Numbers (Program #11) – Journeying (1)

Both Romans and Galatians in the New Testament talk about being led by the Spirit.  It is safe to say that all serious Christians desires the Lord’s leading.  But to be led by the Spirit is not that easy because the Spirit is abstract even obscure to us at times.  Most often we find ourselves not really under His leading at all but wondering somewhat aimlessly trying to find Him.  There is a wonderful picture of being led by the Spirit that we can learn something from in the Old Testament book of Numbers.  It’s here that the Lord led His people Israel through the wilderness by means of being a visible cloud to them during the day and by being a cloud of fire at night.  We will see just what this cloud and fire mean to us as believers on our program today.

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Numbers (Program #10) – Being Formed into an Army (11)

Inserted in the record of Numbers where Jehovah formed and set His army is the account of His divine provision for the people.  This was not the material provision of food and water.  That had already been accomplished.  This was the provision of two necessary items.  For the people to approach Him, God provided several different offerings.  But from God to His people, He provided the holy anointing oil.  A marvelous compound that was to be spread or painted to all of the holy utensils even onto the tabernacle itself.  This ointment is so rich in its symbolism yet it is nearly ignored completely by readers and even many ministers of God’s word.  We will spend the next half hour to see it, to appreciate it and by the Lord’s mercy even to experience it.

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Numbers (Program #9) – Being Formed into an Army (10)

If you ask most people, they will tell you that God dwells in heavens.  Well, while this is surely the case, the Bible tells us again and again that He is the God of heaven and earth.  So while from eternity, He has dwelt in heavens.  The Bible reveals His goal even His desire is to dwell on earth with man.  Old Testament books like Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers give us a very sweet picture of His earthly dwelling place, which at that time was in the tabernacle.

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Numbers (Program #8) – Being Formed into an Army (9)

Let me ask you.  How and with what does God bless His people?  A worldly song some years back that was actually mocking Christians said “God won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz?”  Well, may be we chuckled or perhaps we are little ashamed because those are often the kinds of blessing that we hope God sends us.  May be God’s blessing in our lives are associated with our families or our education or perhaps our career.  Well interestingly we can see the real and genuine blessing that God has for His people from the Old Testament book of Numbers.

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Numbers (Program #7) – Being Formed into an Army (8)

Most Christians live with the realization that the Christian life shall be a life that is separated unto God or sanctified.  But the full understanding of just what this sanctification means is not so generally well-known.  Numbers chapter 6 in the Old Testament gives us a marvelous picture in the vow of the Nazarite, a voluntarily vow that can be made by anyone among God’s people that desire to give themselves to the Lord absolutely, utterly and ultimately.

We come again for the second day in this life study of Numbers to consider the Nazarite vow and what a marvelous picture presents to us of the kind of life and living that God is looking for among His people.

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Numbers (Program #6) – Being Formed into an Army (7)

In the Old Testament arrangement, all those who were born in the line of Aaron were designated automatically to the priesthood.  To be a priest was not available to everyone.  But the Lord made a provision for any among God’s people who voluntarily choose to serve Him in an absolute way.  It was called the vow of the Nazarite.  Under the provision of this vow, a person’s living and characteristics were subjected to the highest and strictest standard.  Though such a formal vow with its restrictions is not directly associated with the New Testament economy, in principle, the Lord desires all of His children to be real Nazarite even today, just as the Lord Jesus lived so absolutely for God and to God.  As we look into the vow of the Nazarite on today’s life study.

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Numbers (Program #5) – Being Formed into an Army (5 – 6)

There is a lot of talk about spiritual warfare among believers.  Nearly all Christians have realization that there is a battle that must be waged if we are to prevail against God’s enemy.  But what are the factors that we can see from the Old Testament books like Numbers that can be helpful to us in allowing God to form us into an army to fight for Him and with Him for the accomplishment of His purpose?  We will see several things we can begin to apply immediately in our individual and corporate Christian walk on today’s program.

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Numbers (Program #4) – Being Formed into an Army (3 – 4)

After the children of Israel escaped the tyranny of Egypt and built a tabernacle in the wilderness according to the plan God showed Moses, the Lord set about forming an army to protect His testimony and fight against His enemies.  Members of each of the various tribes were called to serve in this army, saved one, the tribe of Levite.  To them it was given not to fight directly but to serve God in the tabernacle in a holy service and ministry.  Today God’s people are still called upon to war against His enemy and to fight to protect His testimony on the earth.  Just as in ancient time, God needs His people to minister and serve Him in His dwelling place on earth.  Another wonderful picture of a New Testament reality awaits us today from the Old Testament book of Numbers.

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Numbers (Program #3) – Being Formed into an Army (2)

A central feature of the Old Testament was the tabernacle with the Ark of the Covenant.  Once built, God then formed His people into an army and arrayed them around the tabernacle in an orderly even beautiful fashion.  God’s people, properly ordered and arrayed around His testimony is a beautiful picture in His eyes.  Yet regrettably, it’s difficult to see such an orderly and beautiful picture today.

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Numbers (Program #2) – Being Formed into an Army (1)

The first five books of the Bible are generally attributed to Moses and they formed a unit commonly referred to as the Pentateuch.  The fourth of this series is the book of Numbers, perhaps the most obscure among the five.  Outwardly it seems simple enough not overly inspiring for chronicles the numbering of God’s people Israel for the purpose of forming them into an army to fight for God’s testimony as they travel for 40 years through wilderness.  But if our eyes are open, our spirit set to receive God’s divine light, we can see the whole of the divine revelation express in picture forms through its pages.  Even the key elements of Christ’s ministry on earth and the ultimate consummation of the Bible, New Jerusalem are depicted here in Numbers.  Seem dubious?  Well stay tune.

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