Numbers Survey

Chapters 13 & 14

Intro: Back in 1982 ago 33-year-old truck driver Larry Walters made national news. Larry had a habit of spending his weekends in his Los Angeles backyard, just south of L.A. International Airport, drinking...Pepsi... and eating peanut butter sandwiches. He would sit in his favorite lawn chair staring at the houses around him in the subdivision where he lived. Not a real exciting life.

Larry always wanted to be a pilot but eyesight only allowed him to be a mechanic in the Air Force. After retirement, he got an idea one day. At the Army Surplus store he bought a tank of helium and forty-five big weather balloons. He strapped the balloons to his lawn chair which he had staked to the ground.

Larry expected to drift slowly up for a few minutes, and maybe hit 100 ft. Before liftoff he went in the house and got another six-pack of...Pepsi, a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and his BB gun, he had planned to shoot the balloons to regulate his altitude. Then he went out and sat in his lawn chair. He had instructed his neighbors to cut the ropes securing the chair when he was ready. "Let's go!" he yelled, and the ropes were cut.

But he didn't go 100 feet. He went up 11,000 feet! Shot straight up in the air! And the BB gun? It was useless since he was using both hands to hang on to the chair for dear life.

He zoomed straight up into the landing pattern at L.A. Airport. The pilot of an approaching Continental DC 10 reported that he had just passed a man in a lawn chair, and the control tower told him to report in immediately upon landing. They thought he was nuts. But soon the sighting was verified by other pilots

Eventually they sent up helicopters to rescue Larry Walters. They closed the airport and diverted all landings and takeoffs at LAX while they played tag with this fellow in his lawn chair at 11,000 feet. When they finally got him down, he was surrounded by TV crews, the police, fire and rescue squads, and plenty of curious people.

When asked why he did it he said, “A man can’t just sit around all his life.”

Numbers 13 – 14 tells the story of the people of Israel. It was the Turning pt for this Generation.

A)They had come to a comfortable place at Kadesh Barnea. God had given them everything they needed but now He was getting ready to call them out of their comfort zone.

B) It was time to step out to enter into the Promised land Rd v1-3

These men were on a reconnaissance mission; to observe the land of Canaan and bring back a report to the nation. But why? Did they need to go on this mission? Was there useful information they were lacking, which would prove vital in taking Canaan?

It was NOT God's intent that they send spies in the first place

Deut. 1:20- Deut 1:19-23

20 And I said to you, 'You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. 21 Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.' 22 And everyone of you came near to me and said, 'Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.' 23 The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.

The command of VERSE 2 is in response to the PEOPLE'S DESIRE to send spies into the land{ Permissive Will

It was God's Perfect will that they MOVE BY FAITH

Because they were weak in faith God let them attempt their program

This was a program devised BY MEN but used by God

BUT - It was going to cost them

Vs 4-15 Give us the list of the men called { Note v. 6 Caleb / v.8 Joshua

Read v. 16-20

Moses’ direction to the spies is a subtle manifestation of unbelief; does he doubt the land is good? Does he doubt the land is rich? Does he doubt there are useful forests? Does it matter if the people are strong or many, or if they live in strongholds?

Read v.21-25

VERSE 22 (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

This is an interesting parenthetical note here

You might say: "Big deal"

But there is a tremendous amount of controversy amongst liberal theologians as to whether or not Moses really wrote this book

The Lord, seeing this controversy long before it arose, places this little statement here to PROVE the Mosaic authorship

Because Zoan was the secret resort of Pharaoh

In Zoan there were archives kept that ONLY Pharaoh or those in very high places would have access to

These archives explain the nature of the city and the date and purposes of the city

Who had access to these archives?

MOSES - Because he was as the son of Pharaoh

Unless he was in the court of Pharaoh, Moses could have never had this information

Another author would NOT have had access to this information

Whoever wrote this would have to come from Pharaohs court, have access to these archives and be trained in Egyptian history

There is only ONE Hebrew writer that fits that bill that I know of...... MOSES

VERSES 23

TWO men carried ONE cluster of grapes

That was one huge cluster

In fact, today you can see archeological finds that have a picture of this very event

So when you see these engravings you will remember that it is from this very event in NUMBERS 13:23

v.26- 27

Now here we see that the spies give a good report – The land is everything that God said it would be – { Shouldn’t have been a Surprise

A)Land of blessing / land of Abundance

Num 13:28-29

28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan."

Two conjunctions that will kill a zealous Christian are BUT AND NEVERTHELESS.
I would be more obedient but...
I would get more involved with the church nevertheless...
I would tithe more often but...
I would go where you are leading me God nevertheless...

The fruit is bigger than life, BUT there are giants living in the land.
The land flows with milk and honey, NEVERTHELESS it will devour us.

My friends, if there is no risk, there will be no growth. The aim of comfort and complacency is to avoid taking risks. Now I am not talking about being reckless and irresponsible, but if we seek the Lord and feel the Spirit’s leading, we can risk the criticism and judgment of others and even the ridicule because God has blessed what we’re doing. Complacency avoids that at all cost and holds us back in our comfort zones.
Most times God works out of comfort zones and challenges us to go beyond them. If you think about it—Paul because he was a Pharisee and highly educated man probably was the best qualified to preach to the Jews, his own people. But God chose him to bring the gospel to the gentiles instead. He pushed Paul and stretched him to the limit. There were times when Paul despaired of life itself. But he continued to grow and push for the finish line.

Num 13:30

30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."

Caleb says lets go at once – seeing that to delay would be detrimental

A)See Caleb understood something that everyone else was missing – which was God had prepared them for this

B) For a yr. They had camped at Sinai – God was getting them ready for the promised land

1) But now was the time that the Preparation was leading to – Now it was time to put everything they learned into action

C) They were at the Door of the promised land – It was time to seize the Moment { Caleb says lets go AT ONCE } Caleb was dead on here

1) It wasn’t time to vacillate – it wasn’t time to waver – the blessing & promise of God laid before them & they needed to seize it

Num 13:31-33

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we."

A)Note this was a true statement – They alone were not able to go up against these people / the Giants were stronger than them – alone

1) But they were not alone – God was w/ them

B) That is true of any situation – We alone – Can’t / But we w/ God – CAN

Here is where the spies made a huge mistake

They had their eyes on the ENEMIES of Israel rather than on the GOD of Israel

WHEN you do this you will be very intimidated

Because they will TOWER over you

They will threaten you

Fears... Anxieties... Suspicions.... Jealousies..... Insecurities

Doubts... Depressions

These will be like GIANTS and loom over them

The more you view them, the more you will view yourself as a grasshopper in your own sight

BUT - Listen to what God says about Himself

Isa. 40:21-22 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers

The inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers before him

We need to have our eyes upon GOD who dwarfs the giants that threaten us and tower over us

HERE is the secret of faith

NOT talking about the problem.... Thinking about the problem

BUT - Talking about the Lord... Thinking about the Lord... Rejoicing in the Lord

THAT is where victory is.... Because He will make any giant that towers over you look like a grasshopper

Ch. 14 We see the result of their report Read v. 1-5

A)V.1 The People were distraught & filled w/ fear – Cried & Wept –

What should have been a time of rejoicing – we are here –

B) Turns into a time of weeping

C) v.2 They complained against Moses – v.4 They want new leader

Lesson: When we are dealing w/ issues it is important that we don’t have our head so in the clouds that we ignore the obstacles

But once we see the situation: We see it in light of the Lord –

Last 6 months – Yesterday was the Crux –

What is God doing here :

Factor God into the Equation: that is what Caleb does here v.6-9

A)Caleb makes two profound statements in v.9 1 Neg / 1 Positive

B) Negative – Don’t Rebel – For them to not go forward to not enter in – was indeed an Act of Rebellion

1) It wasn’t just a lack of faith – It wasn’t just unbelief – It was rebellion

C) Writer of Hebrews called it – an evil heart of Unbelief – Hardening their hearts against the Lord

This is something that we need to realize & understand is that when we go against God’s word / when we resist his authority

A)When we are hesitant to follow His direction – we can make excuses we can say it is weak faith { But in his eyes it is rebellion

B) Rebel = to contend w/ someone { I am contending w/ God’s plan for me – I am taking issue w/ it

1) To reject or to not recognize –

C) Remember kid – Mom calling act like you didn’t hear her / Maybe you do that w/ your wife now –

1) We do that to the Lord when we resist His Spirit – It is rebellion –

1 Sam 15:23 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,

And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

2^nd Statement is Positive: They are our Bread:

A)Caleb is saying here they are the very things that God is wanting to use to make us strong – to build us up

B) They are the Necessary Nutrients to help us grow { to help grow building our Character / Building Integrity / Building our Faith{ Explain

1) Amazing – Go thru things – see God

C) So these things are the necessary nutrients / they are God’s appointed meal to make us more like Christ

1) Takes on a whole new meaning – Pray Give us this day our daily bread