Don't Be Like Hobab
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· 505 viewsGod chooses to call us into service to Him and to the Kingdom of God. We must however, resolve to follow God and not fall victim to the traps of the world.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good evening and welcome back!
Tonight we are going to go back in time a bit—a long way back, all the way to Numbers 10.
We are going to be going all the way back to when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, try to get to the Promised Land.
And we are going to look at the encounter that Moses had with a relative of his during this time, as well as the challenge that Moses issued to his relative.
And if you haven’t guessed it already, this relative is none other than Hobab.
And probably many haven’t heard of Hobab because he wasn’t like Aaron or Merriam or one of Aaron’s kids.
In fact there is very little written about Hobab in all of Scripture.
Not because Hobab was not important, but rather he was like us, just plain ordinary folk.
He went about doing his thing, not getting in the way and not making any waves.
Just doing what he thought was right for him at the time.
Which in some ways caused him a little bit of trouble.
But before we get too deep into the weeds with this, let’s read through our passage and then get into things.
Numbers 10, starting in verse 29, the Bible reads . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.” He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.” But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.”
Background
Background
So, like I mentioned in the beginning, in our scripture focus we find the children of Israel in the wilderness.
They had been there for about a year at this point and God has given them the command that it was now time to leave Sinai and proceed on their journey to the Promised Land.
At this point, our scripture picks up and Moses has approached, Hobab, his brother in law and is inviting Hobab to come along with them on their journey into the promised land.
He tells Hobab that this is the same land that God has promised Israel for generations.
It is the same land that God had promised to Abraham many generations before that got him up out of Ur to go to.
It is the land of Canaan. The land of “milk and honey.”
Just as a reminder . . .
Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling-place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Which sounds awesome, but one thing that is never addressed is, why them? Why Isreal?
What made them so special?
The Bible also tells us in Exodus God tells Moses why. . .
you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
So, they were to be a nation of priests.
A holy people.
God’s people and they were to take, possess and rule in this paradise.
This was the promise God had made to the Israelites and this was the promise that Moses was extending to Hobab when Moses tells Hobab, “come with us and you will receive the same reward as we receive.”
And just as Israel was God’s Chosen people then, but I’ve got good news.
We are God’s chosen people now.
We are now the royal priesthood!
We as Christians are the “holy nation” that God seeks.
We are now sons of God, heirs and joint heirs with Christ!
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
And Romans 8 . . .
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
And this is why this message from Moses to Hobab is also a message to each and every one of us.
We are promised the same inheritance as the Israelites.
Not in the land of Israel but in Heaven and in eternal life.
That is our Promised Land, our land of milk and honey.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
And everything we read here about the Israelite’s journey through the wilderness is a symbol of our own journey through the wilderness of life, just trying to find our way home.
Hobab’s Refusal
Hobab’s Refusal
So, just like God has extended the invitation for us to enter into the promised land of Heaven, Moses extends the invitation to Hobab to enter into Canaan with the Israelites.
But this is Hobab’s response . . .
He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.”
He refuses to go!
Hobab refuses the invitation to enter into the land of Canaan and enjoy the benefits of being one of God’s people.
Moses was offering Hobab, everything he had ever wanted.
Land, riches, a vast kingdom.
A place at the King’s table!
Who in their right mind would refuse this?
When we look at it this way, we would say, No one in their right mind would!
And I am glad we see it this way.
Because when God extends His offer of eternal salvation why do we refuse the invitation?
For the same reason Hobab did.
Look at his response again. Hobab tells Moses . . .
He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.”
In other words, Hobab tells Moses, “I can’t go, I don’t have enough faith to step out and follow you!”
I don’t have enough faith to follow God’s lead.
I am familiar with my lands and with my family, my this, my that.
I am familiar with the world, and all it has.
I can’t step out into the unknown and trust in something I cannot see or control.
Even though Hobab had been with the Israelites and seen the miracles of God, Hobab could see the glory of God in the cloud and the pillar, but still he couldn’t accept.
Why? — A couple of reasons.
(1) Because Hobab has a lack of faith.
Are we any different though?
We see God around us everyday.
God’s grace and mercy preserves us, keeps us, provides for us.
We can see God, feel God, hear God, why can’t we trust God?
Because we have a lack of faith.
And without faith . . .
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
So, we have some work to do.
We have some faith building that needs to get done.
So, how do we build faith in God?
As the writer of Hebrews tell us we diligently seek Him.
We seek His face and in return He will reward us.
(2), and probably the biggest problem, Hobab was blinded by the flesh.
His flesh was warring with the Spirit and he could not see God.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
And we know these Scriptures but we still do not follow them.
We refuse to “live by the Spirit” because we are so overcome by the “sinful nature” or the flesh.
And as Paul points out the two are not compatible.
They are actually at war with one another.
And every single time that the flesh wins out, we end up doing what we don’t want to do.
We do the things that get us into trouble.
And the biggest reason why is we are intoxicated by the world and the things of the world.
We are in love with the world.
John tells us though . . .
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever.
Do, we hear what John is saying to us?
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Which basically means if you are in love with the world and the ways of the world controls you, then the love of God is not in you.
Or to be blunt, you are not a Christian because Christ is not dwelling in you.
Why though? Why can’t we love the world and God?
For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.
And if it is from the world, who is the prince of the world?
That’s right Satan.
And the reality is though, it doesn’t matter because . . .
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever.
“There ain’t no trailer hitch on the hearse.”
You can’t take it with you.
It is all temporary.
The only thing eternal is God and those who belong to God.
But Hobab loved the world and the things in the world and couldn’t see the things of eternity for the world.
And the problem is many today fall victim to the same trap.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
Will we?
Which camp are we in?
Where do we stand?
Well, even though the title of the message is “Don’t Be Like Hobab,” it is really, don’t be like the Hobab we’ve just described.
You see, Moses didn’t give up on Hobab . . .
But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.”
Moses tells Hobab that they need him.
They need his skill to help guide them through their journey in the wilderness.
God didn’t need Hobab, but the Israelites depended on what God had called each one of them to do in order to fulfill God’s call.
The same is true for the us.
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
We are all one body but have many members.
God has a calling for each one of us and when we accept our calling, the whole body benefits from it.
We are built up and strengthened by all working together.
None of us are here on accident.
We are where we are to serve a purpose for God.
We each have a job to do.
When we accept that and give in to God’s will both us and the body of believers are blessed and rewarded!
And just like Moses didn’t give up on Hobab, God doesn’t give up on us.
And you know what, Hobab eventually agreed and went with them.
And God also made good on the promise to Hobab and his family . . .
Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.
A great inheritance to Hobab and his descendants.
I wonder though, how many times have we been offered the same invitation?
How many times has God offered us the same rewards?
Why then do we continue to refuse?
The very reason you are here today is because God has given you another chance to accept the invitation to serve Him.
We are entering into a new chapter in the Church, where will you fit it?
Let’s pray . . .