Covenant 10/4/2020

Will the title of my message this morning is Moses. stiff necks and What was the other one? I can't remember too much guitar playing right? We'll figure it out as we go through the the message today. But this is this morning. We're continuing series entitled forerunners of the faith. And we're looking at the last of the story of Moses is life a life of a man who was called by God and very unique circumstances not in what we might consider the prime of life, but toward the what we would probably consider the end of his life is an 80 year old man called to one of the most challenging tasks that God's got ever set in front of anyone who had a chance to watch as Moses went from Midian to Egypt with the command to pharaoh to let God's people go we saw god with Mighty hand deliver his people from the most powerful nation and the most powerful ruler who rained on the Earth. It's all God's people come out of Egypt and cross the Red Sea / the very hand of God as he gathered them to himself there at Sinai claim them as his own. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt? And so you shall have no other gods before me who made the point last week that this Mighty Act of Deliverance was not predicated on the goodness of this people that the Lord told us in the scripture Israel was not more numerous or more Mighty than the other nations of the earth. That's not why God called them, but he called them simply because he had chosen them show his gracious love to them apart from others that they might be a holy nation set apart to serve him a nation through whom he would bring about a blessing that would redound through the generations to every people and every tongue and every tribe as we last left the people of Israel last week. We left them there before that great Mountain as the Lord appeared and mark them. As his own he gave them his law his way, but he said before them that they might not only be called by his name but they might live as he called them to live until this morning. We will see the continuation of that story and look at some challenging observations as we move about you got a Bible go ahead and take it out and return with me to Exodus chapter 24. It's the story of the people of God there around Sinai is got his called them out of Egypt as he makes a covenant with them a promise to them that he will be their God and they will be his people Exodus 24 verse 3 and following Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules and and all the people answered with one voice instead all the words that the Lord has spoken. We will do and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord Heroes early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and 12 pillars. According to the 12 tribes of Israel. How do you say young men to the people of Israel who offered burnt offerings and sacrifices peace offerings of auxin to the Lord and Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins in half of the blood he threw against the altar Vinny took the book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said all that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will be obedient and Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said behold the blood of the Covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words a little bit later. This morning will be celebrating communion together on the night in which Jesus Christ in Naga rated A New Covenant in his blood. It was not covered at the New Covenant. That was the Fulfillment of this first Covenant that God made with his people there at Sinai a promise that he would be with them. He would set his way before then and he would graciously care for them even in their failure even in their sin that he would not renounce them that he would walk along side of them and ultimately deliver them not simply from Pharaoh for the bondage of Nations, but from the bondage of sin and death itself. We're told a little bit later in verse 9 didn't Moses and Aaron made them and a by who and 70 of the Elders of Israel went up and they saw the god of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone like the very heaven for clearness and he did not lay his hand on the chief minister the people of Israel they beheld God and ate and drank it again as we celebrate communion. We celebrate communion with the Lord in a much more intimate way, even than these the elders and leaders of Israel experience. We're 17 how this now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel Moses enter the cloud and went up on the mountain and Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights. We're still familiar with this story that it might not strike us as powerfully as it should. This is the god of creation the lord of the heavens and the Earth The God Who made a covenant with Adam and Eve in the garden when they send that he would redeem them one day The God Who reaffirm that Covenant with their descendant Noah and then Abraham Isaac and Jacob individually to these people and yet here that very God the creator of the heavens and the Earth the one who Covenant visited with Adam and Eve in the garden draws a people unto himself. The god of creation meets with them at the mountain and he calls Moses up onto the mountain top that he might deliver his words and his way that this people might be set apart from that day forth and forevermore. It's interesting. When you study the different confessions of the church over time and you come across the Scots confession a confession of our faith written by as you might expect Scottish believe Protestants and what I love about that confession. Is there recognition that this is the church this group that stood there before the mountain are those who are called by God. No different not divided from us those who are marked by the blood of Jesus Christ not in their past as we are marked by his blood as he's died and risen in history put in their future as Christ would die and rise again for their forgiveness and for their salvation cancelled when the Lord covenants with them to be their God and that they would be his people hit is his Covenant with us that we continue not at the blood descendants of Abraham at least not many of us here today, but it's the spiritual sons and daughters. Abraham I said this is God's covenant with his people. He calls Moses up to the mountain into the clouds is the cloud surrounded the mountain in the presence of God was palpable to these people in for 40 days and 40 nights Moses spoke with the Lord at the Lord articulated it his vision for his people in and set his way before Moses that he might share it with them. It's almost comical if it weren't. So tragic what happens next Exodus chapter 32 turn with me there only 40 days have passed since the people of Israel coming out of Egypt as the Seas divided witness the presence of God fall Upon This Mountain only 40 days has passed and their next already are beginning to stiffen. And our hearts are already beginning to harden. And the people of Israel there in the wilderness become concerned wraps afraid but seeming that they want to move on and let you guys in this Cove in whole situation, but there's so many times. I am usually when I get to church. We supposed I think I just wish this was over and we could get moving and move past it and almost seems like that's what was on the heart of this people at this time. Moses has been gone for 40 days. What are we waiting for? Let's move forward. It's what they call Aaron Moses is brother to them and they begin to press in upon Aaron for changes in the life of their Community Exodus 32 follow with me when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him up. Make us Gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. Preferred markable statement only 40 days after God had appeared to them in the wilderness only a few short months after the mighty hand of God had delivered them from abject slavery under himself. What has happened to this man Moses the one who brought us out of the land of Egypt. It wasn't Moses that brought them out of Egypt was it it was God himself and yet their faith had already begun to falter is an amazing how God can demonstrate himself to us. So clearly it's a remarkable intangible moments of his present in only a few short hours or days or maybe a week later. We can can go on living as if it's never happened. That's exactly where the people were in this moment had. So Aaron said to them first to take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives your sons and your daughters and bring them to me to all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron and he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. Kylie said these are your Gods o Israel who brought you up out of the land of Egypt twin ear and saw this he built an altar before it had Aaron made a proclamation and said tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord and they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings and the people sat down to eat and drink and Rose up to play. What a tragic moment in the life of God's people he called them not because they were good or righteous or true. He called them simply because he loved them and his relationship with was not predicated on their righteousness because they had none it was predicated on his righteousness and yet here they broken Covenant with God only a short few days after they'd committed by Blood to be his people into abide by his word and their lives and get noticed that they're there. Worship is blend together with a pretended worship of the Lord at hits called syncretism the blending together a different things. Swapping false worship is not just completely and totally set apart from true worship, but it's mixed in melded together in ways that are sometimes hard to discern some scholars believe that the false idol that they set up with simply to beat a physical representation of the God who delivered them the little bit hard to interpret that way when it says in the text in verse 5, they said these are your Gods o Israel who brought you out of the land of Egypt regardless. This was not what the Lord intended. This was a pagan active idolatrine as we'll see in a moment. It probably also involve sexual immorality and Purity as well. Camera shifts from the seeing there at the foot of the mountain and the adultery that's erupting amidst the people of God to the Mountaintop for 7, and the Lord said to Moses go down. For your people language for your people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt. You see the distance a year right have corrupted themselves being turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them have made for themselves a golden cap and have worshipped it and sacrifice to it and said, these are your Gods o Israel who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and watch Moses's response as we look at the life of this man is he Bears the weight of the people in the leadership that God has placed in his hands. The Lord said to Moses. I've seen this people attend behold. It is a stiff-necked people now therefore, let me alone bet my RAF mayburn hot against them and I may consume them in order that I may make a great nation of you. But Moses employed the Lord his God and said, oh Lord. Why does your Rathburn hot against your people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand. Why should the Egyptians date with evil intent? Did he bring them out to kill them in the mountains in to consume them from the face of the Earth turn from your burning anger and release from This Disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel your servant War by your own self and said to them I will multiply your Offspring as the stars of the heaven and all this land that I promise. I will give to your Offspring and they shall inherit it forever. Moses here in interceding for the people for no good reason Simply that God would not forsake his own faithfulness before the Nations the promises that God had made would not be broken. I want to stop for a moment, but off in the scriptures, we encounter moments like this or God expresses his anger and wrath against the sin of his people or perhaps in other places against the sin of the world in general and here Moses implores him to be patient and to be gracious. You think it was Moses to change the heart of God In This Moment? I think we'll be fine. Just the God is displaying his wrath against sin and wickedness and evil. He's making it very clear to Moses that he does not accept these things from his people had he would bring his judgment upon them if he were not to show them his grace. If anything, I think he's teaching Moses as he's teaching us that God has a gracious heart towards those who he's determined to show his grace to to the multiple Generations. We read a little bit further that 14th the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people have been Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand tablets that were written on both sides on the front and on the back. They were written to the tablets were the work of God. And the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets. That's a remarkable statement. We talked about this before but the Ten Commandments were literally inscribed by the hand of God. We talk about inspiration in the scriptures. This is probably one of the forceful demonstration not by the harder hand of a godly man who rode inspired by the Holy Spirit, but written by the berry Finger of God. That's what these tablets represented. The first time. This has ever happened in the history of the world Moses is carrying literally the inspired words of God in his hand as he makes his way down the mountain Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted they're making their way down the mountain. He said to Moses. This isn't noise of war in the camp. But he said it is not the sound of shouting for victory or the sound of the Cry of defeat with the sound of singing that I hear. And as soon as he came near the camp install the calf in the dancing Moses's anger burned hot. They threw the tablets out of his hand and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the cat that they had made and burned it with fire and grounded to powder and Scatter it on the waters and made the people of Israel. Drink it and Moses said to Aaron. What did these people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them? And Erin said might not be angry with my Lord bird hot, you know, the people that they are set on evil. Play send me make us Gods who shall go before us has for this Moses the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt. We do not know what has become of him is so I said let any who have gold take it off or they gave it to me and I threw it into the fire. Hang out came this cat.

The remarkable excuse. It sounds like one Brayden about a situation. Aaron not taking responsibility for leadership. There were about 2 million people in this camp at this time. There were 675000 fighting men in that Camp Erin with an 83 year-old man at this point and when they came to him with force and made their game at the top it says in the text go and make us this calf Aaron listen. And yet certainly it doesn't seem that. He was very committed to the fact that he had made.

Well things don't fare. Well. In the moments that follow we find one of those challenging portions of the scripture verse 25 when Moses saw that people had broken loose with an interesting a way of putting it. Let them break loose to the derision of their enemies then Moses stood at 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 and he said to them thus says the Lord God of Israel. Put your sword on your side each of you. And go throughout the camp from one gate to the next and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor. And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses and that day about 3,000 men of the People Fell. Interesting as we study the Old Testament stories will see many of these as we go through the forerunners of Faith you encounter moments race questions in your mind what's taking place here and Moses come to the Campisi's the the Pagan idolatry the Rebellion the breaking loose of God's people and it's in his rise up out of nowhere, but there were leaders in the midst of this Rebellion Moses understood these things and as he stands there he calls the Levites out those who would eventually be called by God to serve as priest as as as as intermediaries between God and his people and he tells those Levi's to strap on their swords and the goes to the camp and the strike down everyone who opposed the Lord. You see this in the life of Israel and we'll see it in the in in the in the in the in the in the decades ahead as they move into the promised land that the god brings his judgment on sinful idolatry Rebellion an Insurrection against people who he has condemned by the hand of those he is called it's probably one of the biggest challenges that you faced according to scholars in the Old Testament mini bottle by statements like this hit God is gracious and kind and merciful than why would he call the Levites the very ones who would become priests to slaughter those who have rebelled against the Lord? As we talked about on a regular basis approaching the scriptures you have got to read God's word as it is to understand who he is Heather wise, you're just as susceptible to the kind of idolatry that these people had engaged in when they made a God and their own like this and bow down and worshipped it. This is a God. Who is Holy? This is a god guess who is gracious and merciful and his whose lover down through the generations of those that he has called. But this is a God who has nothing to do with sin and wickedness and Evil. Everything is drawn his people to himself these individual these leaders among the people who have renounced him who have broken the Covenant Dave made only a few short weeks earlier and letting people into sin. The Lord has brought his wrath against definitively. He's called the Levites who become his priests to execute them on that very day. And the Levites do as the Lord commanded verse 29 and Moses said to the Levites today, you have been ordained for the service of the Lord each one at the cost of his son and his brother said he might bestow a blessing upon you this day language there implies that these levite men who stood for the Lord or forced to strike down some their own son's some their own brother's who had committed to oppose the Lord on that day in this false active Insurrection and worship with no reconciliation to be had In This Moment. It was a moment of a collision those who are with the Lord as Moses said and those who were against the Lord even within those that God had redeemed from Egypt in and what you see is even amidst the people of God that God had brought out there were many whose Hearts were not with him. And God was not slow to bring about his righteous judgement of them in the events that took place in the desert. Well after this terrible event. Moses having seen it with his own eyes men being struck dead for their idolatry Moses intercedes again with the Lord verse 30. The next day Moses said to the people you have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord perhaps I can make atonement for your sin to Moses return to the Lord and said alas this people has seen a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now if you will forgive their sin, but I'm sorry, but now if you will forgive their sin, but if not, please block me out of your book that you have written. Moses trying to make a deal with the Lord these people have sanded and broken Covenant with you. It's a horrendous act notice the language of sin a violating the Covenant. How about betraying a holy God? That's the language of this people that God has redeemed in his holy they are called to be holy. It's what defines a relationship why we have a confession of sin As We Gather to worship by the Lord died for our sin that we might be reconciled to a God who is wholly so he loves us and his gracious to us and Hayden Moses here tries to make a deal they have sinned greatly, but you're going to turn your back on them. They just block me out as well. Lesson for leaders and their call to identify with the people that God has placed in their care. He was going to intercede for them. Even if it would cost them his own life. I remember the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans. I think it's around chapter 8. He says we're at that. I was lost at my people might come to know Jesus Christ cuz I do not lie. When I tell this to you, I would give up my own salvation if the Jewish people would see that Christ is the Messiah himself Moses had the very same heart for the people that God had entrusted to his care. If you will not forgive them. Then Please block me out of your book that you have written verse 33, but the Lord said to Moses Whoever has sinned against me. I will blot out of my book. But now go leave the people to the place about which I have spoken to you behold. My angel shall go before you never the last in the day. When I visit I will visit their sin upon them the Lord sent a plague on the people because they had made the cap the one that Aaron made.

It's kind of surprising on the one hand and then yet not. So surprising to hear the people of God who have seen the most powerful acts of God have so quickly. Stiffen their necks and hardened their hearts and gone their own way. Tell me what happens in our own lives as well, but it certainly is instructive for us to be careful to put Temptation behind us and cling to The God Who has saved us. Immediately we hear a little bit more about this community. God does not forsake his people in this moment. He does not forsake the promises that he's made to Abraham and Isaac to Jacob to Moses to this very people in the Covenant that he cuts with them. But his presence comes to dwell Within. We're told that did Moses would set up a tent of meeting just outside of the camp of the Israelites in verse 7, and he would do this in the presence of the Lord would fall apart. Even after this event Moses for seven of the next chapter used to take the 10 and Pitch it outside the camp far off from the camp Haiti called at the tent of meeting and everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which is outside of the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent all the people would rise up each would stand at his tent door and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent and the Lord would speak with Moses and when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent all the people would rise up and worship each at his tent bless the Lord used to speak to Moses. face to face as a man speaks to his friend Moses turn to get into the camp his assistant Joshua the son of nun a young man would not depart from the tent. Again, it's a demonstrable witness to the presence of God with his people that Moses and his sense was a mediator through whom God was communicating to his people. Course looking forward to a much greater mediator. Who would one day come and Moses was the friend of God as the text says here. Get interesting conversation between Moses and the Lord that that follow these events Moses said to the Lord verse 12. See you say to me bring up this people, but you have not letting me know whom you will sit with me that you have said I know you by name and you lost or found favor in my sight now therefore if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways that I know you in order to find favor in your sight consider too that this nation is your people and he said my presence will go with you and I will give you rest and he said to make your presence will not go with me to not bring us up from here or how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight eye. And your people is it not in your going with us to the we are distinct eye and your people from every other people on the face of the Earth. And the Lord said to Moses this very thing that you have spoken I will do for you have found favor in my sight and I know you by name. Best people would be marked by the presence of the Lord from this point forward. It's broken people this sinful people among these people were still rebellious men and women and get godhead mark them with his name and nnn mark them by his presence a present that would constantly be mediated through a sacrificial system. That would be set up as you move from here the book of Exodus Into the Book of Leviticus the Lord lays out before Moses the system of sacrifices that would have to be instituted that this sinful people might dwell in the presence of a holy. God. God does not turn a blind eye to send in any form at any time for any reason. Half of the sacrificial system was set up that if his people should unintentionally send unintentionally send unintentionally sent that he would provide a way that they might atone for their sins. And so the Book of Leviticus is some of you have studied and enjoyed I noticed some of the famous baby book of many of you here, maybe a memorize verses from Leviticus Wright was a very booked demonstrate to his people conclusively that their sin set them apart from him, but then he had made a way that they might be reconciled that they might continue to stand in his presence. And so not only does God start up the sacrificial system offerings 4% offerings of Thanksgiving offerings for communion for celebration all different types of offerings listed there in Leviticus, but he also establishes the Levites those very men who struck down the Godless one's on that date as the priests who would serve him who would care for his people had offer those sacrifices has his presence continue to dwell among his people. God gave Moses very specific description and detailed plans for the Tabernacle in which he would dwell. We read about that a little bit later on here in in in in in the book that we're told in the cloud completed the work for the for the Tabernacle and put it together exactly as the Lord had had commanded his months later. It will hold it in the cloud cover the tent of meeting this one that was built in the way that God intended and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle and Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the clouds settle on it and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle drop all their Generations whenever the cloud was taken up. Over the Tabernacle the people of Israel would set out but if the cloud was not taken up and they did not set out to the day that it was taken up for the cloud of the Lord was on the Tabernacle by day and fire was in it by night in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their generations and all their Journeys. What are we learning here? This is just not some random people out in the wilderness. It's broken free from oppression. This is not a people that have redeem themselves this the people who were Redeemed by God a people who did not deserve it, meaning of them continue to rebelled even in the presence of the Lord undeniably witness with their own eyes in the most mightiest of ways, but God's presence was with him and his he went with he led them. The Cloud of his glory filled the place in which they were to bring their sacrifices the holy of holies the very presence of God in their midst and and that cloud with lift up and set out and the people would close the Tabernacle pack it up and they would move in follow the cloud which was a visible sign of the presence of the Lord whenever it's stopped they would stop and it would be in that place for however long the Lord intended and when the presents would go up and move out again, they would pack up and move again. They were led by the Lord and by no one anywhere not always or really ever in their own timing. The story continues and the experience of Moses is a challenging one. His leadership is not easy with this group. As I prepared for this message. I went back read Exodus Leviticus numbers into Deuteronomy, and and I was struck by how seemingly unfulfilling this experience seemed like it must have been for Moses. It all begins with such remarkable moments of power and might that God demonstrates sending him from Midian back to Egypt delivering his people coming down upon the mountain interacting with Moses face-to-face with never heard language like that in all of scripture up into this point the friend of God who the Lord spoke with and one point in the story we learned it is God's presence with Moses was so powerful. That is very skin. Would you shine because of the glory of God I've been so close to him. You have to wear a veil because the people couldn't even look at such a unique experience with the Lord in this season and get the people that he was called to lead time and time again. With stiff necks and hardened hearts rebelled and refused to listen and challenge his leadership. Hey one point. We were told in in the text of of numbers that the Moses was one of the meekest of men that you would ever me certainly wasn't like that when he slayed the Egyptian in Egypt as a forty-year-old, but here is an 80 year old man, After experiencing all that. He had experienced after the Lord had the time to shave his heart and his wife. He had been changed. And it when they questioned his leadership, he recognized that they weren't questioning him, but they were questioning the Lord he would intercede for them time and time again, and it would move through the land. About a year later after they had come out of Egypt. They celebrate the first anniversary of the Passover there in the wilderness near Mount Sinai and after they celebrate that one year anniversary of the Passover having built the Tabernacle according to the specifications that God had provided having witnessed his glory descend upon it and stay on it by day and stay on it by Night how many you think they'll let you see a cloud in the sky? That's not the Lord say Allstate story Cathy the Lord day after day after the fire within it was undeniable that God's presence was with him with the with the law with the Tabernacle with his present 1 year later. They celebrate the Passover and in the glory of God lifts up and begins to move out as he brings his people to the promised land. And it when they arrive there their faithfulness their faithlessness is not that different than what they demonstrated throughout the course of their time at the foot of the mountain. Take a look with me. Let's see if I've got it. Well, tell the story here. I think I arrived there in the border of obtaining the Lord brings them right up against the Border in any any calls them to fit to go into this Promised Land. emojis calls from among their missed several men who will go in and look at the land that the Lord has provided Numbers Chapter 13, Verse 7 and and following It and what takes place is as disappointing as what happened there on the Mountaintop number 13 verse 17. The last story that will look at Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan it. Move from Mount Sinai all the way to the border of the promised land that God had promised to give them and before they go in they sent out spies to look at the land to build the strategy to move forward and Moses sent them out. It was nothing wrong with him sending them out Moses sent them out to spy on the lamp. Joshua and Caleb were two of the 12 Spies one from each tribe who went out to go to send them to spy out the land of Canaan and sending them go up and get in the Gavin and go up into the Hill Country and see what the land is had one of the people who dwell in it or strong or weak Twitter there fewer many and with the land that they drilling is good or bad and when the end of the cities that they do well in our camps for stronghold and where the land is Rich or poor whether there are trees or not be of good courage. Bring some of the fruit of the land. At the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. They went up in spite out the land from the Wilderness of Zin to Ray Hub near level, They went up into the McGavin came to Hebron and it lists the different places that they went and they came to the valley of s call and cut down from the branch with a single cluster of grapes and They carried it on a pole between two of them. They also brought some of the pomegranates in figs that place was called the valley of s call because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from their verse 25 1325 at the end of the 40 days. They returned from spying out the land and they came to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran. They brought back word to them at all the congregation and show them the fruit of the land and they told them we came to the land to which you sent us. Kid flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.

How are the people who dwell in the land or strong? And the cities are fortified and very large. And besides we saw the descendants of anak there. Amalekites dwell in the land been to give the hittite the jebusites and the Amorite drone the Hill Country and the Canaanites dwell by the seat all along the Jordan but Caleb quieted the people now this is before all these people once we've been worshiping the golden calf have not made it to the scope of the promise. They're not Warriors. They were servants and slaves in Egypt now called by God to intervene and Conquer land that they differ set their foots in and these spies are giving the report back to the people publicly. And then the report is not strong from these ten quieted the people before Moses. Why did Caleb have to quiet the people? Because they were totally freaked out by what the other 10 spies and said and Afraid for their lives before Moses and said let us go up at once and occupy it for we are well able to overcome it.

What do you think Caleb had such confidence? Because he had seen what God had done it seemed God defeat the most powerful Army in the history of the world without them even raising a hand killed had no question that the Deliverance of this land was not going to be by their own strength or might but by the hand of God, then the men who had gone up with him said we are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we are. Go to the total lack of understanding that it would not be them who would fight alone with the Lord who would fight on their behalf. So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they spied out Saints the land through which we have gone to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants and all the people that we saw in it or a great height and there we saw the Nephilim the sons of anak who come from the Nephilim and we seem to ourselves like Grasshoppers and so we seemed to them

40 days the spies were in the promised land undercover seen what they saw 10 of them. Saw it from a human perspective to saw it with the recognition that God was with them and as they return they gave a report from the heart 10. We're Men whose Hearts were faithless in so many ways and to Caleb and Joshua were men whose Hearts were faithful and their reports were completely different. And get the 10 spies who faithless lie. Forgot to put their trust in the Lord strength, but trusted in their own. one day the people of God refused to go into the promised land that the Lord has set before them. 40 years they would wander in the wilderness. One year for each day that the spies were there in the Promised Land. Moses is leadership. Deleting this people of God who have been redeemed by such a mighty hand in circles in the desert until this entire generation passed away. At the end of this report, they tell Moses and Aaron why have you brought us out of Egypt? Why have you brought us out to kill us and to kill our sons and daughters if we go into that land that's exactly what will happen. If not only will we die, but our children will die as well. It's the Lord's response to their faithful it facelessness was Yes, you will die, but you will die in the wilderness for your faithlessness and your children the walking this land by the power of God in the promise that I have made in exactly the opposite fashion from what you have for toll. the experience of Moses the next 40 Years of his life and he led this Wayward stiff-necked people in the wilderness until a new generation a row when we come to the end of Moses his life and Deuteronomy 34 Here's what we read Moses went up from The Plains of Moab to Nebo to the top of his car which is opposite Jericho and the Lord showed him all the land This is 40 years later. Now after wandering throughout the desert Gilead as far as Dan all Natalie Lane of Ephraim and Manasseh and the land of Judah as far as the Western sea than the Gap the plane that is the value of Jericho the city of palm trees as far as or in the Lord said to him. This is the land. I wish I swore to Abraham Isaac and Jacob. I will give it to your Offspring High let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there. The most disturbing of the Lord died there in the land of Moab according to the word of the Lord and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth peor but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. Moses was 120 years old when he died his eye was undimmed in his Vigor unabated and the people of Israel web for Moses in the plains of Moab 30 days in the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended and Joshua. The son of nun was full of the spirit of wisdom for Moses had laid his hands on him the people of Israel bade him and did as the Lord commanded Moses. there has not Arisen a profit since and Israel like Moses from the Lord new face-to-face none like him for all the signs in the Wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt the Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land for all the mighty power and all the great Deeds of Terror and Moses did the side of all his forerunners of the faith did the real story of the Bible, you know, I go to the storage with my kids and colored Crayola books and things and it's kind of the edges are soft in the good little bit. This is the story of a man that he'll love the Lord from the very beginning, but who was called by God out of watching sheep. His grace is poured upon him. And directed to do my things faithful things difficult things in the latter season of his life for litters of the faith. Like Moses are those who cut away in a sense for us and provide a model and yet they don't simply provide a model for us, but they look to the Future. Yes Moses was a great mediator between God and his people but a much greater meteor would come. Jesus Christ would be that great prophet the Moses himself for told that one day a prophet will arrive unlike me who speak the word of the Lord to you. The clothes in the word prayer as we prepare for communion, or thank you for today. We give you thanks for the lives with faithful men and women like Moses. New model faithful living though. They're not perfect people. Where we ask that you will walk alongside of us as we seek to be faithful to you in the midst of a generation whose hearts are hardened next are stiff. EBay as you promise to not datamark your people by your presence you have marked us. Not by a cloud that dwells over our homes. By your holy spirit that dwells in our hearts. Thor Tulsa to live Faithfully though. We send in falter give me the blood of Jesus Christ continue how long it's justifying work. Reconciling us to you with the same to find work of your Holy Spirit making us more and more like you each and every day that we live. We pray all these things in Jesus name. Amen.