When God Says No

"I also pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 'O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.' But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me, 'Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.'" -Deuteronomy 3.23-28

God has told Moses that He will not cross over into the the land because he hit the rock with his staff when God told him to speak to it. Moses' disobedience, and lack of faith, caused God to not allow Him to enter the land. Moses, however, has prayed for the people before, and God has relented from His anger and offered forgiveness and not destroyed them. So Moses prays to God, pleading with Him, to allow him to enter the land. But God refuses to listen, and tells him to speak no more of the matter.

Moses will not enter the land, but God will at least allow him see it. Aaron was never given this opportunity, but God will allow Moses. At this point Moses drops the matter, realizing that God's mind is made up, and he accepts the grace that is being extended to him. He charges Joshua to lead the people into the land, just as God has instructed.

Men, when God says "No" and tells you to drop it, do you? Later in scripture we'll see an instance where the people didn't and the destruction and chaos that followed. But when God says let the matter be, do you continue to bring it up hoping He will change His mind? When God gives a definite "No" do you continue to pester Him, hoping you'll annoy Him into getting what you want? Do you say that "You didn't hear Him clearly" and continue to pursue the issue?

When God says no, let us accept it and move on. When God says no it's for a reason, and ultimately that reason is for our benefit. Everything that God does is for our good because it serves to make us holy, Christlike, people. When God says no, let us accept it, and move on, in pursuit of His will.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

God's got Your Back

"Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you." -Deuteronomy 3.22

Israel is preparing to cross the Jordan. Forty years earlier they were persuaded not to go by ten spies who brought back a report of giants. They acted in fear and spent four decades wandering the wilderness until the original generation had died. Now as this new generation is preparing to finally receive God's blessing, under the new leadership of Joshua, Moses reminds them to go courageously because God is fighting for them.

At the end of his recounting of the victories they have been given in the wilderness, Moses instructs the people to have courage as they enter the land, because God is going with them. God is going to fight for them and give them victory because He has promised this land to them. God will not abandon them now, just as He didn't at anytime in the past forty years. He has their back.

Men, when new trials and obstacles come what do you do? Do you shrink from the new challenge? Do you charge forward without stopping to think, hoping to take it by surprise? Do you trust yourself to get the job done? Or do you turn to God, giving the issue to Him, and allowing Him to direct the fight? Do you trust that God has your back?

It's very easy to forget how God has been there in the past when new issues arise, humans are very forgetful creatures. This is why we need to constantly remember the blessings and victories God has given. If we forget the past, it's much harder for it to be repeated in the future. We cannot allow ourselves to forget what God has done in the past, and at the same time, we cannot live in the past only talking about "The good old days".

God is still at work. The people were about to cross the Jordan and take possession of the land. They had seen God's wonders since leaving Egypt, but the best was still to come. They had to move forward courageously if they were to see them. To do that they had to remember what God had done, and trust Him to do it again, knowing God as with them.

Let us never forget what God has done. Let us always believe, and live like, God has our back.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Victory from God

"But the Lord said to me, 'Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.' So the Lord our God delivered Og also, king of Bashan, with all his people into our hand, and we smote them until no survivor was left. We captured all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city. But all the animals and the spoil of the cities we took as our booty." -Deuteronomy 3.2-7

As Moses recounts the wilderness journey, not only does he remind the people of the blessings God has provided in the wilderness, but also about the victories that God gave them. As they journeyed they faced rival nations who attacked Israel, seeking to destroy them, but each time God was with His people, and each time He gave them victory in battle.

Moses reminds the people that the victories came from God. It was not from the size of their army, the skill of their warriors, or the genius of their general. The victories in the wilderness came from God. The spoils of war were a result of God's presence with His people. There was no need to fear any enemy because God was with them, and so credit must be given to Him.

Men, who gets the credit for the victories in your life? Do you receive praise for your skill, knowledge, or determination? Or do you give the raise to God with the realization that none of that matters if victory, or success, isn't part of His plan? The victories in our life are only possible because God is with us, and if we stop giving Him the glory and credit that He deserves, the victories may very well end.

Let us always give praise to God for victory, and let us always remember them. The battles of the past are over, but they are not the last battles we will face. Let us remember how God has come through for us in the past, and let us trust Him to fight for us again in the future.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Blessed in the Wilderness

"For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing." -Deuteronomy 2.7

Moses is recalling parts of the journey that has brought the people to this point. Here he reminds the people how God always took care of them. Even in the wilderness they have been blessed and lacked for nothing. That is how God works.

Right now in my life I would say that I'm in the wilderness. I am not doing what I am passionate about to the degree God has called me to, but I truly believe He is leading me to the "Promised Land" of ministry. But for now I'm left to work and provide for my family however I can, and do ministry with the little spare time I have left. But in this time I have seen God bless me and make me lack for nothing.

Right now the job I am work in is a truly a blessing of God. I work Monday to Friday, no weekends. I don't pay for health care or put anything into retirement, my company takes care of it all. On top of that the give very generous year end bonuses that should have us out of school debt sometime in the next five years. And perhaps the biggest blessing, they are paying for my Master's degrees 100%, books included. God is providing for our immediate needs, taking care of some long term things, and allowing me to get prepared for the Promised Land, all while I'm I the wilderness.

That is my God. It is a journey to get to the Promised Land, but God is with us every step of the way blessing is with His provisions and preparations. He blesses us even in the wilderness because He is good.

Men, maybe you find yourself in a similar place. You are wandering in the wilderness and nothing seems to be going right. God is there, He has never left you, and He wants to bless you. It may not be a blessing of everything your heart desires, but He will take care of all your needs. If you follow Him, trust Him, you will lack for nothing.

Let us look for the blessings of the wilderness.

(About two years ago I wrote more on the idea of blessings of the wilderness on my other blog. If you are interested in reading some more about what the wilderness can provide follow the link at the bottom to my blog, "Give me words" and do a search for "Blessings of the Wilderness".)

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Greatest Influence

"These are the words which Moses spake unto all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah over against Suph, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea. And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that Jehovah had given him in commandment unto them; after he had smitten Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei. Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,". -Deuteronomy 1.1-5

Here in the book of Deuteronomy we have the final words of Moses. If we look closely at what takes place in the next thirty-four chapters we'll see that it is here, in his final days and hours, that Moses gives his greatest messages to Israel. The nation is on the border of the Promised Land, and because of his actions at Meribah, this is as close as Moses will get.

We see here the character of a great leader. After being told he would not enter the land Moses continued to lead the people in the wilderness. Here on the edge he gives them what would become the most central teaching in Israel, but more on this later. A selfish leader who is only in it for himself wouldn't have put up with these people knowing he wouldn't receive the blessing, but that isn't the type of leader Moses is. Moses not only leads them but on the edge gives his most influential teachings to them. He could have become bitter, but he didn't and because if that God used Him fully, right up until the end if his life.

Men, there will come a time in each of our lives when we get news we aren't thrilled about. There may even come a time when we learn we won't see the fulfillment of what we have worked so hard to accomplish. It is how we respond in those moments that most define us. Do we become bitter and angry, selfishly hoarding our remaining years and a life of experience? Or do we accept what God has said, and allow Him to continue to use us fully, having our greatest influence?

Moses didn't want to die on Nebo, but his desire to live obediently to God was stronger than his desire for personal satisfaction. Because of this, God gave Moses his greatest influence at the end. Do we desire to live with the same obedience? Are we living so that God can use us to our fullest potential? Will we have our greatest influence or is that behind us?

Let us strive to be great leaders. May our greatest influence come at the end of our lives as the result of complete obedience to God.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Marriage Law

"This is what the Lord has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry whom they wish; only they must marry within the family of the tribe of their father.' Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. Every daughter who comes into possession of an inheritance of any tribe of the sons of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the sons of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. Thus no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribes of the sons of Israel shall each hold to his own inheritance." -Numbers 36.6-9

There had been a man named Zelophehad who had no sons, and so his daughters came to Moses and sought land so that their father's name would not be erased from history. Now there is a situation. If they marry the land will become part of their husband's territory. This isn't a problem, unless they marry outside of their tribe. Under that circumstance the land would be transferred from one tribe to another, and this wasn't supposed to happen. So God steps in and puts a requirement on their marriages.

They are given freedom of choice to marry whomever they please, but the field is limited to a family from their own tribe. No land was to be taken from one tribe by another, and so God lays out a ground rule for marriage.

Later we'll see in 2 Corinthians, that believers are not to "unequally yoked" with unbelievers. Marriage is a serious, and lasting, situation and as the primary human relationship there are some guidelines that God gives for it. Believers need to enter into marriage only with other believers. If they do then faith could be greatly hindered, or even lost.

Men, if you're married to a nonbeliever this is not permission to leave your spouse. God made marriage to be for life, and if you are already in the covenant don't break it. Pray for your spouse, show them the love of Christ, and work to bring them into the faith. But if you are single, take this instructions to heart. Marriage isn't easy, it's two people who have been raised and lived differently for several decades coming together as one to create a new life together. Entering into that relationship with someone who has different beliefs adds so much to the mix. Do not take the inheritance that God has given you and allow it to be taken by an unbelieving spouse.

Seek someone who believes what you believe because together your faith can be stronger than ever. Don't allow what you have to be stolen or smothered by a spouse who doesn't believe.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Justice

"As for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits... The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial... But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait, or with any deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury, then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances. The congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil." -Numbers 35.8, 12, 16, 22-25

Chapter 35 repeats things for this new generation that the old generation had been told. They are instructed to give land and cities for the Levites, as well as to provide cities of refuge for manslaughter. The larger tribes are to give more and the smaller tribes are to give less. We see God's justice in the fact that those with more are required to give more. God's system did not involve the rich getting richer while the poor got poorer.

Here we also see God's justice when it comes to human life. If a man was guilty of murder, God called it that and issued a penalty of death. But if the killing was accidental, manslaughter, then there was a provision set up so that justice could be carried out and life protected. God is all about justice. He punishes the guilty and spares the innocent. He looks out for the poor, and calls the rich to give.

Men, can the same be said of us? Do we seek justice both for the guilty as well as the innocent? Do we seek to protect life? Do we give what we are able to give or just what we feel like because it's all someone else gave? Are we just, or at the very least seeking to be?

If we would be men of God, we must seek justice. Let us stand up for what is right. Let us carry out punishments when they must be enforced. Let give fairly.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Borders.

"Command the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders.'" -Numbers 34.2

God is preparing His people for life in the Promised Land, a life they have been waiting centuries for. Here we see that the Promised Land has borders. God is not giving His people free reign over the entire earth as He did at creation. He is not commanding for a global genocide. Rather His people are being given a piece of ground that has limits.

It is important to note that everything in this life is temporal and limited. The blessings that God gives us here on planet earth are simply a taste of what He has in store. There is a limit because we live on a fallen, sinful world. But God is still good, and He still blesses His people.

Men, let us enjoy the blessings of God, but let us remember that there is more to come. Let us praise God for what He has done, and glorify Him for all that is yet to come. Let us embrace the borders of this world, knowing that they are only temporary.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Destroy Sinful Influences

"Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 'Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, "When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places; and you shall take possession of the land and live in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live. And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you."'" -Numbers 33.50-56

This is one of those difficult passages in the Bible for some. It is passages like this that lead Marcion, an early church leader, to make a distinction between the God seen in the Old Testament, and God, the father of Jesus, portrayed in the New Testament. Here we have God telling Israel, to completely wipe out entire people groups. They are to go in and take the Promised Land, destroying all who live in the land.

If we pay attention as we read we can see that the purpose of this genocide was to remove all paganism and idolatry from the land so that God's people would not be led astray by it. God reminds them that this is their land, given to them by Himself, and that they are to take it. As long as they do what God has commanded with the inhabitants everything will be fine, but if not the people who are allowed to remain will become a hinderance, and instead God will drive Israel from the land.

From this passage we see that if we would live obediently as God's people, we must remove all sin, from our lives. We must remove all the evil influences and allow them to have no place in our homes. If we don't deal with these things they will come back to bite us later, and could very well lead to our destruction.

Men, are you willing to wipe out sin from your house? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to remove the influence of sin from your life? It might me avoiding a certain crowd or setting. It could mean giving up a hobby or an addiction. It most likely won't be easy, but if you don't it very well could destroy you. Are you willing to take that risk? Is that thing more important than your soul, or the souls of your family?

As we'll see, Israel fails to obey God's command, and it costs them the life that God had offered to them. Let us learn from their mistake. Let us deal with the issues. May we destroy sinful influences.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Where You've Been

"These are the journeys of the sons of Israel, by which they came out from the land of Egypt by their armies, under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Moses recorded their starting places according to their journeys by the command of the Lord, and these are their journeys according to their starting places." -Numbers 33.1-2

Verses 3-49 record the journey of the people from Egypt to the Jordan. Moses kept record of where they people moved as they journeyed in the wilderness. There is a detailed list of where they have been. They can look back and see how God lead them from Egypt to the Jordan, and as they look at the list they can remember how God provided, and the things that they learned along the way.

Men, do you have a list of where you have been? Have you recorded the details of your journey? Some of them might be physical locations that God has lead you to. Others might be stages in the masculine journey. But do you have a record of where you have been?

Without knowing where we have been it's easy to forget what we've learned. Without knowing where we've been it's hard to measure the growth we've experienced. Without knowing where we've been how can we leave a record for those who come after us to learn from us?

What has God done in your life? What has God brought you through? When did God teach you the most about Himself? When did God teach you the most about yourself? Where were you? Let us record our journey so that others may see how God worked in our lives. Let them see where He brought us from, and where we ended up. Where have you been?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Settling

"Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had an exceedingly large number of livestock. So when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that it was indeed a place suitable for livestock, the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, 'Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon, the land which the Lord conquered before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.' They said, 'If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan." -Numbers 32.1-5

The people are on the edge of the Promised Land, preparing for conquest, but some of them take a look around and decide this place will work, it's good enough. The tribes of Reuben and Gad come to Moses and seek permission to settle east of the Jordan. They see that the land is suitable for livestock, which they have in abundance, and decide why not just stay put. They seek permission to settle on the border of the Promised Land.

They were so close to receiving the blessing of God, and yet they decided that they would rather stay put. It says that they saw that the land was suitable for livestock, and maybe their were tired of moving so they decided to stay because it would work. Maybe they felt that this place would meet the needs they had and decided that it wasn't worth the risk of losing this sure thing. But whatever the reason, these two tribes settled for less than what God had promised.

Men, have you found yourself settling? Have you found something safe, or sure, and just stuck with it because you didn't want to risk losing it and ending up with nothing? Have you decided that where you're at is good enough, and why go through the hassle of learning something new, or moving to a new place? What are you forfeiting because you have decided to settle?

They took a land that was suitable, not a land that was exceedingly good (Numbers 14.7). They had come so far with God and yet they sought to settle on the edge of the land He had promised rather than in it, going all the way. They took something that would work, rather than the full blessing. They settled.

What risk are you avoiding taking because you have something safe you don't want to leave? What passion has God placed on your heart that you are only half living out because you haven't gone all the way with it? Where are you settling, and why?

Let us be men of courage who boldly follow God out of what is safe and sure and take the risk that He has called us to take. Let us live with faith and claim all of the promises that He has made. Let us refuse to settle for less.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Causing Sin

"They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword... Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord." -Numbers 31.8, 16

Here we see the death of Balaam. Israel goes to war with the Midianites, at the command of God, and defeats them. Balaam is among those put to death. Later we see that through the counsel of Balaam the sons of Israel sinned against God at Peor and brought a plague upon themselves. Balaam caused the people to sin, and now he has been put to death.

If you think back to Balaam's story, you'll remember that he wasn't ever supposed to be in the situation to be involved with Israel. When the men first came to him God told him to stay put. They came back and this time God allowed him to go, but on the way we see God's anger as Balaam is saved from death by his donkey. But here, death finds Balaam and it is because he caused Israel to sin.

Men, when we cause others to sin, either directly by leading them into it, or indirectly by doing nothing to stop it, we are guilty. We will be held accountable for our actions, or lack there of by God. It may not mean a violent death, but there will be no escaping punishment.

Let us lead others away from sin and into righteousness. May we never be the cause of sin.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Your Word

"If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." -Numbers 30.2

God is still speaking through Moses, and here we see that God values the word of a man. If a man makes a vow or takes an oath he is to keep it. Honesty, integrity, and truthfulness are essential traits to a Man of God.

Men, what is the value of your word? When you make a commitment are you dependable to fulfill it? If you say that something is true are you reliable? Is your word something that is respected or shamed? Is your word something of value or is it worthless?

Our word is about the only thing we really have that we have any control over. It can only be discredited if we allow it to be. It will be as strong or as weak as we make it. What is the status of your word?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Not a Replacement

"You shall present these to the Lord at your appointed times, besides your votive offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings and for your grain offerings and for your drink offerings and for your peace offerings." -Numbers 29.39

God gives Moses instructions about times of sacrifice to inform the people about. Reading over it gets a little monotonous, on this day sacrifice this many bulls, this many rams, this many lambs, their grain offerings, and a goat. God set up specific times throughout the year for His people to focus on Him in various ways. There was the Passover in the first month, and this, the Feast of Trumpets, in the seventh month, leading up to the Day of Atonement. The Feast of Trumpets marked a time of repentance to God in preparation for the atonement of sin with the sacrifices.

God had set apart times for Israel to focus more intentionally on their need for His forgiveness. They were given time to prepare for it, but it was not meant to take the place of the other offerings they were to present to God. This was in addition to all of that.

As I think about this a couple things come to mind. First is that church is not a substitute for personal prayer and Bible study. Sunday is good, but you can't simply take what someone says as truth. It is crucial that we personally have a living, growing, relationship with God so that we can discern if what is being presented is in fact the truth.

Second, personal prayer and Bible study are not substitutes for church. It is important that we look at what we are reading and hearing from God and measure it next to sound doctrine. It is all too easy to twist something in the Bible to fit what we want it to say. It is all to easy to "hear" something from God that does not fall in line with what we really should be doing. We need the guidance, and encouragement of the church.

Third, we need times that are set aside to specifically focus on God. Maybe you take a long weekend and do a spiritual retreat. Maybe you simply get a couple hours on the weekend to be alone in a room. Whatever it is, we need designated times that we commit ourselves to a deep and purposeful focus on God.

Men, are you living with replacements? Have you substituted church for personal study or vice versa? Have you gone about each day as if it was just like every other day and given God the routine time? Let us change that. Let us never replace any of the gifts God has given us.

Let us bring our knowledge of God and His word to the church, and let us take what we hear in church and measure it against the Bible. Let us dedicate time to specifically focus on God and what He is trying to do in our lives.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Not Done

"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Command the sons of Israel and say to them,'" -Numbers 28.1-2a

Joshua has been commissioned as the next leader, but he hasn't taken over yet. He has been given some of Moses' authority, and the transition is underway, but Moses is still involved. God is still speaking to him and giving him instructions for the people. Just because a new leader has been appointed, it doesn't mean that the old leader is done.

Again, I think about the situation that took place a few years back at church. Most of the time a pastor who follows a long term pastor at a church usually isn't there too long. There are exceptions, but they are rare. With church, the founding pastor was handing over leadership to a younger man who would be able help the church continue to grow. They didn't find the right candidate and then hand it over the following Sunday. Instead they underwent nearly two years of transition, with the founding pastor gradually handing over authority and responsibilities. And two years in, it seems to have worked very well.

Too often men hand over leadership and then head to retirement, or simply the next assignment. It's as if the old organization is now on their own and the new guy has to come up with structure and vision immediately. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. What if instead, there was always a leadership transition like this? What if it was a gradual thing that allowed the new guy to learn from the experienced leader, and allowed the old leader to not simply drop it and move on?

Men, where do you find yourself? Are you in to process of moving into a leadership role? What about moving out of one? Are you moving to something bigger? Are you wrapping up and preparing for retirement? Just know that wherever you are, you aren't done. If you are blessed to be able to transition like this, take advantage of it, learn from it. If not, then draw closer to God and let Him guide you during your transition as you learn. If you are headed out of a role or into retirement, know that you are not done. God will still use you if you let Him.

Moses wasn't done being used by God. His time was short, but he was still breathing. God was using him as Joshua was being prepared. As long as you are still breathing, you are not done.

May we always be willing to be used by God. May we never be done.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

To Be A Leader

"So the Lord said to Moses, 'Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him. Moreover, he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his command they shall go out and at his command they shall come in, both he and the sons of Israel with him, even all the congregation.' Moses did just as the Lord commanded him; and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses." -Numbers 27.18-23

Moses has prayed for God to send a new leader for the people, and God brings Joshua. He's the logical choice. He's been Moses' aid for decades. He has led the people into battle time and again. He was a spy who brought back a positive report of the Promised Land. But God points out the characteristic that is most important, Joshua was full of the Spirit. Think back to Exodus 33, it says that when Moses would leave the tent of meeting and return to camp, Joshua would stay behind. Joshua was a man who spent time with God, and God chose him to lead His people.

Moses makes it official, and public, showing that Joshua is God's choice and has Moses, and Eleazar's full support and confidence. This is important that the people see the old leader's support and don't feel anger or resentment towards a new leader. They allowed Joshua to have and exercise power so that the people would see and know he was God's choice, and their new leader. He laid his hands on Joshua, and commissions him as the new leader of the people.

Men, if you would be a leader, you must be full of the Spirit. If you would lead your family as a godly father you must be full of the Spirit. If you would lead the people of God into Christlikeness, you must be full of the Spirit. If you would lead others to new life in Christ, you must be full of the Spirit. If you would lead, you must be full of the Spirit.

May we seek God, as Joshua did. May we have the support of former and current leaders. May we be filled with the Spirit.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Leadership Shift

"Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 'May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord will not be like sheep which have no shepherd.'" -Numbers 27.15-17

Moses knows that his time is drawing to a close, and as a good leader he is concerned for the future of his people. He doesn't want them to be leaderless because at that point they most likely would go back to Egypt. They are so close to the Promised Land, and he doesn't want them to lose all of the progress they have made. And so he asks god to give them a new leader. He knows his point of effectiveness is almost over, and he wants a new leader who will continue the work that has been happening.

Leaders have a few options, they can cling to power until they die, they can let their power go too late, long after they have ceased to be effective, they can give up their power too soon, when they still have much to offer, or they can transition out of leadership at the right moment, and the work continues to grow.

The wise "old" Sage I meet with is a good example of the last option. He planted a church in the late 80's that grew to over 2,000 people in the 25ish years he lead it. He could have stayed in leadership there for years, but he knew if he did the church would not be as effective as it could be. They began a search for the next leader, and once God showed them who it was they began a leadership transition that took over a year to complete. It was a slow process, but the work of the church never stopped, and it has continued to work for the Kingdom.

And this transition wasn't something that happened randomly. I recently learned that behind where my friend the Sage used to live was an undeveloped area where he used to walk and pray for the future of the church. Today there is a housing development there, and guess where the new pastor lives. If we would have effective leadership transitions we must be willing to hand over control while things are still going well. We must be willing to pray for our replacement long before it is his time to come. And it is also important to note that just because you hand over leadership it doesn't mean you have to be done. Moses' case was different because he was about to die, but my friend the Sage has stayed on staff and continues to partner with the new leadership. Obviously this won't always happen but, it is possible.

Men, what type of leader do you want to be? Do you want to kill a ministry, or business, because you were too proud, or too afraid, to let it pass on to someone else? Do you want to be angry and bitter and never pray for the one who will follow you? Or do you want to be a humble servant of God who realizes that as long as we are striving to build His kingdom we're all on the same team?

May we realize that we serve God, and that our responsibility is to make sure we work to our full effectiveness, even if that means stepping down and letting someone else take over.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Attitude Towards God's Mercy

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. When you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was; for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water.' (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)" -Numbers 27.12-14

God tells Moses that his time is short, just as Aaron died outside of the Promised Land, so would Moses. But because of the relationship Moses had with God, he is at least allowed to see the land from the top of a mountain. Aaron never got to see the land, but Moses would be given that privilege before his death. God gives mercy to Moses. He does not revoke the judgment that He passed, but He does allow Moses a glimpse of the land.

Men, where has God given mercy in your life? I almost said where it wasn't deserved, but that's a redundant statement because God's mercy isn't desered. What has been your reaction to mercy? Have you embraced it with gratitude because of what God has given you? Or do you focus on what you are missing out on?

Moses could have refused God's offer. He could have said, "No, if I can't set foot in it, I don't want to see it." I think we often take that approach of all or nothing. We ignore the consequences of our actions and feel that if God won't remove the consequences and give us everything then we don't want anything. But that isn't the attitude he has. He gratefully accepts the gift that God is giving him, and takes in an incredible view.

What is your attitude towards God's mercy? Do you come at it with gratitude or a sense of entitlement? May we always accept God's mercy with the full knowledge that we don't deserve it and that He does not have to extend it. May we be grateful for the mercy God gives.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Take God Seriously

"These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, 'They shall surely die in the wilderness.' And not a man was left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun." -Numbers 26.63-65

God commands the people to be counted again, this is the generation that is going to enter the Promised Land. Among those counted are none who were numbered during the first census except for Joshua and Caleb. Everyone else who had doubted God's promise had died in the wilderness, just as God had said they would. God's judgments are final and absolute. Those who refused to trust Him and follow Him were never allowed to enter the land and receive the blessings He had promised.

Men, let us take God seriously. When God says something will happen it will. When He says that all who come to new life in His Son Jesus will find eternal life, let us believe Him and receive it. The opposite is also true, that all who reject Jesus will be cast out from His presence into eternal death. When God pronounces a blessing let us receive it with full faith and confidence that it will be given, and let us live to seize it. When He pronounces judgment let us live with the same assurance that it will happen exactly as He said.

God is very serious in what He says. Nothing is said casually or haphazardly, so let us believe all that He says and take Him seriously. He told Israel that no one who left Egypt would enter the land except for Joshua and Caleb, and it was so. Just as God was serious then, He is serious now, and only those who come to new life in His Son will enter the Promised Land of Heaven.

May we always take God seriously.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

What are You Jealous For

"Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'" -Numbers 25.11-13

Israel was living in sin, and the son of the high priest had had enough of it. He took a spear, and killed an Israelite man with a Midianite woman. We see that the man was named Zimri, the son of a leader in the tribe of Simeon. The example he was setting was one of arrogance, selfishness, and destruction. There was no love or respect for God, and Phinehas could not stand by as the son of a leader behaved in such a way. He was the son of the high priest, and it was part of his responsibility to point the people back to God. He wanted the people to be holy and righteous, and so he took a spear and killed a man who knew better, and should have helped set an example.

God is pleased because Phinehas was jealous, and angry, for the right reasons. Because of the motive behind the action, God decides not to destroy Israel. They are spared because of the actions of one man seeking to end sin. God gives him the covenant of peace for him and his descendants, as well as the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. His actions, and desire for a holiness and righteousness, brought atonement for Israel from the plague God had sent because of their sin.

Men, what are you jealous for? What makes you angry? Does sin make your blood boil? Dose the desire for people to be holy and righteous consume you? What are you doing about it? Are you taking action to help people find new life in Christ? Are you working to disciple others into Christlikeness? These are the things God desires, let us fight for them.

Let us be jealous for the things of God.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Spear It

"Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked." -Numbers 25.6-8

In spite of everything, Israel still hasn't learned. This group that has been spared of death and permitted to enter the Promised Land after forty years of wandering decides to double dip. They follow God, but when their are invited to a pagan worship service, they decide it's ok too. They go and worship Baal, and God's anger rises against the people.

God tells Moses to deal with it by publicly executing the leaders. There is something about public killing that is a strong deterrent of an action, but this isn't a post on the death penalty. But there are those who live in arrogant defiance. One such Israelite flaunted his sin. In the middle of everything, he brings a pagan woman into the camp and his tent. He doesn't sneak her in at night, or even when the people are busy with tasks during the day. He does it when there is worship gong on at the tent of meeting.

Phinehas, son of Eleazar the high priest, has had enough of this attitude. He locates a spear and goes after the arrogant Israelite. He enters into his tent and there slays both the man and the woman. He pins them to the ground and kills them for their actions. Sin leads to death, and sometimes more than just our own.

Men, we must have the attitude of Phinehas. Sin must infuriate us to the point where we do something about it. Don't buy a spear off of Amazon (you can find them there), and kick down your neighbor's door to skewer him when he does something wrong. One that would be murder, a sin, and land you in jail, probably on death row. Plus unless he loves Jesus, it isn't right for you to hold him to the standards Jesus set.

Israel knew better. They knew what was right and wrong in the sight of God, and when they sinned knowingly and willfully, God brought upon them the punishment they deserved. When there is sin in our life, let us deal with it immediately. Let us spear it to the ground and kill it where it lies before it can consume us. When we see sin in the lives of other believers, let us confront it lovingly. When we see people who haven't found new life in Christ living like they don't have new life, let us love them and build relationships with them. Let us pray for them and look for opportunities to tell them about the love and transformation we have found in Jesus. As we do this His Spirit will be at work to kill sin in their lives, and maybe one day they will spear it to the ground.

Let us live lives fully committed to God, and may we always spear sin to the ground.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

No Honor from Men

"Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, 'I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times! Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.' Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the Lord, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the Lord speaks, that I will speak"?'" -Numbers 24.10-13

Balaam has pronounced two blessings over Israel, and Balak isn't thrilled. He takes Balaam to one final place to see if maybe he will curse Israel, but once again Balaam pronounces a blessing. Balak is angry, and tells Balaam that God has kept every thing that he had offered from him. There will be no riches or honor bestowed upon Balaam from Balak. But at hearing this Balaam reminds him of what he has said from the beginning, that he can say nothing but what God has commanded him.

His words bring him no praise from men, but they bring the favor of God. Where when cast shame, God brings honor.

Men, sometimes the things God gives us to say are not popular, and they will divide us from others. Friendships may be broken, family may disown us, but we must remember that we live not for man's praise, but God's.

Let us speak the words of God, knowing that we will receive honor from Him.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Whatever God Says

"He replied, 'Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?... But Balaam replied to Balak, 'Did I not tell you, "Whatever the Lord speaks, that I must do"?'" -Numbers 23.12, 26

Balaam's life has been saved because of his donkey, and then his own eyes were opened to see the angel. When he does, he admits his sin and offers to turn back and do what God had originally told him. The angel tells him to go on but only to say what God tells him to say. When he gets to Moab he tells Balak that he can only speak what God tells him to speak, and they head out to a high place where Balak hopes Israel will be cursed by Balaam.

That isn't what takes place. Seven altars are built and fourteen animals are sacrificed, and then Balaam goes to hear from God. He gets the message and returns to pronounce a blessing upon Israel instead of a curse. Balak isn't happy, but as we've seen he isn't one to give up easily. He takes Balaam to another high point and builds seven more altars making another fourteen sacrifices. After this Balaam goes off, talks with God, and brings back another blessing over Israel.

Balaam has been brought, and paid, to pronounce a curse on a people so that another king may defeat them in battle, but he's doing the exact opposite. He is saying something unpopular because it is what God has commanded him to say. He made a mistake in going back with the men, but now, there, he is doing whatever God is commanding him.

Men, God gives us messages that need to be shared. They aren't always fun, or popular, but if it's a message from God that has been entrusted to us, we need to share it. Are you willing to share the message, regardless of whether the audience wants to hear it or not? Are you willing to say all that God says, exactly the way He says it? Or do you want to take the buy out and say whatever gets you the most money?

Let us commit ourselves to be God's messengers, and may we never share a message that He has not given us.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Asking Again

"Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former. They came to Balaam and said to him, 'Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, "Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me."' Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, 'Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God. Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the Lord will speak to me.' God came to Balaam at night and said to him, 'If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.' So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab. But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him." -Numbers 22.15-22

This is where Balaam's story begins to turn. He has sought God and has been told not to go with these men or to curse the nation of Israel. They return in greater numbers, and with more authority and offer more in return for his services. He already has his answer from God and should have said no as soon as they asked. But for some reason he says. "Let me check with God again, maybe He'll change His mind." He already knows what he should do, but maybe the wealth has caught his eye. Maybe he's simply tired of saying no. But whatever the reason he asks God again.

This time God tells him to God, but that he is only to do what God says. In the morning he gets up and heads out, but God is angry and sends an angel to kill him. What follows is the story of a donkey saving a man's life and then talking to tell him what is going on, but the point here is that Balaam knew what he was supposed to do, but goes to see if God decides to do something else.

Men, how often do we do this? When God gives us an answer that we don't like, do we accept it, or do we begin to pester Him hoping He'll change His mind? Do we let other things grab our attention and cause us to desire it over doing what God has said? When God has made His will clear do we ask again hoping for a different answer?

It's important to note that God allowed Balaam to go, but that there were consequences for him to face. Had his donkey not seen the angel Balaam would have been struck down and killed. When God makes His will clear may we let nothing deter us from following it. May we never allow anything to grab our attention and pull our focus away from following God.

When God makes it clear, let's not ask again.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

When God Says No

"He said to them, 'Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the Lord may speak to me.' And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. Then God came to Balaam and said, 'Who are these men with you?' Balaam said to God, 'Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, "Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out."' God said to Balaam, 'Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.' So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, 'Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.'" Numbers 22.8-13

The story of Balaam shows us the importances of doing what God says. Men come to Balaam from the king of Moab, asking Balaam to come and curse Israel so that they may be defeated in battle. Balaam tells them that he must see what God says, and in the morning he tells them that he can not come because God has refused him to go.

At this point Balaam is fine. God gave Him an answer and he stuck with it. He was offered riches and he turned it down to be obedient to God. God said not to go, so Balaam said no. If only the story ended here.

Men, when God says no what do you do? Do you accept it and move on? Or do you turn into a bratty five year old and begin to ask, plead, and beg for Him to change His mind and give you what you want? Do you submit to His wisdom and reasoning even though you may not understand it? Or do you maintain that you know best and try to change His mind? One way brings us his favor, and as we'll see, the other makes Him our adversary.

May we always accept God's answer to prayer, even when it isn't the answer we hope for. When God says no, let us drop it and move on.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Enslaved to Stuff

"Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey. The people spoke against God and Moses, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.'" -Numbers 21.4-5

Edom has refused Israel passage through their land, and so they set out in a different direction. It comes as no surprise that they become impatient and begin to complain. Yet again we see them longing for Egypt, and complain about the scarcity of food and water even though God has provided time and again. But now we see something different, they complain about the food God has given them. They call manna, the bread of heaven, miserable food that they loathe.

How often do we do this, especially in America? We always seem to be about the next best thing, even when we have more than we need. I don't know the nutritional information of manna, but I imagine that it was the ultimate superfood. I'm guessing it had everything in it that people needed to have in order to survive. On top of that it sounds like it tasted good, wafers and honey, as a kid during a Vacation Bible School they gave us Frosted Flakes to give us an idea about manna. And yet Israel complains about it. It is what they need and it is sustaining them until they get to the Promised Land, but they want more to the point that they are willing to become slaves to get it.

Men, are you enslaved to stuff? Is your life about getting the next best thing? The newest phone, car, TV? A better set of golf clubs? A bigger house? More money? Do you realize that the quest for the bigger and better enslaves you and that you will always need more in an attempt to fill the void? But what if you set the stuff aside and longed for more of God? What if each day you looked at life as just one day closer to eternity with Him, and He is providing everything you need in the mean time to sustain you until you get there?

Israel complained because they refused to look at what was waiting for them. They were so consumed by the here and now that they couldn't see what was in store for them. Rather than being content and seeing each day as one day closer to the Promised Land, rejoicing that God was providing for them until they got there, the complain about eating the same thing day after day. And the thing is, they brought it upon themselves. They were the ones who refused to trust and had to wander for forty years. They chose this, just as we chose to be enslaved to stuff.

Would you be free of your need for the next best thing? Turn to God, rejoice in what He has given you, and see each day as an opportunity to trust Him more, knowing each day brings you one day closer to His presence for eternity.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Passing the Torch

"'Aaron will be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up to Mount Hor; and strip Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar. So Aaron will be gathered to his people, and will die there.' So Moses did just as the Lord had commanded, and they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. After Moses had stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain." -Numbers 20.24-28

Because of the disobedience at Meribah, Moses and Aaron will not enter the Promised Land. Moses will lead the people until the forty years of wandering are complete, but Aarons' time has come. The high priest is about to die, and so the role must be passed to another, his son Eleazar.

There is a lot that can be said about passing the torch, but let me keep it to this, it has to be done. A lot of damage, some of it possibly irreversible, has been done because people want to hold on to the torch too long. It might be difficult to do, it's never easy to give up power or control, but we weren't meant to go on forever. We will become outdated, ineffective, or eventually we physically die. Try as we might, we simply can't go on forever.

Men, what torch do you need to pass? Are you willing to, or are you desperately clinging to it because it's your identity? Maybe you don't have that problem, you just aren't to the point where it is time to pass the torch, are you preparing for it?

I was able to witness a successful large church leadership transition between the wise "old" sage I meet with, and the younger king who has become the new lead pastor. I want to say it was close to a two year leadership transition, with responsibility gradually shifting. The sage told me near the beginning, "I want to hand over the keys while there is still gas in the tank." He knew the torch had to be passed, and he wanted to make sure it was still burning bright when he handed it off.

Let us never cling to any role as our identity. May we always be training up future leaders, and when the time is right let us willingly pass the torch.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

The traditional location of Aaron's burial near Petra in Jordan

The Cost of Disobedience

"'Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink.' So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, just as He had commanded him; and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly before the rock. And he said to them, 'Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring forth water for you out of this rock?' Then Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, '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.'" -Numbers 20.8-12

This is perhaps the saddest moment in the life of Moses. He's led the people from Egypt to Sinai, and then from Sinai to the edge of the Promised Land with them complaining the whole way and asking if they can turn around and go back to Egypt. Things had gotten so bad that God sentenced them to forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Moses would have to put up with their complaining for four decades, but at the end he would lead the nation into the land.

But then we have this event at Meribah. The people need water and complain to Moses about their thirst. Moses in turn falls face down in humble submission to God and God tells him to speak to the rock and water will come forth. Moses goes to the rock and gathers the people and just as God's power is about to be shown off again, Moses disobeys and instead of speaking hits the rock twice with his staff. God doesn't abandon him, water still comes out for the people, but God is displeased with Moses.

I don't know if it was out of anger with the people, for some reason up until this read through I thought it was, but the text doesn't seem to indicate that here. I don't know if it was simply lack of faith because up to this point everything had been accomplished with the staff. I don't know why he did it this way, but it cost him more than he wanted to pay, more than he ever expected to lose.

Because of his lack of trust and disobedience, God will no longer allow Moses to lead the people into the Promised Land. He will lead them through the wilderness for the next forty years, he'll even get to see it from the top of Mt. Nebo, but his feet will never step on the soil. Because of his lack of trust he missed out on the blessing of the land, the hope that probably kept him going through all of the complaining.

There is an important lesson in this story. In January of 2013 I was on my second Israel trip, this one included a few days in Jordan, and aside from Petra the thing I was most looking forward to was the view from the top of Nebo. On a clear day you're supposed to be able to see North to the Sea of Galilee, and West to the Mediterranean. Sadly the clear days happen in the summer and I could just barely make out the northern tip of the Dead Sea. But my time on top of the mountain resulted in one of the greatest lessons I received from a brilliant biblical scholar.

One of my professors was on the trip and pointed out that in this event God shows that no one, not even a leader whom he speaks with as a friend, is able to get away with disobedience. Everyone is held accountable for how they respond to God, and no disobedience will be overlook or go unpunished.

Men, are you disobeying God? What rock have you been commanded to speak to, and yet you are hitting it instead?

Remember, God may not abandon you, water still came from the rock when Moses hit it, but his disobedience was not permitted. God took away the Promised Land from Moses. What will your disobedience cost you?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Face Down

"Then Moses and Aaron came in from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to them; and the Lord spoke to Moses" -Numbers 20.6-7a

Miriam, Moses' sister has died, and the people begin to grumble, again. The place where they are has no water for them to drink, and though God has provided for them in the past, for some reason they don't feel that He can, or will, come through this time. They come assemble against Moses and begin to complain, and Moses and Aaron go humble themselves before they Lord and wait for Him to speak.

They fall face down in the tent of meeting, and God appears in His glory to speak to Moses. They humble themselves before God and God comes to speak to them.

Men, if we would speak to God we must come to Him humbly. We must realize His greatness and our insignificance. We must come before Him in humility, fully surrendered to Him, and when we do, we are able to hear from Him. Are you willing to humble yourself and fall face down before God? Are you willing to be completely vulnerable to God and hear whatever He might have to say?

Let us humble ourselves so that we may hear from God. Let us fall face down in humility so that He can speak to us.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Cut Off

"But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself from uncleanness, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord; the water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean." -Numbers 19.20

This verse follows instructions about purification in regards to touching a dead body. There was a cleansing ritual that needed to take place otherwise the person would remain unclean, and an unclean person, who would not purify himself, was not permitted to remain in the assembly and defile the sanctuary of God. As I read this my mind goes to the judgment seat.

There will come a day when all of us will stand before God, and those who have not been cleansed from their sins by the blood of Christ, will be cut off from the assembly of God's people forever. Sin has no place with God, it cannot be in His presence and defile heaven. It will be cast out from Him, and the one who has not been cleansed will spend eternity separated from God.

Men, have your sins been purified? Have you been cleansed of iniquity and found forgiveness in Christ? Have you been sprinkled by the blood of Christ so that you may enter the assembly of God forever? If not what are you waiting for? Time is short, the longer I live the more I realize that. Death is certain, there is no way off of planet Earth without facing it.

Will you be welcomed into eternal fellowship with God, or cut off from His holy presence forever? The choice is yours.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Is God Enough

"Then the Lord said to Aaron, 'You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.'" -Numbers 18.20

God is talking about how He is going to provide for the priests. He lays out how they will get food and be taken care of through the various offerings the people bring to sacrifice to God. Then at the end God reminds Aaron that the priests are not to have any inheritance of the land. They will not own any, but instead God will be their inheritance.

As I read that verse I was reminded of a blog post I read a few years back while I was in full time ministry. It asked the question, "Is Jesus enough?" I can't find the blog post, but it asked if Jesus is enough even if never build a large church, speak at a major conference, or have anyone read your blog or retweet your tweets. Is Jesus enough if He is all you ever get?

The Levites would have no land, no wealth, but they would have God. They would have a deep and intimate relationship with Him, and have Him provide for all of their needs.

Men, what would you choose if I gave you the option of a billion dollars or a deeper relationship with God than anyone has ever had? What would you pick between leading a church of 1,000 lukewarm Christians who simply showed up on Sunday morning, or witnessing in obscurity never receiving any recognition at all? It's easy to pick the second option in hypothetically, but what how many times have we faced that real choice and turned God down? How often have we chosen a secure career over the risk that God has called us to? How often have we picked prestige over humble service? How often have we told God, "You aren't enough"?

May we learn to be satisfied with God. May we come to see that relationship with Him as the most valuable possession we could ever have. May we come to value the chance to worship Him more than any accolade from others. May God be enough.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor