The LORD Still Speaks in Our Wilderness - in the New Tent of Meeting!
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Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
When God saves a people, he takes them out of slavery and death and he doesn’t just give you a “you’re free card” and say Get on with the rest of your life now. DO you remember the whole point of the Exous in the OT, it was so they could go out and worship, serve God, so they could become a kingdom of priests, who would bless all the antions of the world, and enjoy the blessings of God dwellings with them. In many ways the end goal we could say is the life in the kingdom in the promised land. Not just a picture of heaven, but of God’s kingdom on earth, his inheritance shared and enjoyed and extened to even the neighbouring nations.
What about when God saves a people in the NT times. Saves us out of the salvery of sin and death and hell, out of the kingdom of darkness, ruled by the prpince of this world. When the LORD transfers us out of that kingdom,, reb-bron into the kngdom of his blessed Son - do you just get a get of jail free card? Does God just say, Get on with the rest of your life, and maybe I’l help you when you need it and keep you in peace? In just the same way that God led his peole out of Egypt and established a new kingdom for the promised land in the OT, so too Jesus in the New Testament, has much more than your indivdual salvation, or just getting you into heaven in the next life in mind. And that is where this book of Numbers comes in. A child of Israel saved through the Red Sea needed to respond to the LORD by joining HIs people in the new community God was forming, and together they need to keep HIm in the centre of their lives, and living in His presence, Hearing his Word they need to be responding with obeidence and service and worship - till they grew up as it were and came into their inheirtance and lived out the redeemed life in the Promised Land.
For the OT child of God the Book Numbers is like the teenage now strecthced to twenties and trities years, emerging adulthood - in between stage with so much opprotuntiy and so mcuh danger. FOr the NT member of Crhsit’s church this book of numbers does the same thing - yes, we are to find savlation, but what next - what’s supposed to be going on with us, as a comunity with us in getting to know God, what leaderships and follwing is to characterize us, . Like teenager/emerging adult time our charcter and values and mission is to be formed!
Someone said it to me this week - don’t know what it is like - texting .. but always hard time - And Numbers reveals all God’s peple have got to go through this stage - life in the wilderness. So interesting that the first and longest serving prime Minister chose to live in the desert. Students have to go out there. Built this Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - where we are formed. And the book of Numbers tells us that in the wilderness time of life- two options loom ahead of us - one is path of obedience and blessing and walking with the LORD - not to stay in Egypt nor in the desert, but invovles going through testing time - it involves finding the LORD in his patience and mercy for all our misteps but sticking with the ONe who can guide and direct, purifeya dn forgive - to be orgnaized by him. That is what the second half of the book is aobut - this genreation of hope. Seam of the book in census. No death, all conflicts worked out, great promises. First and last story are about Zelophad’sdaughters, securing inheritance, - living by faith trusting the Lord, HIs Law, his instruction promise. - no death’s recorded, all the threats and problems - they do have them, but they are resolved by God’s Word, his revealtoin.
But there is another option that is warned against both for te OT saints - those espeicially in exile returnin to the LAand, you could also end up going through the spiritual teenag years of your spiritual life -like that first generation - challenging God’s leaders, HIs words, not willing to go through the wilderness, to be formed their, not willing to go out without a human king, and having God as king in their midst, but let’s go back to Egypt, let’s reject the priest, Levites and MOses, do our own thing our own way. And guess what this is how the NT in , and uses the Book of Numbers. Paul says like in the Exodus, Christ was there, he was the one leading and guiding them through the desert. All the tests and trials were so they would trust him and his word.
For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.
and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
And look at the conclusion Paul draws from Christ’s work in Numbers and what it means to us:
Now these things took place as examplesfor us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.
He lists examples of the testing we all most go through, grumbling, sexual immorality, false teaching that lead to false worship of idolatry , he quotes the 23,000 plague resulting from Balaam and orgies, he quotes how the grumbling in the camp - destroyed by serpents. And says:
We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,
So this actually is the structure and the point of the book these two generations that span the 40 wilderness years. Their responses and the results. But listen carefully As Noth, Olson - every generation is to put ourselves here and ask how is God working his mission among us. We like Israel in Numbers are a people in between salvation accomplished, consummated, Christ first coming, second coming. And far from a boring book - see how God with both generations, absolutely faithful to His people. Despite our sin failure rebellion,brought judgment but still merciful provided and made away to be the new generation. Yes we have the testing and we have the Presence of Christ even more fully than they, but just like they we have even in both generations God’s faithfulness to His promises, patience with sinner,s examples of the intercessor, our Lord Jesus - stepping in to work mercy. And this is book is written to us that we might - be that Second Generation of faith not unbelief.
If Israelite couples averaged about four to five reproducing children each, starting with seventy individuals (), over 430 years () they could grow to about two and a half million (six hundred thousand men plus women and children). That is incredibly rapid growth, but not theoretically impossible.
On the other hand, taken literally, the numbers are difficult to reconcile with certain other Scriptures: Canaan is said to have seven nations “larger and stronger than you” (), and Israel is referred to as “the fewest of all peoples” (). This seems to imply seventeen million in Canaan, more than twice the modern population. There is no archaeological evidence of a population of that size ever living in Palestine. Pharaoh addresses only two midwives as being the ones serving the Hebrews (), which would be impossible if there were millions of them. The Israelites were terrified by six hundred chariots (), but surely six hundred thousand men by sheer numbers could overwhelm a few hundred chariots. indicates that Moses sat from morning to evening judging the people, leading Jethro, his father-in-law, to advise him to appoint judges under him to reduce the task (). That Moses would have single-handedly attempted to settle all the disputes of two and a half million people seems unimaginable. The Israelites were emotionally devastated by the defeat at Ai in which thirty-six Israelite men died (), but what is a loss of thirty-six if there are six hundred thousand to start with? Problems of these sorts lead some conservative scholars also to question whether these numbers are meant to be taken at face value.
If Israelite couples averaged about four to five reproducing children each, starting with seventy individuals (), over 430 years () they could grow to about two and a half million (six hundred thousand men plus women and children). That is incredibly rapid growth, but not theoretically impossible.
Joe M. Sprinkle, Leviticus and Numbers, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2015), 196–197.If Israelite couples averaged about four to five reproducing children each, starting with seventy individuals (), over 430 years () they could grow to about two and a half million (six hundred thousand men plus women and children). That is incredibly rapid growth, but not theoretically impossible.
On the other hand, taken literally, the numbers are difficult to reconcile with certain other Scriptures: Canaan is said to have seven nations “larger and stronger than you” (), and Israel is referred to as “the fewest of all peoples” (). This seems to imply seventeen million in Canaan, more than twice the modern population. There is no archaeological evidence of a population of that size ever living in Palestine. Pharaoh addresses only two midwives as being the ones serving the Hebrews (), which would be impossible if there were millions of them. The Israelites were terrified by six hundred chariots (), but surely six hundred thousand men by sheer numbers could overwhelm a few hundred chariots. indicates that Moses sat from morning to evening judging the people, leading Jethro, his father-in-law, to advise him to appoint judges under him to reduce the task (). That Moses would have single-handedly attempted to settle all the disputes of two and a half million people seems unimaginable. The Israelites were emotionally devastated by the defeat at Ai in which thirty-six Israelite men died (), but what is a loss of thirty-six if there are six hundred thousand to start with? Problems of these sorts lead some conservative scholars also to question whether these numbers are meant to be taken at face value.
Joe M. Sprinkle, Leviticus and Numbers, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2015), 196–197.So this actually is the structure and the point of the book these two generations that span the 40 wilderness years. Their responses and the results. But listen carefully As Noth, Olson - every generation is to put ourselves here and ask how is God working his mission among us. We like Israel in Numbers are a poeple in between salvation accomplished, consummated, Christ first coming, second comiong. And far from a boring book - see how God with both generations, absolutely faithful to His people. Despite our sin failure rebellion,brought judgment but still merciful provided and made away to be the new generation. Yes we have the testing and we have the Preesenceo f Christ even more fully than they, but just like they we have even in both generations God’s faithfulness to His proimses, patience with sinner,s examples of the intcessor, our Lord Jesus - stepping in to work mercy. And this is book is written to us that we might - be that \econd generation of faith not unbelief.
Key Truth: Find Christ in our wilderness journey and respond to him with faith and obedience
This morning - sampler of great theme.
A. Our Wilderness Journey Must Be Done Joining God’s Congregation
Title: NUMBERS - calls out which census are you in - like kids as team list posted, or parents as REd Cross posts list - made it… Not computers. . but divine numbers great meaning; Two census’ ; But LXX tilte arithmetic, literally “calculate the total”. And realted to the key truth you must see that Godi s calling you to be numbered to join, Oh it is true that all the elect have theirnames written in the Lambs Book of Life, butnow on earth, we are called to make our calling and election sure. Like our great leader has called out, here’s the line in the sand, who will follow me to take the land? Who will enlist, and all are called to do so, and look how - yes, it will be alist of the fighting aged men, but look how:
“Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head.
That word clan, isn’t nuclear family nor tribe, but - orgnaization of society into clans that could trace their line back to one of twelve tribes, yet oranzed and relyingon each other. So too, God does not just call us individually to come to him, but a major theme of numbers and the Biblbe is God calling us to become a kingdom - together. A major theme is in the word, in that word congregation, it is in the unique word in v.18 as the censeus is taken
and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head,
Assembled, called together, like gk\reek word for church, those called out, called to be holy, to be like God. Another theme of this book is how the church is called in unity to step forward in faith and obedience find their calling.! Time of testing is grumbling against leaders, about wrestling God’s mission from the assembly. Denial of the holiness they are to reflect! So interesting that the deep blue colour, symbol of royalty and of the priesthood - every Israelite commanded int he wilderness put a blue tassel on their garment. Why?
“Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.
This too is our calling to be joined to God’s people counted in the number, to be called out to become holy. Numbers, in our society just math, data, boring. IN ancient world , caballa, symbolic , numbers and theology went together. Huge numbers words thousands similar to world for military division, rank, possible though not likely inflated. But mark number is both historical, but also symbolic. Both and the symbol part is that even as the 12 children first of Leah and then Rachel given - God made promises to Abraham that descendants flourish - but remember how book of death Genesis ends -coffin in Egypt. Exodus begins - household of 70 that went down. not by god’s promise a mass of thousands. And Numbers starts out saying, grown same number as Exodus, now to be next generation , grow and multiply and enter the Land. The tragedy is the first generation, not grown, and they died corpses in the desert, says Stephen in Acts . What about here , will number ourselves in this assembly of Abraham's children of the promise? Look again a the structure of the book 2 generations, face same tests and temptations, and opportunities - NT says we do too - part of discipleship -
Old Generation of Rebellion
New Generation of Hope
Census of tribes, Levites (Num. 1; 3)
Legal ruling on women (Num. 5)
Laws on vows (Num. 6)
Lists/laws on offerings (Num. 7; 15)
Passover (Num. 9)
Blowing trumpets (Num. 10:9–10)
Spies from twelve tribes (Num. 13)
Spy story (Num. 13–14)
Provision for Levites (Num. 18)
Sihon and Og defeated (Num. 21:21–35)
Balaam and Midianites sin against Israel (Num. 22–25)
Census of tribes, Levites (Num. 26)
Legal ruling on women (Num. 27)
Laws on vows (Num. 30)
Lists/laws on offerings (Num. 28; 29)
Passover (Num. 28:16–25)
Blowing trumpets (Num. 31:6)
Leaders from twelve tribes (Num. 34)
Spy story recalled (Num. 32:6–15)
Levitical cities for Levites (Num. 35)
Sihon’s and Og’s lands assigned to Reuben, Gad, half of Manasseh (Num. 32)
Balaam and Midianites punished (Num. 31)generations, face same tests and temptations, and opportunities - NT says we do too - part of discipleship -
We too are celebrating 40 years this coming year as a CONGREGATION - become drifters, age where church becomes less about God His Word, His mission, and more a nice side interest -
B. Our Wilderness Journey is God’s Plan, Not Happenstance
In the wilderness, second title given it by earlier Hebrew scribes - like other books - wilderness of sinai - geogrraphic outline - great description of our lives now too; of church in post Christian world - But first and best anme - from first Word like Genesis - and like other books begins with the wrod and = narrative Gen - Deut. THE LORD SPOKE
But guess what, not original or best title. Hebrew Bible takes 5th word. In the wilderness, second title given it by earlier Hebrew scribes - like other books - wilderness of Sinai - geographic outline - great description of our lives now too; of church in post-Christian world - Geographically, Genesis is from Garden of Eden, to a casket in Egypt. Exodus about deliverance and takes us to foot of Mount Sinai - instead of a casket, mountain with Lord making a nation. Leviticus about holiness , Deuteronomy about the promised land. But this book seemingly pointless. It begins in the desert of Sinai, 55 days, then wilderness of Paran/Zin/KADESH (should have just 12 day trip but 40 years, and then ends with 2nd Generation on plains of moab in wildness.
And though as I mentioned its about being that postive second gerenration of faith and obedience, and not the first of grumbling and rebellion. That seco9nd generation ends with a bit of a question mark - Rueben, Gad,Ephraim - want to settle on the wrong side of the Jordan, IN the second half of the book even Moses who otherwise would enter, loses striking the Rock, not permitted to go in. Like the book of Jonah - open question will you choose the way of faith and obedince. That testing is part of Jesus plan, Crossing the Jordan River is a symbol of self-sacrafice, of denying yourself to find new life God’s way; It means you don’t take the easy way ot he Proised Land, but like Christ was that involves suffering for righteousness sake, no other way to be made like Christ, than to live with him through the desert times. Jesus said in this world you will have trouble. He said they peresecuted me, also you. But listen in the wilderness what will becom eof you. For both generations they have such a demonstrartion of God’s graciousness, even through judgment, of his faithfulness and of sticking to His promises. Even after that first generation fails to go into the land () , right away in , God gives hopeful instructionss, law about when they actually their children will enter the land.
What is the point of the wilderness in Numbers and indeed in Scripture? This world and our life in God’s providence is a spiritual journey with a spiritual geogrpahy, of a land of slvery a wilderness - feel lost and wandering, to a promised land. And the prophesy about Jesusat the heart of this
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
How the exiles, and we spiritual exiles shoudl use the book of numbers. Your life and mine can feel like that too, until Jesus returns, a lot of the same old things, a lot of wilderness, not promised fruition in this life, but called to journey towards it. WQe are to be says peter, aliens and strangers, journeying to Zion, And actually theNT records jesus time of testing and going through the widlereness of life for us, as an example of how to get through!
But first and best name - from first Word like Genesis - and like other books begins with the wrod and = narrative Gen - Deut. THE LORD SPOKE.
The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting,
The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
C. We must Hear God Speak from His Tent of Meeting.
The main actor is God, book dividing seams - not numbers and names and lists, though those are in there. But God spoke, some times Moses, MIriam, preists, even a donkey -but God revealing HIsmelf biggest events, and part of real narrative - how things are resolved how, mercy or judgment, how new promises claimed, God speaking. over 50x in this book and often at the key changes, their is man’s actions and God’s action and then GOD speaks. We need to ask is this true in our lives.? God still speaks
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
The key theme in the book is God is with His people in the wilderness. Absolutely holy and faithful and gracious, make us tremble and warn us, but oh it should fill us with awesome anticipation - what he will say what he will do. Do you think God is less with us today then when He appeared in cloud and smoke? Don't miss what that Tent of Meeting Represented. Up until the construction of the tabernacle, Moses just conversed with God in what was called the Tent of Meeting, outside the camp. But the main point of the Tabernacle, was not just a rendezvous for information for Moses - what should I do now God. What happened in the tabernacle, what was in it? Ark of the Covenant - on it? Mercy Seat, Happened there - atonement by blood sacrifice, What else was in it? Ten Commandments - summary of the mutual pledge - what would they put in it - Aaron’s staff that budded, a sign of the way God’s people be led. God appointed not Aaron now, but those apostles fuller revelation, and inscripturated Word committed to us, but what is the Tabernacle now? Christ - tabernacled among us. And what were Jesus words as he sent us out in the wilderness of the world - what was his promises -
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
You are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We abide in Him , he abides in us. What Israel experienced in Numbers, active God , speaking in community, directing, forgiving atoning - we are to experience in his church today! And that brings us to the last great theme in this introduction. It is not just that god speaks from His Tent of Meeting, but where is that Tent of Meeting? Not outside the camp but in its very centre. And who is in charge of ministering this Presence of God in Israels’ midst, job of the Levites, must understand their role, if we are to understand Christ’s priestly, Levitical role in our lives and church.
D. We Need Some Sort of Levitical Ministry if God is to Dwell in our Midst.
Why weren’t the Levites numbered in the cenus. Who was Levi, just like rest son of Jacob. In the exodus just like other 12 tribes. Mount Sinai, covenant, just like the other 12 tribes. But then listen, the golden calf incident happens - God is going to destroy the nation in a plague, and though it was Moses interession - most fully draws out and exhibits God’s gracious forgiving character. Like Christ’s intercession for us. You probably haven’t noticed that it was at this point that the tribe of Levi, got a new job.
then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.
From that time on the tribe of Levi, where responbile for two great jobs. Defending the holiness of God -so that n our sin and defilement we woulnd’t be aconsumed by the holiness of God. But secondly, and this is the point of leviticus too - not just a bunch of radnom arbitrary ceremonies - perform as if covenant of wroks saved you by the law. Ritual Law. NO these ritual laws, deeply symbolic, prototypes of what Christ would do, - must teach us how purification works. In Numbers learn how through the Levitical ministry - cleansing, purification for Lepers, how defilments in family arrangments to be dealt with, when sin occured, what sacrfices would picture and do? These poeople were to belong to the Lord in highest way, exemplify what it means to have God’s cahracter - justice, frogiveness, mercy, wrath. Orignailly it was the first born son, the eldest son in every family taht belonged tot he LORD, given in seervice to Him. But then in Numbers we rea a census of jsut the eldest, and the Levites are to take their place, as those claimed and ededicated and in fullt ime life of service to the Lord.
Do you see that function in their job? In v.51 God’s secutiry detail no infringmeents on God’s holiness, but look at
But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.”
- IE Game of Chess. - protect the most important thing … Do you understand that this what Christ did for us, became our proper way to access God’s holy loving saving, guiding presence. But temple veil torn, presence in all of life. And just like all Israel had teh blue tassel, though the Levties represented them. Now Christ who prerfectly represented us, he says you can share in my priestly work - making God’s presence3 known, protecting His holiness, promtoing it in each others lives. This too prophesied in remarkable way later in the Old Testament:
“For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.
And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord.
One of the3 most fasicanting studies of the book of Numbers, byAnthroolgists, studying all the rituals, clean unclean, all the boundaries holy and common - if you wantto understand a society the most fundatmental values are embeded in the ritual system.
Think of family irtuals, national rituals, hockey night in Canada - dadda or gift giving, or prayer, Lord’s Supper . Modern people liek you andm e have a built in bais against rituals and symbolic gestures, all spontaniety - church’es claim no rituals - but we all have them, and understand them.
Vicotr Turner an anthropoigist first studied teh NDembu trie in Zambia: ignored rituals. But “Eventually, I was forced to recongze that if I wanted to know what even a segment of Ndembu culture really wasabout, I would have to overcome my prejudice against ritual and start to investigate it. Somuch attention to form and ortganization tiruals as two way street of God communicate judgment or blessing and we communicating our faith. See how all these point to Christ and that this priestly ministry to gether as a community, the antions spirtual health requires a priests works. After salvation too, ongoing need for faith and obdeince, for laws to shape the community mould God’s peopel to become holy as he is holy, so that god’s character reflected in our charcter. That’s what is at stake in the Levitie and Jesus work in our lives inthe wileerness of this world.
But to close this introduction our need for God to speak to usm,even from the book of Numbers let me close with an illustration from the Chronicles of Narnia
Edmund and lUcy, end of Book and journey, Aslan reveals they won’t be coming back. What do you mean, life’s not worth living can’t hear from you, be with you. But I am in your world too. pardon sir, Yes go by another name, That knowing me for a little here, you may know me better there. Paul and the writer of Hebrews and Jesus HImself refering to the daily manna he gave them - says - I was in the book Numbers, and nkowing me there, can know me better now. Those where types by which you are to come to know how I tabernacle with you, how I call you to be holy, and guide and organize and direct you.
That is the ultimate purpose of this book for you and me. God trinaing a spiritual army out of the next genreation, find out the faith and obdeince we are to be resopnding by - tottake the inheritance jesus way. And the big problem we have with being that generation - is we so easily thnk don’t need jesus presence, don’t need his inhertiance, don’t need the promised land. How easy isi tiforyou to go through day without Jesus, without thinking of heaven, or the kigndom of heaven arleady begun in Christ. LIke the poeople Moses initially comoiled and wrote this book for we have come into o much prospoerity, we mayforegt ourneed of the Lord and may forget his purposes and confuse our life mission with that of the world around us:
The Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Need these lesson, remembering not more righteousnes smarter, just as stuboorn , but learn lessons and hubmled repsond in faith and obedience!
In numbers and the OT and indeed fulfilled in the NT - the pradtice of sacrfice at the very heart of OT worship
C. The Congregation, the Company - first listing of names, scribes - list of leaders - THe numbers - symbolic and tied to Genesis promises - miraculous growth - new census from 70 to thousands… to now in wilderness… to secdon generation… But need organization, need ongoing laws and direction.