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Lessons from Ancient Israel: Warning and Reflection

Explore the lessons from ancient Israel, including the power and pull of the world, the price of redemption, and the importance of clarity, conviction, confession, and cleansing. Reflect on the consequences of rebellion and the challenges faced by Moses in his leadership role.

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Lessons from Ancient Israel: Warning and Reflection

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  1. Life Lessons from Ancient Israel “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition.” Νουθεσία (nouthesi’a) Warning or attention. 1 Cor 10:11

  2. Review: Egypt: A picture of the power and pull of the World ruled by Satan “the god of this world”. Passover: A picture of the price required to redeem us from the Satan’s power.Col. 1:13,14 Red Sea: Symbolizes a type of Baptism 1 Cor 10:1-2 “our fathers were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea”

  3. At Sinai we learn about: • God’s Holy standard. • Our own sinfulness (inability to meet God’s standard). • Our need for forgiveness through atonement. • God’s plan for a partnership with us. Ex. 19:5,6 • “a peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests…” • The Power and Pull of Egypt (The World) Ex 32 • (Back Sliding!) Sinai (the Law) represents “Discipleship”.

  4. What we do after failure Is critical! • Blame: • This is what Aaron (and Adam) did! • Balance: • Someone else’s sin prompted my sin. • Belittle: Penalize (someone else) Rationalize Minimize “It’s no big deal…You’re over reacting!”

  5. “Jesus went into the temple, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers… ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.’” Mt 21:12-13

  6. When we penalize (blame), rationalize (justify) or Minimize our sin, we fail to recognize and effectively respond to the real root issues/attitudes that produced it. This results in incomplete repentance. (sorrow at the consequences of my sin) This leaves some of the “cancer” untouched which later grows back more aggressively.

  7. What we need is to seek: • Clarity: • What really happened? Who? Why? • Conviction: • What have I done!?! • Confession: • Get Honest with God! • Cleansing: Reflection Ps. 139 Recognition/remorse Ps. 51 Repent (Reconsider) 1 Jn 1:9 Restoration (receive God’s grace)

  8. 1. Clarity: (reflect on what really happened) Emotions cloud our reasoning! (Jer 17:9) Jn 8:31,32 “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Eph. 4:15 “Speaking the truth in love we may grow up into him in all things” What was the truth of this situation?

  9. 1. Clarity: What really happening? The People were rebellious. Ex. 32:31-34 “this people have sinned a great sin…” gādôlḤaṭāʾâ’ (Huge Offence!) 1) This (and every) rebellion gives Satan ground. 1 Sam 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, (merî) comes from marah: bitterness! and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” (pāṣar) means to peck at and dull. Dull What?

  10. 1. Clarity: (reflect on what really happened) A. The People were rebellious. Ex. 32:31-34 1) Rebellion gives Satan ground. 2) This had been their past pattern. Ex. 5:21 “ye have made us to be abhorred” Ex. 14:11-12 “thou hast taken us away to die” Ex. 15:24 “the people murmured against Moses…” Ex. 16:2 “congregation murmured against Moses” Ex. 17:2 “people did chide with Moses”

  11. 1. Clarity: What really happening? A. The People were rebellious. Ex. 32:31-34 3) This pattern would continue! a) > 20 times (during the wilderness journey) they murmured and turned on Moses. “Murmur” (loon) figuratively: to be obstinate / complain. Literally: It means to STOP! Satan delights to distract us from where God is trying to take us!

  12. 3) This rebellious pattern would continue. 40 years later Moses said in Deut. 9:24 “Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.” Unless we learn to apply this process, our own “besetting sins” (Heb. 12:1) will continue to plague and poison us.

  13. Clarity: What’s happening? B. Moses was overwhelmed. He had the privilege of following God through the desert. This was Difficult, He had the responsibility of leading millions of others through the desert. This was entirely beyond him! but do-able!

  14. B. Moses was overwhelmed with: 1) Logistical problems According to the U. S. Army’s Quartermaster General calculations, Moses would need: a) 1500 tons of food This would fill 2 (mile-long) freight trains to carry! b) 4000 tons of firewood for cooking/heat. c) 1,000,000 gallons of water just for drinking. This would be needed every day! for 40 years!

  15. Clarity: What’s happening? B. Moses was overwhelmed with: 2) LeadershipProblems. a) Where were the 73 leaders from Ex. 24? b) Why hadn’t they stopped the madness? Some had actually promoted it! Ex 33:12 “Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me.” (Disappointment) Who can I trust?

  16. 3) He had “loving” problems. Ex 32:9-10 “the LORD said …, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked (hard hearted) people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” a) This was a test of Moses’ love. It’s often “easier” to quit and start over! Aren’t you glad God didn’t quit on you?

  17. 3) He had “loving” problems. Ex 32:9-10 a) This was a test of Moses’ love. (1) He Reminded God of His promises. 11-14 (2) Offered himself as a sacrifice. 31-32 “this people have sinned a great sin… Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”

  18. 3) He had “loving” problems. Ex 32:9-10 a) This was a test of Moses’ love. b) Sin always brings suffering. The more you love people, the more their sin brings suffering to your heart! (Is. 53:4) “he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” Ph 3:10-11 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…”

  19. Clarity: What’s really happening? C. God was angry!Ex. 32:35 (Heb. 10:31) “…I will visit their sin upon them. And the LORD plagued the people because (of) the calf” 1) He Separated from the people. Ex. 33:2,3 “for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff necked (hard hearted) people: lest I consume thee in the way.” Sin always brings separation! Is 59; Ro. 6:23

  20. Genuine Clarity should produce: 2. Conviction: (Recognition and Remorse) A. God challenged them to Mourn!Ex 33:4-6 “when people heard these evil tidings, they mourned... For the LORD had said …Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments, that I may know what to do unto thee.” Their mourning mattered!

  21. 2) Conviction: B. Mourning involves Recognizing: 1) The true nature of our sin. 32:31 “committed a great sin” (Huge Offence!) Ro 7:12-13 “the law is holy…just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin …might become exceeding sinful.”

  22. B. Mourning involves Recognizing: 1) The true nature of our sin. Ex. 32 When we Minimizing our Sin, We maximize our suffering! 2) The actual cause and effect of our sin. Ex 32:9 “This …is a stiff-necked people: (qāsheh’) = hard hearted! let me alone…that I may consume them and make of thee a great nation.”

  23. 1. Clarity: Involves honest Reflection. 2. Conviction: Involves sincere Remorse. Genuine Remorse should lead to: 3. Confession and Repentance 2 Cor. 7:10 “Godly sorrow worketh repentance” Metan’oia: compunction (sorrow) producing reversal From metanoe’o: think differently, reconsider. • Recognition without repentance  Guilt, shame. • Recognition with repentance  God’s grace!

  24. To recover from back sliding we must: 1. Reflect on God’s Perspective. (Clarity) 2. Recognize the justice of God’s judgment. (Conviction) 3. Repent (completely) and confess our sin. (instead of blaming, balancing, and belittling our sin.) Mt. 7:1-5

  25. 3. Repent (completely) and confess my sin. A. God expected them, not just to mourn, but to move! “Pitched the tabernacle without the camp, afar off… Everyone which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle …which was without the camp” 1) Most stayed in their tent “afar off” This left their infection (sin) unclear and uncleansed, leading to the spread of the cancer and confusion. Come to God! Ex 33:7,8

  26. 2) Those that sought God in honest Reflection + Recognition + Repentance Found Restoration! (Ps. 23:3; 51) Next week we’ll examine this process of transformation and restoration using Moses’ example in Ex. 33,34

  27. Which most accurately describes your response to your sin? Blame (Penalize) Balance (Rationalize) Belittle (Minimize) Leading to….? Reflection (Clarity) Recognition (Conviction) Repentance (Confession) Leading to Cleansing and Restoration.

  28. Deut 30:19 “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life” Most blamed, balanced, & belittled their sin, producing the predicable results God foretold. Some chose to reflect, recognize and repent of their sin, Producing restoration and “life” God promised. What will you choose? See Ps. 16:11

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