Numbers 15

CHAPTER 15THEME: God’s purpose is not destroyed; death penalty for breaking the sabbath; the ribband of blueWe have seen that the children of Moses had come to a point of decision at Kadesh-barnea. As you know, decisions are the difficult things for all of us in this life. This is especially true for the Christian. Many times we come to the crossroad and we are sure which way to go. But it was crystal clear to these people which way they should have gone. They faced the choice of entering the land by faith or turning back into the wilderness in unbelief. They made the wrong decision and turned in unbelief. However, when they looked at the wilderness, they changed their mind and decided that the Promised Land with its walled cities and giants was not so bad as the wilderness; so they attempted to go into the land. This was not a decision of faith; it was a decision based on their experience of two years in the wilderness. They presumed to go into the land. Presumption is as dangerous as unbelief. A businessman of my acquaintance had a responsible position, then was laid off from this position shortly after he had bought a new home and new furniture. His question to me was: “Why would God let this happen to me since He had led me to buy the house and furniture?” I told him, “I remember that while you were looking for the new house, you mentioned that you were not sure of the leading of God at that time and you specifically mentioned that you didn’t like the area, yet you bought the house. Now you are blaming God for all of it. Could it be that you moved by presumption rather than by faith?” He said, “Well, I just thought God would bless me.” My friend, we need to be extremely careful whether we are moving by faith or by presumption. Somewhere between these two is the will of God. It is important to spend time waiting upon the Lord to find out what is His will. Now we enter that division of the Book of Numbers from chapters 15 to 25, which I call “Faltering, Fumbling, and Fussing through the Wilderness.” At Kadesh-barnea, God has turned them back into the wilderness. Walking is turned to wandering; marching is turned to murmuring; witnessing is turned to wailing; warring is turned to wobbling; singing is turned to sighing, and working is turned to wishing. Unfortunately, I must say that a great many Christians go through life just like that! Now, the interesting thing is that these are silent years. There is no record of them anywhere. We are given only a few incidents with no connected history. However, we are given indications of the general characteristics of those years. In chapter 33, which is about as uninteresting as any chapter could be, we will find the log of the journeys. We can fit the recorded incidents into this log, but it shows us that we are not given a detailed account of those years. The years are wasted years for the children of Israel. When we get to Joshua, chapter 5, we will learn that they did not circumcise their children during this period. This shows that they were not fulfilling the will of God relative to the covenant which God had made to Abraham. We also know that they did not offer sacrifices to God. “Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?” (Amo_5:25). These sacrifices pointed to Christ, and they were not offering them during the forty years. Not only that, but we also know they worshiped idols during this period. “But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves” (Amo_5:26). Stephen relates this again in Acts, “Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?

Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon” (Act_7:42-43). So we see that the children of Israel were not faithful to God during this period. These years of wandering have many lessons for us today. We are pilgrims and strangers in this world. In God’s sight the world today is a wilderness. It may not look that way to us. Down here in Southern California, we have never felt this was a wilderness, but God sees it as a wilderness. You and I, believers, are just passing through this world. We are strangers and pilgrims. Let me emphasize again: the whole theme of this chapter is that they can delay God’s blessing but they cannot destroy God’s purpose. Notice that although the children of Israel have turned back into the wilderness, God says they will enter the land, and as far as God is concerned, it is as good as done. That is the reason a great deal of prophecy is stated in what is known as the “prophetic tense” in the Old Testament. It is stated in the past tense although it speaks of a future event. You see, friends, as far as God is concerned, when He says something is going to come to pass, it has already come to pass in His program.

Numbers 15:1

GOD’S PURPOSE IS NOT DESTROYEDGod is now telling them things which they are to do when they enter the land. Forty years later, Israel in a new generation entered the land and they did the things which their fathers neglected to do.

Numbers 15:3

Now God goes on to talk to them about this offering. A hin of oil was to be put on it, which speaks of the Holy Spirit. Then there was to be the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering, and that speaks of joy. Notice how God says, “When thou prepares a bullock” (v. Num_15:8). God talks to them about what they will do in the land as definitely as if it were done. Although this generation in the wilderness will turn back to idolatry, the new generation that is coming into the land will offer these offerings which all speak of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. My friend, how is it with you today? Probably on Sunday you go to church and your thoughts center on the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. But what happens to you upon Monday when you go out into the wilderness of the world? Do you join in the idolatry of the world? Do you serve the gods of this world? Do you live a sacred, religious life on Sunday and a secular life during the rest of the week? I tell you, the Lord Jesus wants to go into the market place with you. He wants to go on the streets of this world and into the trading places with you. He is as real there as He is in the church on Sunday. Now he mentions something which we have previously seen in Leviticus, the offering for sins of ignorance.

Numbers 15:24

Sins of ignorance remind us of a current issue. There is a great deal of debate about whether the heathen, who have never heard the gospel, are lost. May I say to you, they are not lost because they are ignorant of the gospel. They are lost because they are sinners. Sins of ignorance had to have an offering. So men are lost because they are sinners, whether or not they have heard the gospel.

I believe every man should have the opportunity to hear the gospel and to make a decision, but men are lost long before they hear and reject the gospel. Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost, and all men are lost. That is their natural state. Lost mankind is not sitting down in grief today because they have not heard the gospel. If you have ever had the opportunity of taking the gospel to those who have never heard it, you will recognize that they are not anxious to hear it.

Numbers 15:32

DEATH PENALTY FOR BREAKING THE SABBATHOne incident that happened during the wilderness wanderings is startling to read. This is very severe. This makes one thing very clear. The death penalty was the penalty for breaking any of the Ten Commandments. We need to see this to understand what it means that the Lord Jesus Christ died our death for us.

Numbers 15:37

THE RIBBAND OF BLUEThat border of blue, which is a heavenly color, was to remind them of the fact that they were God’s people and they were to have a heavenly walk down here on this earth. There are many believers today who need to have that “border of blue” to remind them that as God’s children they are set apart and are to live for the Lord Jesus Christ.