Numbers Overview Part 1 – The Warning To Know Who You Are And What You Must Centre On Before Living

 

If we are tired the whole day today, it is because of Satan or the forces of darkness. Let us restore using the word of God. We shall do it by the way of faith that does not add or minus. The Lord is doing important things in the midst of us. There is more joy in the family, Junyan and Meifeng brought people to the small group, Huijun brought people to church, and Jamie’s father told her that she had better aspire to be a church leader. However, what is better than all these evidences is that we go into the purity of the gospel and we are serious in His word. This is the greatest evidence! Along with evidences comes problems, and some are very serious. However, we must realize that the greater the blessings, we can expect greater difficulties that will come as God's gift to us.

 

1) Authority (Believe)

 

Authority is when you believe the promise, His throne and angels, and therefore you are able to judge and explain all things. When I have restored faith, I changed to see that (1) I am the most honoured, and (2) The happenings around me are the most important. Faith is very much unlimited in what it can do.

 

2) Submit

 

With faith, our first reaction will not be “I need to change any conditions”, “I cannot work with such kind of people” and we will not need to be sad. Instead, our first reaction will be in full understanding that the Lord is with us, “Lord, I submit.” Jesus Christ received the greatest authority when He submitted to the cup of the Lord in Gethsemane. It will not be about “Lord, why have You not done anything yet?” Instead, it is about restoring faith and therefore prayer requests are made. This is called fulfillment.

 

3) Evidence

 

The problems that we think we need to resolve can actually be seen as God being with us.

 

Restore the above before we continue on to the Bible Overview.

 

1) Genesis: Promise <12-24>

 

In the 4 events of creation, fall, Tower of Babel and judgment, God found Abraham. This is the meaning of Promise. <Gen 12-24> records the longest story of the one person, Abraham. These chapters records Abraham’s born again, sanctification, and finally victory at Mount Moriah. The story of Isaac, Jacob (12 tribes) and Joseph, Abraham’s descendants, are then recorded. Genesis is about 4 gospelizations:

 

Individual: “I will definitely bless you!” If we have not seen Emmanuel evidence, stop all things and restore this first.

Family: This is about restoring meaning and joy in the family.

Regional: Why are there brothels in Geylang? We must conquer all.

World

 

I see that you have not restored yet. If you still have frustrations and sorrows, you still have not restored yet. We must restore God’s very standard.

 

2) 5 Miracles (Exodus)

 

(1) Born again

(2) Red Sea, Victory (Believe and thus submit. Be still and see the works of God. We shall see the conditions we have now and be joyful.

(3) Tabernacle (Play! No matter how much sufferings and problems you may have, play in prayer! There will surely be problems, but there is the tabernacle for us!)

(4) Wilderness (Every day, we know our tomorrow. The direction is towards Canaan. When we do this, the desert will open roads and rivers will flow in our steps.)

(5) Conquer Canaan (If we have the system, no matter what kind of people and matters we meet, we will be able to immediately judge and thus speak the word of life.)

 

Exodus is about systematic theology.

 

3) Leviticus

 

Leviticus tells us how to meet God and walk with God. Then we can converse with Him.

 

4) Numbers

 

Numbers tells us what will happen tomorrow. Therefore, we must walk in such and such a manner.

 

5) Deuteronomy

 

Deuteronomy is about repeating the promise and 5 Miracles, so that we can prepare for tomorrow.

 

Numbers

 

We are the most successful in the present age. The child of God is more successful than the CEO of Seagate. Because we are the most complete, this translates into promise in our fields. There is no need to debate in interpersonal relationship matters. Some may support you and think that you are correct in the conflict, but if our hearts cannot see that God is pleased, what use is there? With the promise, we will surely know the days of tomorrow. We will die sooner or later. Why do we need to fear then? God gives us the promise, “I will give you every place where you set your foot on.” Therefore, if I can see God’s smiling countenance today, there is no need to fear!

 

Numbers = “I walk today as I know what is going to happen tomorrow”

 

Jesus Christ knew that He was going to be crucified on the cross to live the 33 years He had on earth. We know tomorrow, therefore right now, we just need to obediently accept His guidance today. Such people have wisdom and power following them. Then we can give thanks for the problems that we are going through. On the other hand, if we do not know what is going to happen tomorrow, we will be blown here and there, like a ball rolling back and forth inside the bowl, always having high periods and discouraging periods in our spiritual life. Set our direction towards Canaan, not Egypt, as that is our tomorrow. Then, our method of living is to be holy today and not being in sorrows, fear and with no assurance. Jesus Christ said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” i.e. For the problems in a day, we just need to take care of them in that one day. For the problems in one hour, we just need to take care of them in that one hour. Our church vision is the highest that the Lord has given, not having excellent programs or having great debates won. The vision of our church is that speakers will be raised up in 3-5 years as we continue to walk with the same assured life among us.

 

<Numbers 1-9:14>

 

Before even God talked about how Israel should move with the camp, Numbers 1-9 talks about “Who I am”.

 

<Numbers 9:15>

 

The cloud covered the tabernacle before setting out. We have to totally submit to God before moving out. This is because the wilderness is not an easy place to walk! Many times, we have the heart but are unable to do what we hoped for - the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. The secret is <9:23> “At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order, in accordance with his command through Moses.”, that we just submit each step through listening through the leader. We can actually obtain joy in the wilderness walk, and we will definitely be successful. The only most important thing is that we know how to walk now, and as we walk, we hold the Lord in honour. We must absolutely have the heart to submit to go through the wilderness, or else we will not have started at all.

 

 

1. The principles of the life and living of the Israelites <Chapters 1-10>

 

In the Desert of Sinai from the 1st to 20th day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt

 

What God has fixed, we cannot change. God’s opinion is stronger than the strong opinions of men. The principles of the life and living of Israel (who they are) are spoken and confirmed from the 1st to 20th day of the second month of the second year, and this is a total of 20 days.

 

 

2. The Sanctification of Israel <Chapters 11-25>

 

There is one condition required amidst temptations and trials, and this is the mourning of the heart. Most of the Israelites fell in the desert because they disbelieved and brought their hurts along from their exit from Egypt. However, because there was the tabernacle, those who followed along together were coworkers. This is why we need 3 years to see if God has chosen a person to be a coworker. If this test of the kingdom cannot be passed, even pastors will fall in the desert. Why did it take 38 years 3 months and 10 days for the Israelites to leave the desert? In actual fact, it is for all those who disbelieved to die in the desert. This is so that it would not become a laughing stock that God has brought Israelites out, but yet burnt them all to death with His wrath in a day? God uses the method of deceit to deceive all who are not His people. How do we know? What if some disbelieved for 1 day because they felt that it is still all right to disbelieve? Therefore, God will wait. For people who continue to live religiously for tens years and cannot accept God-driven ways, slowly their religious and worldly ways increase, and the wrath of God will come in the form of his children not being saved, and that he must shed tears for his family and self. God hides Himself. He waits for 5 years, 10 years, etc. How many 20 years do we have in our earthly life? How many wives can we have in 1 life? We must be watchful. God waited until 603,550 all fell, leaving only Joshua and Caleb. Caleb, at his old age, had strength that was greater than those who were 20-30 years of age, so that he conquered the mountain of Hebron. Therefore, do not battle for nothing. Do we fear when this is spoken? At least, if you know you did not follow God, and therefore God’s countenance fell before you, your today is unhappy, family is in trouble, you mourn because of “not loving God”. We just need an upright heart before God, and then even if we are weak, we can be joyful.

 

We must restore the real tabernacle in our lives. Is our repentance real? Canaan can be reached in 7 days, but it took 40 days for Israel to enter. This happened from when the 10 out of the 12 spies sent to spy on Canaan gave an evil report. All Israelites believed the evil report then, meaning that all of them did not look with importance the altar of God.

 

 

3. The inheritance of Israel <Chapters 26-36>

 

Before entering Canaan, Moses recapped all that were inherited in the wilderness besides the plains of Moab. The content of chapters 26-36 is similar to the book of Deuteronomy. Moses repeated the laws / promises to all Israel. If you grab hold of the promise, you will continue to be in blessings. If not, you will be disciplined / cursed.

 

 

Let us go into detail.

 

The 5 books of Moses actually have the content of the 66 books of the bible. The content of the books is “Lord, do not leave me behind.”

 

 

1. The principles of the life and living of the Israelites <Chapters 1-10>

 

Chapter 1: Census – 603,550

 

A census was made on the number of strong men, twenty years old or more who were able to go for war.

 

Complete/ perfect number: Identity, Belonging (Kingdom, direction)

 

<Eph 1:1-14> To those who have heard, believed, and thus called, Trinity God has descended into their hearts

<Eph 1:15-23> How great the hope, inheritance and power!

 

We should not go into memorizing the names of people in Numbers 1, but we shall realize that “I am in the midst of them because of my identity!” God definitely reveals and aims His intentions at these people! (He looks at us with fire in His eyes.)

 

Chapter 2: Encamp = Centered on the Tabernacle

 

 

The first priority is

 

1) Centered on the Altar = The Word God gives to the Church

 

If the pulpit message cannot be accepted, we must go and seek another one. This is an emphasis on centering on the pulpit message in the church. The Word that the Lord wants us to abide is even greater than the orders of the army commanders in their ranks.

 

2) Centering on the Body of Christ = Centering on Sunday Worship, Meetings

 

To walk the wilderness, it is all about centering on meetings. These are the Sunday Worship where prayer topics come out of it; the Prayer Meeting is where we test and approve to follow and where we gather 10 times assurance knowing His guidance to serve, and the Discipleship Training now. This is about centering on the Central Message, and all messages expanded out from here. If there is no Discipleship Training meeting, we will not know who are the coworkers of the church. However, if the people that continue to come for Discipleship Training for 3 years, I will treat them as coworkers.

 

Taken from Discipleship Training on 28^th July 2006, Numbers Overview Part 1.