Gospel Meeting 08/09/2013

Numbers 21 vs.4-9, Psalm 78 vs.1-12 & 35-39. John 3 vs.14-15&36.

The people of Israel were God’s chosen people and He had done great things for them, He had brought them out of slavery, He had destroyed the army of their enemies at the Red Sea, He had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, He had provided them with food and water on the journey, He had given them so many blessing and yet they still rebelled against Him and questioned His authority and power.

Numbers 11 vs.1 They complained- God sent fire.

Numbers 11vs.4 They complained about food – God sent a plague.

Numbers 14 vs.1-4 They complained about being in the wilderness – they were not allowed to enter the promised land.

Numbers 16 vs.41 They complained about Moses and Aaron- God sent another plague.

Numbers 20 vs. 2-3 They complained about the lack of water – Moses disobeyed and was not permitted to lead the people into the promised land.

Numbers 21 vs.5 They complained about being in the wilderness and about the food and water – God sent fiery serpents into the camp.

Now with hindsight it is easy to criticise them but do we do the same do we bring God down to our level, when our problems seem enormous to us do we forget God’s love and power, or do we just use God as a one stop shop to go to when we have a problem. God expects, demands, and deserves far more than that. Sometimes we can’t understand why God does or doesn’t do certain things but we can rest assured that God’s plan is the right one and He is never limited in what He can do or what He can give us , it is always in His time in His way and it is always the best for us. I am not saying it is easy but we must learn to trust Him He is the Almighty God.

This passage in Numbers 21 is very interesting and many lessons can be gleaned from it.

Vs.4 The people were discouraged.

Vs.5 The people complained against God and against Moses.

Vs. 6 God’s response.

Vs. 7 The peoples remorse.

Vs. 8 God provides a remedy.

Vs.9 Moses obeys God’s instruction and healing is possible.

Vs. 4 The people expected it to be straight forward but when they realised it was going to be a long journey  they got impatient and were grieved, but if they had travelled the way that they had expected to they would have faced more difficulties. They thought they knew better than God.

Psalm 78 vs.7  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

8  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

 

Vs.5 Their complaint was first of all against God and then also Moses as God’s representative. The Prodigal Son in Luke 15 recognises that he had sinned against Heaven first of all and also against his father.

Their complaints were not strictly true God had made provision for them but they weren’t satisfied with what God had given them.

Psalm 78 vs.10  They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

11  And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. 

He is a great God and a giving God.

 Philippians  4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

 

Vs. 6 God needed to teach them to rely on Him and that He was the one they should worship apparently these snakes were common in the wilderness but they hadn’t been troubled with them before God had been protecting them it was a painful lesson for them.

Deuteronomy 8 vs.15  Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

16  Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

 

Vs.7 The peoples response was to realise that they had sinned they were aware of what they had done wrong but they were still only interested in the serpents being taken away. We can be like that too we can be interested in Salvation for what we get out of it and not bow before God for who He is.

 

Vs. 8 God provides a means of healing which requires an act of faith on their behalf and was available to them all individually and they would know that their healing was completely given by God who had protected them up to this time of their disobedience.

 

Vs. 9 Moses did as God had said and healing was then available to all who looked they had a choice the serpent on a pole was accessible to all.

It is interesting to see in 2 Kings 18 that the serpent was destroyed because they had turned it into a God to worship it

2 Kings 18 vs.1 ¶  Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

2  Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.

3  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.

4  He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. ( a thing of brass). 

Hebrews 12 vs.1 ¶  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

We need to be forgiven for our sin and our sinful nature needs to be dealt with. God has provided a remedy it is up to us to look up to the cross of the Lord Jesus recognising our with faith believing He will save and He will. All who looked at the serpent on the pole lived and all who turn to Christ will be saved.

John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

How foolish to have the opportunity to be saved and to ignore it, it is a marvellous thing to have a relationship with the living God who loved me and gave Himself for me.