A TEMPTING OFFER TO GET AHEAD
Numbers 14
Modern society admires aggressive, dynamic leadership
–the no-nonsense, competitive visionary leader
– one who knows where he’s headed and wants to take others along..
PEOPLE LOVE TO FOLLOW A GREAT LEADER!
How about Moses?
Would you have put HIM forward as your candidate to lead God’s people?
Once a year someone sends me a list of Bible-prospects for leadership.
It goes through most famous biblical people, seeking a leader.
One by one it presents reasons each should not be called to lead God’s people.
Except for one who presents all the right qualities for a leader: Judas!
Would you have wanted Moses as your leader?
Israel makes clear they would not!
After a few days following him across the desert, watching God provide food and water, they decide they’d rather go back to Egypt, or even die in the desert, than follow Moses across the desert.
They’d had enough.
After listening to them grumble and complain–again!–God’s had enough!
He’s ready to destroy them and start over with Moses.
Suppose for a moment that WE were there, and God made that offer to US!
How would we respond? Would we go for it?
Most of us--especially after weeks of complaining and personal attacks would probably have been ready! “Zap ‘em, Lord!”
This is our great opportunity to get ahead!
God is going to build a kingdom around ME! Wouldn’t that be great?!!
How does Moses respond to such a wonderful opportunity?
Deut. 1: to get from Sinai to the promised land, it takes 11 days
It took them 40 years in desert–Because of unbelief and disobedience!
When we come to Numbers 14 they’ve just been on the road a few days.
They’ve seen God work in their midst.
He delivered them from Egypt.
He provided food and water.
But, when they see the land God promised to give them, they can’t believe He can actually deliver it to them.
They send 12 spies ahead to find out what it’s like.
When the spies tell them what they’ve seen, the people demonstrate their lack of faith and rebel against God. 13:26-14:4
The spies bring back a good, --but scary report.
It’s a good report: The land is a great place! Look at it’s fruit.
It’s a scary report: We aren’t strong enough to take it!
They’re predisposed to accept the pessimistic opinion of the 10.
[ Israel cries all night because . . . ]
THEY DON’T BELIEVE GOD CAN DELIVER THEM. 1-4
Fulfillment of God’s promise and their dreams was right ahead of them.
They can’t believe God will give them what He promised.
They begin to cry and grumble.
They should’ve stayed in Egypt and died there peacefully.
As they grumble, they wish they could die in the wilderness!
Although they’re complaining against Moses and Aaron, they’re aware that their real problem is with God.
It’s His cloud that led them there.
So they ask why HE led them there to die.
“Why did God bring us out here to die?!!”
MOSES APPEALS TO ISRAEL TO TRUST GOD AND OBEY HIM. 5-10
Only four people believe God.
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces 5
Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes 6
All 4 appeal to the rest of the people 7-9
They desperately plead for them to trust God when challenge is too big
Have you ever faced a challenge like that?
A challenge so big that only GOD could pull it off?!! You have to trust Him!
Keener: “I’m glad we can’t pull this off! If we could pull it off, we wouldn’t need God.”
We have His promise--Let’s trust Him and move ahead!
“The land is a great place!” 7
“If God is pleased with us, He will give it to us!” 8
“Don’t rebel!” “Don’t be afraid of them!” 9
“They will be our food--we’ll devour them!”
“Their protection has been taken away.”
“THE LORD IS WITH US!”
The people turn on them and decide to stone them! 10a
When godly leaders appeal to God’s people to trust Him and move ahead, God’s people decide to stone the leaders!
The glory of the Lord appears at the Meeting Place 10b
God intervenes--He gets their attention!
GOD DECIDES TO CUT THEM OFF AND START OVER with Moses 11-12
They refuse to trust God, in spite of the evidence 11
God promises to make Moses into a nation greater than they are 12
God will destroy them and start over with a new people
2nd time God makes this offer–previously when they make golden calf (Exod. 32:7-14)
–twice Moses gives same answer!
MOSES INTERCEDES ON THEIR BEHALF 13-19
Moses is concerned about God’s glory before the pagans 13-16
“They know that You’re in the midst of Your people” 13-14
All the nations have heard Yahweh’s with them.
They’ll think You killed them because You couldn’t deliver 15-16
“He did it because He couldn’t deliver land He promised them”
Moses is concerned that God forgive His people 17-19
It would be better to demonstrate His mercy and forgiveness
Moses appeals on the basis of God’s mercy 17-18a
Moses appeals for God to forgive His people
--one more time, as He had many times before. 18b-19
He’s more interested in preserving God’s people and in God’s testimony before the pagan nations around them.
Moses cares more about God’s people and God’s glory than about personal greatness.
IN RESPONSE TO MOSES’ PLEA, GOD FORGIVES HIS PEOPLE 20-23
God forgives them 20 God partially accepts Moses’ request.
He forgives them--again!--He’d already forgiven them 10 times.
They have to learn you can’t play games with God and walk away unharmed!
God’s glory will be revealed through them 21-22a
God’s people who saw God’s glory
but won’t listen to His voice
won’t see God’s land 22b-23
He forgives them; they continue as God’s people,
but that unbelieving rebellious generation is excluded from the land.
They pass the next 40 years wandering around in the wilderness.
They’ll die in the desert, as they said.
MOSES IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT GOD’S GLORY
AND GOD’S PEOPLE
THAN ABOUT HIS OWN GREATNESS!
God is delighted to use people who are
more concerned about His glory
than their own greatness!
God uses/blesses people who aren’t out to make a name for themselves,
but for HIM!
Moses’ interest in God’s glory and God’s people
are evident in his intercession on their behalf,
even when it’s against his own best interests.
How would WE have responded?
WHAT’S OUR PRIORITY?
Whose glory are we promoting?
How might WE show concern for the welfare of God’s people around us?