Refusing Rest (Numbers 13-15)

Rebellion starts small. It's like when your one year old

child hurls their food off the table, or like when your 3 year

old. Lies about whether they wash.

Their hands. You know what parent hasn't

said? Did you wash your OK?

Let me smell them, you know. And of course, I'm not talking

about my own children. I did those things.

That was me. And if we're honest?

That was probably you too. Rebellion can be considered.

Cool. Like partying in college, you're

finally out of the house. You're free from parental

authority. You can finally test the limits.

But rebellion can also be seen in the rule.

Follower. It can be seen in the quiet,

tormented rebellion of refusing to party in college, but

wishing, desiring, dreaming that you could.

You know the early church. Father Jerome captures this when

he fled. The world to the wilderness, he

thought he could escape the. Rebellion of Rome.

But he reflected on his time there in the wilderness.

And he said how often, when I was in the desert, I would

imagine myself taking part in the happy life of Rome.

Although my only companions were scorpions and wild beasts, time

and again I was mingling with the dances.

Of girls. My face was pallid with fasting

my body. Chill.

But my mind was throbbing with desires.

We carry rebellion in our very hearts today.

Rebellion wears a mask, we call it freedom.

Unbridled choice following your heart being true to.

Yourself. What does our culture?

Think of rebellion. Well, just listen to the.

Prophets. Here's the poet Walt.

Whitman in Song of the open. Rd. afoot and light hearted I

take to the open. Road healthy Free.

The world before me, the long brown path before me leading.

Wherever I choose Walt. We may ask.

Where does that path lead? Where's the end of that?

Rd. Or kids and teenagers you're

probably more familiar with. This idea.

From the Polynesian Princess Moana Moana, you've seen the

Disney movie you know to be the island's.

Future leader, her dad says. Who's the current chief?

She needs to submit to the traditional responsibilities,

but Moana wants to sail the sea, she wants adventure.

And of course, she listens to her grandma.

Who says that? Voice inside you is.

Who you are? But Moana, we might ask.

What? If the voice inside you is dead

wrong. What if that voice?

Inside you if following your heart.

Is really just the road. To hell, friends today in the

Book of Numbers were confronted. With what?

God thinks about rebellion. If you have your Bible.

Turn to the Book of Numbers. If you don't have a Bible, maybe

you didn't come with one. Just go ahead and raise your

hand. We've got a helper in the back.

He'd be glad. To bring you a Bible.

Anyone need a Bible? OK, we're all good numbers.

Numbers 13 · chapter mention

Chapters 13 through 15. Israel's on the brink of the

Promised Land. You know, the 1st 10 chapters.

Of the book we've already. Considered they were encouraging

because God had been preparing them to enter the Promised Land,

He would. Speak.

They would obey. And they were on their way.

But. In Chapter 11, which we looked

at last time. The people rebelled.

It started. With just a few of them, it was

a few complaints, a few longing looks back to Egypt, and then

there was a little delay in chapter. 12 as they had to.

Wait for Miriam. Who was shut?

Outside of the camp in chapters 13 to 15 that.

Little seed of. Rebellion grows into a.

Forest that delay of a week stretches.

Into 4 decades, and the result of rebellion is that an entire

generation is. Refused.

Entrance into the promised land. This, you could say, is Israel's

darkest hour. And friends.

The Apostle Paul tells us. These things were written as an

example to us. And so the bull's eye of this

sermon. It's kind of two flip sides.

Of the same coin one, it's a question.

What will keep? Us from heaven.

I'm sure you can guess the answer.

It's rebellion. But on the other side, how can

we enter heaven? The answer of the text is.

Faith, Faith. In.

God. So there's three points to the

sermon which are really going to be an.

Elaboration of that second. Question.

How can we enter heaven? The first point is this first.

Take hold. Of God's promises and goodness.

Take hold of God's. Promises and goodness.

So that's going to be Chapter 13.

Now there's a lot to. Cover.

In chapters 13 to 15, if I read the whole.

Text I'd have just about. Enough time at the end to say

Amen, let's pray. So we're going to have to do.

Some recap we will read. Some.

Parts. So let's look at.

Verse one first verse one the Lord spoke to Moses saying send

men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to

the. People of Israel from each tribe

of their fathers. You shall send a man, everyone,

a chief among them. So Moses sent them from the

wilderness of Quran according to the command of the Lord, all of

them men. Who were heads of the people of

Israel? Now we'll.

Skip verses 4 to. 16 which tells us the names of the spies, and

pick it back up in verse 17. Moses sent them to spy out the

land of Canaan, and said to them, Go up into the Negeb and

go up into the Hill Country, and see what the land is, and

whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak.

Whether there are few? Or many, and whether the land

that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether.

The cities that they. Dwell in are camps or

strongholds and whether the land.

Is rich or poor? And whether there are trees in

it or not. Be of good courage.

And bring some of the fruit of the land.

And we'll skip verses 21 to 24. Which tells us about their.

Journey. One thing to note.

About those verses, those they. Traveled to Hebron that's

important we'll look we'll consider that more later verse

25 at the end of 40 days they returned from spying out the

land and they came to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation

of the. People of Israel.

In the wilderness of Paran. At Kadesh they brought back.

Word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them

the fruit of the land now before.

We hear their report. Let's.

Recap some of the story the Lord tells Moses to send 12 spies and

notice the clarification the Lord makes about the land in

verse 2. It is the land which I am

giving. To the people of Israel.

Friends, this has been the plan all along.

Back in an Exodus chapter 3, the Lord met Moses in a burning

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

Bush, and he told Moses, I've seen the affliction of my people

in Egypt. I know their sufferings.

I have come to deliver them out of Egypt and to bring them to a

good land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and after 400.

Years of slavery to Egypt. God delivered them and after.

A year of preparation. At Sinai they were on the cusp

of the land. Now the fact that 12 men are

sent and not 2 I think shows that the orders from Moses have

less to do with military Recon and more to.

Do with theological evaluation is.

The land like God. Said it would be has God.

Been true to his word this friends.

Is a test of faith. And three observations they were

told to make by Moses remind us of another land, the garden.

Verse 19 See whether the land is.

Good or bad, Or you could say good.

Or evil verse 20. See whether there are trees.

In it or not verse 20 again bring some of the fruit of the

land now where in the. Bible.

Is there a tree? Of good and evil.

Where are they told not to take the fruit Maybe your mind's

going to Genesis, the Garden of Eden.

You know the in the entire Old Testament, the only.

Place that the phrase take the fruit occurs.

Is 2 places Genesis chapter 3 Numbers 13 Moses reminds.

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

Us they're going back to. Eden.

This is a. Return to Eden.

It's a return to a land of. Rest with God so the job of the

spies is clear, see? If God's promises are true, see

if the land is as good. As God says it is.

And to further strengthen their faith, their journey takes them

through Hebron and they take the fruit of the land.

Now the Israelites would have remembered Hebron.

It's OK if you don't. But if you go back.

To Genesis 13, you would have seen Hebron is near where God

first promised Abraham that he would inherit the land.

Further, Hebron is the place from where Abraham set.

Out to defeat 5. Kings in Genesis 14, Hebron is

the. Place.

Where Abraham owned his one plot of land.

Where his wife Sarah was buried. Where all the patriarchs?

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried.

Along with their wives. In other words, friends, Hebron.

For an Israelite was. Legendary.

They would have remembered Hebron.

They should have strengthened their faith and to further

strengthen their faith, did you? See the size of the fruit.

I mean, this is incredible, the single.

Cluster of grapes is so. Big 2 grown men.

Have to carry it on a pole. It's obvious the.

Land is bountiful. It's filled with blessing and to

take. It.

That would have been a bold symbol of ownership, a symbol to

the people. This is our land.

A taste of the. Land Now so far, you might think

this scouting trip is a home run.

Wow. The land is luscious.

The grass really is greener on the other side in Canaan.

But then the report begins. Let's look at verse 27, verse

27. And they told him We came to the

land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey and

this. Is its fruit, however, the

people who dwell? On the land are strong and the

cities are fortified and very large and.

Besides, we saw the. Descendants of Anak.

There the Amalekites dwell on the land of the Negeb.

The Hittites. The Jebusites.

And the Amorites dwell on the Hill Country, and the Canaanites

dwell by the sea and along the Jordan.

But Caleb quieted the people before.

Moses and said. Let us go up at.

Once and. Occupy it, for we are.

Well able to overcome it then 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 are, so

they brought. To the people of Israel, a bad

report of. The land.

That they had spied out. Now you can sense something's

off in the very. First words of that report.

Look at the first words. We came to the land to which you

sent us. That's an interesting way of

phrasing, you know. Is this not the land?

Promised to our fathers. Is this not the land that the

Lord is giving to us? No, I mean like a spouse, says

honey. Your kids are driving me crazy.

They're. Distancing themselves from the

land, they're disassociating themselves.

And then the report is interesting.

They share 1/2 a sentence about the land.

Well, it it. Flows with milk and honey.

Here's the fruit, but the. Majority of the report focuses

not on the land, but on the people of Canaan.

In fact, it's 7 words in Hebrew on the land, 31 words on the

people. You can.

See the shift? You can hear it in verse 28.

However. OK, that's the land.

However, have you seen the people now, Caleb, one of the.

Spies. He realizes what's happening.

He speaks up. He says hey, whoa, whoa, we,

let's go. We.

Can take the land. We are able to overcome.

It. He's.

Filled with urgency and confidence.

Let's go we. Can do it.

But the other? Spies counter him.

They're. Filled with fear, they say.

We're we're not able. They're stronger than us.

And not only do the spies respond with fear, not faith,

they then bear false witness about the land.

The land. It's a land that devours its

inhabitants. In other words, if we go in

there, we're going to die. Their lie sounds eerily similar

to the serpent in Genesis who said you will not surely die.

They say you will surely die. Friends, not all who journey.

Through the world, make it. To Heaven.

Many seem like they're on the way to heaven, only to finally

reject heaven for the things of this world.

You could say the cares of this world choke out their faith.

You know, Paul said in second Timothy said the time is coming

when people will turn away from listening to the truth and

wander off into myths. 12 spies saw the goodness of the land,

but the. Strength of the people was their

focus. You could.

Say in their eyes, people became big and God became small.

Brothers and sisters. How do we respond when friends,

family even? Leaders reject.

The faith that they once. Professed What do we?

Do we should respond by taking God at His word?

In other words, we should respond like Caleb.

Caleb saw the. Goodness of the land with.

Eyes of faith, Caleb. Knew the faithfulness of God.

He knew God carried them out of. Egypt out of slavery, so the

object of Caleb's faith was bigger.

Than the obstacles that he saw in the land.

And you know what, Caleb? Took God at his word, but he

didn't keep God. 'S word to himself.

In other words, Caleb was a confident encourager.

Of God's people. Now we're a new.

Church, we're just. A few months old.

But we've. Already faced some obstacles.

We will face trials. That maybe seem insurmountable

maybe. We will see those we love.

Who once? Professed the Faith Depart.

We need to be like. Caleb.

We need to. Take God at His word.

And take. God's Word to His.

People, we need more Caleb's in our midst.

We need confident encouragers, Members who have.

Taken hold. Of God's promises themselves and

of His goodness, and who are dispersing that throughout the

congregation, reminding one another that God.

Is good that he delights. In US that his presence is, with

us that his promises are. For us that he has purposes for

our church. That he will bring us home.

By God's grace, we already have. Many Calebs in the congregation,

you know, men like Sam Kuttner. Sam has seen.

God's grace at work for decades. And so Sam is a confident

encourager. Of God's people with birthday

cards Bible. Verses letters a smile.

At the door, I hope every church.

Has a Sam Kuttner friends, we need to take hold of God's

goodness, take hold of his promises.

Sadly, in chapter 14. That is the exact opposite of

what the Israelites do. Turn to chapter 14, second

point. Heed God's judgments and

warnings in chapter 14-1, commentator said the Israelites

snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The spies bad. Report immediately.

Bears bad fruit. Look at verses one to 10.

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry and the people wept

that night and. All the people of Israel.

Grumbled against Moses and Aaron, the whole congregation

said to them. Would that we had died.

In the land of Egypt. Or would that we had died in

this wilderness. Why is the Lord?

Bringing us into this land. To fall by the sword.

Our wives and our little ones will become a prey, would it not

be? Better for us to go back.

To Egypt and they said to one another.

Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the

assembly of the Congregation of the People of Israel, and Joshua

the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Gefuna, who were among

those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and

said to all the congregation. Of the people of Israel.

The land. Which we pass through to.

Spy it out is an exceedingly good land.

If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and

give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey only.

Do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of

the land. For they are bred for us.

Their protection is removed from them and the Lord.

Is with us do. Not fear them, then all the

congregation said to stone them with stones.

We'll pause there. Do you see the?

Response to this report. They start with a loud.

Cry. They weep through the night.

They grumble against Moses and Aaron.

Worst of all, do you see what they accuse God of?

They accuse the Giver of all good gifts of secretly.

Wanting to. Kill them.

That's the God. They think they've been

following in Chapter 11. They thought life.

Was good in the land here they're determined life would be

better in Egypt and so they need.

A new leader because. Moses is the leader who led them

out of Egypt. Moses will not be leading them

back into Egypt. He won't.

Reverse the exodus. They'd be glad to.

So Moses and Aaron fall on their faces.

It's not that they. Fear the people, they fall.

On their faces as an act of complete submission to God.

What else could they do? In this situation and Joshua and

Caleb. Tear their clothes before the

people. It's an act.

Of bitter grief. Showing their repulsion.

For the people's. Rebellion, and they make one.

Last plea. The land.

Remember the land, it's exceedingly good and the Lord

delights in us. They say He will bring us in.

He will give us the. Land and they give a warning.

Don't rebel against him. Joshua and Caleb were willing to

warn. We need confident encouragers.

We also need members who are willing to warn.

Are you willing to say to a friend that thing you're doing

is is rebellion? It's sinning against the Lord?

Are you willing to speak? Hard truths are.

You willing to lose a friend, a relationship to tell the.

Truth. That's part of our ministry,

friends to one another, not only encouragement but also

admonishment. Pray to the Lord, ask for

courage to correct. And when you're warned, will you

heed the warnings? Are you willing to listen if

somebody in this church? Gives you a wake up call.

Do you answer? Are you someone that people find

easy to correct? Ask your spouse after the

service if you're married. You may be surprised.

The answer? Ask your kids.

Ask a friend who knows you. Pray that you would be.

Someone who would receive correction humbly because

friends, the Israelites were not and as.

Loud as. Joshua and Caleb's exhortations.

Were they just fell? On.

Deaf ears. The people's hearts were hard as

a rock. And so they.

Picked up rocks. To kill Moses and Aaron and

Joshua and Caleb until verse 10. The glory of the Lord.

Intervened. Look at verse 10.

But the glory of the Lord appeared at the.

Tent of meeting to. All the people of Israel.

And the Lord said to Moses, How long will this people despise

me? How long will they not believe

in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?

I will strike them with the pestilence, and disherit them,

and I will make you a nation greater and mightier than they.

But Moses? Said to the Lord.

Then the Egyptians. Will hear of it for you brought

up this. People in your might from among

them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land.

They have heard that you O. Lord are in the midst.

Of your people, for you, O Lord, are.

Seen. Face to face.

And your cloud stands over them and you go before them in a.

Pillar of cloud by day. And in a Pillar of Fire by

Night, verse 17. Please let the power of the Lord

be great as you have. Promised saying the.

Lord is slow to. Anger and abounding in steadfast

love, forgiving iniquity and transgression.

But he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the

iniquity of the fathers on the children to the. 3rd.

And 4th generation, please pardon the iniquity of this

people according to the greatness.

Of your steadfast love just. As you have forgiven this people

from Egypt until now, at this point the only thing that would

stop. These Israelites is the glory of

the Lord. And the Lord asked Moses 2

questions. They both begin with how?

Long, in a sense, the Lord laments.

He's brought them to the land, they've despised him, He's shown

them signs, they don't believe in him.

So he's committed to striking them dead and starting over with

Moses. But it's as if the Lord once

again invites Moses to. Intercede for the people.

And in verse 13, Moses yet again intercedes.

For the people. The people who doubted.

Him, the people who rejected him and despised him and were ready.

To have his public execution, those people, Moses says, Lord,

please forgive them. And Moses grounds his appeal not

on the basis. Of the people, How could he?

These people are rebellious. He grounds his appeal.

On who God is. He says in two parts.

God, remember your reputation among the nations.

You've delivered them from Egypt.

Everyone's heard about it. What will they say if you?

Wipe them out and 2nd Moses. Appeals to God's character as

God's already revealed. It in Exodus 34.

In Exodus 34. God told.

Moses who he is, he in a sense unveiled his character to Moses,

and so Moses. Says God, you are as you've

said. Slow to anger and abounding in.

Steadfast love, forgive. Them friends, these verses are

key to understanding the mysterious.

Depths. Of the Book of Numbers.

How? Can any of the Israelites enter

the land when they themselves? Rebelliously refuse.

To enter and how? Could God let any Israelites?

Into the land when they despise him and reject him.

Friends, there's two truths. About God that help.

Us make sense of this passage, and these are bigger.

Terms. So just heads up.

We're just going to do this. Briefly, but the first is the

simplicity of God. And the second is the

impassibility of God. Maybe they're unfamiliar terms

for you, but they've been confessed by Christians

throughout church history. In fact, as a church, we

confess. Both of these truths.

In the first sentence of our statement of faith.

Which says we believe. That there is one and only one

living and true God. Without body parts or passions.

Maybe you've never wondered what?

That means that God is without. Body parts or passions?

God's without body or. Parts.

That's the simplicity of God. It means that.

God's not made-up of things. Now I if you didn't know this

about me, I love pie. I will choose pie over cake

every day of the week. My favorite?

Pie is buttermilk pie. It's basically made-up of four

things Buttermilk, and I see some of your faces.

If you haven't tried it, you need to try it.

Buttermilk flour. Sugar.

I think there's one more ingredient I'm forgetting.

God is not like a. Pie.

He's not like a. Pie.

He's not made-up of ingredients. Holiness, love, justice.

You add them. All.

Together and you get God. God is not the sum of his parts.

We shouldn't think that. Any of God's attributes.

Either are more essential. To him than other parts.

God is what? He is.

Every attribute is essential to who?

He is so when Moses appeals. To God, on the basis of his

character, Moses is not. Saying God let your.

Love override your justice. Let your love win out.

That's not what he's doing here. Instead, there's a.

Unity. And there's a harmony.

In God's attributes. Because every attribute is

essential and. Identical to who he is. 2nd.

God is also without passions. That's the impassibility.

Of God it. It means that God.

Does not have passions like us. In other words, to simplify it,

it means that you cannot make God have a bad.

Day. You can't change God that.

Doesn't mean. That God is emotionless, it

means he has emotions unlike us. They're different.

Than our emotions. It means that God is not that

he's motionless, but that his motions are fully actualized.

They're out of. State a full capacity, in other

words. He's not static like immovable.

He's maximally alive. He's not lifeless so.

When God? Responds in judgment to the

Israelites. It's not that they finally

pushed him over the edge. Like a parent that says, all

right, that is the last straw. You've driven me crazy, I have

to do. Something that's not what's

happening with God here. He.

Is, as Moses declares, the God. Who forgives?

Iniquity and transgression. But at the same time.

He is the God who will by no means clear the guilty and.

That's how we know that they won't make it.

In. Because he.

Is a God of justice and yet he is love.

What will his love look like even in a situation like?

This. This is the basis.

Of what? Moses.

Asked for in his pardon, and in verses 20 through 38, the Lord

pardons the people. He says I won't.

Wipe them. Out, but I will still.

Judge them for their rebellion. Their their punishment

summarized in verse 34. Look at verse 34.

According to the. Number of the days in which you

spied out the land? 40 days.

A year for each day. You shall bear your iniquity. 40

years and you shall. Know my.

Displeasure and what about the spies verse 37 the men who

brought a bad. Report of the land.

Died. By plague before the Lord.

The Book of Numbers started. With 600,000 men ready for

battle. Ready for war?

Two of those men. Will make it into the.

Promised Land. They'll die off 1.

By one in the wilderness, and it will start with the 10 spies for

40. Years they'll wander a year.

For each day they spied. Out the land and since.

They wanted to go back to Egypt in verse. 25 the.

Lord commands them to turn back in the direction to Egypt.

Friends, this is poetic justice. The Lord.

Gives them what they wish for. Maybe you're wondering would.

Would they heed these judgments? Would they hear the?

Warnings. Would this be what?

Leads them to repentance. Well, the answer is no.

Look at the end of the passage. Look at verses 39 through 45.

Verse 39. The people mourn greatly.

They even say in verse. 40 We have sinned, but they say.

Let's go into the promised. Land Moses warns them he says

don't go in the promised land verse 42 the.

Lord is not among you. Apparently, though, they don't

care. So they try to go in the.

Promised Land and in verse 40. 5 They're defeated, they're

pursued, they're chased out that law.

That land does not belong to them anymore, if you notice the

response to. Even God's judgment.

It's actually a mirror response to their first.

Response to the spies. First, they believed they.

Could not go in. The land with the Lord, The Lord

was on. Their side.

They said we can't. Go in.

Now here the Lord is not with. Them.

And they say it's time to go in so.

What? What do we make?

Of their repentance. It's got the right ingredients.

Right. They mourn greatly.

They're crying a lot. They're so sorry it.

Seems they say the right words. We've sinned.

OK, yes, we know what we did was wrong, but it lacks.

The heart, It's a. False repentance.

It's a worldly. Grief.

This is the first battle. In the book of Numbers.

And they lose big time. Friends, sin is.

Insanity. They refused the gift of the

land. They were at the border.

The doors are ready to open. They tore up their.

Tickets they refused themselves entrance.

And then in insanity. They try to go in on their own

strength. Friends, how can anyone enter

heaven? We've refused.

Ourselves entrance. At the end.

Of the day. Nobody wants to go to.

Heaven. CS Lewis, Kind of.

Captures this idea in his allegory The Great Divorce.

He says Hell's gates are locked from the inside.

In other words. Everyone.

Who? Goes to hell.

Is there because. They choose to.

And friends, the immediate. Death of these 10 spies the.

Judgement of the. Israelites, they are warnings

for us. Of a final.

Judgement because one day soon Christ will return, and they

will be A reckoning, and all who do not heed these warnings will

receive eternal death, which is the death.

That we all deserve the death that every little rebellion of

our hearts. Has mustered up.

And earned and yet in chapter 15.

Though we can't make it. Into heaven.

On our own strength, in God's mercy and grace, He has.

Made a way to save us from Wrath.

To save us from ourselves, look at chapter 15.

Third and finally, remember God's provision and commands.

If you've read this passage, chapter 15, maybe you've

wondered. Why does chapter 15 follow

chapter 14? What is the connection?

Chapter 15? It's about laws.

Sacrifices it. Ends with tassels.

What does that have? To do with what We've just read

chapters 13 and. 14 Tell us why the 1st.

Generation. Does not enter the land, Chapter

15 assures us. That the second.

Generation will. Look at verse one.

The Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak to the people of.

Israel and say to them. When you come into the land you

are trying, you are to inhabit, which I am giving you when you

come into the land. Those are sweet words of

assurance. 1 commentator says This divine when holds an ocean

of consolation and hope and they're repeated again in verse

18 look at verse 18 speak to the people of.

Israel and say to them. When you come into the land to

which I bring you, when you come into the land.

Between these verses are instructions about sacrifices.

They'll need flour. And oil, verse four.

Look at verse 10. They'll need wine, but don't

forget there's 2 million of them.

Where are they going to find 2 million people's worth of flour?

And oil and. Wine, friends, it's in the land.

It's in that land which flows with milk and honey in other.

Words. God is.

Saying to them I will. Bring you into the.

Land and I will sustain you in the land I will supply.

The provisions that you need. For sacrifice.

So that you sinful people. Can live with a holy.

God in his presence. And not just the Israelites get

to. Participate in this verse. 25

forgiveness can be found even for sojourners the same.

Laws apply to both. Friends, how can we enter?

Heaven by faith. In God.

Specifically by. Faith in the sacrifice that God

has provided for us. We've already seen.

God's faithful and. Flawless character.

We've already come. Face to face with our disaster

of rebellion, that sin. Is worse than we can even grasp.

And here we're coming. Face to face, with God's mercy

it is. Greater than we can imagine.

The solution to our rebellion? The way in to heaven, it's not

our own good works. You can't muster up.

Enough prayer you could pray. Every moment of every day you

can't pray your way into heaven. It's not.

Based on how much we give. You could give every dollar of

every paycheck. You can't pay your way into

heaven. It's not based on how much we

serve. You could serve every second of

every hour. Of your life.

You can't serve your way into heaven.

That's. Why we need Jesus Christ?

Jesus is the. Once.

For all sacrifice for sins, he gave his.

Perfect life on the cross and died.

In the stead of sinners he bore God's judgment, so that.

We could enter the promised. Land so that we could.

Receive that rests the only. Way into.

Heaven is by taking hold. Of.

God's promises of salvation. By faith and truly repenting of

sin. Oh, friend, if you're not a

Christian. Would you heed these warnings?

Would you? Receive God's provision.

For your sin would you believe in Christ, be forgiven of your

rebellion, and receive. Everlasting rest.

And for those of. Us who have believed in Christ.

Our life, our March. Toward heaven is a continual

March of repentance and faith and repentance and faith.

Chapter 15. Ends with laws about

unintentional sins versus sins with a high hand, and then with

some instructions to make tassels.

So we're going to look at that first.

Part First look at verses 22. Through 36.

So you have unintentional. Sins and then sinning with a

high hand these are opposites of one another there is atonement

and forgiveness for those who sin unintentionally but in verse

30 we see that anyone who sins with a high hand reviles the.

Lord, and shall be cut off from the people, in other words.

There's no atonement for those. Who raise their fists to God.

There's no forgiveness. For those who deliberately

embrace sin in defiance of the Lord.

And if you're wondering what? What does that look like?

Well, Moses gives us an. Illustration in verses 32

through 36. Look at verses. 32 through 36

the. Situation is, there's a man

who's gathering sticks on the Sabbath and.

So the people find him. And they take him to Moses and

Aaron and to the congregation, and Moses puts him in custody,

but they're not quite sure what to do.

So they asked the Lord. Verse 35 the.

Lord said to Moses the. Man shall be put.

To death and all the congregation shall stone him

with stones outside the camp. And they obey.

You might be wondering picking. Up.

Sticks. How is that worthy of being

stoned to death? Why does it deserve?

This judgment well, friends. The Sabbath was the.

Day of rest. It was the day of.

Soul devotion to God. It was what?

Marked off. The Israelites from the nations.

And this man on the Sabbath has the nerve to go pick up sticks.

That he will likely use to make a fire.

What happens with a fire? In a camp, everybody sees it.

Everybody knows you're breaking the Sabbath, He.

Doesn't seem to care. His sin is.

Raising his first to God. It's.

Rejecting God and refusing God's rest.

And so he's cut off. From God's people.

How do we apply this today there are no stones.

We. Have in our congregation, we're

shifting from the old Covenant to the new covenant.

We're shifting from this discipline we see here to

something. We call church.

Discipline today in the new Covenant in Matthew 18, Jesus

tells us. If a member.

Of the church, if a. Brother or sister is caught an

unrepentant. Sin, sin that is serious.

Like this high handed. Sin, sin that is outward.

Like you can see it in someone. 'S actions and sin that is

unrepentant. We as a congregation must act,

we must excommunicate them. We see in Matthew 18 if they

will not heed the warnings. Ultimately, we must.

Say to that person, we can no longer affirm.

That you're faithfully following Jesus Christ.

And that act is. For their.

Good. It's for their restoration.

The purpose is that they would turn from that heinous sin.

And find restoration in the fellowship of the Church.

And in the love of. Christ, it's also a.

Final act of. Warning of the.

Final judgment to come. A reminder that sin is serious.

That's a reminder the Israelites needed.

It's a reminder that we. Need today.

And that reminder takes. Us to these tassels.

That finish out the chapter. Look at the.

Last part of the chapter they're told in verses. 37 to the end to

make these blue tassels. What's the purpose of the?

Tassels, what's the message? Of the tassels.

It's that you're a holy priesthood.

Don't follow your. Heart.

Follow the Lord's commandments. How do?

We see that well, the. Tassels are blue.

Blue appears. 40 times in the Pentateuch. 40.

Times 30. Four of those times it's before

the Book of Numbers. It's talking about the curtains

of the dwelling and the garments of the High Priest.

The remaining 6 times are in the Book of Numbers five times.

In chapter 4 it describes the blue.

Clothes that cover the golden vessels.

In the Lord's dwelling place, the final of 40th times is here.

The Israelites. All of them are to.

Wear these tassels, these blue. Tassels as.

A reminder. A reminder that they are a.

Holy priesthood that they belong.

To a holy God, that. They are to be holy as He is

holy. The tassels, in a sense, were.

A remedy? For their idolatry, a continual.

Reminder that following your heart.

Leads you to hell that. You're not to.

Follow after gods that are not. The one.

True God He ends with I am the Lord your God, I am the Lord

your. God.

They needed the. Tassels to continually remind

them of God's provision. And his.

Commands now today you've not seen any tassels on anyone in

the congregation I trust. Because to apply this.

Today is different, today the means of grace.

Of remembrance that we've received.

Well, one of them is the Lord's. Supper.

It's the Lord's Supper. It reminds us of the.

Danger of our rebellion and even more the mercy and grace of God

it. Reminds us.

Even as we'll partake in just a few moments that God has

provided. What we need a sacrifice.

Christ, Death on the cross. And it points our hearts to

heaven and reminds us that. Jesus will return.

He has said surely. I am.

Coming soon. And so how, friends, can we make

it to that promised land? A continual meal to share

together. In the Lord.

'S supper friends. These things were given to us as

examples. The reminder for us?

Today is that the promise of entering God's rest still

stands. You friend can enter that.

Heavenly rest. By taking hold of.

God's promises by believing. In his.

Goodness by heeding his warnings, by remembering his

provisions. Let's.

Pray, Father, we pray. We ask that you'd help.

US. To have eyes.

Of faith to see your goodness, even.

When we face. Obstacles.

To hold on to your. Promises, even when we hear

Satan's lies, to believe. By faith that we will make it

home. Because.

Christ has promised. That he.

Will bring us there. We pray in Jesus name.

Oh man.