‘These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550. ‘ Numbers 1:44-46
This week, Pastor Jeremy Smith of Crosspoint Church in Niceville, FL, started a new sermon series, Preparation for Promises, A Study of the Book of Numbers. The Book of Numbers has been called a couple of titles: “In the wilderness” and “The Book of Murmurings.”
The God of the Bible is a God of order. Here we find that organization of God’s people.
As we pick this up, we find the people of Isreal in the wilderness (desert) after the exodus from Egypt.
God commanded Moses to take a census of the people of Isreal. The count was to include the men of Isreal by their tribe that were 20 years and older and able to fight. Moses was to organize the people of Isreal with the Tabernacle located at the center of the camp. With the Levites charged to protect the Tabernacle and the tribes encamped on each side of them.
When you look at an aerial view of the camp, you will see a picture of the cross that points at Jesus. When we have God at the center of every part of our lives, we are ready for the battle we have ahead of us.
The people of Isreal are located at the foot of Mount Sinai. They had been here for one year and a month when Moses took this first census. The second census is taken before they journey into the Promised Land.
‘The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ‘ Genesis 12:1-3
Here are a few things to consider here about the Promises to Abraham:
“The Land I will show you” – This land is the land of Canaan which will become the land of Isreal.
“I will make you a great nation” – God will say that Abraham’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and sands of the sea.
“All peoples on earth will be blessed through you” – Jesus will come to earth through Abraham’s lineage.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are in a wilderness. When we look at the word “wilderness,” we should equate the word “wilderness” with the word “waiting.”
So it looks like this:
Promise ——> Wilderness (waiting) ———> Payoff
Another way to look at this:
Vision ——-> Preparation (Work) ——–> Reward
As Christians, God is preparing us to spend eternity with Him. And that preparation will come by God’s Spirit working in our hearts. But remember that God does not force this work to happen in our hearts. He is looking for willing participation on our end to complete this work.
The promises pull us through, and the payoff we continue to keep in front of us gets us through the wilderness (preparation).
‘ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ‘ John 14:1-3
In the King James Version, Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many mansions…”
Interesting note on where we find the people of Isreal:
‘Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” ‘ Genesis 15:13-16
In these verses, we see God’s grace. He gave the Amorites 400 years to turn from their sinful ways before sending the Israelites to take that land.
But here is where we start to get into the “preparation” part of wandering in the desert.
From this point to when they cross the Jordan River is 40 years. When you break out a map and draw the line from Mount Sinai to where they travel, it is only an 11-day journey by foot.
So why did they take so long to take the Promised Land? A lot of “preparation” had to be completed before they were ready to enter the Promised Land. There were a lot of “hearts” that had to change.
Part of our preparation in our walk is patience, and our God is that He will give us every opportunity to submit our hearts to Him willingly. He gave the Amorites 400 years to repent of their ways.
‘The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. ‘ 2 Peter 3:9
As we return to the Israelites after this census and organize the community, we find that God is placed directly in the center of the community.
So…
Part of the preparation process is learning to put God at the center of our lives.
The pattern that we see over and over in the lives of the Israelites and us as Christians are that we turn to God in times of trouble and seem to wander away from God when things are good.
To experience the full blessing God wants us to have, we need to keep God-centered in our hearts in every area of our lives.
How do we do this practically in our daily walk?
- Spend private time with God in His Word. (Private) Not using it as a magnifying glass to judge the world but using His Word as a mirror to examine OUR hearts.
- Spend time in the presence of God’s people. (Community) The truth is there are people in the church that need you, and there are people in the church that you need.
A natural response is to isolate ourselves when things are not going well, but only through pressing into Jesus and His people will God create the supernatural healing we seek. There is no getting around this.
It’s said, “I’d love to go to church if it wasn’t for those churchy people.”
Here’s the deal, if I am waiting for the perfect church to attend, the minute I join it, it will no longer be perfect.
Depending on when this message finds you in your walk with Jesus, as we grow in our walk, we should be moving from needing to be encouraged often to being the encouraging one. This will be a supernatural progression. Paul says in Romans 1:
‘I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. ‘ Romans 1:11-12
Our experiences and what we have learned in our lives will help those who may be facing the same challenges in their lives. God will use our struggles, failures, and victories to strengthen and encourage those around us.
When we think we can go through this alone, we expose ourselves to Satan’s attacks. We need to do everything in our power not to expose ourselves to that attack.
‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. ‘ 1 Peter 5:8-9
Learning to put God at the center of our hearts is true worship. When we practice this with every fiber of our being, there will be a transformation in our lives. It is that change that God will use to change the hearts of those around you.
Let’s return to the promise God made with Abraham, “I will make you a great nation.” When God had Moses take this first census, we found that there were 603,550 men over the age of 20 capable of fighting. The total of people is estimated to be somewhere over two million.
Why is this census important? It shows part of God’s promise to Abraham has been fulfilled. When we see that part of God’s promise is fulfilled, it encourages us to have faith that the rest of the promise will come to be fulfilled.
I don’t know about you, but I am sometimes challenged just getting my wife and me to church on Sunday, mainly because of me, not her. I couldn’t even imagine trying to get 2 million people moving in the same direction.
As we should be concerned about the congregation, our primary responsibility to the assembly is to strengthen ourselves by spending time with God privately in His Word. When we consistently study the Word of God, it will affect our thinking. Our thinking will end up affecting our hearts, and our hearts will affect what we do.
The key word is consistent.
The most significant impact on the church community will come through the private time you spend with God. The strengthening of your heart by God’s Supernatural Word will have the most impact on those around you.
‘Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. ‘ 1 Peter 5:2-4
When we engage our church community, you will find those who will help you, and those you are meant to help will find you.
If we do not get involved with the church, we will forfeit the blessings God has in store for us all of eternity. I believe He will show us areas we could have an effect in His name but did not. Not in a manner to make us fill guilty because He says in Revelations:
‘‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. ‘ Revelation 21:4-7
A significant takeaway from this first lesson in this sermon series is that it is vital to keep God’s promise in the front of our minds while wandering (waiting, preparing) through to the fulfilled promise.
‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ‘ Philippians 3:12-14
Heavenly Father, thank You for choosing me to participate in the preparation that You have in store for me. I pray that Your Word will strengthen my heart, mind, and soul.
I ask that You give me the strength to do Your supernatural will over my natural will.
I thank You for the people that You have put in my path, and I pray that my thoughts, words, and actions reflect the loving grace of God through Jesus Christ.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
