Notes: April 16, 2008 - Numbers 14
Bob Feather April 16th, 2008
Bible study notes in English for use by Trinity International Baptist Church in Athens, Greece.
God’s kingdom is not a democracy
I. The people want to go back to Egypt (1-4).
II. Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb unsuccessfully attempt to dissuade the people (5-10).
III. When the Lord suggests that the people should be destroyed, Moses intercedes (11-19).
IV. The Lord answers Moses’ request; and, instead of destroying the nation, plans to destroy only the present generation of unbelievers (20-38).
IV. Upon hearing this announcement, the people, as one would expect, were sad; but worse, they attempted to go into the land on their own strength and without God (39-45).
Meditation Points:
- The discouraging reports of 10 men moved a whole nation to turn their backs on God. Sometimes we are moved by even fewer voices.
- To replace Moses, the man of God’s choosing, the people proposed to select their own leader. This penchant to think that we know better than God who should lead us continues today into all too many churches that select pastors without considering God’s Biblically-stated qualifications which can readily be found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. (For some modern comments on these qualifications, read Comments on Titus.)
- Instead of heeding the sage counsel of Moses and Aaron, the people would stone them. “Kill the messenger!”
- What would you have done with these people? (Matthew 21:33-41)
- Would you have prayed for them?
- Moses argued that the honor of God would be destroyed before the heathen if He were to wipe out the nation of Israel (Numbers 14:13-16). Do you ever pray for things that would glorify God, or do you only pray for things that please and glorify yourself or your family?
- Moses argued that God’s character would allow Him to pardon the people (Numbers 14:18-19). Praise God that His character IS such!
- God’s glory is seen in the pardoning of the nation AND in the destruction of the unbelievers therein (Numbers 14:21-23).
- The unbelief of the fathers had an adverse affect upon their families (33). This principle has not changed.
- The 10 men responsible for leading the congregation into rebellion against God died (36-36).
- Do you ever attempt to get God’s blessings without God’s presence (40-41)?
- All sin is evil; but how much more evil are sins of presumption (44)? Psalm 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
- 40 years of hardship, ending with death outside the land of promise. Could any punishment be worse? Many people have brought such consequences upon themselves because of their unbelief and rebellion against God.
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1 Timothy 3:1-7
1This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
4One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Titus 1:5-9
5For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Matthew 21:33-41
33Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Numbers 14:13-16
13And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
14And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
Numbers 14:18-19
18The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
Numbers 14:21-23
21But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
22Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
23Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
Psalm 19:13
13Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
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