Numbers Overview Part 4 - In The Midst Of Problems / Desert, Can We Make The Most Joyful Vows?
God blessedly called our pastor to restore our faith, and blessedly called our coworkers to restore the church’s faith. To be the witnesses of the age, we must be strong and be men of faith.
How is our walk with God this week? God knows that we have a lot of problems, be it in our families, changes in our careers for more time for serving, etc. But if we move along and also meet with problems that similarly happened in the church, we are blessed. The way to do so is to get equipped. By the word of God, we will have the best solutions to overcome our problems, and even receiving overwhelming fruits. The Bible is not a book of morals, or a book to fix a particular problem of our own. This is the very reason why this age treats the bible as a book to study and research into. No, but the bible, in fact, is a book that changes our whole life’s direction. The bible restores our very faith to the fullest. We must die. We must restore till we have such a view to read the bible.
1) Absolute Direction
If we restore such a view, we will know clearly why we have to stop and why we have to move on. The bible says that our individual private indwelling life must be gospelised and not just go into serving. The bible says that our family must restore life, joy and meaning. Are we to just be deacons or elders in the church but yet have a family which often gives us headaches? If we taste first hand the gospelised life and family, we will surely have compassion for all blessed meetings. This is called regional gospelization. Will not God open the door to disciples and churches that are earnest in revitalizing their very lives for God? And to such a person, the blessings of the age (world) will be given to him.
2) Repayment / Returns
To such a person with clear absolute direction, God will repay him. If we have the correct direction, we will know where to focus our prayers and efforts. In problems of church conflicts and danger to the family, it is normal that we will be discouraged. But do we know why God gave Paul problems that got more difficult levels after levels, going from Macedonia to Ephesus to Rome? God is really a God that uses problems to push us. Realize that this is the love of God. Even if we are wasting away in our temporary vessels, we are healthy and abundant if the loving hearts for our sheep is ever abounding. What is the use of leading a peaceful life with no disturbances if we cannot have a grasp on our life, family, region, and for this age? Are our prayers unanswered in such problems? No! In fact, God desires to give us the utmost returns. The returns are received at each and every step in walking in the wilderness.
3) Vows: Serving
If we acquire such a testimony of great love in repayment, will we not be willing to serve Him? Will we not love and do good to God and to men that are loved by God? No one may know what we give to others in love but have we such a willingness to do as what the bible says (doing good deeds in darkness) in doing without anyone knowing? Jesus does not need men’s testimony, because He knows what is in all men. What a great example, that we can only stand before Him and only receive the repayment of God! I hear God say to me, “What is the use if you can win a lot of people and receive a lot of ministries?” But He has told us that if we really believe in God alone, face-to-face, He will fight the battle for us! Let’s wait upon such a victory of God to influence true pastors and disciples of this era.
Passage Reading: James 1:2-12
Many people cannot be joyful alone, but I am such a person, because I have the greatest power when alone. In the midst of problems, can we give the greatest joy to our beloved? In the wilderness, can we make the most vows to serve Him? This is the message of Numbers.
Read the following grasping the inner meaning.
1. Principle of Israel in the wilderness
<1-6> The Life of Holy People
The truth is that these people are the most honoured. Do things that are relative sway us? What is unchangeable is that God loves you. Is the love of God too cheap such that even our broken families, inabilities at work, relationship problems, money in the bank, etc sadden us? The crux is that we start to think about whether such relative things are the absolute blessings of God or not. Let no small things ever be compared to God in our life and let us fix this up. Jesus says, “why are you in sorrow? You men of little faith, why is it that you have no assurance and disbelieve that your life is the most honourable?” But let us say “Amen” with our little faith and restore the utmost life. And what is left of us is to use our utmost life to see all things without wavering.
<7-10> The Living of Holy People (Serving)
Ministers of acting capacity and of full-time, remember the Passover. Even when we are doing administrative things of the church, do it with life, i.e. do it not only with the thought that they are going to bring the best conditions from the pastor to ourselves and then to the members of the church, but do it in the direction of Canaan (7 fields) and the altar message. The churches of this age give the wrong message. But when we shepherd, we do not just solve the problems of our sheep, but we bring them to God, and then to the church.
2. Sanctification
1) <11-14> God exalted Moses for exalting the word of God spoken by him.
(1) The word that is exalted by God is the word that is already accomplished. Blessed are those who have God’s word. <14:35> God’s work is to remove all that obstructs the word and promise that has already been accomplished. Moses sent the spies not to check whether the land could be conquered, but to tell them to see the land that God had already given Israel. But Israel looked down upon Moses’ word and gave suggestions. Therefore God decided that they would not be able to enter Canaan. But because Satan’s power is strong, sometimes, the conviction from God may not be good to the ears, but in fear, the pastor, elders or deacons will probably need to give spicy words good to the ears to get them out of their unblessed conditions. God desires that we hear the word of God uprightly, 100% uncorrupted and unblocked.
(2) Preserve faith
Real sanctification is being able to preserve the faith and be at peace and joy. Sanctification is not achieving great ministries. Do not look down upon the words of Prophets.
2) <15-19> To exalt Aaron
(1) Already received a cleansing heart
God desires that we have no bitterness and disturbances of worries in our heart. These are punishments and slashes actually. And if such continues, there will be more and more discipline. Therefore God placed the requirement to cleanse again and again. However, when one receives a clean heart, he desires to do even more than what the law requires, to love God and men.
(2) Preserve Holiness: Sacrifice -> Worship, Scheduled prayers, Serving in living
This is the reason why God removed the Korah group, as they looked down on the sacrifices of the Priest.
3) <20-25> King
(1) Already victorious
<Jn 16:33> "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Therefore, there is no need to fight with our family.
(2) Preserve Perspective
<20> There was no problem if Moses and Aaron were not around, as God was still with them.
<21> Win battles
<22-24> Curse of the world
The world continues to curse the people of God, but is it able to succeed? There is no need to be afraid, as God will turn them into blessings. Slanders will turn into humbleness. Retrenchment will turn into discovering the blessings of God. Diseases will turn around so that God is glorified. We must work hard to preserve the fixed perspective so that the world will never be able to curse us.
<25> Mourning never solve problems <-> faithfulness and resolution
Groans never solve problems. God will never let His children stay in problems. Faithfulness and resolution to stop disbelief will stop the wrath. <Romans 8:31> If God is for us, how can swords and others cause us harm? Preserve this life. The only crux is that we know how to submit. Do not “treat all things as the grace of God” and thus live a lukewarm life. If we are humble before God, we will not need to be fearful of anything.
3. Inheritance
1) New generation
<26> Number again
<27> Heirs
If the new generation just rises up and replaces the older generation, they will surely fail. The importance is not whether it is Joshua or Caleb, but the people who can be heirs to Moses. After breaking up twice in our church history, our church will continue to break up unless we restore 100% of our life to God. The old likeness of traditional churches - ceremonial, ritualistic, with slow and half-hearted response to God - must be destroyed.
<28-29> Conversation with God
The conversation with God must have the effect of life, power, and fruits. Focus on receiving this in prayers.
<30> Vows
God is not binding us to make a vow we cannot turn back on. But God is saying that we must not look down on such a wonderful blessed life that we have received and half-heartedly turn our backs on God’s word to the love of the world. But God desires that we make the right and decisive choice weighing all factors to follow Him.
<31> Conquering Midian (fields now) => Conquering Canaan (whole life we must get)
This means that for the problems in your families, be it of husbands or wives, children, or parents, if you rely on the gospel to overcome, your future ministry will be similar. Conquering Midian was a prophecy of what was to be conquered in Canaan. The position of deacons we hold now comes with the definite walk in the wilderness with full of problems. This is so that in time to come, no one will be able to say anything against us. Let us restore our faith and know the road of what we are going to walk.
2) <32-36> New inheritance
<32> Whole congregation must battle
A little testimony of an area here and there in the church will not make the church strong. Only by going into spiritual battle will it make the church strong. If it is really difficult to come to meetings in the midst of time and tiredness because of work and family, restore the heart, “Lord, will not the more difficult things have more rewards in return?”
<33> Moses recap 40 years
Joshua and Caleb followed the closest and received the best.
<34> By Lot = God arranged
<35> Levites Inheritance
<36> Unchanging
What is yours is yours, and it cannot be taken away.
It is not that easy to restore and have the word rooted in us. Therefore, there is the need for 2-3 years for equipping.
Taken from Discipleship Training on 18th August 2006, Numbers Overview Part 4.