The Road To Freedom Pt. 4

Good evening. Welcome to Voice in the Wilderness. I'm Don

Noble of Pure Heart Ministries, and I welcome you today

with exceedingly abundantly and overflowing joy. Well, I'm glad to

be with you this evening, and i am concluding the

messages I've been doing the whole month of July called

the Road to Freedom. So this is the last message

in that series. Tonight, the Lord prompted me to speak

to you about obedience as part of the road to

your freedom. Now, we know that when we receive Christ,

we experience incredible freedom. We experience freedom from eternal death

and damnation, and freedom from sin and the sin nature,

and that is the ultimate freedom. There is nothing greater

than that. Yet, because we are human beings and we

are being sanctified, we still have baggage that we need

to get rid of in order to walk in total blessedness.

One of the keys to my personal joy and freedom

has been found in obedience. And I've been blessed with

God's grace that when he has given me orders to

do something specific, I have obeyed him. And I would

say most of the time I have obeyed him. Now,

there have been many times He has required me to

do what I call hard things, in other words, things

that are difficult for my flesh. And of course obedience

requires that the flesh has to get out of the

way to do what God is asking us to do.

So that's why it's a difficult thing to do. We

have to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him.

And boy, that is sometimes very difficult. But yet there

is great reward, great reward in being obedient to God's voice. Amen,

I have a couple stories I want to share with

you from scripture that will highlight this whole subject of obedience,

and some of these you may be familiar with. I

think the last one you'll be least familiar with. But

this is numbers thirteen. I'm reading out of the New

King James version this evening completely, and so numbers thirteen.

Chapter one, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, send men

to spy out the land of Canaan, which I'm giving

to the children of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers,

you shall send a man everyone leader among them. Now,

that is the command of the Lord. He is giving

a command to Moses to give to these men, so

Moses can either obey the Lord, or he can disobey

the Lord. Well, in verse three, it says, so Moses

sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the

command of the Lord, all of them men, all of

the men who were heads of the children of Israel.

And then verses four through fifteen talk about all the

different tribes and who the specific person is. So obviously

Moses obeyed God's command. Then verse sixteen, these are the

names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out

the land, and Moses called Hoshea, the son of nun Joshua.

Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Cana,

and said to them, go up this way into the south,

and go up to the mountains, and see what the

land is like, whether the people who dwell in it

are strong or weak, few or many, whether the land

they dwell in is good or bad, whether the cities

they inhabit are like camps or strongholds, whether the land

is rich or poor, and whether there are forces there

or not. Be of good courage and bring some of

the fruit of the land. Now the time was the

season of the first ripe grapes. So initially in verse

one and two. The Lord gives Moses the and Moses obeys.

Then in verse seventeen, Moses gives the command to these

twelve tribes of men, these leaders, and tells them specific things.

They're going to go into this land, and they're going

to look and see what it's like. They're going to

determine the people who dwell on it, determine if these

people are weak or strong, few or a lot. They're

going to determine the land, whether it's good or bad,

whether the cities are like camps or strongholds, whether the

land is rich or poor, whether there are forced or not.

And then he gives the last command. He says, and

brings some of the fruit of the land. Okay, So

verse twenty one. So they went up and spied out

the land from the wilderness of zen as far as Ray,

near the entrance of Hamath. And they went up through

the south and cave to Hebron Ahemen, Sheshai, and Talmi,

the descendants of Anak were there. Now. Hebron was built

seven years before Zoan in Egypt. Then they came to

the valley of Eshkohl, and there cut down a branch

with one cluster of grapes. They carried it between two

of them on a pole. They also brought some of

the pomegranates and figs. I'm going to stop there for

a minute. So far they have obeyed the command of Moses.

They're going up into the land. They're there. They've gotten

into the valley of Eshkohl, and they've obtained a massive

cluster of grapes, so heavy that they have to carry it.

Two men have to carry it on a pole. And

they're going to bring some pomegranates and figs. So far,

so good, good. Verse twenty four. The place was called

the valley of Eshkol because of the cluster which the

men of Israel cut down there. And they returned from

spying out the land after forty days. Forty days, they're

checking out the land, as Moses has instructed them to do.

Verse twenty six. Now they departed and came back to

Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children

of Israel in the wilderness of Puran at Kadesh. They

brought backward to them and to all the congregation, and

showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him,

meaning Moses, and said, we went to the land where

you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey,

and this is its fruit. Good. They've they've accomplished two

of the things that Moses told them to do Verse

twenty eight. Nevertheless, that's a bad word. Nevertheless, Nevertheless, the

people who dwell in the land, they're still speaking. These

are the whoever was the leader is speaking to Moses,

and he says, 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. 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. Okay,

so they accomplished another one of the instructions. They checked

out everything. They looked at the people, they looked at

the cities, they looked at that it's flowing with milk

and honey. But now we can see there's a negative

twist to what they're reporting back to Moses, and they're

letting him know that all the enemies of Israel, the Amalekites,

the Hittites, the Jebysides, the Amirits, the Canaanines are all there.

Verse thirty. 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. 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. And they gave the children of Israel

a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying,

the land through which we have gone as spies is

a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people

whom we saw in it are men of great stature.

There we saw the giants, the descendants of Anak come

from the giants, the descendants of Anak that came from

the giants, and we and we were like grasshoppers in

our own site, and so we were in their sight.

I'll just stop there. Right there, we see the change.

All of a sudden, things look very negative and impossible,

absolutely impossible. So let's look at chapter fourteen, verse one.

So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried,

and the people wept that night, and all the children

of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole

congregation said to them, if only we had died in

the land of Egypt, or if only we had died

in this wilderness, Why has the Lord brought us to

this land to fall by the sword, that our wives

and children should become victims. Would it not be better

for us to return to Egypt. So they said, one

to another, let us select the leader and return to Egypt.

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all

the assembly of the Congregation of the Children of Israel.

But Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son

of Jafuna, who were among those who had spied out

the land, tore their clothes and they spoke to all

the congregation of the Children of Israel's saying, the land

we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. Hmm.

That's a little bit different than what the other people said,

who said it was a land that devours its inhabitants.

And here Caleb is saying, we passed through an exceedingly

good land, and if the Lord delights in us, then

he will bring us into this land and give it

to us. A land which flows with milk and honey.

Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the

people of the land, for they are our bread. Their

protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us.

Do not fear them. And all the congregations said to

stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord

appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children

of Israel. I'll pause here, you know I have I

can't tell you how many times I have read these scriptures,

and every time I read them, I mean, it really

does take my breath away that Joshua and Caleb are

so right on target with the Lord, and all of

these people are just so rebellious. They want to return

to Egypt, they want a different leader. And you know,

when Caleb says, do not rebel against the Lord, and

don't fear the people of the land, the Lord has

departed from them, and the Lord is with us, And

yet they turn around and they're going to stone them.

Verse eleven. Then the Lord said to Moses, how long

will these people reject me? And how long will they

not believe me? With all the signs which I have

performed among them, I will strike them with the pestilence

and disinherit them. I will make you a nation greater

and mightier than they. And Moses said to the Lord.

Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by your might

you brought these people up from among them. And they

will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They

have heard that you, Lord are among these people, that you,

Lord are seen face to face, and your cloud stands

above them, and you go before them in a pillar

of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Now,

if you kill these people as one man, then the

nations will have heard of your fame. Then the nations

which have heard of your fame will speak saying this,

because the Lord was not able to bring his people

to the land which he swore to them. Therefore he

killed them in the wilderness. And now I pray, let

the power of my Lord be great, just as you

have spoken, saying. The Lord is long suffering and abundant

in mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression. But he by no

means clears the guilty. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers

on the children to the third and fourth generation. Pardon

the iniquity of this people. I pray, according to the

greatness of your mercy, just as you have forgiven this

people from Egypt even until now. Who Wow, Moses is

really in the Lord's face here, and he's really given

it to the Lord, saying, look, if you kill these people,

it's gonna really look bad for you, because you did

all these great things, and now they're gonna say you

did these great things and turned around and killed them.

Then the Lord said to Moses verse twenty, I have

pardoned according to your word. See the Lord pardon killing

these people, all of these people, all these rebellious people,

according to Moses' word. And he goes on, But truly,

as I live, all the earth shall be filled with

the glory of the Lord. Because all these men who

have seen my glory and the signs which I did

in Egypt and in the wilderness, have put me to

the test now these ten times, and have not heeded

my voice. They certainly shall not see the land of

which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of

those who rejected me see it. Verse twenty four. The

Lord says, but my servant Caleb, because he has a

different spirit in him and has followed me fully, I

will bring into the land where he went, and his

descendants shall inherit it. Now the Amalekites and the Canines

dwell in the valley. Tomorrow turn and move out into

the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. And

the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and it goes on,

I'm going to stop there, so we see what happened.

See that the Lord's anger was really aroused. And because

Moses interceded here and kind of intervened. Scripture says that

the Lord even said himself, I have pardoned them. I

put in the word them. That's what he's talking about.

I have pardoned according to your word. So obedience brings

the blessing, and disobedience brings bad consequences, bad consequences. And

this is how bad the consequences were. The Lord is saying,

none of these people, none of them. They are not

gonna see the land of which I swore to their fathers.

In other words, you guys, with your negative report, you

will never see the promised land. And that's exactly what happened.

They died in the wilderness, and I can assure you

they're not gonna spend eternity they're not gonna see the

Lord in eternity. So obedience has great reward, and disobedience

will bring a curse and will bring really bad consequences

to your life. Now verse for Samuel fifteen. This is

the story of Saul the Prophet. And I'm sorry Samuel

the Prophet and Saul the King, and so we see

here verse one, Verse Samuel fifteen. Verse one, Samuel the

Prophet also said to Saul the King, the Lord sent

me to anoint you king over his people over Israel.

Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord.

Thus says the Lord of Hosts, I will punish Amelek

for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him

on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now

go and attack Amelek and utterly destroy all that they have,

and do not spare them, but kill both man and woman,

infant and nursing child, oxen, sheep, camel, and donkey. There

is the directive. There is the directive. The Lord has

given the directive. This is what you have to do.

You have to go and attack Amlak and utterly destroy

all of the people. Young, old doesn't matter, and all

the animals ox sheep, camel, donkey. Okay, there's the order.

So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them and

tell him two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand

men of Judah verse five. And Saul came to a

city of Amlak and lay in wade in the valley.

Then Saul said to the Kenites, go depart, get down

from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them,

for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel

when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites

departed from among the Amalekites, and Saul attacked the Amalekites

from Hala all the way to Shur, which is easy

to Egypt. He also took a gag king of the

Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the

edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared

a gag, and the best of the sheep, and the

best of the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all

that was good and were unwilling keyword to utterly destroy them.

But everything despised and worthless that was utterly destroyed rot row.

Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying,

I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king,

for he has turned back from following me the Lord,

and has not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel,

and he cried out to the Lord all night. So

when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul,

it was told Samuel saying, Saul went up to Carmel,

and indeed he set up a monument for himself, and

he has gone around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.

Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him,

blessed are you of the Lord. I've performed the commandment

of the Lord. But Samuel said, what then is this

bleeding of the sheep in my ears and the lowing

of the oxen which I hear oh? And Saul said, well,

they have brought them from the Amalekites. For the people

spared the best of the sheep and the oxen to

sacrifice to the Lords your God, and the rest we've

utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said to Saul, be quiet, I

will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.

And Saul said, speak on. So Samuel said, when you

were little in your own eyes. Were you not the

head of the tribes of Israel, and did not the

Lord anoint you king over Israel. Now the Lord sent

you on a mission, and this is what the Lord said.

He said, go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites,

and fight against them until they are consumed. Why then,

did you not obey the voice of the Lord. Why

did you swoop down on the spoil and do evil

in the side of the Lord. And Saul said to Samuel,

but I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and

gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me,

and brought back Agag, king of Amelek. And I've utterly

destroyed the Amalekites, but the people. But the people took

of the plunder sheep and oxen the best of things,

of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to

sacrifice to the Lord God in Gilgal, so Samuel said,

has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and

sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold,

to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than

the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin

of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because

you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has

also rejected you from being king. I'll stop there. It's

pretty obvious he was given direct orders. Saul was given

direct orders. The Lord said to kill everything, utterly, destroy everything,

all the people, all the animals. And obviously we see

that he didn't. He didn't kill King Agag and they

kept the best of the sheep and the oxen. And

yet he has the nerve to tell the prophet Samuel

that he obeyed and that he accomplished the mission. No, no, Saul,

you didn't. And that's where Samuel says, behold to obey

is better than sacrifice. And that's the moral of the

story to you this evening. Behold to obey is better

than sacrifice. So when the Lord gives you a command,

when the Lord gives you an instruction to do something,

he expects you to do it. And when he gives

complete specific directives, you had better do all that he

says to do. See, it's not good enough just to

do half of what he says or three quarters of

what he says. You have to do everything he says,

Otherwise it's a failure. It's a failed mission. You have

not accomplished the mission. You have failed completely. Even though

you may have done ninety percent of the mission, you

failed completely in God's eyes. So I'm telling you, if

you want to walk in sweet and I'm talking sweet

sweet freedom. Wow, obedience is the key and the way. Now.

I may take next week. And I feel like I

didn't get to finish the other book which is out

of Zachariah, and I do want to share some other

things about this message on obedience. But yeah, so I

just pray that when the Lord speaks to you and

tells you to do whatever he tells you to do,

do it just like his mother Mary told him told Jesus. Amen. Well,

this is Don Noble. You can go to www dot

pureheart dot today and listen to this podcast again. You

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eighty five, Valley Grove, West, Virginia, two six o six Oh.

Please continue to pray for me and this ministry. Prayer

is very vital and I appreciate your prayers. Well. This

is Don Noble. I look forward to being with you

again next week, saying Shalom shalom, Peace be unto you