A Reminder of God’s Faithfulness

Transcript

GRS 47
1/17/1988
Reminders of God’s Faithfulness
Deuteronomy 1-2
Gil Rugh

Second law, but that’s probably not the most accurate description of the content of the Book; the title Deuteronomy second law comes from a mistranslation in Chapter 17, there is more here than just a repeating of the law that’s already been given. Now there will be much repetition included, but there is much more than simply repeating the law and the repetition that’s given is given for a specific purpose. When you stop and consider that everything had to be written out by hand without the advanced materials that we appreciate today you can realize that God had a purpose in everything he had recorded as part of his word. And for Israel for this material to be written out on scrolls, to be listen to by the people God had included everything that was necessary and nothing more.

The Book of Deuteronomy is a significant Book for us to focus our lives more in the New Testament because the Book of Deuteronomy is quoted over eighty times in the New Testament and that makes it one of the most significant and most often used Old Testament Books that we have in the New Testament. It’s a rather comprehensive account of God’s covenant with his people the nation Israel. Israel’s relationship with God is based on a covenant and the Book of Deuteronomy has an unfolding of some of the details of that covenant.

So if you are going to understand what is involved in being the people of God, what is involved in Israel being the people of God and if you will, what is involved in our being the people of God in the church today you need to understand the Book of Deuteronomy because in the church today our relationship with God is covenant based as well. And we partake of some of the provisions of what is called the new covenant, but that covenant forms the foundation for Israel. We’re dealing in Deuteronomy with the Abrahamic Covenant, but then particularly the dimensions that unfold out of the Abrahamic Covenant in the Mosaic Covenant guiding God’s people in their lives here on earth.

For a date for Deuteronomy if you read modern commentaries on Deuteronomy most of those will date the Book of Deuteronomy in the seventh century BC. Now if you stop and think that creates a problem. Moses is in the fifteenth century BC. Now if Moses wrote the book it couldn’t be written in the seventh century BC had to be written sometime in the 1400s early 1400s down around 1450. But modern scholarship as you are aware attempts to redo the book regulate what is there and make changes rather loosely.

In Second Kings Chapter 22 Josiah through doing some renovation in the temple one of the priest there discovered the law in the temple and most modern scholars today say what was found in the temple through the reforms of Josiah which formed the foundation for the reforms of Josiah was the Book of Deuteronomy. And it wasn’t the discovered for the first time there but someone did a forgery and presented it to Josiah as a work of Moses.

Now we won’t take time to go back and read Second Kings 22 you can do that at your leisure and figure out how men who are supposed to be studying the Bible to find out what it says find out that this was a pious forgery constructed at that time. We’re not going to spend any time on that. The Bible presents the first five Books of the Old Testament as the work of the man Moses. Just one example, turn into New Testament to the Book of Mathew in the Nineteenth Chapter. Mathew 19 while you are turning there I like a little adjustment we could on the lights, little less up here and a little more out there maybe we have everything we can out there. Again more light out there I would like to see you oh, it’s getting better already good. That’s better. Thank you. Mathew Chapter 19 it’s just one example of many in the New Testament where the first five Books of the Old Testament are credited to Moses and they are referred to the authorship of Moses. In Mathew Chapter 19 verse 8 Christ is speaking. He said to them "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives but from the beginning it has not been this way."

The reference is to Deuteronomy Chapter 24. Now Christ says "Moses gave the permission and this is consistent with the way the rest of the New Testament refers to the first five Books. They identify it as the work of Moses. That’s the way they are presented in the Old Testament themselves. We would have a real problem if this is a pious forgery and it’s usually equated to be a pious forgery. I’m not sure that you can put those two words together just like telling you about the truthful lie. A pious forgery, if it’s the forgery is not pious nothing godly about forgeries, forgeries are fakes. The Book of Deuteronomy is the work of Moses. Now that does not mean that there was nothing added to the Book of Moses.

The first question comes, well how did Moses write about his death at the end of the book. Well, two possibilities one God could have told him about it more probably after his death that was added. Moses was a very significant person in Israel’s history. Perhaps their greatest leader he was their first prophet so perhaps Joshua added the account of the death of Moses so that, that would be part of the record. But we know that it was written under the inspirational spirit of God, its part of inspired Scripture and we approach it that way.

There was no debate about the authorship of Deuteronomy until you get down to modern critical scholarship both Jews and Christians alike down through the centuries except that Moses as the author. We’re going to pick up with the first Chapter and the book opens up by saying that this is the message of Moses to all of Israel and the first five verses form an introduction to the book and will lay some of the basic background for what the book is about. These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordon in the wilderness in the Arabah. Arabah is that valley that runs from the Sea of Galilee in the north all the way down to the Gulf of Aqaba in the south down past the Dead Sea.

You can note that on your Bible map. Now we are on the brink of crossing the Jordon River to go into the Promised Land, so that’s the region that he’s riding from and that’s part of the Arabah there. It’s the words of Moses Chapter 34 verse 10 identifies Moses as a prophet of God. As such he is the first prophet in Israel. He is God’s spokesman. He receives the message directly from God and he communicates it to the people. This message is given to all Israel.

You know the importance of Moses I don’t think can be over emphasized. He’s mentioned more often in the New Testament than any other Old Testament character. That tells you something of his significance in Israel’s history and we are within months of his death as he records this message to Israel in preparation for the conquering of the Promised Land. Verse 2, it is an eleven days journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea. Eleven days journey from Horeb, Horeb is another name for Sinai, Mount Sinai where Israel camped before they moved off to journey up to Kadesh-barnea in preparation for entering the Promised Land thirty-eight years earlier. That’s an eleven day journey from Sinai to Kadesh-barnea.

Verse 3, it came about in the fortieth year on the first day of the eleventh month that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the Lord had commanded him to give to them. Now you ought to note the contrast that drawn here. Verse 2 its eleventh day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea. Verse 3 in the fortieth year Israel now is on the brink of entering the Promised Land. They have turned an eleven day journey into almost forty years of wandering in the wilderness that’s the result of their sin. Instead of taking eleven days they’ve taken almost forty years to get to where they are, they are really almost back to where they were.

They are not at the same location but at the same position as a nation ready to go into the Promised Land again. What is intervened, their rebellion thirty-eight years of aimless wandering in to wilderness, now they are back again. Came about the fortieth year and then verse 4 after the defeat of two key kings and the defeat of these kings will be recorded in the opening Chapters of Deuteronomy. Now verse 5 across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law saying. So you see what happened, it’s a summary here of Israel’s history condensed.

Moses is speaking to Israel at the edge of the Jordan preparation for crossing into Canaan. Reminder, this is in the fortieth year after they have left Egypt keeping in mind that it’s only an eleven day journey to get up here to this region from the Mount Sinai. Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law. You ought to underline that word 'expound' that tells you what the Book of Deuteronomy is. It’s an exposition, the word expound means to make clear or plain. So the Book of Deuteronomy is more than just a repeating of the law, its Moses exposition of the law for the nation Israel. He’s going to make clear to Israel what God has said.

He’s going to explain and apply the law to the nation so that they’ll understand what their obligations and responsibilities are in light of the law of the God is given. So we talk about expositional preaching today. What expositional preaching to do is to explain the word of God to make it clear or plain and that’s what Moses is doing. So here’s an example of expounding the word of God. What Moses is going to do is review Israel’s history first of all and in this review there’s going to be an emphasis on God’s faithfulness with his people going all over the way back to Abraham up to the present.

We’re just going to hit some of the highlights we’ll see. But Israel needs to be reminded again of God’s faithfulness. All the disobedience, all the rebellion God has been faithful from Abraham to the present; and Israel’s history begins with Abraham obviously because the nation is founded in Abraham. Verses 6 to 18 going to talk about Israel when they were at Mount Sinai or as it’s called here at Horeb, the events that took place at Mount Sinai very significant because that’s where the law was given you remember. The law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai with Israel camp at the base of that Mountain. So there’s a little bit of a review of the incidences at Mount Sinai and then the Journey to the land.

Verse 6 to 8 there’s instructions from God on leaving Sinai, "The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb saying you have stayed long enough at this mountain; turn, set your journey go to the hill country of the Amorites all their neighbors in the Arabah and the hill country, the low land, the Nagav by the seacoast the land of the Canaanites and Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates." And what is entailed in verse 7 is a reminder of the land that God has promised to the nation Israel, from the river of Egypt to Euphrates River, same expanse that was promised to Abraham in Genesis Chapter 15 and verse 18. In Genesis 15 in verse 18 God promises to Abraham and his decedents on that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham saying to your decedents "I have given this land from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates."

Verse 7, that’s the journey that Israel is to undertake now from Sinai to the land that God has promised from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates. That land has never been possessed totally by the nation Israel down till today. So good reminder for us that God is always true to his word, that land that God has promised to Israel, they have yet to possess composes all of Palestine and Syria. It someday will belong to Israel.

Verse 8 see I have placed the land before you go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob to them and their decedents after them, reminder here that the promise to Abraham and the forefathers of these Israelites remains intact. That’s significant because over five hundred years have passed since the covenant was established with Abraham. That’s a long time. They needed to be reminded that God is faithful. As they prepared to go into the land, they are going into the land to possess the land which God promised to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their decedents.

Now here Moses takes a break to talk about the leadership that God provided. Verse 9 to 18; discuss the leadership that God provided to assist Moses. Why does he insert that here? Key in Israel accomplishing what God wants them to accomplish will be the leadership that God provides. Moses is about to be removed from the scene. He has been the only leader Israel has had over these forty years. Going back to their Exodus from Egypt now down to ready to enter the Promised Land, Israel has had one key leader, the man Moses. But there have been others now associated with him in leadership. It’s important that the people recognize these men and are prepared to follow them. So that there is no confusion upon the death of Moses because Moses will be dead before Israel goes into the land. That could be a serious setback so here’s a reminder of the leadership that god has established.

Now, this actually is recorded back in Exodus Chapter 18 so this is review but Moses is reminding them of what God has done, reminding them of the leadership that God has provided. Verse 9 I spoke to you at that saying, "I am not able to bear the burden of you alone. The Lord your God has multiplied you and behold you are this day as the starts of heaven for multitude." You know why there was an additional need for leadership? God has been faithful to his promise. In Genesis Chapter 15 in verse 5 God had promised Abraham that he would make his decedents like the stars of the heaven or like the sand of the seashore. As a result of the fulfillment at least in portion the realization that God was doing what he promised Moses couldn’t handle it alone.

So he needed other men associated. So even the provision of leaders here, additional leaders is a reminder God is doing what he promised he would do to our father Abraham. That emphasis in verse 10 the Lord your God has multiplied you that expression "The Lord Your God" is used over two hundred and fifty times in the Book of Deuteronomy. Reminder to Israel of their relationship with God as a result of the covenant, they are the covenant people. They have that unique relationship the Lord your God has done this. The qualifications for the leaders are mentioned in verse 13. Choose wise discerning and experienced men from your tribes, I will appoint them as your heads. They’d to be wise, they had to be discerning and they had to be experienced. These would be the men chosen to share the leadership responsibilities with Israel.
Down in verse 16 I charged your judges at that time saying, "Here the case is between your fellow countrymen, judge righteously between a man and his fellow countrymen or the alien that is with him. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall here the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man for the judgment is God’s and the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring it to me and I will hear it." They were to be exercising righteous judgment with no partiality. Israel was the people of God they were to demonstrate the character of God on earth. They were a unique and special people. It was utmost importance that righteousness and integrity characterized the nation and the judgment that is meted out there can be no partiality.

Very difficult to follow the guidelines of verse 17 maintaining that kind of integrity to judge the small and the great alike, don’t allow friendship, don’t allow position, don’t allow money, none of those things are to cover judgment. Right is right for poor and rich, week and strong. And these men who have the responsibility of judgment are to exercise it impartially. Now what helps them in that is the recognition that the judgment is God’s. Verse 17 you shall not fear man for the judgment is God’s. Always that thought is I exercise judgment in this situation what will happen? God says it’s not your judgment it’s my judgment. This ought to bring a healthy fear of deviating from the standard of righteousness and integrity in judgment as well.

That’s to characterize the people of God as they prepare to go into the land. That standard is carried over into the New Testament as well in fact that becomes the whole foundation for righteousness in judgment. We were looking at church discipline. Over in Matthew Chapter 18 this principle I think is established. In Matthew Chapter 18 in verse 20 when the Christ said in the context of discipline and judgment of sin among the people of God where two or three have gathered together in my name there I am in their midst. See the same principle, it’s not your judgment it’s God’s judgment. It’s not our judgment it’s Christ’s judgment.

He is in the midst, he is doing the judging. So here, these men have been appointed leaders, they have been appointed judges in Israel, but it’s not their judgment, its God’s judgment. So it must be meted with submissiveness to God and his instructions not in light of fear of men and their response that becomes the principle for human government as well in Romans Chapter 13 where governmental leaders are appointed by God, they are servants of God to do his will and so they must be respected obeyed and submitted to part of God’s plan for orderliness at least to a degree in a fallen creation.

Back in Deuteronomy Chapter 1 that principle of judgment then is to characterize Israel and becomes a foundational principle.

Incidentally justice in a side that’s why we find the Old Testament condemn severely any who pervert justice by making right wrong, and wrong right and you need to be careful here because when you live in a fallen society sometimes that society turns things around and says now wrong is right but that never becomes acceptable for a believer because human authority cannot supersede God’s authority. We live in a society where it becomes a game often in judging guilty people. And we need to be careful we don’t become part of that game that is played, right must be carried out justice must be meted out that’s the principle established in the word to the extent that we move away from that there is a disintegration and a deterioration within the society.

We can see that human government obviously. What happened when human government begins to collapse and lose its authority? What’s happening in countries of the world even more clearly seen when those ruling are the ruling pervertedly. We have leaders of countries now who are involved in drug smuggling for money. We see the country begins to collapse from within because the principles the God has established in his word are no longer being obeyed and operating in that situation.

There will be some situations that are too difficult for these judges then those come to Moses. I think there’s a principle here that has significance for us as a church and don’t want to go too far astray. But I am interested here, that the people who had problems first came to those in leadership responsibilities and those who could not be handled there were brought to Moses presumably by the leaders and judges who couldn’t handle them. I think that’s a good principle that needs to be implemented in the church today I was talking with some of the staff.

I think what is happened in much of the church today is be let the idea that if I have any problem I go to the pastor and we’ve followed a professional model there which seems the principle, the biblical principle carried out would be that most of these things are handled by key mature people throughout the body. And then those that are more difficulty understanding and resolving a situation would be worked out then by those leaders who are further up in the responsibility, principle that’s followed here by Moses.

Beginning with verse 19 we talk about Kadesh-barnea we are going to summarize the wilderness journey from Sinai to Kadesh-barnea that eleven day trip just with verse 19. Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites. Just as the Lord our God had commanded us and we came to Kadesh-barnea. So they’ve made that journey we’re back still 38 years earlier in Israel’s history. This is the original trip where they left mount Sinai they crossed through the wilderness and came to Kadesh-barnea.

Now that wilderness was a frightening experience for Israel when It’s mentioned in the Book of Deuteronomy and then the Old Testament it’s mentioned as an awful thing that great and terrible wilderness, it’s about a 100 miles of almost waterless wilderness or desert and that was a grueling experience for Israel. It was a challenge to their faith. They came out from Egypt expecting great blessings from God to get to the blessings that got through that barren waste land and it tried the faith and tried the patience of the Israelites.

That’s not what they left Egypt for. They were thinking I left better things behind. How many times have believers made that kind of statement? It was better before I was a Christian. I have more trouble now than I am a Christian than I did before I was saved. A kind of principle was demonstrated here. God intended blessings for them but they are going to come through some difficulty. Verse 21 see the Lord your God as placed the land before you. Moses is talking now but here they are at Kadesh-barnea the land that God has promised stretches out ahead of them. See the Lord your God has placed the land before you, go up and take possession as the Lord the God of your fathers has spoken to you "Do not fear and do not be dismayed."

I think that expression that command 'Do not fear or be dismayed' tells you that Moses recognize something of the difficulty. Even taking possession of the Promised Land was going to involve a challenge for the people. God had promised it to them he said he would give it to them but they were going to have to go and take possession and there were things there that would cause fear or dismayed. That command not to fear is going to be repeated a number of times in Deuteronomy. I’ve written down one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight at least nine times.

The instructions are given to Israel. Do not fear, do not fear do not be afraid. Now to me that’s encouraging. I mean you can be exactly in the will of God, exactly where God wants you, exactly ready to go forward to where God wants you to go and the situation can seem terribly intimidating and frightening they are to remind myself do not be afraid, do not fear because there were going to be difficulties, because there were going to be challenges did not mean that God was not going to do what he promised. They were going to have the Promised Land.

It was at that time Moses says then all of you approach to me and said let us send men before us that they may search out the land for us and bring back to us word of the way which we should go up and the cities which we shall enter. The thing pleased me and I took twelve of your man, a man from each tribe, they turned, when up into the hill country came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. Now we get a little added dimension here of what happens when the spy’s were sent into the land. It’s recorded back in Numbers Chapter 13 then into Chapter 14. So little bit of a review here and a summary fashion by Moses but we are told a dimension here. The idea to send spy’s into the land came from the people. Now when you read Numbers 13 we’re told that God told Moses to send spy’s to the land.

You put the two accounts together and evidently what happens the people want to send spies into the land when Moses seeks the will of God, God tells Moses send the spy’s. So there’s not conflict here, but we recognize that the people wanted to do that Moses thought it was a good idea and God approved because Numbers 13 says God said send the spy’s into the land. Nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with the idea although it may evidence here a caution and a hesitancy to go forward that is going to be fatal for these people; it’s good to be cautious, it’s good to be careful. I read a very good book this week Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders.

You know what he said; he says one of the things that is fatal to godly leadership is too much caution. So we need to be careful, here the people of Israel are going to be cautious. Let’s search out the land and see the best approach and that all sounds like good wisdom. That had been better just to charge in and trust God but God approves the plan the spy’s are sent into the land. Verse 25 they took some of the fruit of the land in their hands they brought it down to us, they brought us back report and said it is a good land which the Lord our God has about to give us yet you were not willing to go up. Now that’s a pretty brief summary that Moses is given. He doesn’t tell about the bad report of ten of the spy’s why, it’s irrelevant.

He gives a selective summary and this is the only part of the report that matters. It is a good land which the Lord our God is about to give us that’s consistent with what God said the land was a fruitful land, it was a good land. Well, it’s just what God said, let’s go ahead. But there’s a problem, there are armies there, there are fortified cities there. Verse 26 you were not willing to go up but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. Rather than focusing on the goodness of God, they focused on the difficulties in the land.

Rather than rejoicing and saying here we are and the land is what God has said it would be, look at the fruit of this land, they mired down and said, oh, look at the difficulties look at the obstacles and they were discouraged and fearful and afraid and you know what happens when you are not willing to trust God when you are rebelling against God that perverts your whole view of God. Look at verse 27. You grumbled in your tents and said because the Lord hates us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us could anything be further removed from the truth, here are the people of God who have been redeemed by God out of the land of Egypt.

They’ve seen the mighty miracles that he did in delivering them, they’ve walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, they’ve seen the armies of Pharaoh engulfed into that sea washed over them, they’ve experienced miracles along the way, they’ve been at Mount Sinai and now they are at the brink of the Promised Land and they say God hates us. How can that happen, that people that God’s chosen for himself. When you rebel against God, when you are not willing to trust God and take him at his word pretty soon it distorts your whole view of God and to one degree or another if you’ve been a believer very long you’ve probably experienced that. Whether in a time of pressure, the time of difficulty you’ve questioned whether God really loves you.

If God really loved me he wouldn’t let that happen, if God really loved me he wouldn’t have done that he wouldn’t have brought that into my life. Now that’s the kind of thing that happens here. When I am not trusting him any longer, when I am rebelling all of a sudden my whole perspective God, my whole view of God has become distorted. My understanding of his dealings with me is perverted the reason God brought me here is because he hates me and he wants to destroy me. And it’s just as far from the truth as you could get he had brought them here because he loved them and wanted to give them blessings. And they are saying he brought us here because he hates us and wants to destroy us. Need to be very careful, devil doesn’t change and his tactics remain remarkably the same for us today.

Verse 28, where we can go up our brethren have made our hearts melt saying “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large," note this "Fortified to heaven besides we saw the sons of the Anakim there. Sons of the Anakim were giants. You know what happens, you take your eyes off of God, you put them on the problems. You are not willing to trust God and you begin to rebel all of the sudden the problems were facing seem larger than they really are. How many people really think that the cities were fortified to heaven? You know that’s a little bit of an exaggeration. The sons of Anakim there, there may have been some giants there, but it’s not a land that is just overrun with giants. But you know when I focus on my problems and don’t trust God; the things that I faced do seem so overwhelming.

It just seems hopeless and driven to despair because God’s changed? No, but did you know how serious this problem is, when I am to be saying do you know how great my God is? I think you are not realistic. Have you really faced this problem? I don’t think you be unrealistic. Do you really understand about our God? Well, Israel has turned their attention here. Moses tried to turn them around. He said in verse 29 then I said to you, do not be shocked nor fear them. Now I wanted to note Moses had the same evidence in hand that they had fruit from the land that testimony from God and the testimony from the spy’s but Moses’ response is totally different than the nation Israel.

Moses said to them "Do not be shocked nor fear, the Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight on your behalf just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes and in the wilderness." Now Moses doesn’t go into any argument here on how strong the cities are, on how big the inhabitants are. Doesn’t really matter does it, if your Lord your God is going to fight for you who care how big the enemy is. If the Lord your God is going to do battle for you, who cares how strong the cities are? They are not stronger than him, are they? Now these people had been in Israel, I mean been in Egypt. They had seen God go to war on their behalf; they had seen their God on their behalf destroy the nation Israel.

So even the leaders of the nation come to Pharaoh and say let those people go Egypt is ruined, still weren’t willing to trust him now. Now here’s Moses, these people had been through the same things with Moses but now they are seeing it differently. Now I am amazed that how much like Israel I become, how easy it is for me to begin to look at the problems and those problems, the more I look at them the bigger they get. The bigger they get, the more intimidated I am when really I need to focus on to say what has God said, what does God want. Whether I trust him he’s responsible to accomplishing rather simple but very difficult for Israel.

Verse 31 in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you just as a man carries his son in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place. See part of the problem for that great and terrible wilderness in verse 19, it was a chance for Israel to see that God had carried them in his arms just like a father carries his little child. Did you come safely through those hundred miles of waterless wilderness yes, did you see how God just encompassed you in his arms and brought you along, all of the sudden they forgotten all that. Is that you relevant now, do you know how big this enemy is, they needed to be reminded of God’s faithfulness.

But for all this verse 32, you did not trust the Lord your God who goes before you on your way to seek out a place for you to encamp in fire by night, cloud by day to show you the way which you should go. In spite of all this the people wouldn’t trust God. It manifested it’s presence he had been faithful. You stop and think, you are here tonight has God ever failed, you are here, God has blessed you and brought you. You should fear tomorrow, you should fear the things ahead, had not God brought you along to this point, has he not been faithful every step of the way? You see we need to be reminded of our history, we need to be reminded of what God has done to be encouraged to go forward with God. Oh, yes I know he’s done that but what if, what if God fails?

If God fails the universe will collapse and it won’t really matter, but can happen so Israel needs to be remember, that’s why Moses is reviewing their history, he wants to remind them of what God has done remind them of their unfaithfulness to impress upon then the importance of going forward this time they don’t need another thirty-eight years in the wilderness so you better get ready this time. I wrote down what Martin Luther said on this passage for our present encouragement. I found that encouraging I hope you will. He says this, if Moses equipped with so many words and signs of God is not believed but is forced to handover the whole nation to Godlessness why are we astonished if you believe us today and the whole world rages with unbelief.

Only two man out of so great in number cling to Moses but in spite of this he does not stop or abandon the office of the word and his command. He keeps on preaching to the unbelieving even though in vain. A good reminder from a man that God mightily used in the reformation; reminder of what happened in Moses’ life here. He encouraged the people, he challenged the people. Two people agreed with Moses. The rest of the nations stood against him. Moses didn’t give up but continued to be faithful. Jump down to verse 37 we have to move along. The Lord was angry with me on your account saying “Not even you shall enter here." Not only were the people who grumbled closed out the Promised Land but Moses was closed out of the Promised Land.

Now we’re not saying, Moses is not saying here that he didn’t sin but what you are seeing is a bringing together of two incidences. Moses sin that keeps him out of the land occurred thirty-eight years after Kadesh-barnea but the sin of the people and their grumbling resulted in Moses sinning and being kept out of the land. It didn’t excuse Moses from his sin he’s closed out of the land, but the people had not sinned, and they had gone in to the land thirty-eight years earlier, Moses wouldn’t have sinned at the rock. So their sin had consequences for Moses. In the end he’s closed out of the Promised Land too accountable for his sin but their sin led to his sin as well.

Verse 39 moreover your little ones who you said would become a prey and your sons to this day have no knowledge of good or evil shall enter there and I will give it them and they shall possess it I want you to just take a note of verse 39. We sometimes talk about an age of accountability for children, I think this is a verse that indicates there may be such an age for here we’re told God said your little ones who the people thought would die if they try to go into the Promised Land you’re sons who this day have no knowledge of good or evil shall enter the land.

Here from God’s perspective they are not held accountable for the decision of rebellion that’s made against God their going into the land. Seems to be an indication that God does recognize a line that’s drawn and here he draws the line, the nation is going to die in the wilderness but not those he holds unaccountable for making a distinction between right and wrong. Now what that age is I don’t know but according to Numbers 14:29 it was twenty years of age. That we’re talking about in this incident because every over twenty is going to die.

Every one that is under twenty will go into the land thirty-eight years later and I don’t know that I want to make that the age of accountability but that’s as close as the Scripture comes but it seems to me that it does indicate here that there are those that God does not hold accountable in making a decision regarding good and evil and they do not come under the judgment that is associated with the responsibility of making that decision. So as you study the issue of accountability and the age of accountability, you ought to include Numbers Chapter 1 and verse 39 and evaluate God’s actions there in light of that.

Verses 41 to 46 you know what happened, when the people of Israel were told they couldn’t go into the land what happened, they thought oh no this judgment is too severe, they try to undo what they had done but it was too late and you just thought a note here, we won’t go into the details of the closing verses in this Chapter. Some opportunities are lost for good by our unbelief. Tears are shed verse 45 but they could not undo the consequences of their sin that unique opportunity to move in and take possession of a land that God had promised to give them was lost forever to that generation because of unbelief. And we have to remember that opportunities are lost some forever because of our sin. God forgives the sin, there’s no question about that but some consequences cannot be changed.

I have no question in my mind that Moses is forgiven his sin but the consequences of not going into the land could never be undone for the man Moses. That would be an opportunity not to be repeated. I can see it’s so clearly in Israel, I need to remember that for myself. If I sin God will forgive me I have no question about that. I have no question that my sins that I commit tomorrow are forgiven but I also realize that sin may caused me opportunities that will never be repeated and only eternity will show how great those opportunities would have been.

This generation that dies in the wilderness would have no conception of what they had lost of the blessing that they had forfeited they’ll die and be buried in the wilderness without ever understanding what could have been if they had trusted God on that occasion. I think that’s true for you and I. I never know what my life could have been, the opportunities that could have been if I had not sinned because I have forfeited those. Perhaps that’s something that will be reveled when we stand in the presence of Christ.

Chapter 2 is very simple we can just hit a couple of highlights here. This covers the journey to Transjordan that raging for crossing over into Israel. Chapter 2 verse 1 Israel turns, set out for the wilderness by way to the Red Sea. They are turning south, they are turning away they are going back now for thirty-eight years of wandering. Then in verse 3, they are told to turn north again so that summarize that’s the thirty-eight years of wilderness wandering in the first three verses. Moses doesn’t want to dwell into that. Now with verse 3 you’ve circled long enough God says he’s telling them to move north again to move up into the Transjordan region.

Jump down to verse 14, the time it took for us from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed over to the Brook Zered was thirty-eight years. The Brook Zered runs down at the bottom of the Dead Sea. You check your map at that back of your Bible sometime later and you’ll find that little river running out the bottom of the Dead Sea off the south edge of the Dead Sea Zered. So from Kadesh-barnea and you look were Kadesh-barnea is there in little further to the west and south and you’ll see thirty-eight years make that journey. Tells us how long they wandered in the wilderness. Verse 15 the hand of the Lord was against them to destroy them from within the camp until they all perish. They didn’t die old age in the wilderness, God hastened their death.

It was a judgment like we talk about in First Corinthians Chapter 11 sinning believers some are weak some are sick some perished. So in the thirty eight years of wilderness wandering God hastened their death because he had determined they would all die in that period of time and God brought about their death. There are two people mentioned in this area, Moab and Ammon, Israel is not allowed to take their land remember because these are the sons of Lot the decedents of Lots son result of the incestuous relationship with his daughters that he had with his daughters after the departure from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. God had promised that land to the decedents of Esau and so Israel is not allowed to take the land.

Jump down to verse 25 you know what, didn’t matter what the enemy was, didn’t matter the size of the enemy or the size of their cities because in verse 25 God says this day I will begin to put the dread and fear of your upon the people everywhere under the heavens who when they hear the report of you shall tremble and be in anguish because of you. God had promised this in the Book of Exodus. He had promised it in the Book of Numbers now he does it. You know what, the children of Israel didn’t have anything to worry about thirty-years earlier, didn’t matter that they were no match for those people in Canaan. God was going to supernaturally bring his terror on those people.

And we will find that when they get to Jericho the spy’s will go into Jericho what, to tell they have the people that are petrified of you. We look at our resources and see with our resources can we do battle with the world and its resources. We say no and we begin to retreat that’s not the question. Can I as a servant of God trust my God to bring victory over the resources of the world obviously I can then I go forward that’s the principle here. Verses 26 to 37 record the defeat of Sihon he’s an Amorite king who was defeated by the Israelites.

Jump down to verse 30. Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land the Lord your God hardened his spirit, made his heart obstinate in order to deliver him in to your hand as he is today. It’s very similar to the situation with Pharaoh where his heart was hardened you begin to wonder was it fair for God to harden the heart of the king of Sihon. I want you to note something. The king of Sihon has had forty years to repent of his sin and submit himself to God. When Israel goes into the land they find out the people there have heard and knew about what happened at the Exodus and the miracles of the Exodus and the defeat of the Egyptian armies forty years earlier.

So the people of Canaan, the people of his region have had forty years of grace from God to repent of their sin, cast themselves upon his mercy. It’s the time of judgment there is no repentance God makes repentance impossible in the Day of Judgment. It’s a fearful saying, is that what we are warned in the Bible today is the day of salvation you better take opportunity now. They had forty years, they had heard of the might works of God, what God had done through this people, but they had not abandoned their sin and turn to the living God. Now it’s the Day of Judgment God brings a hardness on their heart. Second Thessalonians Chapter 2 verse 11 just jot it down in the great tribulation God shall send a strong delusion on the world so that they should believe a lie because they had not believed in God.

The opportunity for faith has passed it’s a time of judgment and in that framework of judgment God brings in obstinate and hardness could the king of Sihon say this is not fair? He’s at forty years of grace and he’s not repenting. Now God makes it impossible for him to repent not that he wanted to. Verse 33 the Lord our God delivered him over to us we defeated him with all his sons, we captured the cities utterly destroyed them. When Israel went into battle God gave the victory and I want to end on this note God did not defeat the enemy without Israel. The victory was God's. God gave the victory but Israel had to march in the battle.

Thirty-eight years earlier they would not do it. God wanted to give them the same victory they wouldn’t go forward he wouldn’t give them the victory when they were not willing to go into the battle. He turned them back into the wilderness I mean why didn’t God just say well sit down here at Kadesh-barnea and I will send a plague through Canaan and when they are all dead you just march in and take possession that would have taken no faith. Now Israel marches in and God gives the victory. I think that principle holds true through the Scripture right down to our day we see in the New Testament. We must be willing to trust God and go into battle, and then got brings the victory through us, it’s not our victory, it’s his victory; but people who don’t go into battle in faith never experience God’s victory.

This could have been Israel’s experience thirty-years earlier; they’d been willing to trust the Lord. That whole generation, everyone over twenty years of age died in the wilderness without knowing the great victories they had missed because they’d been unwilling to trust God. I trust that won’t happen to us. As I read an account like that I say Lord don’t allow that to be my experience. Don’t allow that to be our experience; don’t allow us to forego the victories because we’re afraid of the battle. Battle intimidates me. I tend to want to become fearful in the face of battle, I need to remind myself, I need to focus attention on my God he gives the victory, he’s sufficient, it doesn’t matter whether I am adequate, he’s adequate.

He makes us adequate as his servants of the new covenants. That needs to be true of us as the church of Jesus Christ. God’s called us, he’s appointed us, and now as we move forward in conflict I am confident that there are victories greater than we could have ever imagined because our God is sufficient. Praise God for great enemies, praise God for great overwhelming opposition because that makes great victories.