Numbers Survey
Chapter 7 & 8
Read v.1-3
A)So The leaders of each tribe bring a total of six carts (a
cart for every two of the leaders) and twelve oxen (each one an ox),
1) given to transport the tabernacle through
the wilderness.
B)
Now At this time, such carts were a great luxury - and no doubt, a significant
offering from the tribes.
Now the Carts are divided up & given to the Levites
Rd v. 4-9
A)Now GERSHON was responsible for the tent and coverings
So they got two wagons and four oxen
B)
But the Family of Merari was given FOUR CARTS Hey that's not fair, how come these guys got four wagons ?
1)
Answer is simple It was Because their load was heavier.... They were to carry
the boards and the pillars and sockets
C)
Because their load was heavier they were given more to assist them
1)
Now this is an Awesome Principal for Ministry & for life that can
save you a lot of Frustration if you Catch it
D)
See it is easy to look at some People in ministry & in life who seem to
be so gifted & so blessed think
How come they got all the gifts
1)
And it is easy to look
at their life Business man who has a great Business / Pastor of a Big Church
Bible study there Big group
E)
There thing is going so well because they are so
blessed / so gifted why do they have more CARTS THAN ME
When in reality God has blessed them w/ those gifts
because it was his plan all along to give them a Heavier load than others
A)So the gifts are not the Reason that God is Blessings they are just the Necessary tools that person needed for the Role God had for them
B) When you can
accept that God in his Sovereignty ordains things to be a certain way that
he is working in your life ordering & arranging
1)
Because He has a
specific role for you to play in this season of your life and a Specific role
for that person
C)
It can save you a ton of Frustration Relax instead
of Question How come their so Blessed /
1)
Rejoice in Gods
Plan & blessing of another instead of being Envious
D)
Quite Frankly if we really knew the load that some people we perceive to be SO BLESSED we would have a whole different
perspective !!
1)
Bob Coy Do you
really want to be in my shoes Staff of over 200 200 families to take care of
Financially / Electric Bill 70,000 a month
E)
Praise God for Blessing Bob & Not Me!!!!
1)
So those w/ Different responsibilities got different Provision v.10-11
Now the rest of Ch 7 list the Giving of the Dedication
offerings given by the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel
NOTE : Numbers Ch. 7 is the 2nd longest chapter in the Bible
A)The
longest is Psalm 119 which deals with the subject of the Word of God /Numbers 7 is the 2nd longest and deals with
the subject of GIVING to God
B)
I do NOT think that this is accidental- for We
are told that we are NOT only to be HEARERS / We are to be DOERS of the WORD
1)
And It is easy to TALK the walk as long as it
does NOT cost YOU!
But
when it begins to COST, then you see where your heart is really at
D) SO - The Word of God has much to say about giving, because that is an indicator of where our hearts are at
QUOTE:
D.L. MOODY "I can tell more about a man's walk
by looking at his check book than by looking at his prayer book"
I think that is true Putting Money were your Mouth is Easy to talk thus revealing where our hearts are really at
The Bible has much to say about Giving- because Giving is
not Gods way of raising FUNDS raising KIDS
A)See God knows that we are selfish by nature /
covetous / but he wants to make us more like Him / He is a GIVER/ Giving
teaches us to be like Him
B) Giving also teaches us to be dependent because as we give our
tithes and offerings there can be that Tendency to think How will I survive
1)
But that is why concerning the tithe God says Test
me You
give & see if I dont open up the windows of heaven to bless you
C) See we can never out give God !!!
1)
Giving makes me like God a Giver / Giving shows me how willing I am to
be Dependent on God
D) Giving is also a Sign of our Growing in Maturity Being Good
Stewards w/ what God has given to us
Lk16:10-11 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful
also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore you have not been faithful in
the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? SPIRITUAL RESPONSIBITY
SINCE God wants us to be givers
He talks a lot about it in the Bible
This is another illustration /the2nd Longest Chapter given to this
subject
A)There is much repetition for us in this chapter / It is LABORIOUS to us to read it but it is PRECIOUS to God /
B)And It is RECORDED by God
because He is saying to us: "I keep records" Think about it
1)
God has chosen to record for eternity all that these men gave
C) Think about this: God is RECORDING everything that you give
Matt. 6:19 -
19Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
moth & rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20but
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys
& where thieves do not break in &
steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be
also.
Quote: Jim ELLIOTT "No man is a
fool who gives up that which he can not keep in order to gain that which he can
not lose"
1) Be a Giver
Read v.12-17
C)
So Nashon from the tribe if Judah is first Now here what is interesting about what these Leaders
brought / All brought the same thing
1)If
you read thru the list you will find that their gifts were identical Why?
D)
By requiring the same gift from every tribe, God made sure that no tribe or
tribal leader glorified himself through his giving.
1)
No one would say See how big my gift was
We are also to give the same gift TITHE = tenth
A)It
is all the same it is just proportionate to
How God has blessed us
B)
Some Protest - Tenth that is OT Law { Actually
before the Law in Genesis Abe to Melch. Gen 14 / Tithe {Heb 7:2
Tenth
1)
Before the law in Gen / after the Law in NT
C)
Jesus spoke of the Tithe Matt 23 & in Lk 11 Condemning the Pharisees not for Tithing but the way that they were tithing
1)
Paul spoke 1 Cor 16 of bringing the first fruits on the first day of the week
= Sunday {Mal 3 into the Store House { the Church
D) Tithing every week vs on pay day Tithe vs the offering
1)
Interesting that Those who Protest about the tithe are never those who want to
give more Pastor I want to give 40% - not 10%
-
So the rest of Ch. 7 Chronicles the giving of the leaders of
the tribes showing to us How God takes notice of what we give - VERSE 89
Notice Chapter 7 ends on this note God speaking to Moses
A)WHEN
did God speak? AFTER the recording of offerings there is the hearing of God's
voice
B)After
these LEADERS... representing the people... came & brought gifts
C) Some ask: "How
come God never speaks to me.... God never gives me things to do?"
1)
Have YOU been faithful to do what God has already told you to do?
D)
If you are faithful in these matters you will be given more
NOT just in giving but in everything
God has shown us to do.
CHAPTER EIGHT - VERSES 1-4
Numbers 7 deals with the PRESENTATION OF GIFTS while CHAPTER
8 deals with the ORDINATION OF LEVITES
A)And
In between these themes we find this little section that deals with the Golden Lamp stand
B)
WHAT does the Lamp stand have to do with the GIVING OF
GIFTS or the MOVING INTO
MINISTRY?
1)I
believe that the Holy Spirit has DELIBERATELY &
STRATEGICALLY
placed this subject in this very place
because
2)
It is ESSENTIAL to see that what ever we GIVE TO God
(CH.7) & whatever we do FOR
God (CH.8) Will be exposed to the LIGHT OF God
C)
Our Motivation for giving and for ministry is crucial- WHY we are giving and
WHY we are doing must be brought under the light of the Spirit?
1) Concerning Giving Jesus GAVE us Some
important instructions that relates to our MOTIVES - Turn Matt. 6:1-4
When the Pharisees gave they would blow a small trumpet
that was tied around their waste
A)The
original purpose of the trumpet was to call the poor to them
B)
But they used the trumpet to gain the attention of men
1) "Look
at what I'm doing.... What I'm giving"
C)
Jesus said: "Let
your giving be done in secret"
See Jesus is More Interested in How we Give / rather than what we
give { Jesus even took time
to Notice HOW people were giving !!!
Mark 12:41 And Jesus sat over against the
treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that
were rich cast in much.
A)Beheld = To be a spectator... To look closely
1) NOTE: He did NOT look closely at WHAT
they gave
B)
He was a SPECTATOR.... WATCHED CLOSELY to see HOW they gave / The ATTITUDE & the MOTIVE in giving
is very important
C)
Paul also talked about How we were to give
2Cor. 9:7 So let each one give as he purposes
in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
D)IF
you give grudgingly, THEN don't even give / But The Lord loves us to give
HILARIOUSLY.... SPONTANEOUSLY.... SACRIFICIALLY
The Lord is concerned about our Motive in Giving but ALSO In
serving.... 1 Cor 3 works are Wood
or Precious Stone
A)What
Constitutes the Difference ? Our MOTIVES IN SERVICE
B)We can find ourselves serving the Lord for all sorts
of motivations
To receive the applause or approval of men
1)
To satisfy something within ourselves that wants to feel needed or used
C)
Example : Ever notice how your children become very desirous to help you bring
in the groceries - Especially the bag with the goodies
1)
They are NOT serving you.. they are serving themselves
D)
Sometimes we can fall into the same error/
We THINK that we are serving God, but we are serving ourselves
1)
What is it that motivates us
to serve? Paul said that there
is only ONE true motivation for service Love of
Christ Constrains me
THAT is proper motivation
SO Let's
be careful that we are NEVER serving out of pressure or self-fulfillment or any
other motivation other than the love of JC
A)What
if you find yourself serving God for wrong reasons?
Are you to stop serving? Not necessarily
B)What
is needed is a REFOCUSSED LOVE and a RENEWED DEDICATION
of love for Jesus { Martha
1)Martha
was distracted by many things - One thing is needed
C)
Get back to ministering to JESUS = (worship) RATHER than Ministering For Jesus
{ Always tell those who are Distracted they dont
worship
1)
See as I spend time w/ Jesus & get back to ministering to Jesus My whole
perspective Changes Over flow of His Blessings
So this section on the LAMPSTAND is placed right between
the LEADERS of Israel giving and the Levites serving
A)
To illustrate that what ever we GIVE TO God
(CH.7) & whatever we do FOR
God (CH.8) must be exposed to the LIGHT OF God{
One more thing
B)The
lamp stand itself could give no light - it had to have lamps placed upon it,
that would give light.
B)
All the lamp stand could do was make the light
more visible.-
1) The
lamps were fueled by oil; and would need to be continually filled with oil to
provide constant light.
C)
Revelation 1:20 makes lamp stands a picture of the
church; the church itself does not light the world,
1)
but it does provide a "platform" for
Jesus light to be seen. HS working in us
VERSES
5-7
Note that The purification of the Levites was IN PART done
FOR them and IN PART done BY them
A)Moses
was to come and sprinkle water of purification on them
BUT - They were to shave themselves
& wash their garments themselves
B)Here
we have a beautiful illustration -I am cleansed by Jesus Christ and the work on
the cross
1)
PURIFICATION is what He has done FOR me
C)
But now my OUTWARD garments...That which shows OUTWARDLY in my life.....I have
a part to play in that area of Sanctification
HOW am I to wash my outward garments? HOW am I to clean up
my act, so to speak?
Ps. 119:9 How
shall a young man cleanse his way? by
taking heed according to thy word.
Ps. 119:11 Your
word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
A)POSITIONALLY I am cleansed because of what Jesus has
done FOR me
1) But PRACTICALLY I am being cleansed as I
allow the Word of God
to have effect upon me
B)
POSITIONALLY we are SPOTLESS / PRACTICALLY
there is some cleaning up to do How?
1) By APPLYING the Word of God to our lives
VERSES
8-15
A)As
a bull is sacrificed, the children of Israel lay their hands on the Levites, to
bless them and pray for their dedication before the Lord.
B)It
would be clear both the Levites and the nation that the Levites were servants
of both the Lord and the nation.
C) A wave offering
would present something to God (such as a portion of meat or bread), and
essentially say, "This is Yours, God."
1)
In Essence The nation came before God, and essentially said, "These
Levites belong to You, Lord."
D)v.15
After that the Levites shall go in to service the
tabernacle of meeting:
1) Real ministry isnt all about dedication ceremonies; it is about doing the work. After the dedication, it was time to get busy!
E)
SO The Levites were set apart to serve the Lord in the tabernacle
NOTE: There is an interesting parallel between the structure
of the Old Testament leadership and the New Testament Church
A)In
the Old Testament you have ONE High Priest
B)
Under Him you had his sons who served in the priesthood
1) Then you had a whole tribe of Levites
who were assisting in the technical and physical service in the congregation of
Israel
C)
In the New Testament Church we have ONE great High Priest- JESUS
D)
And Jesus has allowed His ministry to be shared with many whom He has appointed
to serve in various capacities Pastors and teachers
1)
Then there are those whose ministry parallels the Levites in their technical and
physical service.... They are known as deacons
Now
VERSES 12-20 are a Reiteration of a
past study in which we saw how the Levites were substituting for the first born
of each family Ch. 3
VERSES 21-26
We talked about this last week - From ages 25-30 they were INTERNS
Being prepared / From age 30-50 they
would serve
At
age 50 they would become TRAINERS of the Younger guys