This Book?

I want you to take your Bibles this morning and turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. Now let me tell you what's going to happen here. We're taking a break between 1 and 2 Thessalonians in the summertime here, and we're going to take a little mini-excursion into the book of Numbers. And just for the summer, come fall we'll get back into the New Testament epistle of 2 Thessalonians.

And then after that, I think we'll be back in the Old Testament again, in another book I'm thinking about. I'm not going to tell you right now because I'm not sure about that yet. But in order for us to understand numbers, let's come to 1 Corinthians 10. And you follow as I read verses 1-11. For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea and all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. for they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were. As it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and 23,000 fell in a single day.

We must not put Christ to the test as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction on whom the end of the ages has come. Let's pray. Father guide our thinking this morning as we take a very broad view help us Lord to use this knowledge that we have this morning that we will grasp to help us to understand the scriptures better and that we might use them wisely help us this morning by your spirit so that your name will be honored and glorified.

We thank you in Jesus name Amen What do you think of when someone says to you the book of Numbers Some might think, well, that's in the Old Testament. Others might think counting, because that's why it's named Numbers. There's a lot of counting going on. You might start thinking the Kohathites and the Gershonites and all that sort of thing. And some of you might be thinking about, okay, so if I have mold on the wall, the Bible tells me I've got to do this and stay away from the people of God for seven days and then have a priest come and look at it.

But most people, when you hear the book of Numbers, just simply say to themselves, boring, right? This is going to be boring. Well, I want to begin today on a little mini-series of messages from the book of Numbers. I'm not going to be preaching on the censuses, right, on the counting or not so much on the laws. We're going to look at the stories from the book of Numbers, just like the Apostle Paul did in 1 Corinthians 10.

Four of the five things that he mentions there come from the book of Numbers. And so there's something there for us. There's something for us to understand. Now, someone might ask, what's the relevance of that book, really? Really, what relevance could there possibly be for 21st century Christians in stories about a cloud, a rock, a rebellious people, and snakes crawling among them and killing them?

What could we possibly learn? Well, that's the question I want to answer this morning. Why this book? Is it merely a source for children's stories? Is it so that we might just know the history of Israel? what purpose does an ancient book like this have for us? Well, let's hear what God says about its relevance this morning.

In order to do that, we have to start with the New Testament, not with the Old, with the New, because when we come, as the Apostle Paul calls it, to the end of the ages, they're referring to Christ, the one who's come. From that vantage point, we can get a better view of the Old Testament. It's like climbing on a mountain and looking back and seeing the whole landscape.

So we need to go to the New Testament to find out the relevancy of the Old Testament. And it's there that you find what God intends to do with the Old Testament scriptures. Well, the first is this. Understand the basic nature of numbers as an Old Testament book Understand the basic nature of numbers Now what we read in the Old Testament is the shadows of the realities that we know and experience today this side of the cross.

When we go back to the Old Testament, we're going back to the land of shadows. Alright? Look at Hebrews for a moment. Hebrews chapter 8, verse 5. Hebrews 8, verse 5. now let's remember the book what's going on the book of hebrews the the the jewish christians are coming under a lot of persecution and they're coming under persecution because they are following this messiah jesus and they're coming under persecution that is difficulties from their jewish families and neighbors and so their temptation is to go back to the old ways to relieve the pressure.

Let's just go back and worship like they are. Let's just do that and therefore take off the pressure. But the writer of the Hebrews is saying you can't do that. Why not? Look what he says in chapter 8, verse 5. They serve a copy.

Now he's talking about the priests and all the things that went on in the Old Testament. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God saying, See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain. So these things in the Old Testament are a copy or a shadow of heavenly things.

And what he's essentially saying there is not that, is this, that the realities that we know cast a shadow back to the Old Testament. This is, so back then what Moses had and what they had were shadows of what the reality is. okay there's the shadow of what we know now is cast back into the old okay god had this plan and the shadows are back here and so these people lived in the land of shadows look at chapter 10 verse 1 for since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities it can never by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year make perfect those who draw near. So he says that all the things we see in the Old Testament are a shadow of the good things that were to come Colossians chapter 2 verses 16 and 17 the Apostle Paul writes therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration, or a Sabbath day.

These are a shadow of the things that were to come. The reality, however, is found in Christ. So when we're in the Old Testament, we're in the book of Numbers, we're in the land of shadows. We're in the land of shadows. why go back and look at it then why should we even do that well the saints back then i mean here's the shadows the saints back then could make out the outlines the general idea of how god was working but they couldn't see how it all came to fruition they couldn't quite see all that they could see the shadows of it um you know do you remember when you went to some friend's house to stay overnight, right?

At some point in the night, someone's got a flashlight out and you're doing things, you're flashing the light or something and you're putting shadows up on the wall. Everyone's supposed to guess, you know, when you do this. And that's the only thing I know how to do in terms of a shadow, right? And you do that, they can see that shadow and they're supposed to guess what that is.

And they can make out the outlines or the shapes on the wall. But again, someone says, why even go back? Why even go back to the shadows and study them? Last week, as we were coming into the town that I grew up in, Merton, Wisconsin, we were coming in on Dorn Road, and we went by the farm. It's still there, the farm that's right next to the school where I went in grades 1 through 8, the grade school where I went.

And I remember we had a seventh grade, an art teacher in seventh grade who was really serious about art, not the handicraft stuff, but really wanting us to know art. And I remember he sent us outside to draw. And so I remember sitting outside the schoolhouse looking west at that farm. And I attempted to draw the barn. Now, I can tell you right now that the product of my efforts was not something worthy to be hung on a wall.

I don't even think it was worthy to take home. But some of my classmates had their pictures hung on the wall. Because they had the ability to add things to that barn. They saw the things that were there. They saw the shadows. They saw the shading.

And they added that to their pictures, not just lines of a barn and implements. But they added the shadows to it, the shading and just the detail that comes as they put that in. And so that's the way it is with the study of the Old Testament. The shadows give us depth and reality. They give us the whole picture. It fills in some things.

It fills in a lot of things that the New Testament just assumes. And so when you're looking back at the shadows, and yet those shadows add something to the whole picture. And so from our vantage point, we can look back, and we can see some things in what we know now that we might not have seen if we ignored those shadows. So it's important to go back there.

Not only that, but studying the Old Testament tells us our history. Part of the book of Numbers is our history. Now we might think that it's just the history of the ancient people of Israel, but it's not. That's our history. Our roots go back that far. We are rooted in the history of Israel.

Remember, in Romans chapter 11, we won't turn there, but recall what the Apostle Paul is saying to Gentile believers. Don't think that you're so great. Remember that God had this incredible olive tree called Israel, and certainly the branches are broken off. Israel has hardened its heart against its Messiah. But you have been grafted into that tree. You are grafted into that tree.

So that tree is us. That's our history. The history of Israel and the Old Testament is our history. It tells us something about us and how we got where we are. There's another reason why we need to go back to the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. Because it shows us the nature of the God that we worship.

For he reveals himself in the actions and the words that we find there. all the pictures all the events of numbers tell us something about god they tell us something about god now let me illustrate it by saying this i personally right now reading through the book of leviticus You might think again say the word Leviticus and everyone else goes boring but it not If you read that what you find what I finding in the book of Leviticus is all these intricate laws that deal with the mold on your house walls, to the leprosy on your skin to sexual sin to what animals to use and the thing that struck me about that as I read on it tells me something about God you know what it tells me it told me God is Lord over every single area of your life from the mold on your walls to your sexual relations to your to your relationship to your parents to what horse you're worthy use horses or oxen it it speaks loud and clear God is two things. He's Lord. Every part of your life is under the direction, under the command of God.

And that hasn't changed. Every part of our lives are under the lordship of God. And the other thing I'm learning from Leviticus is God is holy, right? He says, I want you to live this way so that people can see you're separate from them and they will know you belong to me. Again, that hasn't changed. God is holy and he expects us to be holy.

And so when we go to the Old Testament, we go to places like Numbers, we find out something about God. In all the things that happen, can I suggest this to you? Wherever you're reading in the Bible, right? Wherever you're reading in the Bible, always ask yourself this question. This is saying something about God. What is it saying about God?

Every event, every commandment, every prophecy, every bit of history is saying something about God. What does this tell me about God? So when we come up with a thing like the book of Numbers, even the census tells us something about God. So we go back to the land of the shadows in order to find out more of God, our history, and the depth and the beauty of what God has accomplished in Jesus.

Here's another thing that we want to do. Find yourself in Numbers. Find yourself in Numbers. Turn back to the original scripture 1 Corinthians 10 And the question you want to ask as you look at the Old Testament especially the book of Numbers is what possible connection do you find between these ancient people and you today? What possible connection can you find?

Now, you know what? You could ask the very same question of Paul the day he was writing this. As you were looking over his shoulder and you saw him writing about these events from the book of Numbers, you could ask him this question, Paul, what possible connection can there be between those ancient nomadic herders and these sophisticated urban dwelling Corinthians?

What? You can't find any more different people than these two. You've got these nomadic people running around in the wilderness, herding their animals, staying alive. And you've got these Corinthians over here who are very sophisticated, very educated, dwelling in an urban center. What kind of connection? Why are you writing about those folks?

Well, here's the connection. People and cultures may change, but the problems remain the same. You ever thought about that? You might look at those ancient Israelites and say, well, what good is this? Why should we study this? because you know what that's you back there they're no different or you're no different than they are and when you read the book of numbers you ought to find yourself there and therefore as apostle Paul writes here in first Corinthians 10 realizing that we're the same material that things have not changed circumstances may change but people remain the same so that's why He says, God intends these stories as warnings to you.

He says these stories are intended for us. Verse 6 and verse 11 are like fence posts that hold up that fence of 6 through 10. Where he starts out, now these things took place as examples for us that we might not desire, that we might desire evil as they did. And then verse 11, now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction on whom the end of the ages has come.

The one where Jesus, the end of the ages is Jesus. He's come. And these are written for us Right These are meant as warnings to God people today you see they become complacent they become complacent just like israel had israel had all the tokens that they were god people they became complacent they weren't interested in following god and doing what he commanded and the corinthians were starting to get a little complacent themselves and he says look i'm going to give you some warnings here and he quotes from primarily from the book of numbers and God addresses these warnings to us because we struggle against verse 6 we struggle against evil desires anybody here doesn't struggle against evil desires you say well no one sees them outwardly but they're inwardly yeah they are yeah they're there and you struggle against evil desires just like they did verse 7 idolatry you say well I don't struggle against idolatry really have you ever had the problem with the void divided loyalties am I going to follow God or am I going to follow what my emotions are telling me at this moment?

Do I want God above everything else, even the respect of the people around me? Where are your loyalties? Are they undivided loyalty to God? If they're not, there's idolatry there. Immorality. What can we say about that?

Good night. You can't even stream anything on television without having to screen out tons of stuff. That's just immoral. There's immorality around us all the time. Verse 9, testing the Lord. This is a reference to the snakes that God sent among the people because of their impatience.

Alright? Because of their impatience. We test the Lord. We push the limits. The last thing he mentions, ouch, ooh, is what? Verse 10.

You look at it. You see what he's talking about there? grumbling oh my goodness none of us struggle with that do we you know when you look back in the book of numbers you know what you're going to find you you're going to be there because the problem the people have changed but the problems remain the same now why does god give us these warnings look at verse 12 look at verse 12 therefore and the basis of this i'm giving you these warnings from the Old Testament, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. What's he saying there?

He's saying, I've looked back at the Old Testament to help produce in you diligence. So that you are diligent, that you will not get complacent. So that if you think you're never going to struggle with immorality or evil desires or idolatry or testing the Lord or grumbling, think again. He writes these things so you'll be diligent that those things won't be true in you.

But then look at verse 13, the flip side of the coin. No temptation is overtaking you that is not common to man. God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure it he writes these warnings not only to produce diligence but to produce hope in you to produce hope don't be overwhelmed by the picture of sin in the picture of God's judgment you face the same temptations he's saying however those temptations are not greater than you can handle.

Why? Because God will help you endure that by giving you a way of escape. And so, I would suggest to you as we look at some of the stories in the book of Numbers that you be looking for yourself there. You be looking for yourself. Don't look down your noses. Don't look down your noses and say, how could those people be that way? well, you know how they can be that way because you're that way too.

All right? So that's the second thing. Find yourself in numbers. Here's the third. Gain hope from numbers. Gain hope from numbers.

Turn back to the book of Romans for a moment. One verse. Romans chapter 15. Verse 4. for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope god wants to produce hope in us through those old testament books he wants you to gain hope from the book of numbers it gives you hope by first teaching you by first teaching you whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction.

Learn the stories. You learn that a cloud led these people You learn that God fed them for a whole generation day in and day out That looking at a bronze stake brought life that grumbling brought judgment But you don't learn just to grasp some facts, just to have a story to tell, but to gain some hope. Now how does that happen? He says you have hope because scripture produces endurance and encouragement.

God fed his people miraculously for 40 years, day in and day out. Have you ever lost your job and wondered, what now? Right? Caleb and Joshua stood against everyone with their report and almost paid for it with their lives but God vindicated them have you ever stood alone for God have you been there the people grumbled and were judged by deadly vipers but then God produced a bronze snake for their rescue isn't it interesting that the God who imposes the judgment is the God who who is the God who provides the remedy.

Isn't that interesting? What does that remind you of? So as you look at the stories of the book, you're taught by those narratives. You're encouraged in your situation. It spurs you then to endurance. And then that gives birth to hope.

The Old Testament Scriptures are intended for hope. So, our short study in the book of Numbers, the few stories we're going to look at, should in the end produce hope in you. That through the encouragement and the endurance of the Scriptures, you might have hope. One last thing. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 14 through 17. Now I know, this is well-worn, you know.

There are two places in my Bible that I just open my Bible and it falls right open to them, and that's Ephesians 4. and 1 Timothy 3. Right? You've heard me hammer these verses now for decades. But I want you to look at them again with this in mind. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 14 through 17 Paul is writing his young associate Timothy who as we learned in Philippians in our Sunday school class today has proven himself to be a worthy servant of the Apostle Paul just a grunt for Paul And then he eventually becomes a messenger for Paul.

Now he is a lead pastor in a big church. and Paul is writing to him and he says to him by the way Paul's last words he says to him in verse 14 of chapter 3 but as for you Timothy continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you've been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus all scripture is breathed out by God. All scripture is God breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. Now Paul is talking about the scriptures here.

And when he writes this, he has in mind the Old Testament scriptures, which were the scriptures of the early church. The Old Testament scriptures is what he's referring to here. And what does he say about those Old Testament scriptures. In verses 14 and 15, he says, they point us to Christ as Savior. And so our study in the book of Numbers should point us to Christ as the Savior.

Whenever we look into that book, it ought to lead us to God's Savior. The patterns, the pictures, are going to look like Jesus, and it's going to make us see some things. For example, over and over in Numbers, God's judgment breaks out against the people and is turned away when Moses and Aaron intercede for the people of God. And you see that over and over.

You learn the lesson. We must have someone to intercede for us with God. Where is that going to take you? It should take you right to Jesus. You see God's holiness in his actions, in his words, in his judgments. And so you find yourself asking this question then.

What or who can bring us to God? what or who can close the gap? Because as you look at that, you see that that Moses and Aaron intercede and God's judgment is turned away for a time, but then they go right on sinning and God judgment breaks out again and there more intercession And it points us forward then What going to finally close the gap Well we know that now We know it's Jesus. That the gap is finally closed and God's judgment will no longer break out against you.

Not his wrath, not his judicial punishment. He'll treat you like a father now. And so the study should point us to Christ as the Savior. And then verses 16 and 17, our study should produce Christ-like maturity. Note carefully the purpose of even the Old Testament scriptures. All scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, convicting, correcting, and training in righteousness. the purpose of even the old testament scriptures is this it expresses the mind of god to the end that you change and you grow the old testament scriptures are intended to help us change and grow even those old testament scriptures i don't know about you but so much of studying the old testament is just about what happened long ago and far away.

It's about an old people. It's interesting stories that tell us a few, give us a few lessons. The Apostle Paul says, it ought to equip you. It ought to help you change and grow. Even the Old Testament is intended to teach you things that you need to change and go. And he does it through grow.

And he does it through a four-step process. It is useful for teaching. Right? Learning what God thinks about these things. Convicting, now our translation is reproof. I like the word convicting because what the word means there is it shows that you're wrong.

It's like the jury has come with the verdict, you're guilty, you're convicted. That's what the word means. So as you find yourself, as we've mentioned earlier, you find yourself right there in the multitude of those complaining, grumbling people, in Numbers chapter 11, as you see yourself there in that crowd, it convicts you. You stand there and you say, I'm undone.

That's me. It doesn't stop there, does it? The scripture then goes on to correct you. That is to say, it shows you what to do about it. It shows you what to do about it. And then lastly, it trains you in righteousness.

The word of God is detailed enough to keep you walking in the way of righteousness. Now, Paul is asserting this of his Bible of his day, and that's the Old Testament. It has the ability to do those four things. And as we come to the book of Numbers, right as we come to the book of numbers then we ought to see that four-step process working you're going to be taught you're going to see what god says about it you're going to find yourself convicted i'm guilty you're going to find correction here's what you can do training in righteousness i love one of my favorite guys of all time of course is jay adams and jay put it this way Here what the Bible does It shows you what wrong It knocks you to the ground convicting It picks you up correcting and dusts you off And then it sends you down the path so you don go that way again training in righteousness.

That's what the Bible does. And those things should be happening as we look at the book of Numbers. So in our study, we should aim at growing and changing into the likeness of Christ. We ought to see Christ as Savior and then how we ought to be like Him, how we ought to follow him, you see. And that's what the book of Numbers should do. So our goal here then, as we embark on this little mini-series, is to see these things happen as we look at those stories.

We want to see those things happen as we dive into those stories of being fed miraculously, of water from a rock, of complaining and grumbling. all of those things are to bring us to Christ-like maturity. So as we embark on this short study what are we looking for You looking for you and you looking for Christ There's the bottom line. You're looking for you.

Where am I in that crowd? Where am I with those people? And you're looking for Christ. This is pointing me away from myself to a Savior. He's the only answer for my grumbling. He's the only answer for my not believing, for my doubting.

He is the one that's the answer for that. And he's the one that can cause me to become a grateful person, cause me to become a person of faith. And so that's what we want to do. We want to dive in with God's intended purposes in mind. All right? We need to understand it as shadows that give us more depth.

All right? you need to see you there. You need to find hope there And you need to find maturity there Father thank you for your word Lord even as we look at books in the Old Testament we find that there is so much for us that what you have intended for us is there and that it is useful for teaching and convicting and correcting and training in righteousness. It points us to our Savior.

It points us to the source of power for change. father as we come to it we pray that we would be faithful to the purposes for which you've given it thank you for your word lord god i would also pray that as we even just take this short study in the book of numbers i would also pray this that it would open up to us and and make us grow in our desire to know the word of god for the more we know it the more we know jesus thank you for your word help us now we pray in Jesus name Amen