40 Years in the Wilderness

1. 40 Years in the Wilderness Numbers and Deuteronomy

2. Outline • Why wander in the Wilderness? • Lessons Learned • People • Moses • God • Application

3. Wilderness Egypt - Slavery Promised Land 1 Cor 10:1-13 “…Now these things happened as examples for us”

4. Wilderness 1 Cor 10:1-13 “…Now these things happened as examples for us” Eternity With The Lord Slave To Sin

5. Why wander in the Wilderness? • Unbelief • Numbers 14:11-12 • Vs 11 “…this people spurn Me” • Vs 11 “…they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst” • Spurn = to reject with disdain; to treat with contempt; despise • Believe = be faithful; trust

6. Why wander in the Wilderness? • Unbelief • Numbers 14:20-35 • Vs 33 “…they shall suffer for your unfaithfulness” • Unfaithfulness = fornication; harlotry (prostitution) • Numbers 14:1-4 “…Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt”

7. Why wander in the Wilderness? • Unbelief • Hebrews 3:12-19 • Vs 17 “…with whom was He angry for forty years?” • Vs 17 “…those who sinned” • Vs 18 “…whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest” • Vs 18 “…those who were disobedient” • Vs 19 “…we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief” • Sinned > > Disobedient > > Unbelief

8. Why wander in the Wilderness? • Testing/Preparation - Humbling/Disciplining • Deuteronomy 8:1-20 • Vs 2 “…led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not” • Vs 5 “…the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son” • Vs 16 “…that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end”

9. Why wander in the Wilderness? • Testing/Preparation - Humbling/Disciplining • Deuteronomy 8:1-20 • Humble = to be put down; become low (not proud; low in rank, importance) • Test, Testing = to try; to prove (the means by which the presence, quality, genuineness of anything is determined) • Discipline = to chasten, instruct, admonish (punishment inflicted by way of correction and training)

10. Lessons Learned • People • Obstinate, Stiff-necked, Stubborn • Exodus 32:9 Lord said, “…they are an obstinate people” • Deut 9:6 “not because of your righteousness…for you are a stubborn people” (also Deut 9:13) • Obstinate = unyielding; not easily controlled • Stubborn = unreasonably obstinate; difficult to work, control, subdue

11. Lessons Learned • People • Obstinate, Stiff-necked, Stubborn • Examples: • Constant complaining of their circumstances • Golden calf (Ex 32:1,8 and Deut 9:12 – quickly turned aside from the way God commanded them) • Failed attempt at entering Promised Land (Num 14:40-45) • Played harlot with daughters of Moab (Num 25:1-3 – Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor)

12. Lessons Learned • People • Rebellious • Deut 9:7 “…from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord” • Rebellious = to be contentious; to be disobedient • Examples: • Close relation between stubborn and rebellious • Kadesh-barnea (Num 14:1-10; Deut 1:26-33) • Korah, Dathan, Abiram and 250 leaders (Num 16)

13. Lessons Learned • People • Could add impatient and self-centered • Examples: • Golden calf (Ex 32:1 – couldn’t wait for Moses to return; “…Come, make us a god who will go before us”) • Constant complaining of their circumstances (“woe is me!”)

14. Lessons Learned • Moses • Loved God’s people • Ex 32:11-14 “…Moses entreated the Lord…Turn from Thy burning anger and change Thy mind about doing harm to Thy people” (also Deut 9:18-29 and 10:10 - another 40 days and nights) • Num 14:13-19 “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, just as Thou also hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now” • Num 16:41-50 – took action through Aaron to stop plague after Korah’s rebellion • Num 21:6-9 (fiery serpents) “And Moses interceded for the people” • Num 27:15-17 – requests God to appoint a new leader for Israel

15. Lessons Learned • Moses • God’s Obedient Servant • Num 17:11 “Thus Moses did; just as the Lord had commanded him, so he did” • With one exception, the Lord would say and Moses would do • Ex 33:12-15 “…I pray Thee, if I have found favor in Thy sight, let me know Thy ways, that I may know Thee…If Thy presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here”

16. Lessons Learned • Moses • Failed to enter the Promised Land • Num 20:8-13 “…Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” • Deut 3:23-28 “…Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land…But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me”

17. Lessons Learned • God • In Control • Ex 6:6-8 “…I am the Lord…I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians…I will deliver you…I will redeem you…I will take you for My people…I will be your God…you will know that I am the Lord…I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…I am the Lord” • Patient • Num 14:17-23 “…The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness…So the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them according to your word’”

18. Lessons Learned • God • Just • Num 16:23-35 “…Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram…and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up…Fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense” • Jealous • Ex 20:5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” (also Deut 4:24) • Ex 32:10 “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them, and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation”

19. Lessons Learned • God • Provision • Deut 2:7 “…These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing” • Deut 8:3 “And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna…that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord” • Deut 8:4 “Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years” (also Deut 29:5) • Ex 13:21-22 “And the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night…He did not take away the pillar…from before the people”

20. Application • Learn from this example • 1 Cor 10:1-13 “Now these things happened as examples for us…” • “…we should not crave evil things, as they also craved” – control appetites through Holy Spirit (Phil 4:8-9) • “do not be idolaters” – no greed or covetousness (Col 3:5) • “Nor let us act immorally” – flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness (2 Tim 2:22) • “Nor let us try the Lord…nor grumble” – don’t complain of our circumstances or how God executes His judgment (Num 21:4-6 and 16:41-46) • Always recognize dependence on God (1 Cor 10:12-13)

21. Application • Trust God • He led them • He kept them fed and clothed • He provided them spiritual understanding and development (Deut 8:3 and 8:16) • He will do the same for us (Rom 8:32 and Phil 4:19) • Trust & Obey, for there is no other way!

22. Application • Humble yourself • Pride was an issue for the Israelites (Deut 8:2, 3 and 16) • Pride can be an issue for us • When we become proud, we forget God (Deut 8:11-14) • We must always recognize the true Source • Deut 8:17-18 “…you may say in your heart, ‘my power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth’…but you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth…” • 1 Cor 4:7 “…And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”

23. Application • Be Teachable • They were obstinate, stiff-necked, stubborn people • These are not attributes of someone open to teaching and discipline • Are you spending consistent time studying God’s Word with other men? Are you under sound Biblical teaching? • “And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” (Acts 2:42) • “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another…” (Col 3:16) • God disciplines us for our good • “Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son” (Deut 8:5) • “…but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness” (Heb 12:10)

24. Application • Learn to be Content • Our circumstances don’t define God or our relationship with Him • His Word defines Him and our relationship with Him • If we do not learn to be content in our circumstances, how can we be grateful to God? • We have all we need in Him • “Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’” (Heb 13:5 and Deut 31:6) • “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” (Phil 4:11)

25. Application • Don’t let disappointment keep you from finishing strong • Moses must have been disappointed after he learned he would not enter the Promised Land • Moses still finished well • Obedient servant (“So Moses did just as the Lord commanded”) • Aaron’s death; victories over the Canaanites and Amorites; the bronze serpent; addressed sin of Peor; commissioned Joshua; and slaughtered the Midianites • Deuteronomy – Moses urges Israel to obey God and to believe in Him…to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:5) • God buried Moses (Deut 34:5-6) • We must finish well (“…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:12-14)