Message Notes

INTRODUCTION

1. All the congregation of Israel

a. Complained against Moses and Aaron

b. Accused God of bringing them to the promised land to kill them

c. Planned to select a new leader and return to Egypt

2. The response of Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb

a. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly

b. Joshua and Caleb appealed to them not to rebel against the LORD

3. An escalation in the congregation’s reaction

a. They became murderous

b. They wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb with stones!

GOD’S DIVINE INTERVENTION

And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

Numbers 14:10

1. “Now the glory of the LORD”

a. Represents His divine presence

b. Represents His divine power

2. “Appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel”

a. His presence would now be manifested before all of Israel

b. The purpose

i. Put a stop to the children of Israel’s murderous intent

ii. Protect Joshua and Caleb from being stoned

GOD’S INDICTMENT OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

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

Numbers 14:11-12

1. “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me”

a. How God saw the children of Israel’s rebellion

i. Rejecting Him

ii. Not believing Him

b. The use of “how long”

i. This problem of rejecting and not believing had always been there

ii. It was not just a momentary lapse!

2. “With all the signs which I have performed among them?”

a. God had performed so many signs for them

i. The 10 plagues in Egypt

ii. The parting of the Red Sea

iii. The provision of manna and water and quail

b. Despite all these signs, they kept rejecting and not believing Him!

3. “I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make you a nation greater and mightier than they”

a. God threatened to punish them with divine judgment

b. He offered to make a greater and mightier nation with Moses, his faithful servant

MOSES’ INTERCESSORY PRAYER

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 in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, ‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give 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 longsuffering 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.”

Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word”

Numbers 14:13-20

1. Moses understood the gravity of the situation

a. The gravity of the children of Israel’s sins

b. The gravity of God’s anger

c. The gravity of the consequences

2. Moses also understood deeply who God is

a. “The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy”

God is rich in mercy and longsuffering to His people

b. “Forgiving iniquity and transgression”

God has the power to forgive their sins

c. “But He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation”

But God also has the prerogative to visit their iniquities and punish them

3. Moses’ plea to God

a. “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray”

Moses prayed for God to forgive the people of their sin

b. “According to the greatness of Your mercy”

This is the basis for his plea – the greatness of God’s mercy!

4. God’s gracious reply to Moses’ prayer

“I have pardoned, according to your word”

THE INVISIBLE IMPACT OF THIS INCIDENT UPON CALEB

1. The experience of God’s reality

a. His presence

b. His power

c. His personal intervention

d. His grace in answering prayer

2. The example of Moses

a. His deep understanding of God

b. His strong prayer life

c. His love for God and His name

d. His character and compassion for the children of Israel

3. The impact this incident must have made on Caleb’s life

a. Further strengthened his faith

b. Fresh inspiration to wholly follow God

c. Caleb remembered this event vividly even after 45 years!

CHALLENGE FOR US ALL

1. To be impacted by our experiences of God’s reality

a. His presence with us

b. His power to preserve us

c. His protection upon us

d. His answering of our prayers

2. To be impacted by the examples God has given to us

a. Biblical examples like Moses

i. Deep understanding of God

ii. Strong prayer life

iii. Love for God and His name

iv. Character and compassion for people

b. Present examples in Bethany who reflect these Biblical examples

3. May we be impacted and find fresh inspiration to wholly follow God, like Caleb!