BSF Moses 2014-15 – Page 4 – The Notes are Good

22.4 Moses 22, Day 4

We look at death from the perspective of the living. We think of the person who died as being departed. We mourn the separation we feel from the person.

But in the lesson today we seem some very interesting and heart-warming language. When it came time for Aaron to die, the language God used in vs 26 was “Aaron will be gathered to his people.”

The illustration that comes to mind is that of a container of play-dough. One way of looking at it is this: When the play-dough is taken out of the container we can focus on the separation. What it was is not the same anymore. The shell of the container is there, but the contents have been removed. But, our focus shouldn’t be on the play-dough container, it should be on the play-doh itself. It is removed to transform it into something new. To join it together with other dough to create something bigger, better, more beautiful. Is our focus on the separated from or on the joined to?

Because of sin, under the law, Aaron and Moses were not allowed to enter the promised land. But, through Christ there is grace. It is not that the law was overturned, instead it was fulfilled. Christ lived the life of perfection that we (including Moses and Aaron) could not. When Jesus died it was not for His own sin, but for ours.

Jesus Christ was and is eternal. He was present at creation in Genesis 1 and He is present in the last verses in Revelation. While He had not yet taken the form of a baby in the manger, Jesus was part of the Trinity during Moses’ time as much as during ours.

The only way Aaron could be “gathered to his people” is if his people continued somewhere that exists after death. The only way Aaron, or any other sinner, could be deemed worthy of entrance is by the grace and redemption of Jesus Christ.

By grace we are saved through faith. Are you a person with a soul or a soul in a person? Is your focus on the container or the spirit inside?

My Answers:

9.
a.
It was land given to Esau. God did not tell them to fight them, it was not their promised land and none of it would be given to them. They were weakened in numbers from the plague and weakened in spirit. It would have been an offensive act, not a defensive response

b.
stayed in Kadesh then skirted the area by travelling through the wilderness

c.
Is it for my honor or for God’s? Is it for my glory and comfort of for God’s glory.? Am I being offensive or defensive? Is there another path? Is God directing me in a certain direction?

10.
He allowed him to see and participate in the legacy of passing the high priesthood to his son. He was celebrated by the people

11.
a.
There had to be a documented succession to the priesthood and, in particular, the position of the high priest. It was not open for debate or discussion but selected by God. The order of the priesthood did not change so the law and statutes and ordinances did not change, either

b.
Jesus claim to the priesthood was His divinity not as a descendant of Aaron

22.3 Moses 22, Day 3

Law vs. Grace / Trust in the Word

Moses’ times were marked by “The Law.” In particular, we see in our lesson today the challenge of the law. Moses was a humble and faithful servant. At this point in the scriptures he is probably well over 100 years old. He has not been perfect, but he has been faithful in his God-appointed task of bringing the Israelites up out of Egypt and into the promised land. But, he will now not be going into the promised land himself. There is no gray-area in “the law”, there is either obedience or disobedience, adherence or rejection. Moses disobeyed. He did not honor God as holy. Under the law, he was inadequate. In tomorrow’s lesson, though, we also see God’s grace.

How often in my own life do I put my trust in something tangible over the sufficiency of the Word of God? I can feel more comfortable and more secure with something I can touch or hold. I’m often shaped more by the words of Theodore Roosevelt to “speak softly and carry a big stick”, putting my faith more in the stick than the speech. But the scriptures teach the opposite. By far, the Word of God is more powerful than any stick. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Heb 4:12

God, please give me the ears to hear the power of your word and the voice to speak it boldly!

My Answers:

6.
a.
Take the staff, speak to the rock in front of them and it will pour out its water

b.
took the staff, gathered the people, spoke to the people (chastising them – taking credit “must we”), struck the rock twice with his staff

7.
a.
took credit, disobeyed, put trust in the staff instead of in God – they wanted something physical, not just verbal

b.
physical connection with the rock instead of verbal – taking credit

c.
when I live in doubt and worry about a situation

8.
a.
“you will not bring this community into the land I give them”

b.
1. of anyone, they knew better, 2. They each had interceded repeatedly, the fact that neither objected or interceded shows they did not see it as unmerited, 3. They already knew they weren’t going in (God had already said only Joshua and Caleb – Ex 14:30)

22.2 Moses 22, Day 2

Slave Mentality

Before getting into the heart of today’s lesson, we have one verse noting Miriam’s death. This past week I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by an evangelical group with a mission to help women in the middle east. In many parts of the world, the middle east in particular, women are extremely dis-empowered. They have absolutely no say in the conflicts, no voice and no vote. They normally are not the ones standing up and shouting or raising firearms. Yet, they face all the consequences and hardships. While little was said about Miriam’s final days, months or years, we know that she died in the wilderness not in the promised land. She was not one of the spies. She was not a shouting voice. Yet, the consequences of their actions also affected her. We need to diligently be mindful of and pray for those in similar situations. We need to be mindful and prayerful in all of our decisions to recognize the decisions affect not only me but also those around me. We speak for our households in our actions – we need to speak correctly, as Joshua will say, “As for me and my house, we serve the Lord.”

In the core of our lesson today I saw again the “slave mentality” of the Hebrew people. They saw themselves as victims, as slaves. There were no armies forcing them to remain. There were no palace guards. They were free. There were huge benefits of staying together, but, it was choice not force that bound them. Yet, they took no responsibility. Starting in vs. 4: you brought us into this wilderness, you brought us up out of Egypt, you brought us to this terrible place. You, you, you.

This wasn’t Moses’ or God’s choice. They were being provided with daily manna, that tasted like a sweet coriander, but they complained about the lack of grain and figs in the land. They were shown bunches of grapes so massive it took 2 men to carry, but they complained about the lack of grapevines and pomegranates. They were brought to a land of milk and honey, the promised land, but rejected it. But, in their mind, it wasn’t their fault.

It almost seems that Moses could take the Hebrew out of slavery but he couldn’t take the slavery out of the Hebrew.

How are you viewing your life with a victim or slave mentality? What are you blaming on other people or circumstances? Are you living as a victim or victor?

My Answers:

3.
The lack of detail. She did not get a say in the entry into the promised land, none of the women did, yet, she suffered the consequences.

4.
a.
How little things change. God is providing daily food and again and again they fall into the same patterns

b.
I think they were mostly being dramatic. No one was forcing them to continue together. If they wished to separate from the community, it was their prerogative

5.
He did not demonstrate anger against them, as if resolved that they were a path to the next generation

21.5 Moses 21, Day 5

God is a God of Life

The people had rebelled. The people would continue to rebel. Sin would go on and on and on. Rejection of God would continue. Offenses connected with the sanctuary and priesthood were going to continue.

There was no delusion that any of this was in the past. But God also wanted to clearly communicate to His people. But how? He could have continued plagues. He could have continued labor, signs, slavery, punishment.

But, instead, He chose life. He had each tribe submit a staff, a rod, a dead piece of wood used as a walking stick. Names were written on them, they were not manipulated, no hocus pocus. Simply placed together in the same room at the same time.

But Aaron’s staff came to life. One night it lay dead, then, overnight not only did it grow and bud, but it actually blossomed and produced fruit, nuts, almonds.

How beautiful this must have been and how fitting. The same almond blossoms that the Lord had them use as the shape for the candlesticks in the tabernacle now sprout from the rod of the high priest. The vessel to hold the light to come.

My Answers:

10.
a.
Sponsored an event: budded his rod and caused almonds to grow from it

b.
Jesus is the great high priest on the order of Aaron and Melchizedek

11.
a.
offenses connected w/ sanctuary & priesthood, the care of sanctuary & altar, only serve as priests at altar and inside curtain

b.
From the offerings and tithes

c.
It was temporary, ceremonial – didn’t actually get them clean. Also: That they had a red heifer without defect never under a yoke, that they had cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool, ashes used for ceremonial cleansing with water for purification from sin

21.4 Moses 21, Day 4

Grumbling

I want to talk about the word that the NIV Bible translates as “grumbled”. I’m not saying this is the wrong word, but I think there is merit into looking deeper.

The dictionary defines grumble as, “to utter (complaints) in a nagging or discontented way, or, to make low dull rumbling sounds.” It is more growl than bark, more nag than confront.

Let’s look at it in Numbers 16:41, “The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the LORD’s people,” they said.” The word grumbled is a translation of the Hebrew word luwn (Strong H3885). Depending on the tense of the word, luwn can have a number of different meanings and in Hebrew there are 7 different tenses so, the meanings can be quite varied. They can range from “to lodge, abide, dwell, pass the night” to “complain, murmur, grumble.” In the tense used in this verse, the word is translated as, “to show oneself to be obstinate, to be stubborn.”

Obstinate, by definition, means: “stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so.”

Isn’t that at the heart of what is really going on? Despite seeing the ground open up the day before. After seeing 250 charred to a crisp. They very next day they still stubbornly refuse to change course.

This is their chosen course, a path of rebellion, a path of wandering, a path of death. God wanted them in the Promised Land, eating milk and honey, but they chose and continue to choose another path. They have decided to lodge, abide, dwell in the land of grasshoppers, when God wants them to become giants.

Where are you obstinate in your life? What mentality about who you are, where you come from, what you deserve, do you refuse to let go of? Where have you pitched your tent?

Grumbling doesn’t sound so bad, it is just a low murmuring, but it has its roots deep down in our heart and our head where we refuse to change course, despite attempts by others who love and care for us to persuade us to open our eyes and quit being stubborn fools.

There is only one who fully paid the price of atonement. We are foreigners in this land, spiritual beings wrapped in an earthly shell. God is calling us to be giants – don’t be a grasshopper, don’t be stubborn, don’t be obstinate. Choose – do you want to be on the side of the camp dead from plague or the side saved through the atoning act of the High Priest?

My Answers:

7.
a.
opened up the ground and swallowed them up (All those associated with Korah) 250 men consumed by fire

b.
He knew God

c.
To cause me not to sin and be jealous, but to be strong and faithful to Him and to trust in Him alone

8.
a.
collected, hammered out flat, overlay on the altar

b.
grumbled

c.
Been faithful, prayed, trusted God, repented of their own sin

9.
a.
God is always on the side of the righteous, those whose battle position is on their knees

b.
Took his censer, put incense in it and burning coals from the altar, made atonement for the assembly running in midst

c.
He has made atonement for us, He sits at the right hand of God as our eternal priest

21.3 Moses 21, Day 3

The South’s Gonna Rise Again

Did anyone else notice that these people leading the revolt are all from the tribes on the south side of the tabernacle? A little rebel yell?

According to Numbers 4, the Kohathites (Levites through the lineage of Kohath) were the moving men. When it was time to move, Aaron and his sons prepped the pieces of the tabernacle, covering them in blue cloth and leather, “then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.” (Numbers 4: 15)

Korah was the cousin of Moses and Aaron. Dathan and Abiram were Reubenites, the first born of Israel, the first in the census, but now having slipped to 4th in line when the camp moves, behind the camps at the east by the entrance to the tabernacle.

Now, they aren’t going into the promised land, at least not any time soon. They are so close to the holy articles of the camp, but can’t touch them. More work, more hard labor, more moving about, no individual glory, no recognition.

With all the tensions in the camp, it probably didn’t take much to brew discontent. Just a little misdirected leadership, someone with a bold voice and big ego and lots of others would fall right in to the crowd.

I love Moses’ response, time and again. When individuals rise up from within, Moses falls face down. Numbers 16:4, “When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.”, Numbers 16:22 “Moses and Aaron fell facedown.” In these cases, I’m not sure if this was their battle position or if they were simply ducking to get out of the way of what they knew the Lord was going to bring.

Where in your life are you “standing up for yourself”, when you rightfully should be going down on your face in front of God? What battles are you fighting, claiming God is behind you, when the right place to be is behind God?

God makes His point in a clear and unquestionable way. The earth literally opens up and swallows the leaders of the rebellion. Their tents, possessions, family, all gone. Their followers are consumed by fire from the Lord, leaving only charred remains and bronze censers.

I think the question over sides should have been resolved.

My Answers:

4.
a.
“You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourself above the Lord’s assembly?”

b.
Build a coalition – but, also, not much, because the people were so prone to sin, i.e., more work to keep them in line than slip

c.
Yes, in past jobs

5.
a.
K:jealous, bold, organizer, rable rouser, he was a “community organizer”
D&A: Followers – sons of the first born
M: Fighting position – face down in from of the Lord

b.
I can become frustrated over “grunt jobs”. I can allow myself to get swept up in the complaints of others. I also know the right place is on my knees in front of God.

6.
a.
God – 16:11

b.
4. fell face down, 8-11 Chastised: isn’t it enough…? It is against the Lord, 12-15 Summoned, Got Angry, 21-22 Interceded: will you be angry against the entire assembly when only one man sins

(The title of this post is a bad reference to a 35 year old movie about the bombing of Pearl Harbor – Tora! Tora! Tora!)

21.2 Moses 21, Day 2

At the center and at the fringes of my life

God cares. When we find ourselves in time of need, we find great comfort in that attribute of God. We know He is paying attention, He is a God of order and details.

But at other times we like to lie to ourselves and believe that “God won’t care.” When we purposefully take the path of sin, that is what we are saying. When we lie, cheat, or steal we deceive ourselves into believing no one is watching while knowing that God sees and knows all. When we push the edges, convincing ourselves it is just little sin, we defile ourselves, something God has chosen as set apart for Him.

Let’s take the example in our lesson today. While the Hebrews were in the wilderness a man was caught collecting firewood on the Sabbath. He was taken outside of the camp and stoned.

We look at that and see a harsh penalty for what we may consider a small infraction, a misdemeanor. But instead of focusing on what the hands were doing let’s look at, to the best of our abilities, the heart of this man.

1. Did he know he wasn’t supposed to work on the Sabbath? Well, we have record that he was told in Exodus 16:23, 16:25, 16:26, 16:29, 20:8, 20:10, 20:11, 31:13, 31:14, 31:15, 31:16, 35:2.

2. Did he know why? In the above verses: a day of sabbath rest holy to the Lord, These are the things the Lord has commanded, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord, This is a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

3. Did he know the penalty? Ex 31:14 Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death, Exodus 35:2 Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.

4. Maybe he was an exception? Ex 20:10 neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.

5. Maybe he really needed firewood? Ex 35:3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.

I don’t think there is any way to view this “misdemeanor” as anything other than a total act of defiance and rebellion against God. A willful, premeditated, direct assault on God by attacking something God had designated as holy. He was living with his tribe in a community of family. He was being provided food daily and God dwelled in the community. He wasn’t just saying that he hoped God wouldn’t care – he was saying the he didn’t care about God. Every need was being provided for him by God and he openly and publicly rejected God.

Instead of seeing this story and being concerned in our own life that if we “step out of line, God will whack us”, we need to see the deeper story. If we knowingly and purposefully reject God and defile His holy things, God cares enough that He will give us exactly what we are asking for – eternal separation from Him.

God wants to be in every part of your and my lives. He wants to be in the Holy days and in the every day. He wants to be in your heart and in the work of your hands. He wants to be not only at the center of your life but at the very edges.

We see these visual reminders. When God grew angry with the defiance of the Israelites, the fire burned at the outskirts. When the man was to be stoned, it didn’t happen inside the camp, he was taken completely outside, not to the edge, but outside. The tassles the Israelites were to wear were strong visual reminders.

Sin and temptation seldom strikes at the core of our love for God, at our heart and soul. Instead it starts at the fringes, the edges. God says, I’m there too. God says, I care about those parts of your life, too. Be holy.

My Answers:

3.
a.
2. After you enter the land I am giving you as a home. 18. When you enter the land to which I am taking you

b.
A man found gathering wood on the Sabbath day, it was purposeful and in direct opposition to God’s commands and laws

c.
To help themselves remember and obey God’s commands, so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes

d.
God instructs me to have him present at the center and at all the edges of my life so that I remember Him in all

20.4 Moses 20, Day 4

Replacing the grasshopper mentality

Number 13:33, “We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

What is your perspective? How do you view yourself?

The events of our past can influence our view of our selves. The Israelites were slaves. They were the lowest of the low, tending to flocks that no one else wanted to be around. They were servants. They were nothing but victims.

They saw themselves first as grasshoppers. Perspective matters. The way we view ourselves is a strong influence on our lives. And, while life experiences are very real, we do not have to allow them to shape us and control our perspective.

You and I have the power to change our perspective. It starts with 1 God in His name, 2 words: I am.

I am a child of God.
I am saved.
I am a brother to Jesus.
I am filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.
I am washed clean by the blood of the lamb.

What a difference. We can see ourselves as grasshoppers, in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. Or we can adopt the perspective of the Great I AM.

But, when it seems like everyone is fighting against you, how do change your perspective? Moses and Aaron modeled that for us in our lesson. All of Israel, 2-3 Million of them, were rising up against them in revolt. They were ready to fight. So what did Moses and Aaron do? They assumed their fighting stances, the best fighting stance you or I can take. They dropped to their knees. The very best fighting position we can take is to get on our knees and call in God’s Calvary.

My Answers:

8.
a.
They knew they were sinning against God (again). They recognized this was a pivotal moment – choosing sides

b.
They tore their clothes in mourning. They put their faith and trust in the might of God. They acknowledged the might of the people of the land, but knew God was more powerful

c.
The whole assembly talked about stoning them

d.
It is only through the grace of God that I am alive. I’ve done enough stupid and insolent things that there is no reason I’m alive

9.
a.
I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.

b.
Not for his own glory but that he feared that God’s reputation would be tarnished.

c.
The Egyptians will hear, they will tell, They have heard you are with them, they will hear the “Lord was not able to bring these people into the land”

20.3 Moses 20, Day 3

How are you “dissin'” God?

One little part of a word. From Latin it means a negative or reversing force. Three letters: dis.

But how we let those three letters creep into our lives. Instead of being content, we harbor discontent. Instead of loyal, we are disloyal. Instead of being heartened by the beauty and promise, we are disheartened by the challenges. Instead of being filled with belief in God’s power, we fill ourselves with disbelief. Instead of courage, we are discouraged. Just like the Israelites. One but and then dis…

366 times the bible tells us to not be afraid. One for every day of the year, including leap year. God tells us to be strong and courageous. God gives us good things. God gives us strength. Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4b).

But we add the “dis” to God’s gift. We reverse course, when God tells us to move ahead. We bring the negative, to God’s positive power.

What dis’s are you allowing in your life? Where can you replace those three weak, negative letters with three great and powerful ones instead: GOD?

Finally, I’m not much of a gambler. I understand math well enough to know when the odds are against me. But in our lesson today Caleb made a pretty big wager. He could have placed his bet on the side of, well, everyone else, or he could have placed his bet on the side with God. Just FYI: God’s side always wins. If you are betting on the other side, it might be time to check your wagers. Any place in your life that you acknowledge that “the bible says… but…” you’re on the wrong side of the odds on that wager, even if everyone else seems to be with you.

My Answers:

5.
But

6.
a.
He risked the repercussions of going against the entire nation, but in reality, it cost him nothing . He was on the right side of the bet

b.
All. The 10 others who had gone in to the land, plus the “whole assembly” was groaning

c.
Not alone, but I have as part of a family and church.

7.
a.
Moses, Aaron and God

b.
Blame leaders, assume God is not responding to our prayers because He is responding the way we want

20.2 Moses 20, Day 2

What did they expect?

The people of Israel come to the border line of the Promised Land. 12 “spies” are selected and sent in. They come out and give a report of what they observed.

First:

Just like the Israelites, God gives us lines in our lives. Taking your first step as an infant. Speaking your first word. Your first day of school. Graduation. Wedding. New job. Birth of a child. The journey of our life is filled with not only the day-to-day but also with stages that we cross between. If we walk with God and trust in Him, He guides us through the stages, going before us to pave the path. There will be challenges, trials and tests to teach and help us grow stronger, but it is a forward journey. Some we pass through on our own. Some with family, class or groups. But crossing each line into the next stage is also a choice.

The Israelites faced a breakthrough moment. One they had been looking forward to for 431 years. God, through Moses and Aaron has been preparing them and brings them right up to the line to cross, to breakthrough, and they choose to put on the brakes. The look in the rear view mirror. They reject what God has prepared and, in so doing, they reject God. Their insistence on clinging to a fear and slavery mindset locks them out of being able to breakthrough to what they can become. It is not God that keeps them out of the Promised Land, it is themselves.

Second:

What the heck were they expecting? It is the Promised Land, capital P, big deal, promise from God Land. It is going to be amazing. Nothing but the best for God’s chosen people. Fruit, fully grown trees, fertile land. There were walled and fortified cities. There were giants.

Of course there are going to be fortified cities. Did they think God wanted them to live exposed in tents the rest of their lives? He even gave rules about the jubilee years and how they applied to “walled cities”, of course there are going to be walled cities.

And, since the garden of Eden, crops and plants and livestock don’t just take care of themselves. If you’ve got clusters of grapes so big that it takes 2 people just to carry a single cluster, you aren’t going to have wimpy little scrawny care-takers preparing the land and the harvest. Of course there are going to be giants. Beside that, in a time when the powerful took what they wanted, wouldn’t giants want the best. Frankly, if the giants were living somewhere else, then that place would have been a better place than the promised land.

Both of these things go hand in hand. When our focus is in the rear view mirror, when we refuse to let go of who we were in the past, then we are unable to look forward, we stop thinking and start reacting, we become an emotional uncoupled train wreck instead of a powerful train car coupled to God’s locomotive. With fear instead of God as our motivation, we uncouple ourselves from the locomotive and just become loco.

My Answers:

3.
a.
“Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”

b.
God said, good to understand their enemies, motivating to people to hear that the land possessed all that God promised

c.
Explore and report on the people, land, towns soil and trees and fruit

d.
God has given the goal to me already. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.

4.
a.
The land was fruitful and populated. The cities were old and established. Everything was built and in place for the Israelites to take possession of a great land.

b.
40 days

c.
They were the Nephilim (Angels had mated with human women) – they were defeated by Caleb who was given their land