of the pounds (Luke 19:12–27), in which servants were rewarded according to what they did with an equal number of pounds given to each of them, while in the latter, we see Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14–30), in which the servants were rewarded according to what they did with the differing amounts given sovereignly to them. Thus, man’s free will and God’s sovereignty both enter into the equation.

Because their father had died, leaving no male inheritor, the daughters of Zelophehad came to Moses, saying, “It’s unfair that we receive no inheritance simply because we have no brother to claim it.” In saying that the daughters of Zelophehad were right, is the Lord implying that He neglected to address the question of a lack of a male inheritor, that He simply forgot to put it in the law? Obviously not. I believe the Lord purposely leaves some things unsaid in the Word in order that we might go to Him for further instruction.

When I was younger, I basically thought the Trinity consisted of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Bible. I didn’t understand that the real key to vibrant Christianity, to a radical faith, lies in the new covenant, where the Lord says, “I will write My will upon the table of your heart” (see Jeremiah 31:33).

Why was it that the whole known world was impacted, turned upside down by a group of believers who didn’t have a single page of the New Testament? It was because even though they didn’t have the Gospel of Luke or the Epistle to the Romans, they knew how to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And as a result, miracles happened and blessings flowed.

We will be the most radical group of believers in the world to the degree that we say, “Lord, lead me today. Write Your will upon my heart; confirm it by Your Word. And what You tell me, I will do.”

“Your time is about up,” God says to His friend, Moses. “It is time for you to be gathered to your people, to be taken to Heaven. But first I want you to climb Mount Nebo, where I will show you the Promised Land.”

In this, we see both the grace and the discipline of God. God’s grace allowed Moses to view the Promised Land. But because he had sinned in misrepresenting God to the people as he struck the rock at Meribah (Numbers 20:11), he would not be able to enter it.

The older I get, the more I realize that although God is indeed gracious and full of mercy, a Father who is inexpressibly patient and kind, there are definite, absolute repercussions of sin. This is why the Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). We ought to walk in the fear of God - not afraid of Him, but afraid of the repercussions of our sin.

Called a minister, or servant, of Moses (Joshua 1:1), Joshua played second fiddle to Moses. For forty years, he simply served as number two, faithful in whatever he was to do. “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful,” Paul declared (1 Corinthians 4:2). Many want to be men of faith. But rarer, and perhaps more important, is to be a faithful man. Joshua was just that. And in due season, after forty years of faithfulness, God tapped him on the shoulder.

God does that with us, too. It might take forty years, but if we faithfully plug away at what God has called us to do - big or small, noticed or unnoticed - He will tap us on the shoulder one day and say, “You’ve served faithfully. Now is the time for greater ministry.”

It’s interesting that the Lord calls the savor of the sacrifices sweet, because if you have ever smelled a burning bull or cow - the hide, the hair, the entire animal, as would be the case in the burnt offering - the odor is anything but sweet. Yet, whenever the flesh is placed upon the altar, it’s always sweet to the Father. The flesh speaks of our inclination toward self. Thus, there is nothing sweeter to God than when I lay my flesh on the altar and let it burn.

Why?

Because it sets me free. God knows that sin is only pleasurable for a season (Hebrews 11:25). Consequently, whenever He smells the burning of the flesh, it’s sweet to Him because He knows the one making such an offering is set free. “To be carnally, or fleshly, minded is death,” Paul writes. “But to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (see Romans 8:6). Do you want to really live, to have abundant peace? Then put your flesh on the altar and be set free.

From the sacrifice of a single lamb in the morning and in the evening, seen in Numbers 28:4, the sacrifice grew to over a ton of flour, one thousand gallons of wine and oil, thirteen thousand oxen, and sixty thousand sheep given annually (Numbers 29:13–39).

“That’s an awful lot of giving,” you say, “a huge sacrifice.”

Wait a minute. Suppose my nine-year-old son Benjamin said to me, “Daddy, can I have ten dollars to get you a Father’s Day gift?”

“Sure,” I say, and give him a crisp ten dollar bill.

Father’s Day morning, sure enough, I get a homemade card from Benny and inside the card is the crisp ten dollar bill.

“Thanks Ben!” I would say excitedly - even though I gave him the money to give to me.

That the Israelites gave thousands of livestock, a ton of flour, and thousands of gallons of wine and oil meant that God had blessed them with these things in the first place. As I did with Benny, God provided His people with everything they would give back to Him.

So too, God gave us all that we have, all that we are. If we lay down our lives for God, it’s only because He gave them to us in the first place.

As God is getting His people organized and developing them for their destiny, the sacrificial system is recorded. That is, a lamb was to be sacrificed every morning, every evening, every day. Weekly, an additional lamb was to be sacrificed. Monthly, a greater sacrifice was to be made at the beginning of each month. Annually, there were feasts with accompanying sacrifices that God’s people were to celebrate.

In this, I understand that there is a rhythm to spiritual life. Many people have a hard time with this because they view spiritual life as being random. But as we look at God’s calendar, it’s impossible to deny its rhythm. Therefore, wise is the man, woman, or family who understands God’s heart is for us to begin and end our days focused on the Lamb - unlocking the blessings for the day in the morning, closing up the blessings securely in the evening.

In addition, one day a week should be set aside to make twice the expenditure - to be focused on God singularly, offering to Him the day in praise, worship, and fellowship.

In addition, at the beginning of the month, we have opportunity to get away and say, “What’s on Your heart for me for the coming month, Lord?” as we carve out time for refreshment and review, for vision and correction.

In addition, the children of Israel observed seven feasts that drew their hearts and minds back to God’s goodness to them, to His faithful provision for them. When the people of Israel followed this pattern, they did well. When they deviated from it, they stumbled. God is not wasting pages in His Word to go over arcane, meaningless sacrifices. No, He’s teaching us and reminding us that this is the way our lives will count.

Is there a pattern, a rhythm to your spiritual life? Or are you one who is haphazard and inconsistent? As much as we may not like to hear it, God designed us to be disciplined. Therefore, if you want to be prosperous and productive in claiming the promises of the Spirit-filled life, listen to what God told His people on the eve of their entrance into the Promised Land. Follow the pattern, the rhythm of spiritual life as seen here in the book which tells us how to make our lives count, the book of Numbers.

To prepare the children of Israel for the battles that faced them in the Promised Land, in the chapter before us, God deals with the subject of accountability and integrity. After all, if you’re headed into battle, it’s imperative that the guy next to you means what he says when he declares, “Go one hundred yards ahead and I’ll cover you.” You’ve got to be sure that he’s not going to change his mind, that he’ll come through.

God is serious about vows, promises, and commitments. And that makes me happy because God doesn’t hold us to a higher standard than that to which He holds Himself. Therefore, the fact that God tells us we are to keep our word means He keeps His. The Bible is packed with promises - at the very least, three thousand in number. God makes promise after promise to you and me. And what He says, He will do. He told us, for example, that if we believe on Him, we’ll not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). That’s a promise He makes and a promise He will keep.

In Numbers 30 we see God holding men to their word, but making exceptions for women. Is this chauvinistic discrimination? No. It’s a wonderful illustration. You see, on one hand, God wants me to be a man of integrity. On the other hand, as the Bride of Christ, we are all women. And we have a husband who ever lives to make intercession for us, who steps up, steps in, who’s at the right hand of the Father as an Advocate for us (1 John 2:1).

Tempted in all points like us (Hebrews 4:15), Jesus understands our pressures, our frailties, our infirmities, and our desires to keep promises, but He also understands our inability to do so. So He steps in, intercedes, and intervenes on our behalf. It’s a wonderful picture and illustration.

This is exactly what happened in Luke 22 . . .

Only hours before He was to be crucified, Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him.

“Not me,” Peter argued. “Lord, even if everyone else denies You, I won’t. I’ll die alongside of You, if it comes to that. You can count on me” (see verse 33).

Knowing Peter’s heart, and also knowing he couldn’t do what he promised, Jesus said, “Satan has desired to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith fail not. And when you make it through, strengthen the brothers” (see verses 31–32).

From there, Peter would eventually find himself in Jerusalem, preaching at the service in which three thousand were saved (Acts 2:41). Because Jesus prayed for the man who made a vow he couldn’t keep, thousands were saved.

You have a friend in Jesus Christ. You have a Bridegroom who knows all about your fickleness. You have One who steps up and steps in on your behalf, who ever lives to make intercession for you (Hebrews 7:25). No matter what vows you have made at any given time, Jesus will see you through. He promised to, and He keeps every promise perfectly. If, however, you turn your back on Him, walk away from Him, and are no longer covered by Him, you’re on your own.

Numbers 30 has much to say about integrity, but also about our security as the Bride of Christ.

Moses had already been told he was about to die (Numbers 27:12–13). Here, however, the Lord gives him another assignment - to do battle with the Midianites, the people who followed the counsel of Balaam and caused the Israelites to fall.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). Therefore, God is a good Father who doesn’t want us to be under the illusion that somehow, someday everything will be hunky dory. It doesn’t work that way. There are battles until the day we go to Heaven. “Moses,” God said, “you’re going to Heaven, but before you do, there’s a battle to fight.”

So too, we battle against our flesh, against the world’s system, and against our Enemy every day until the day we die. This is a key to spiritual maturity, for once we understand this, we’ll not be disappointed or depressed by hope deferred.

The spoils the Israelites had taken from the Midiantes - the gold, silver, brass, and iron - were to be purified by fire and water. So too, in the war we wage daily, everything we have, everything we are must be purified by the trials of fire and by the truth of the water of the Word.

I will not know what is gold, silver, and precious stones versus what is wood, hay, and stubble in my life until I go through trials, for they alone reveal to me where my heart is.

“Abraham, take your son, your only son whom you love, and offer him as a sacrifice to Me,” God said. Abraham obeyed, took Isaac to Mount Moriah, put him on the altar, and was ready to plunge the knife in his hand into the chest of his son (Genesis 22:1–10).

“Lay not thine hand upon the lad,” God then said, “neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me” (Genesis 22:12).

The result of this incredible trial: Abraham knew that God knew that he loved God more than he loved his son.

How are we purified? By the water of the Word (Psalm 119:9). And we’ll see the results by how we react in the trials we face.

The men of war brought 420 pounds of gold to the Tabernacle as a memorial to the Lord. We talk a lot about making memories with our kids and our families. But these men made a memory for God. “You’ve been so good to us,” they said. “Let this be a memory for You.”

I read this and I say, “Make me that kind of man, Lord - a man who makes memories for You. I’m so calloused and cold. Circumcise my heart. Let me see what You’ve done for me and my family.”

I miss my daughter Jessie. Oh, I’m so glad she’s in Heaven. And I’m glad for the memories we have. But I miss her a lot. If you have a daughter you’re able to tuck in tonight, who’s still with you, you need to be thankful. Maybe you’ve had a bad day, or you are going through hard times; but if you can tuck your daughter in, it’s time for you to make a memory for the Lord, a memorial unto Him. It’s time for you to bring Him the jewels and gold of thanksgiving and praise for His abundant goodness to you.

Because God will never take us one step further in our spiritual lives than we want to go, Moses agreed to Reuben’s and Gad’s proposal, but warned them that if they didn’t live up to their agreement, their sin would find them out.

This is a pivotal, foundational principle. Notice Moses didn’t say it was God who would track them down, do them in, find them out. No, should Reuben and Gad fail to keep their end of the bargain, it was their sin that would find them out. And the same is true with us.

Due to the finished work of the Cross, God not only forgives our sin, but buries it in the sea of His forgetfulness (Micah 7:19; Hebrews 10:17). Yet I must understand that, as Galatians 6:7 declares, whatever I sow, I will reap. It isn’t God who says, “Aha! I’m going to expose that sin to embarrass you.” That’s not the nature of our Father. No, it is the sin itself that will come to fruition. I am firmly persuaded and deeply convinced that there is no exception to this. Every time I sin, that sin will sooner or later track me down, find me out, and humiliate me. But it’s not God doing this. Rather, it’s the work of the Enemy to not only seduce us into sin, but to expose and humiliate us through it.

Joined by the half-tribe of Manasseh, the tribes of Reuben and Gad did indeed remain on the east side of the Jordan. Oh, they went into the Promised Land occasionally, but they didn’t live there. And, as we see in Joshua 22, when they built an altar on their side of the Jordan, the other tribes said, “What are you doing building an altar? There is only to be one altar - at the Tabernacle.”

“Wait a minute,” said the men of Gad. “We’re not building an altar to offer sacrifices, but so that in the coming days you won’t disavow us. It’s not a working altar, but simply a monument so that future generations will know we’re linked with you.” Yet, although they made peace that day, the problems had begun, leading to suspicion and division in the nation between those who wanted to stay and those who wanted to go on.

Although they established cities, as evidenced by the remainder of the chapter, it would eventually be these who didn’t go in, who didn’t go on, who were picked off first by the Syrians and the Assyrians. And it would be they who would become corrupted, for when Jesus came on the scene, the prized property of Reuben and Gad, the land of the Gadarenes, was filled with pigs, demons, and pagan Greek culture.

Why?

Because we either move further and deeper into the presence of the Lord, or we move in the other direction and become more and more interested in the things of the world. Right now, you are either deeper than you were five years ago, or you are more shallow. But you are not the same. Either my knowledge of the Lord is deeper, my walk stronger, my faith larger, or it is less. It’s a great misconception to think we can put our spiritual lives on cruise control, to think that, because we know the plan of salvation and basic biblical principles, we can coast from here on out. We can’t.

Reuben and Gad made a monumental mistake choosing a place of comfort rather than one of commitment by opting for affluence rather than obedience. “This land is good for our cattle and for our families,” they said. And yet, by the time Jesus walked their land, there was not a cow in sight. If you want your cattle to do well, take them into the Promised Land, otherwise they’ll turn into pigs. And if you want your kids to do well, take them with you, otherwise they’ll be the ones who prefer that Jesus depart from their coasts (Mark 5:17).

Is your praise more fervent, your prayer more intense, your commitment to the Kingdom greater, your time in the Word longer, your knowledge of God larger, your love for the Lord deeper than it was two years ago? Press in. Go on. Don’t stop.

Every stop along the way, every place we’ve pitched our tent, every time we’ve pulled up stakes to move on, God remembers. I wish that could be said of me. My kids will say, “Dad, remember when we did that?” But I don’t. I forget the places we stopped and some of the things we’ve done. Not our Father. He remembers it all. In Hebrews 6:10, we read that God is not unrighteous to forget our works and our labor of love. God never forgets anything we’ve done. Whenever we’ve done what He’s led us to do, He records it, remembers it, and eventually rewards it (Matthew 10:42). He never forgets - not a single work.

God has led you from stop to stop, from place to place that you have long since forgotten about, like the time your co-worker was bogged down with a bunch to do and you chose to stay an extra twenty minutes to help him; the time you helped in the nursery when it wasn’t even your turn; the time you stood by the one in your seventh grade class whom everyone else was picking on. “I remember when you chose to do what I led you to do, when you pitched your tent where I told you to pitch it,” God says. “It’s in My scrapbook. It might be boring to others, forgotten by you, but it’s important to Me.”

In Numbers 33:3 and 4, we see the children of Israel leaving Egypt. In verses 5 through 8, they go to and through the Red Sea. In verses 9 through 15, they go from Marah to Mount Sinai, where they received the Law and instructions for building the Tabernacle and the sacrificial system. In verses 16 through 36, they go from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea. And in verses 37 through 49, they go from Kadesh-barnea to the Jordan River, into the Land of Promise.

In this account, there is something huge missing, a glaring omission, namely, the thirty-eight years the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness due to their unbelief. In other words, the Father records exactingly and carefully every single spot where they pitched their tents in obedience to His leading. But when they were in sin, there’s no mention, no record, no memory as far as He is concerned.

How I like that! He remembers where we’ve been, but He forgets about our sin. He edits it out of the video, throws away the slide, erases it from His journal. That’s the kind of God we serve.

Why doesn’t He remember our sins? Because He sent His Son to die on the Cross in our place and shed His blood in order that they could be cleansed. What a price the Father paid to eradicate that memory, to clean up my story.

The Israelites never came close to taking all of the territory God had given them. God had so much for them. He had given so much to them. He had such grand plans for them. Yet they never took advantage of them. And as I read this, I can’t help but wonder, Lord, how much more do You have in mind for me, for my family, for the church? As I do, I realize I can get very comfortable on this side of the Jordan and miss out on what God wants to do through me and in me. I also realize that if I don’t deal decisively with the carnal tendencies of my heart, like the children of Israel, I’ll possess only a fraction of what the Lord has for me.

Serving as ministers in the Tabernacle, the tribe of Levi was not given any portion of the Promised Land. Instead, the Levites were to be scattered throughout the entire country. The rest of the tribes were told to give certain cities to the Levites as places in which they could dwell. These cities would number forty-eight.

If the Levites were only in one tribal region, people who weren’t close to them wouldn’t get the proper ministry. So they were scattered throughout the entire country. And that’s what the Lord does with us. The Lord has snuck His servants into the most amazing places. He sneaks Christian teachers into high schools to be effective, secret agents, Levites, reflections of Jesus Christ. He sneaks Christian salesmen, secretaries, and accountants into the workplace to be examples of what it means to be a believer. He sneaks Christian doctors into hospital rooms as ministers of the Gospel.

This is such a key. Each of us who is serious about Jesus is in ministry. We are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). And He’s stationed you in that workplace, that neighborhood, and that family to be a servant of His. It’s a great day indeed when a believer looks at his work as his ministry and says, “I’m surrounded by people professional pastors would never have an opportunity to reach. I’m here on campus, at the store, and in the neighborhood not just to work for a paycheck or to raise my family, but to be a minister. So I’m going to keep my eyes open and my antennae up in order to determine the part I am to play in this place for God’s glory.”

In Bible days, there was no such thing as a police force. There was no constable, no sheriff, no deputy, and no patrolman. It was up to the family to keep law and order. Therefore, the way it worked was as follows: If my brother Jimmy was crossing the street and you accidentally hit and killed him, as his brother, it would be up to me to avenge his death - to track you down and kill you. No matter how long it might take, culture required that I kill you.

The idea of the avenger was neither created nor condoned by God. God here is simply controlling the reality of the day, similar to when He gave rules and regulations concerning practices such as divorce and slavery. Why didn’t He simply do away with these practices altogether? Because He’s treating His people as a family.

When Ben and Mary were little, I didn’t have the same requirements or the same expectations for them that I do now that they’re seventeen and eighteen. And they’ll have still greater obligations when they’re twenty and twenty-one. As our kids grow older, we expect more out of them. But we don’t burden them immediately. We let them grow. That’s what our Father does with His family. Here in the very early stages of their nationhood, and because these customs were already deeply imbedded in their culture, God placed boundaries around customs like that of the avenger, dealing with them more fully as they grew.

If someone accidentally killed another, he was to flee to one of six cities of refuge, where he would be safe from those who wanted to avenge the death until a trial could be held. If, however, he left the city of refuge before the high priest died, he was fair game. The avenger would not be found guilty of his death. Once the high priest died, however, he could return home.

The person who was guilty - as we all are - was kept safe in the city by the life of the high priest. But he was declared not guilty by the death of the high priest. The picture should be obvious. We are kept safe by the life of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. He is the One who intercedes for us, the One who gives instruction to us, and the One who lives through us. But while we are kept safe by His life, we are saved by His death, for our sins have been washed away by His blood.

For New Testament confirmation of this Old Testament illustration, consider Acts 27 . . .

The storm was raging. The boat was bobbing up and down. The soldiers were panicked and the sailors were frightened. “We’re going down!” they cried.

But as they fought for their lives on the furious sea, Paul said, “Be of good cheer. There shall be no loss of life.”

As the storm continued, however, the sailors let down a lifeboat to escape the impending crash. “Except the sailors abide in the ship,” Paul said, “they can’t be saved.” So the ropes were cut, the lifeboats fell empty into the sea, and all on board the ship were saved.

So too, as long as we’re on board the good ship Salvation, we’ll be saved. As long as we’re in Jesus, our refuge, we’re okay. But if we choose to wander off, to bail out, to back away and live a life of drunkenness and fornication, of adultery and bitterness, the Bible says we’ll not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:21; Ephesians 5:5).

Am I teaching contrary to the doctrine of eternal security? No. I believe in eternal security. I know I’m eternally secure because I have no intention of going anywhere other than staying on board the ship of faith. I know I need the Lord. I know I can’t make it without Him. He is my City of Refuge, my Ship of Salvation. And I have no intention of leaving.

“Make your calling and election sure,” Peter writes (2 Peter 1:10). How? It’s so simple, as easily accessible as a city of refuge. You don’t have to climb a mountain or swim an ocean. You simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that He died for your sin and rose from the dead (Romans 10:9).

When I lead people in the sinners’ prayer, I pray right along with them. Is it because I doubt my own salvation? No, I know I’m saved, but why not take every opportunity to say, “Lord, I love You and I understand my great need for You. And rather than be doctrinally arrogant, I want to make sure You’re in my heart and that You hear from me again. Lord, I confess You as Lord and am so thankful that You died for me, that You live in Heaven, interceding for me.”

I say this time and time again, not because I’m insecure and worried about losing my salvation, but simply because in Jesus, my refuge, I have reason for great celebration.

We come to the fifth and final book of Moses, the final book of the Pentateuch, the final book of the Torah, and the final address to the people he had led for forty years. It’s a lengthy address, but oh, so impacting, for in it Moses reviews and reminds the people of their history - how their fathers failed miserably, but how God saw them through faithfully.

The parenthetical statement in verse 2 must have been particularly painful for Moses to pen. After all, how long would it take a man to walk from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, the border of the Promised Land? Eleven days. How long did it take the children of Israel? Forty years.

Forty being the number of biblical generations, an entire generation was lost simply for their lack of faith. When God brought them to Kadesh-barnea, they were supposed to go from there and take the territory, and move into the Promised Land. But they lacked faith and were fearful of the giants about which they’d heard.

Quoting from this very story, Paul says, “Learn the lesson” (see 1 Corinthians 10:11). When God puts something on your heart, do it immediately lest you wander around needlessly and waste your days in a desert experience.

The children of Israel didn’t do what God had told them to do when He commanded them to take the Land. Then they did what God had told them not to do when they attacked the Amorites. Why? Because they followed their own counsel rather than God’s.

What has God told you to do? What has He put on your heart? I can make a strong case against doing what God has told me to do. I can murmur and blame others. But each time I do, I end up wandering and missing the promised land of whatever area the Lord wants me to possess. Life is either a fantastic adventure or it is an endless detour. And the only difference between the two is faith.

That the Israelites were to buy meat and water signals a shift in God’s provision for them. In their wilderness wanderings, God had fed them manna from the sky and water from the rock. However, now that they’re ready to enter the Promised Land, the manna would begin falling sporadically. And after they had celebrated their first Passover in the Promised Land, the manna would stop completely (Joshua 5:12).

The point is simple. God expects us to grow up, to move on. Concerning that which was once given to us, God will say, “You need to participate in the process, not because I’m being mean to you or holding back from you, but because I want to see maturity in you.” As we do with our own kids, God expected His children to participate in their own care.

Like the Anakims, the Emims and Horims were giants - fearful and terrible. Yet here Moses says that the Horims were beaten back by the descendants of Esau. In other words, because the Edomites wiped out the very giants of whom God’s people were afraid (Numbers 13:31–33), the Edomites possessed the land that should have been the Israelites’.

Sometimes we as believers can be real wimpy. “I’m going through this trial, this persecution, this difficulty,” we whine, failing to realize that the unbeliever has just as many trials, just as many problems, and just as many difficulties (Matthew 5:45). If you think being a Christian is hard, try being an unbeliever. They have the same problems you and I have, but they don’t have the opportunity to approach the throne of grace boldly, to pour out their hearts to the Father, to open the Word for inspiration and instruction. The world has the same kinds of problems we do, but without access to the Problem-Solver.

Sihon’s refusal to give safe passage to Israel set the stage for a battle he was unknowingly destined to lose. Maybe today you have a broken heart because of someone else’s obstinate heart. Most of us know what it’s like to be rejected by someone we care about. Yet happy is the man or woman who remembers God’s sovereignty. We can be happy if we don’t lose sight of the fact that God is in control. When someone has a hard heart toward me, I must remember that God is the One who causes all things to work out for His perfect, divine plan. Walking in the realization that every event is part of God’s plan produces a radical life. He desires that I possess more of my possession, to be a bigger person, to gain new territory, and to experience greater victory.

After leading the congregation through the wilderness for forty years, Moses desperately desired to see the Land of Promise. But he couldn’t go in because of the sin he committed at Meribah when he implied that God was upset with His people (Numbers 20:10). Consequently, because he misrepresented the nature and character, the goodness and grace of the Father, Moses was unable to accompany the congregation into the Promised Land.

Maybe today in your journey through life, you’re a bit discouraged and confused by what you cannot do. You’re not sure where to go from here. It seems like the plans you once had have been altered, that doors have been shut. Maybe things haven’t worked out for you in the way you thought they should or in the way you hoped they would. Moses can relate to you. And he has good news: the solution to your confusion, the prescription for your pain is found at the top of Mount Pisgah.

Although Moses could not accompany the children of Israel into the Promised Land, the Lord told Moses to climb Mount Pisgah, or Mount Nebo, where he would be given a supernatural view of the entire land.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). The Hebrew word translated “perish” is para`, which simply means “naked.” Without vision, people feel naked, unsure, exposed, and undone. Without vision, people want to hole up and hide away. Without vision, people perish.

From this point on, Pisgah in Scripture is known as the Mount of Vision. And it was at this point that Moses knew what he was to do. He was to encourage Joshua, for as a representative of the Law, Moses could not be the one to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land; but as a picture of Jesus, Joshua could and would.

How about you? Is it clear to you what you’re to do? Is it clear what those who follow after you are to be? If not, I encourage you to get to a quiet place, away from distractions and interruptions, and say, “Lord, I need vision. I’m perishing. I’m confused. I’m in the dark.”

Get away, brothers and sisters, and seek the Lord. Find your Nebo, your Pisgah, and go there regularly.

Forty days after shedding His blood for you and me on Mount Calvary, Jesus stood on the Mount of Olives before ascending to Heaven triumphantly. And since whatever goes up must come down, guess who is coming back to the Mount of Olives? The Bible says that when He does, He will walk through the Kidron Valley, through the Eastern Gate, and into Jerusalem as the Prince of Peace to rule over all the kingdoms of the world for one thousand years. In other words, by opting to go to Mount Moriah, by doing what was best for the greatest number, Jesus is not only rewarded in Heaven and exalted eternally, but He gets the very thing Satan was offering previously (Matthew 4:8–9). It’s a win-win situation. It all works out perfectly.

When we choose to take up the cross and say, “It’s not about what’s easiest for me. It’s about what’s best for the most people I can possibly reach and help,” we’ll get whatever Satan may have tried to seduce us with because Jesus said that if we seek first the Kingdom, everything we need would be thrown in (Matthew 6:33).

One day, I spent some time with a bunch of pastors going through the book of Ezra and dealing with some pastoral issues. When I was done, I had a couple of meetings and then did a radio show. On my way home, I felt really fatigued and weary of soul. Yet the Lord, I believe, gave me a very simple vision, a simple stirring, a simple directive to go and see our brother, Jeff, who, at thirty-five years of age, was dying of brain cancer. But after getting lost twice trying to find his house and having been up since before four in the morning, and knowing my kids weren’t home that night and that Tammy had a nice dinner planned, I thought, I’m tired. I’ll go home and pick it up tomorrow. Yet, even as I made my way home, I knew that it wasn’t right. I knew it wasn’t the way of the Cross for me at that moment in time. So I made a U-turn, and by God’s grace, I found the house.

Jeff’s three sons were there with a few pastors, worshiping the Lord, praying, and sharing. I talked to him and read the Scriptures because I believe that even though the mind may not be working, the spirit still perceives and receives prayer, praise, and the Word. So we were sharing together, talking to him about Heaven, even though he was unable to comprehend mentally. Then, after an hour or so, something happened I’ll never forget. As I sat by his bed, suddenly Jeff looked at me. His eyes were crystal clear, his focus laser sharp. He grabbed my hand and held it for forty-five seconds as our eyes met. And I found myself weeping as he gripped my hand with the strongest grip I’ve felt in a long time. Then he let go and returned to his previous state.

He went to Heaven the next day.

“I’m going to go and do this,” I had said. “It’s the way of the Cross.” What I didn’t know was Mount Calvary turned into the Mount of Olives. I was caught up into Heavenly places. That’s the way it always is. I was the one who was blessed. Jeff ministered to me in that forty-five-second window of opportunity. I can’t explain it, but I went home with tears in my eyes because I was so deeply touched. And to think I might have missed it because I almost opted for what was more comfortable for me. I almost missed the supernatural blessing God had flow through Jeff into my heart at that moment.

Discouraged today? You need a fresh vision. How do you get that? Go to the mountain. I need to go to the mountain constantly and say, “Father, give me Your vision because it will ultimately mean resurrection and ecstasy not only for others, but also for me.”

The Israelites were to obey God’s Word not only that they might live, but that they might be a light in order that other nations might see the way life was meant to be lived (Isaiah 49:6).

I’m so glad we have God’s Word. It’s so right. We’re so blessed.

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. - Ephesians 2:2–5

In times past, we didn’t have a clue. We didn’t have a promise. We didn’t have hope. It’s good for us to reflect on this from time to time. Paul says, “Remember where you once were and rejoice in where you are now.”

We have God. We have Christ. We have the promises of the Word. We have the hope of Heaven. I’m so thankful, so grateful, so glad I’m saved. We’re so blessed - every one of us.

Take heed to yourself because it’s not just about you, but about your kids and grandkids as well. Here is your job: to be familiar with the Word, to be constantly learning more about the Word so that you can teach your children and grandchildren.

“Your mother and brothers are calling You,” the disciples said to Jesus. “My mother and brothers are those who hear and do the Word,” Jesus answered (see Matthew 12:47–50).

Jesus’ disciples were His family, but those in your family are your disciples. This is so important to understand. “What’s my ministry?” people often ask. And my answer to them is, “Do you have kids or grandkids? Pray for them, share the things you’re learning about the Lord with them day by day. And in so doing, you will be in ministry.”

If you raise godly kids or are involved in seeing godly grandkids raised up, yours is a fruitful, successful, rewarding, fulfilling, thrilling, eternally impacting ministry indeed. There can be no greater blessing.

The phrase, “which I command thee this day,” implies that God must be rediscovered each day. Every day we get to rediscover the nature and beauty of our Father. Every day there ought to be a rediscovery of the grace and glory and grandeur of our God.

“Take heed to My Word,” God says. “Rediscover Me each day. Listen to what I have to say once more. Go over the Scriptures, pray them in, think them through, act them out, and it will go well for you and for your family.”

A story is told in the Mishnah (a collection of Jewish teachings and writings) of a certain Persian king named Arteban who sent to Judah, the prince in Jerusalem, the largest known diamond in existence. Upon receiving this gift, Judah sent back to Arteban a copy of the book of Deuteronomy with the accompanying note: What you sent me requires guards to protect it. What I have sent you will guard and protect you.

I’m so thankful for God’s Word because I know, as you do, that it works. When we take heed and do what we’re told to, it goes well with us and with our families, too.

Can love be commanded? If you think of love only as a noun, the answer is no. But love in the Bible is not a noun. It’s a verb, something you do rather than something you feel. Divorce is rampant today because we have lost our understanding of what love is.

A story is told of an anthropologist who asked the Hopi Indians he was studying, “Why do you have so many songs about rain?”

“We live in the desert,” they answered. “We sing about rain because it is so rare.”

I wonder if that’s why most of our popular songs are about love. Love is a fantasy in the way it’s being hyped today.

Jesus taught us that wherever our treasure is, there will our heart be also (Matthew 6:21). In other words, first choose to love and then the feeling will follow. So God here commands love. He doesn’t say, “I hope you feel love for Me.” He says, “I’m commanding you to show love to Me.”

When you get up in the morning, when you go to bed at night, when you’re walking, when you’re relaxing, talk to your kids about loving God. My brother, Dave, modeled this wonderfully. Every time he would go anywhere - to the post office, to 7-11, to the hardware store - he would take one of his boys, knowing he could spend time with him.

If you haven’t been teaching your kids, consider the Chinese proverb which says, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is today.” We should have done things twenty years ago. All of us know that. But the second best time to do what’s required is now. And if your kids have grown up and moved out of the house, there are always grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or neighbor kids with whom you can share the Lord.

“When you take possession of houses you didn’t build, vineyards and olive trees you didn’t plant, and wells you didn’t dig, beware,” Moses warned, “lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of bondage.”

There is peril in prosperity. When things are going well, when things come our way which bless and amaze us, there is an insidious danger, for it is in those days that we can forget the Lord and think that it’s our energy, our effort, our creativity, ingenuity, or hard work that gets us where we are.

In Deuteronomy 8, God reminds the people that it was He who gave them everything they had. And it is He who does the same for us; for truly, the foundational essence of our Father is that He is a giver . . .

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits. - Psalm 68:19

I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. - Psalm 81:10

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” - Matthew 7:7

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son . . .” - John 3:16

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? - Romans 8:32

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us . . . - Ephesians 3:20

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. - James 1:17

“You’re in for a treat,” Moses said. “God is going to give you cities and houses you didn’t build; olive trees, vineyards, and wells you neither had to plant nor dig.” And daily He does the same for us.

“When you go into the Land,” Moses instructs the people, “God will deliver formidable foes into your hand. And you shall smite them.”

The same is true for us.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation will ever come our way without the Lord providing a way for victory at that time. But we need to participate. In other words, the Lord will deliver us, but we have a role to play as well. At the moment of temptation, when the battle is raging, when the Enemy is looming, the Lord will give me victory if I choose to participate. There will always be a way of escape, a way of victory.

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. - Romans 6:6

Because the word translated “crucified” literally means “rendered inactive,” we can say, “I’m not going to get beaten up by the enemy of temptation, depression, or seduction. Not only has the Lord promised that there is a way of escape, but the sins of anger, hostility, and lust can’t dominate me anymore. When Christ Jesus died on the Cross, anything contrary to Christ was crucified and paralyzed. Therefore, all the old nature can do is yell at me, scream at me, and try to intimidate me. But it cannot touch me unless I choose to listen.”

Some people say, “I just can’t seem to get over this. I can’t deal with that. Where’s the Lord?” The answer is that the Lord has done His part. Now He’s waiting for you to do yours and smite the Enemy.

I love this Scripture. Moses says, I want you to know the Lord didn’t select you to be His, to be holy, or to be different because you were mightier than others. No, He chose you simply because He loved you. God loves you and me not because we are mighty or together or have something awesome to offer. Quite the opposite, He loves us just because He loves us. Period. His love is not based upon how well I’m doing or how much you’re doing, how poorly I’m faring or how much you’re erring. God’s love for us is honestly, truly, and absolutely unconditional. And once we grasp this, we can go through our day expecting the Lord to bless us, to shower grace upon us - not because of who we are or what we’ve done but simply and solely based upon who He is.

In verse 7, Moses told the people the Lord loved them unconditionally. Here, he tells them the Lord would love and bless them if they obeyed His words. Is this contradictory? No.

I love my kids whether they’re good or bad. I love them simply because they’re my kids. But if they say, “We’re not going to be here for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter,” although I’ll still love them, they’ll not enjoy the blessings that would have come their way had they remained close to me.

That’s what Jude meant when he said, “Keep yourselves in the love of God” (verse 21). He didn’t mean we are to try to earn or merit God’s love. He meant we are to just “keep ourselves under the spout where God’s blessings come out.”

Here in Deuteronomy, God says, “You’ll experience all kinds of blessings if you hearken to the judgments, if you take heed to the Word, if you let Me love you.”

Having lived in Egypt for four hundred years, the children of Israel were all too familiar with the diseases of Egypt. Egypt being a type of the world, we too see the sickness of the world in which we live.

Keep in mind that everything in the Old Testament is a physical picture of a New Testament spiritual truth . . .

The children of Israel were delivered from the bondage of Egypt and brought to the Promised Land.

We’ve been delivered from the world system and ushered into the Spirit-filled life.

Their citizenship was in the Promised Land.

Ours is in Heaven.

They fought with swords and spears.

The weapons of our warfare are spiritual.

They were to smite their enemies.

We are to reckon dead the Enemy of our soul.

If you don’t understand this, the Old Testament will be troubling and impractical to you. There are those who say if we walk with the Lord, we’ll have no diseases, that we’ll never be sick. Yet, Paul had a thorn in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7). He left Trophimus sick (2 Timothy 4:20). He told Timothy to take wine for his stomach problems (1 Timothy 5:23). The diseases the Old Testament talks about which were physical for them are spiritual for us. The Lord wants to make us a peculiar, special people, different from the Egyptians that surround us. And He says that will happen if we do what He tells us to do.

What do you fear? At any given moment, I am living in fear and so are you - either in the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom and success (Proverbs 9:10), or in the fear of man, which is a snare (Proverbs 29:25).

“What are your goals for the coming school year?” I asked my two youngest kids.

About to start seventh grade, Ben looked at me and said, “I have two goals, Dad. The first is to remember where my locker is; the second is to be able to open it.”

Ben was kidding - sort of. But remember seventh grade? Lockers and combinations and PE? Remember all those fears? Well, guess what? You made it! You’re here. You got through those junior high years. So too, the exhortation of Moses to the congregation at the Jordan was, “Remember how much God has done for you already. He’s not going to let you down now.”

God loves you, gang. He proved it to us on the Cross. So do what He’s called you to do and don’t fear. Don’t listen to the whisper of the Enemy. Instead, say, “Lord, You’ve loved me so passionately, I’m going to do what You direct me to, let the chips fall where they may.”

Jesus put it this way: “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32). Fear not and watch and see how God will bless you.

Had God driven the enemy out of the land quickly, wild beasts would eat the crops that would otherwise have nourished God’s people. So He drove the enemies out a little at a time until the children of Israel were ready to take on more territory.

So too, God is working in you and on me. “But it’s going so slowly,” you say. “I thought I would be a lot further along by now.” I know. I thought I would be too.

But God would say to you and me, “Be patient and trust Me. I’m not going to drive out your enemies immediately. But little by little, I’ll give you more territory, more possibilities, more responsibilities. You wait. You watch. You’ll see.”

“Do what you know is right in God’s sight,” Moses instructed the children of Israel. “Remember how the Lord took you through the wilderness for forty years to humble you, to prove you, to test you, that you might know where you’re truly at, what’s really taking place within your hearts.”

It’s easy to say, “I’m going to keep the commandments of the Lord. I’m going to do what He tells me.” The proof, however, is in the wilderness. It’s when the days are dry and difficult and when the heat is rising that we get to see if we are truly those who obey what the Lord tells us to do.

Maybe you are in a wilderness season, in the desert of difficulty. If so, this is an important opportunity for you to realize and to see what’s going on deep within your heart. Just as we don’t know what’s in a sponge until it’s squeezed, I can’t know what’s taking place deep within me until I’m squeezed. Oh, I can quote the verses, sing the songs, and say the phrases, but the fact is, I won’t know what’s truly going on until and unless I’m squeezed by days of difficulty and times of trouble.

The Israelites welcomed God’s provision of manna because they were in a place of hunger. That’s always the way it is. We get hungry in the wilderness, in the day of difficulty. And it is then that we long for God’s provision for us. Jesus put it this way: “Blessed are you when you hunger and thirst for righteousness, for then you’ll be filled” (see Matthew 5:6). Too often, we don’t crave the Bread of the Word or the Bread of Life because we’re not hungry. There’s a progression seen here: My reaction in the wilderness makes me hungry for righteousness. So I go to church once again, have devotions once more, exchange Newsweek for the Word, turn off talk radio, and listen to teaching tapes. But this doesn’t happen until I’m hungry. And I don’t know I’m hungry until I’m in the wilderness. It’s all part of the program.

Jesus quoted this verse in His own wilderness experience. He was tested for forty days as Satan came and said, “If You’re the Son of God, turn these stones into bread. Take care of Yourself. Find a way to satisfy Your own needs.”

“No,” Jesus said, and quoted Deuteronomy 8:3.

In fact, all three times He dealt with Satan in Matthew 4, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy. That is why I suggest Deuteronomy was where He was having devotions at that time. As a result, He was empowered to withstand the temptation and to obey His Father - the same opportunity each of us has who eats freely of the Bread of Life, who partakes consistently of the manna of the Word.

Was there ever a time when you were serving the Lord more diligently and more consistently than you are today? If your answer is yes, I plead with you to take this passage to heart, for if you do not, you’ll perish. Oh, maybe not physically, but your marriage will diminish, your family will diminish, and your joy will diminish. Your life will get smaller and smaller. On the other hand, when you say, “God’s been good to me. Therefore, I’m going to learn His ways, give Him praise, and serve Him with all of my heart and soul, mind and strength,” you’ll find yourself truly blessed in every way.

Why did God bring you and me into the Promised Land of His Kingdom? Because He saw we would want to be righteous? No. Like the children of Israel, we were stiff-necked and rebellious from the beginning (Deuteronomy 9:7). He did so because of the wickedness of our Enemy.

We have an Enemy who, from before time began, has questioned the goodness and kindness, mercy and grace of God. “Can’t you eat of that tree, Eve?” Satan hissed. “God knows that in the day you eat of it, you’ll become godly.” In other words, “God is not as good as He purports to be. He’s holding something back from you, Eve. He knows that if you eat of that tree, it would be wonderful for you. And He doesn’t want you to have good things” (see Genesis 3:1–5).

Satan challenged the goodness of the Father not only in the garden, but also in Heaven. “Of course Job serves You,” he said to God. “You’ve blessed him. But if those blessings weren’t there, he would turn his back on You” (see Job 1:9–11).

Psalm 73:1 says, “God is good.”

Satan says, “No, He’s not.”

So God says, “I will prove My goodness and grace by bringing stiff-necked people like these into My Kingdom, by showering rebellious people like Jon Courson with blessing.”

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. - Ephesians 1:3–6

Paul says we were elected and redeemed not because God saw we were a good, sincere people who wanted to be spiritual, but in order that angels and demons alike would marvel, saying, “Look how gracious God is!”

Whether you’re prospering materially or moving into the Promised Land of the Kingdom and enjoying blessings spiritually, don’t think it’s because of your righteousness. The greatest danger to the children of Israel would not be the persecution or the battles in the Promised Land. The greatest danger would occur when things were going well because it would be then that they would forget the Lord.

How do you know when you’ve forgotten the Lord? It’s quite simple: you no longer have time for Him. After all, there are ski boats to use, vacations to take, money to spend. In times of persecution people don’t forget God. They gather together. They pray with passion. Their roots sink deep into the soil of the Scriptures. But in times of prosperity, people have toys to play with, places to go, hobbies to pursue. And, although they don’t admit it, they forget about God.

Statistics confirm that people forget the Lord in time of prosperity not only by withdrawing from fellowship, but by failing to give sacrificially. Ironically, people give much more generously in times of difficulty than in times of prosperity. In times of prosperity, they say, “I can’t tithe because I bought the second house, the newer car, and I’m overextended,” failing to remember that it was God who gave them the ability to do what they do, to bless them with every single thing they have.

If we truly believe that God has blessed us, we’ll say, “This is not my wealth. It’s God’s. Therefore, in giving my tithe I recognize that what came my way this week is not because of my cleverness or ability, but because of Him.”

While Moses was on the mountain alone with God for forty days, the people were sinning down below. “I’m going to destroy these people and make of you a new nation,” God said to him (see verse 14). Would Moses accept the offer? Wait a minute. This sounds strangely familiar to another test after a forty-day fast . . .

“Bow down to me,” Satan said to Jesus, “and the entire world will be Yours” (see Matthew 4:8–9). The similarities are neither coincidental nor accidental. Rather, they show us that what God uses to test us, Satan uses to tempt us. God tests us to work good in us, to show Himself strong through us. Satan, on the other hand, tempts us in order to destroy us.

Whenever you’re tempted, realize that God uses what Satan means as a temptation for a test. Conversely, whenever you’re going through a test from God, Satan will jump on it and make it a temptation.

James makes it clear that God does not tempt any man to do evil (1:13). Like a car manufacturer who puts his car through rigorous tests in order to showcase its capabilities, when God tests you, He’s not saying, “I hope you don’t fall apart.” No, He says, “I know what I’ve built into you. And I will not allow you to be tested above what you’re able” (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). The test He sends our way is not Him saying, “I wonder what’s going to happen.” It’s Him saying, “Look what I’ve done.”

This makes murmuring or complaining or whining a sin. “Pipe down,” God would say to us. “It’s only a test. I know what I’ve built into you. I know the work I’ve done deep within you.” God knew Moses would pass this test. He wasn’t tempting him to sin. Rather, He was testing him, knowing he would come through with flying colors.

If you’re tempted by Satan, God intends it as a test to see you through. If you’re tested by the Father, Satan will jump on it to tempt you. That’s why the Greek word for “test” and “tempt” is the same word. Moses would pass the test. Jesus would beat back the temptation. So when that temptation comes strolling up to you tomorrow, know it’s a test from God - and that He won’t test you above that which you are able.

When they came to the boundary of the Promised Land, the Lord said, “Take it.” The people, however, refused. Why? There were giants in the land.

“Why should we go in there? Our children might die,” the fathers might have said.

“I know it’s a land that flows with milk and honey,” the wives might have said, “but the wilderness isn’t such a bad place. We’re together as a family. We home-school our kids. God is in our midst. The Tabernacle is close by. The shekinah glory is seen. Manna comes down every day. This is a fine place to be.”

“But it’s not the Promised Land,” God would say. “There aren’t grapes the size of basketballs. There’s no milk and honey. There’s no destiny.”

“Yes,” the people would say, “but there’s also no risk.”

“Trust and obey,” we sing. But what we often declare is, “I like it here. Why should I take my kids out of school and make that move? Why should I jeopardize the convenience? I really kind of like the wilderness.” Yet, all the while, there’s territory to take, work to do, and blessings ahead.

I have observed that when people don’t step out and step up and move into the Promised Land - whatever that may be for them - they end up slowly dying in the wilderness. Oh, it’s imperceptible at first, but after wandering around for years, they realize they’re going in circles. At a certain point, a man says, “Stop this carousel. There’s a call upon my life. I know what the Lord wants me to do.”

I’m afraid we can be vulnerable to saying, “I’m blessed here. I like this.” But in our hearts, we know that God has said, “Step up. Step out. Go where you’re needed. There are jobs to do, battles to fight, and people to touch.”

I don’t know what that means for you personally, but I’ll tell you this: we cannot stay the same in our spiritual walk day after month after year. I am either getting more radical for Jesus - taking steps of faith, launching out in service, plunging ahead - or I’m falling back and wandering in circles. Sure, my family might be safe. But something is missing in my soul.

Go in. Possess the land God has told you to take. Yes, you’ll take some blows. Certainly there will be challenges and difficulties, but it’s only in the Promised Land where the fruit will blow your mind, where the blessings will cause your soul to expand, and where life will no longer be routine.