Together

From this afternoon, numbers will be in Numbers, chapter 32, this morning Numbers, chapter 32, as we continue to get a few weeks left in this, and then by God's grace, and next month will start a major New Testament book study. But for today, we're still in numbers for just a couple more times.

On June 16th 1858 in Springfield, Illinois. A lawyer named Abraham Lincoln was selected to run on the Republican ticket for US Senate. He gave a speech of acceptance that evening powerfully arguing for the abolition of slavery. Lincoln quoted Jesus A house divided against itself, cannot stand, Lincoln supporters criticized. The speech is coming off too strong. He was criticized by friends and roasted by his enemies, his opponent in that Senate race Democrat, Stephen Douglas effectively use Lincoln's words against him when the election votes were finally, cast, Wicked washed. Lincoln was defeated soundly in his race for the senate. In hindsight is doing looking at that event would say that that speech one of his most famous speech speech has the house divided speech became the reason why he lost the senate seat and yet. It also became the reason why he won the presidency. Just two years later, isn't it funny? How that works? The people were not ready for that. Message when he was running for Senate, but as the climate changed soon enough they were ready and they rezoning Lee supported Lincoln for that important office. Obviously Lincoln took the right side in that debate. All men are created equal and in the image of God, Amen. Everybody is created. Regardless of race or background in the image of God and so, that was the right argument that he powerfully and courageously made. But let me see if there's a second issue, not only of equality and respect and dignity for people, but there's a second issue here and this is the issue. Unity is worth fighting for even though you have to fight for it, Unity is an important battle that we must choose to pursue and come out on the right side of. It's worth the effort. I think Moses would agree with that. Please join me in chapter 32, as we see a time when the unity of the people was threatened. Here they are at long last finally within sight of the promised land and they almost have a wide-open split among the nation of Israel, that would have surely led to defeat. Let's read the background of the store and I'll make some comments from it. Chapter 32 of numbers, I'll start at verse 1. Now, the children of Reuben and the children of dad had a very great multitude of livestock. And when they saw the land of jazer and the land of Gilead 8, indeed, that indeed, the region was a place for livestock, the children of God and the children Ruben came and spoke to Moses to Elliott's are the priests and to the leaders of the congregation saying. Now it looks anniversary to this list of names. I don't think Kansas has any towns like this, but listen to. These are all towns in that land. Add to Roth Devon. Jazer nimra heshbon, Aaliyah shabam, Nebo & Beyond verse for the country, which the Lord defeated before. The congregation of Israel is the land for livestock and your servants have livestock. Therefore they said if we have found favor in your sight let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take it's over the Jordan. Now, understand the people are on the East Bank of the Jordan and they're saying instead of going on the rest of the way to the promised land. Let's just stay here. Let's read the rest of the story and see what happens verse six. And Moses said that the children of dad and the children proven show your breath and go to war while you sit here. Now, why would you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land? Which the Lord has given them? That's your father's did. When I sent them away from kadesh-barnea to see the land. When they went up to the valley basketball and saw the land, they discourage the heart of the children of Israel. So that they did not go into the land, which the Lord had given So the Lord's anger was aroused on that day and he swore notes saying, surely none of the men who came up from Egypt from 20 years old and above Chelsea. The land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they've not wholly, followed me, except Caleb to send a gif una, the kemocite and Joshua, the son of nun for they have wholly, followed the Lord. So the Lord's Hangar was aroused against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. And look, you have risen in your father's place. A brood of sinful men to increase still more. The fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. For, if you turned away from following him, he will. Once again, leave them in the wilderness and you will destroy all these people. May God bless the reading of his word. What is happening in this important story, there's a Moment of Truth. The moment of testing at the 12 tribes are preparing to conquer the promised land, two of them, have another idea and they present this proposal to Moses and the leadership of the people to of the Twelve Tribes. Ruben and Dad, apparently wanted to bail out and stay on the east side of the Jordan rather than entering the promised land. Israel almost became that house divided against itself right on the verge of their final and long Last Promise being realized Israel was nearly house divided in from the story. From so long ago we find to Lifestyles do choices that people were making in that day and people still make today. Let me present to Lifestyles that we see emerging among people of God, hears, the first we can live for ourselves. In other words, a lifestyle of individualism The situation is this preparations are being finalized, their in their assembly area, getting ready to step off and invade the land. When without warning leaders from two of The Twelve Tribes come with a request. We don't really want to go to be opting for a lifestyle of individualism. Individualism. Hey, you know you guys good luck with that. I hope that works out for any other side of the river bed for contentious to stay here. It's kind of an individualistic Choice. Let me explain what. I mean, individualism is the philosophy of putting self interests above others. The two tribes said, hey, we're cattle guys. We got a lot of cattle. This is great land for cattle. Let's just stay here and be Cowboys and ranchers over there. We're good here. That seems to be the attitude least, that's what Moses interpreted the attitude, to be a very clearly individuality. It's a good thing. We're all different individuals that God made, no two of us. Alexa. Individuality, that's a good thing. On the other hand, individualism the way of life, the lifestyle of putting myself before others, that's not good. And that's what we see here is the ladder of those two options, individualism, which we could say, is another word for selfishness that we think about it, the issue for the people of God, and Reuben was individualism either, they were living for themselves or it certainly looked like they were living for themselves. Have you noticed that individualism is not just back then? And there it's with us today is it not as in our society one that prizes? Individualism the rights of the individual seem to be at the center of everything? My rights, my prerogatives, my desire, My fulfillment, my wishes come first. Someone said that in modern society, the Trinity is become me myself. And I put your crew of that. It's all about me me myself and I that's the Trinity as far as most people seem to be concerned. It's Digitalism gone crazy on steroids. First one explains the motivation they suddenly had much cattle in fact in the original, that's the first real significant word is the livestock the children to Ruben and children. Dad had a very great multitude of livestock. They had all kinds of animals. Now, flocks and herds and cattle, and goats, and sheep. How did they get them? Or part of them, they brought with them from Egypt, but a bigger part. They took in the last chapter, when they fought the midianites who had much cattle and lived in that very place where those pastors and all those flocks and herds and suddenly they fired all these from their enemies. And now that kind of changes their perspective, you do now that we are Cattleman. Why don't we just stay here, this is a great place. In fact, to this day, that region of the land of Israel is still known for Grazing In for herds. So they wanted to stay there if they wanted to stay there in that Uplands, deep country, suited for past year, perhaps it's something like the Flint Hills again. Area that works out well for that, kind of Agriculture. So they are, they wanted to claim varies in width from 30, to 80 miles east to west, and about a hundred fifty miles north to south. So, it's a large desirable piece of land, but here's the Curious Thing, in all this discussion, if you've been following all the prophecies and Promises to at the Old Testament, until now, when it talks about the boundaries of the promised land, guess what is never listed as part of the promised land this land on the east side, the other side of the river, the Jordan. So in other words, they're saying hey we want this place. Can we have that? They make their appeal to Moses, but that was never part of the promised land. So what's up with that this this passage is curious because we see something we hadn't expected and Moses had expected with this passage. You come a couple of controversies, we have to try to sort through. So let's take a look at to converse. He's that appear in this passage where the two tribes really trying to avoid responsibility for the conquest. What all comes down to how you interpret verse 5. Look at those five, they said to Moses, if we found favor in your sight, let this land to give it to your servants as a possession. Notice the last sentence do not take us over the Jordan. So what do they mean? When they say don't take it's over. Are there saying none of us are going to go over, we're going to set up housekeeping here and don't forget to write have a good life or are they saying we're going to leave our people here and can we leave the people here and we'll just go over at soldiers and help you fight? Well, that's the debate on which way to interpret it. In fact, in the past week I can tell that eight different commentaries to see. Are they really wanting to bail out or did Moses just think they're wanting to be allowed and they really communicated it? What do you think? The people said the commentators I looked at when about two-to-one in favor, saying they really wanted to bail out the fact is we don't really know but we're going to treat it for sake of argument as though, that was the way it was meant. I personally would lean that way. Just because Moses, who was there, took it that way? So I'm going to get the benefit of the doubt to Moses. Some see it otherwise say they're only seeking permission to stake out that land and just poorly explained themselves, but only the Lord knows. So I'm going to put that one down as a. Maybe the second one that comes up, did they miss God's best by settling outside the promised land? As I mentioned this parcel of land a hundred fifty miles, north of South was never listed as part of the promised land. So are they stopping short of God's best? Are they outside of God's Will and they looking for some alternative that really wasn't in God's heart for them? The one string of promises, never talked about this land and now they want this land over Israel's history in the centuries, that followed those tribes and settled east of the Jordan, dad and Ruben, and later heard of an acid, joins them in that area. They had more troubles, it seems than the other 10. They were less protected from invading enemies and occasional because of their geographical Separation. The River was a barrier, they became involved in misunderstandings and conflict sometimes wear their brothers. So that would be the argument to say they compromised and stopped short on the other hand the other day and had their own share of troubles. Do they not? You read the Old Testament. It's amazing to see trouble after trouble, they had more bad kings. And later sent good ones, will or not. Some people say, they missed it. Some people say they didn't Calvin and I mean, Calvin, the Theologian, not the cartoon character with Hobbs the tiger, the other Calvin, that the illusion. He believed that this was just a bonus a benefit that got added. So who knows, Lord knows we don't really know except to say that God allowed them to do this. So those are a couple controversies at any rate. Let's remember how this issue began with new. Well came new options and new decision. When God Bless the people of the whole bunch more livestock than they'd ever seen before. Suddenly, they looked at my for little bit differently and they decided Maybe This Land is all we need and all we want. We're going to stay here. Have you noticed that often when our resources, increase our attitudes and perspectives, change a member in seminary? Working with a classmate, classmate of mine. And he went from a job that paid about $5 an hour to a job paid about $30 an hour and he said, you know, it's amazing when your income goes up, how many were things you need?

That's what we see here. With the children of Israel with these two tribes. They suddenly decided things differently. The passage starts with livestock. It's all about the cattle now. I'm not saying it was wrong for them to choose tool, and I'm not really sure about that. But I will say this, we see this example time and time again in scripture affluence is a harder test of character than adversity. And other words, you see that when people have all they need and then some and that's when you really test a character not so much when you're in trouble, you know, it, when you and I are trouble, we don't have too much trouble praying. Do we going pretty good? We are desperate and we cry out to God with Vigor and enthusiasm and persistence cuz we got no other solution. No, other recourse on the other hand, if my bank account looking good and I'm feeling good and everything in my world is looking right, it's pretty easy to get self-sufficient and not need the Lord or so it seems Affluence is a harder test, then adversity. You've often heard me quotes, Purge and one of my favorite Spurgeon sayings. If it takes a steady hand, to hold a fork up and God gave a full cup to Dad and Ruben and it remains to be seen how they would hold that up years ago. I knew some people who did missionary work among native tribes in the far north of Canada, they said that over the decades as technology and standard of living and prove to the people. That was a good thing. However, they said that the more comfortable, their lives, God. Less interest, there wasn't spiritual things. It often seems like there's that diverse, a disproportionate relationship. As life gets easier, we have less need and let's inclination to turn to the Lord for help. So let's get back to our story. We can't say for certain whether the two tribes were avoiding responsibility or simply Moses misunderstood them by the way. Can you blame Moses for being sensitive on this issue? I mean, this is the guy who Do no fault of his own had to spend an extra thirty nine years going in circles in the desert. So can you understand? Give him a little slack. Why he might be quick to interpret this in a negative way? Seen the story before? He's lived it before, it doesn't want to have a repeat. So protective of argument, let's assume these two tribes were trying to avoid the responsibility that the Big 12 tribes were about to become the Big Ten so it sounds like Collegiate Athletics, doesn't it? So the tribes two of them seem to want to peel off what happens when God's people Splinter whether it's this time that's economy of the Old Testament or today. What happens when God's people Splinter? Let me make three observations. Here's the first the departure of some reduces the strength of all one a partly it diminishes, both parts. If Dad and Ruben had bailed out that would mean a loss of forty thousand soldiers, according to the later rosters that are given 40,000 Augmented divisions, two huge groups. A guy's the remaining tribes will be spread thin and have to cover more ground is in the same principle. True in churches. Today went to church and splinters it's harder to continue. Have you ever, let me ask you a question. Have you ever visited a church someplace at home or someplace? You're traveling. And it's a big church and it's just a handful of people there. Never seen that. But what a disappointment, it's like the empty chairs have a message, don't they something happened here? Something didn't go right here and unfortunately, we've all seen that story perhaps more than once. I got people divide, when they Splinter it diminishes for parts, the church that Carrie, and I were married in many years ago. How to split as a church. That ran between five and six hundred people the same year. We got married it split. I hope the two events were not correlated, but the church split. And instead of a church at five or 600, there was this church about a hundred fifty and that church about a hundred fifty and it just doesn't add up. It doesn't look good. And yet that story happens too often, when people Splinter, it hurts, both sides. It hurts all involved. Let me show you another. Another thing splinters bring discouragement discouragement Moses says, there's seven. Now, why would you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land, which the Lord has given them? And he'll expound on that idea of discouragement? What does the saying you're going to discourage the people and, you know, in our english-language we hear the word discourage we think of an emotion or mood. And it certainly is that but the wording really means to restrain. In other words, it's not just you going to be sad because those guys don't go along. It's like it's going to impede you. It's going to discourage you, you're going to lose heart and you're not going to be at successful, in that campaign because some of the brothers Before you got there. So when people Splinter that it discourages people, it discourages people sometimes, Christians minimize their own importance, preps this morning and you've had this thought, at some time, in your life, you thought, you know, I don't think anybody at church would miss me if I wasn't there. I don't really contribute, anything meaningful. It doesn't really matter if I'm there or not, I have nothing to offer. I'm not making a difference. Listen, next time, you're tempted to think that we're geeks that. Thought you're a part of the body of Christ. If your believer, your part. Does anybody here want to give up a finger or near this morning or a toe? That me, what kind of attached to her intact? But so is the body of Christ. Wear a body part has a function summer more obvious than others, but all than have functions and all are necessary, all are equally important and valued in the eyes of God. So don't Allow yourself to Discount your own. If a patient's are on contributions, you make a difference. And said, another way we are stronger with you, than, without you. So you contribute be here, stay here. Stay involved with God's people. Me, show you another result of splintering when God's people Splinter. Here's the third. There's a likelihood of chastening. Moses goes on to explain how this is going to create problems. Moses is very concerned that if these two tribes peel off from the others, God is going to chase. And in fact, the whole tribe, the whole nation, might not get into the promised land. God might start the Wilderness wandering part 2 and another generation has the parish doing circles. In the desert. Moses is definitely concerned of God's chasing hand and he's got a reason to feel that way by the way when God chastens. His people it's not out of vindictiveness. It's not like God says, oh yeah I'll get you for that. That's not the motive. God loves him. So he chastens as a loving parent. Chasing to disobedient child, he's trying to train them to help them and he had to do that the hard way unfortunately, with Israel because they were slow to learn So what are we saying? We're saying that one lifestyle among God's people, then and still today is living for ourselves, but it comes at a cost of living for ourselves is a luxury. We can't afford but thankfully, there's an alternative we don't have to live for ourselves. Let me share the alternative, the better choice to better lifestyle. As this, we can learn to live for others and you notice I put that word learn in there. What did I do that? Because we have to learn unlearned individualism and learn to be focused on other people. We all have that bent, you know, we come automatically loaded with the software that says take care of yourself. First, we need to learn to take care of others to Value other people as much or more than we value ourselves. Let's continue on the leaders, have Dad and Ruben come back with a counter offer after Moses. Makes it pretty clear how he feels about this and how the Lord feels about this. Let's hear what happens next in the next chamber, 16, these guys come back with a counter offer, then they came near to him and said, we will build sheepfolds here for our livestock and cities for a little ones. But we ourselves will be armed and ready to go before the children. Israel, until we brought them to their place and our little ones will dwell in the Fortified cities here because of the inhabitants of the land, we will not return to our homes. Until every one of the children, Israel has received his inheritance who will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and Beyond because our inheritance has fallen to us on this Eastern side of the Jordan We see hear a different approach. They learn instead of being individualistic, they're now, looking at things collectively. Let me explain what I mean instead of individualism, which puts my own interests above everybody else. Now we see that they're putting others interests above their own. Did you catch the flavor that they're saying? We're going to leave our family or loved ones here. Let us set them up in place and then we'll deploy with you. Guys will go. Do the fighting until everybody over here has their home. Then we'll go back to our home. In other words, they're unselfishly, sacrificing to take care of their brothers. It sounds like Christian stuff, doesn't Christians acting like Christians, they're doing the right thing. So the rest of the story, what happened says, this goes on. Let me summarize the rest of the story of dad and Ruben, the leaders of dad and Ruben came back with a counter offer that they were clarifying, their original intent, or making a concession. You be the judge, but the bottom line is, they're going to go along with a campaign with their brothers and they pledged to lead the way I want you to know, December 17th, they're not just participating, they're going to lead the attack verse 17. We ourselves will be armed ready to go before the children of Israel. Did you catch that? So, in other words, when Israel cross is a Jordan to take over the promised land, guess who's taking the point that these guys who don't even live over there, it's the guys that have camps back on the safe side of the gorge and they say, we're going with you. And we're going to leave the way. We'll be at the point. And in fact in the passage and Joshua chapter 4, what describes the crossing? That's what it says. These guys took the point they went Talk about a change of heart, they were committed committed to care for other people and put them above their own needs. Well, they were as good as their word, they kept their promise. They also pledged to stay until the campaign was done. And other words are attitude, was until my brother has a home. I don't have a home, I'm going to take care of them and that's what they did. Joshua 22. Recordes this, at the end of The Campaign, Joshua called the reubenites, the gadites, the half tribe of Manasseh and said to them, you have kept all that Moses, the servant of God commanded and have a bathe my voice and all that. I commanded you. You have not left your brother and these many days up to this day, but if kept the charge of the Commandment of the Lord your God, and now the Lord your God has given rest to your brother as he promised and now there for return. Go to your tents into the land of your possession. So another words, what happened to Garrett? Some Ruben night even though they could have been happy camper staying in their own new homes? They said we're not going to stay home until you have a home. They led the way they stayed throughout the duration of the campaign. They finish the deployment and then went home afterwards to their families and to, their possessions should be kept from his supposed to be. And God bless them for that. That's the rest of the story. So what are some lessons for us? Those guys didn't start so well, but they learn to finish strong as we too must do, but they just closed with a few less intuitive. Thinker applicable to us today. You're some lessons, I think we draw from the story of the Old Testament. Here's the first one first. Unity and cannot Define Unity as difference without Discord. Unity, which is difference, without Discord matters to God. It matters to God. Let me ask you a question. Could the Lord God have, given the whole promised land is real with only ten tribes fighting? How many think he could have think you could have? How many think? The Lord could have given them A Promise Land with zero tribes fighting could have banished all the enemies in an instant if he chose to and yet he chose to condescend to work through fallible, fickle people and say, I want you all together. What this tells us is that the Lord cares about Unity, it's important to him. In fact isn't Unity One of the core values of God, God exist as one God in three persons, father, son, and spirit, God has fellowship with in the Trinity, the try unity. And in fact he expects us to model and imitate that same thing. He wants us to be United in community and fellowship as the father son and spirit and fellowship. God cares about Unity. He wants his people to get along. Do you know that applies to families as well? Remember what the scripture says? When the man shall leave his father and mother and be joined, it says the two become one. That's Unity. A house divided against itself. Cannot stand. The Lord said that it applies to families husbands and wives, we need to get along with each other parents and children need to get along with each other here, to work out her stuff. You know, we're going to have differences. We're all individuals rent have differences but we should have differences without Discord. Do you have Discord in your home today? I want to ask for a show of hands, but how many have Discord on the way to church this morning? I'm guessing that there's a few guilty parties will, let's work it out, that's work it out difference without Discord is the goal, that's what unity means. Let's try for that. Let's do that in church as well, not just at home, but at church brothers and sisters getting along that cares about that. Some 133 verse 1 says behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. God has blessed by unity he models and emulates unity and he calls us to Unity in our homes in our congregations in Ark. Unity's, let us be models. Let us reflect what he is all about A house divided against itself. Cannot stand let us be United. Not divided me show you another observation here. Here's a second one. When we give to others we get more back. What do I mean by that? If we take the rest of the story going into, Joshua will see that when Joshua released the dad item reubenites to go back to their home. It mentions that they went with much plunder in more Livestock. In other words, used to see his destroyed, these guys had much livestock, had a great span of land are excited about setting up their ranches and being Cattleman, but they willingly set that aside to go to war. And guess what? When they came back months or however many months, it was later. They came back with more cattle, workers more treasure because God and Rich them as they enrich their brothers. Who's the point guard blesses us as we bless others, it might not be an exact remuneration as it seemed to be in this case. But God and riches us as we enrich others. Got shares with us as we share with others. There's a benefit a great benefit to serving one another Mutual edification, show me one last one to strive for Unity is to be like the Lord. The Lord cares about unity and pack. The Lord is the Ultimate model. The yardstick, by which we measure our own carrying about Unity. Let me read from Philippians chapter 2, you might want to join me or just listen from Philippians chapter 2 to a church at a place called Phillipi. It was an old army town with a lot of veterans and other people of various types that live there in a few of them, we're not getting along and so, Paul tells him what they need to do and then it gives him a picture. What it looks like chapter 2 verse 1. Therefore if there's any consolation in If any comfort of love, if any Fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and mercy to fill my Joy by being like minded, having the same love being a one. Accord was signed, let nothing be done. Through selfish ambition, working seat button, lowliness of mind that each esteem, others better than himself. But each of you look out not only for his own interest but also the interests of others, doesn't that illustrate the contrast right there between individualism and collectivism between looking out for my interests, were looking out for the others interests than against us a picture. You want to know what this looks like Paul? Okay, I didn't you tell me I should be caring about others show me, a picture of Paul was that look like because I'm glad you asked, here's the picture Birds 5, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ. Jesus, who being in the form of God did not considered robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. Ending found in appearance. As a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the Cross. Jesus is our ultimate example, as the yardstick, by which we measure our own caring about Unity. Basically, the point is this, Paul is saying by the Lord's direction that we must act like Jesus, and get along with each other. God cares about unity. And he gave us a perfect poster. Boy to huelo, poster model Jesus Christ to shows kids. What it looks like he who was God, fully God, and every respect who who was highest of all Lord himself to make himself the servant of even the lowliest people. And so, that is our model the way up and God's economy is down. We become servants to all, and that's what Jesus modeled and if he did it. So can we What is really saying is Christians act like Christ act like Christ in your family act like Christ at church act like Christ at work at school on the 4th, act like Christ, that's were called to do. But this morning we looked at to lightstyles evident in this old story and still very evident in our culture today. Individualism or collectivism, we can live for ourselves or we can live for others and learn to live for others. May, God help us to be those who live for others. May we follow the great example of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let this mind this attitude. This set of values be displayed in our lives as it wasn't his. The one who though he was God, In the Flesh came and stretched out his arms and died on the cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead. He who humbles himself to. The most powerful degree was exalted by God, the father raised up Newness of life and called king of kings and Lord of lords. Let us follow that example, the cross before the crown, we pray with me Father in heaven, we thank you for Jesus Christ who showed us a picture of what God is like, and what we should be like Father, we live in a very individualistic world where everybody's looking out for themselves. Can we be different? Lord? Can you help us to learn to be different to put others above ourselves to be a servant rather than expecting others to serve us? Help us. Father, we live in a world that is full of of selfishness and validates that day. After day, we're giving all kinds of messages, how that's the right thing to do and yet Lord, we know better for even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and get himself a ransom for many may we follow that wonderful example. Father, we thank you that you bless those who bless others. May we be such people. Help us to make decisions that please and honor you maybe. It's like you in our lives and our relationships in our work and our Ambitions in the things we say and do help us by your grace. We pray in Jesus name and all God's people said amen.