Finishing the Journey Strong

Introduction

If you have been with us the past couple of months you know that we are studying through The book of numbers. We have entitled this series “Experiencing God in the Wilderness”. God has shown the nation of Israel his holiness, his That every glass of wine in this world is mixed with vinegar. There are blessings and trials, losses and crosses in this Christian life, and we’ve seen it with spades as we’ve wandered with the children of Israel in the wilderness. Richard Baxter

The Death of Miriam V. 1

The Israelites have been through some trials as they have wondered throughout the wilderness. Most of their trials have came from their own disobidience and unbelief in God. From the time that the Israelites started journeying through the wilderness, there have been much grumbling and conflict, not between the people of Israel and other people groups but within. God had brought the people to the edge of their land that was promised to them, the land that was flowing with milk and honey. 12 spies went out into the land, while they all returned, two of them returned with good news and the rest described the land and the inhabatance of the land as a land that devours it inhabitats and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. This caused the people to rebel and complain against Moses and Aaron, they did not see the protection and care that God had for them, they walked with unbelief supposing that it was Moses and Aaron that were the ones who started all of this. God judged them, He promised still that the nation of israel would enter the land that was for them but that generation were to die out before they reached it.

The last narritive that we had concerning the nation of Israel came from numbers 16 and 17. If you remeber there was a group of leaders that came before Moses and Aaron, there was Korah who was a levite, and then there was Dathin and Abirum. They complained about the leadership of Moses and Aaron and in their pride sought to place themselves before the God given tasks that they were given. God judged them, by openeing the earth and alive they were swollowed up. Then the next day the people came to Moses and Aaron complaining, saying that it was Moses and Aaron who where the ones responsible for the deaths that occured before that. We saw a beautiful picture of God’s grace through the high priest Aaron where he interceeded between the dead and the living and he made atonement for the sins of the people. God then used a dead stick, to which he gave life as a pillar of remeberance for the people of israel. This rod with blooming flowers and with almonds protuding from the staff was a reminder to the people of israel that they may end their grumblings against God or they would die.

Thirty eight years later we reach the place where we are today. There isnt much said about the wonderings and activities of the israelites through the years. A long wandering is now coming to a close and the people of Israel are back in the wilderness of Zin at Kadesh. Thirty eight year there was no recorded incident or narritive until the death of Miriam.

If you remeber Miriam, She was the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was the one that was in charge of watching her little brother float down the nile and she is the one that offered Pharoahs daughter a hebrew woman to nurse the infant moses. Miriam is also seen in Exodus 15:21 where she plays the tamboireen and Sings of the triumph that the people of Israel experienced through the Exodus.

The last time that we encounter Miriam is in Numbers 12:1-15. Where she and Aaron brings a charge against moses because he married a cushite women also saying, Has the Lord indeed spoke only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also? Through this whole ordeal God judged Miriam with leprosy.

Now 38 years later, Moses writes that Miriam died and was buried. Moses through narrirating the death of Miriam is providing for his readers understanding that the old generations that God had promised would not reach the Promised land were dying out. But we still see the effects of the old generation upon the new. Listen to verse 2-12.

The waters of Meribath/Moses Strikes the rock V2-13

Again, we see another grumbling of the old generation, There is no water, therefore no provision for the people of Israel and instead of trusting God they decided to complain to Moses. What is significant about this complaint is that the congregation said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord!“ They remeber what happened in chapter 16, they remebered the rebellion of Korah, they remeber the plague attacking the congregation because of their sins. They remeber all the bad but they forget the grace of the Lord. They forgot that the lord had provided everything that they needed, they forgot the new mercies that they received every morining. This may have not been the last complaint that they had for last 38 years but They believed it would have been better for them if they were to die 38 years before. Again in this complaint they remeber Egypt, but they forget that the land that they were traveling to had the Pomegranates, grains figs and grapes that they were desiring, only if they were to persevere till the end they would be able to make it.

Sin does this to us, it makes us look back at the things that we had or we thought we had back in our bondage of sin. The enemy likes to remind us that in our former way of life it could seem to be better. That over indulging in the drink will make us feel better. That one website that we are not supposed to be on will fill our desire. That price of clothing that we cannot afford would look great on me, and it feels invigorating when I am able to walk out the door with it without paying for it. Just as the nation of Israel was in bondage of Egypt, so were we under sin. We have been rescued, there has been a great Exodus from sin for those who are in Christ. Now those who are in Christ are able to seek and travel to the promised land, looking to Jesus as we navigate life wilderness. But here we also see a warning for us. That though we continue on we must persevere in holiness. We must persevere seeking after God’s own glory.

As the people complain, Moses and Aaron like they normally do, they intercede for the people of Israel. God once again manifested himself in front of Moses and Aaron. God commanded Moses and Aaron to get the the staff, assemble the cogregation and speak to the rock. The staff that God commanded Moses and Aaron to get was the one that budded when it was placed before the Lord. This was the staff that God had commanded to be placed in the Tabernacle before the ark of the testimony that was to be kept for a sign for the rebels so they would cease from their grumblings or die. Moses and Aaron grab this staff, gather the congregation of israel before them and what happens. He does something different than the Lord commanded him to. Like a father that had been on a long road trip with a bunch of children he acted out. He calls the congregation rebels. And strikes the rock with his staff twice and then water came out of the rock. Look at verse 12. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that i have given to them.“

God judges Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron sinned against God. All this time of traveling, teaching, persevering , Moses and Aaron sin. Their sin was foundation for their judgment, the meek and righteous Moses, the high priest Aaron, both of them on the brink of entering to the promise land, sin and are not able to enter. We see ways that Moses sinned against God. Moses in anger stepped before the people of Israel. He let the rebels and complaining cause him to anger, but this time it wasn’t righteous anger, this time it was selfish anger. Moses assumed that God was angry at the people of Israel, but it was only him that was angry. Psalm 106:32-33 says that They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account for they made his spirit bitter and he spoke rashly with his lips“, and through that he spoke harshly to the people. He placed himself before the people of Israel and made himself a Judge over them when he wasn’t asked to be. God commanded him to speak to the rock, instead he spoke to the congregation. Moses then struck the rock, twice, when all he was commanded to do is speak to it.

Now the parrarels that we can see in Exodus 17 and this passage are definitive. Turn there for me please. In Exodus 17 “All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?””

‭‭EHere we see another complaint that is similar to this one. God there indeed tells Moses to strike the rock . But in this instance God asks Moses to speak to the rock. And moses assumed what happened in Exodus 17 would be permitable to do here in Numbers 20. Furthermore, Moses says, May we (speaking of himself and Aaron), bring forth water? It wasn’t God who was going to do it through Moses‘s speech it was himself and Aaron. They were the ones that were doing the cheep parlor trick to provide for the people. They did not attribute the glory to God, whom the water flowed from. They were giving themselfs the glory for what was about to be done. one commentator puts it this way, “Moses thought that he and Aaron were bring called on to perform a Miracles for people who were defectors from God’s ways.“ however, God wanted to bless them.

Even though Moses and Aaron sinned God still provided for them water to drink, enough for all their livestock, it came out abundantly. God still provided for the people everything that they needed. But god issued judgment upon Moses and Aaron saying, “because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that i have given to them.”

They were cut off. They did not rely or trust god and it cumulated into Moses striking the rock twice. The rock represented God himself, and Moses struck It. Genesis 49:24 calls God the “stone of Israel”, Deuteronomy 32:4 and Psalm 78:35 calls God the rock. Moses was commanded to strike God for living water in Exodus 17 but God was extending his mercy and providing for the people of Israel.

God’s judgment was clear neither Moses or Aaron would enter the promise land. But Moses does the same exact thing as the people of Israel when they were told that they would not enter the promise land. He tries to enter it by force.

Edom v. 14-21

It is clear here what happens, Moses took it upon himself to try to enter the promise land and travel through Edom. Now if you remeber the Edomites are close kin to the people of Israel. Jacob through which the nation of Israel comes from was the brother of Esau, in which the nation of Edom comes from. Moses tries to find a way to the promised land through the help of kin, but the answer is no. Then he says please, and they still say no emphatically with a whole army as an exclamation point. God had other plans for them, for starters they were to pass from Kadesh to Mount Hor. here we see the sad ending to this chapter.

Death of Aaron V22-29

This chapter begins with the death of Miriam and ends with the death of Aaron. Two very prominent leaders of the nation of Israel and now both are dead. Both are succumbed to judgment for their unbelief and rebellion. One commentator writes, “it was actually unbelief and rebellion that threatened death in the wilderness, not lack of water.” And here at the end of the chapter Moses accounts for the death of his brother, the high priest Aaron. God instruct Moses and Aaron of Aaron’s impending death and how they would go about the transfer of the High priestly garments and duties to Eleazer his son. There is good news of grace that is spoken her by the lord concerning Aaron. Even though he was to die he would be gathered to his people. Often the phrase “gathered to his people” is language concerning death of a righteous person being gathered to the ones that went before them in death to be with the Lord. I’m sure this was a comfort for Moses and the new high priest, that even though Aaron was not to enter the physical promise land, Aaron was able to still enter into the presence of the Lord after his death.

Application

There are a couple of things that we should see and address throughout this passage that I would like to address.

1. The bible describes Moses in Numbers 12:3 as very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. He followed God’s commands and did them faithfully until the last year of his life. However, we see his sin cause him not to enter into the promise land. This should be a warning for us. If anyone could have found favor because of his works before the Lord it would have been Moses. If anyone could have entered into the promised land because of obedience it would have been Moses. However, Moses sinned. He still was judged because of his own sin and was not allowed to enter. It is not our righteousness allow us to be saved. It is not our obedience that grants us justification. We need someone better than ourselves and better than Moses to come along and bring their own righteousness before the Father so that we may be made right before him. Jesus has done this. Jesus, the righteous one, placed himself upon the cross and partook of the full wrath of God, satisfying it completely, so that we the unrighteous may be made righteous. This is glorious news, Christian because of Christ you have been saved. But heed this warning from the book of Hebrews, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.” If you have entered the rest that Christ provides, do not grow weary, but persevere till the end.

2. In this passage this morning we have seen the end of two leaders of the nation of Israel. Miriam’s leadership ended 38 years after she was judged for going against the Lord and assuming her place as the same as Moses. Aaron was a faithful high priest but yet we see him being judged with Moses for not following God’s commands. Moses’s leadership was great in many ways. He was successful in many of the tasks that God had set him to do. However, he succumbed to his sinful pride and struck out against the lord. Leading a congregation or a ministry is difficult, ministry is hard. Brothers and Sisters in the church, please pray regularly for the leaders in the church. Pray for your deacons. Pray for your elders. Pray for God to grant them wisdom and discernment on how they are to lead and the decisions that they are to make. God has placed each of our Elders over us for specific reasons. It is no light task that they are facing each day. Remember that they themselves are sinners in need of grace. The Elders are a broken picture of the Chief Shephard. Intercede on their behalf, asking God to keep them from stumbling and anger, that they would as 1 Peter says, “shepherd the flock of God that is among us, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have them, not for shameful gain, but eagerly, not domineering over those in their charge but being examples to the flock.” The elders of Pineview Baptist Church, if you don’t know are Brandon, Otis, Sal and Paul. Pray for these brothers.

3. Finally, brothers and Sisters. We have a greater Moses, a greater Aaron and a greater rock in which we are able to drink from. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 tells us that, “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,1 that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and fall drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown2 in the wilderness.

Brother and Sisters, we have opportunity to drink from this spiritual rock, the same rock that provided spiritual drink and spiritual food for the nation of Israel. Jesus with the woman on the well in John 4 tells here that Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Do you desire this water? Have you tasted and seen that the Lord is good?

This water that comes from him is free to all, all you must do is have faith in his name. For those of us in Christ, do not delay from drinking from the fount of many blessings that come from our Lord.

Today we get an opportunity to gather around the table and partake of the Lord’s supper. For those of us who are in Christ and have been baptized, get to sit at the table and drink the spiritual drink and the spiritual food of Christ. There is nothing magical that happens, that the bread and the wine become Christ. Through the act that we do today, we unite ourselves with Christ body that was broken for us and his blood that was shed on our behalf.

Sunday isn’t the only day that we are able to be nourished from the living water of Christ, but we can every day, through our worship of him. Run to this living water, do not let any drop go unwanted, and drink till your hearts content because there is a fountain filled and will never run out.

Lets Pray.

Father, you have shown us mercy and grace, even when we do not deserve it. You are our rock and a mighty fortress. Even in our failures, your kingdom still continues and your Son still reigns. Lord we pray for our elders, would you keep them from stumbling, help them be holy before you, cause them to look to their Chief Shephard as their model. We are thankful for your grace to us in providing for us brothers who are willing to partake of this task of leading and shepherding us as a church. Jesus we are thankful that you have provided for us what we couldn’t have done. Help us this morning as we come to your table, see our sins that we need to repent of, soften our hearts, fill us with your water. In Jesus Name, Amen.