Numbers

Five Steps to Crossing Over (Numbers 33)

…pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ⁵²then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. ⁵³And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.

God has a “promised land”, over the river Jordan, for each of His children. It is a place in the Spirit for us to live in where the promises of God for our lives, our callings and our ministries are made manifest.

The command to cross over and possess that land involves the following five steps according to this passage:

“Cross over the Jordan” – Passing over the Jordan is symbolic of the baptism of the Spirit. We need to first pass through the waters of the river Jordan, exchanging the ways of the flesh for being filled with the Holy Spirit.
“…drive out the inhabitants” – Who is possessing the arena of your inheritance? If it’s your family – what strongmen are present in your line? If it is business – what strongholds are at work? If it is an area of ministry – what spirit is opposing you? Discern it, ask God for His strategy and pray taking authority over it.
“Destroy…” – By taking ground you will encounter new temptations and new battles. Identify the idolatry and remove yourself far from them. Renounce any rights they have over you in all humility and the fear of the Lord.
“Take possession” – Once you have identified the land of promise and consecrated yourself to the Lord for it, claim it for the Lordship of Jesus. Not for yourself or your glory – but for His! Declare His Lordship over it!
“Settle in it” – Now you are ready to make the shift, from the old to the new. You no longer live in the old circumstance, you are living in the dimension of the promise of the Spirit. Settle in it by aligning your thoughts and words to this truth in God.

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for my promised land inheritance in you. I thank you you are faithful and desire to lead me into it. I ask you for understanding and revelation for how I can possess it, in Jesus name, Amen

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The Temptation of Balaam (Numbers 22)

fame temptation

Numbers 22 verses 15-17 says:

Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. ¹⁶And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, ¹⁷for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’”

The scheme of Balak is the same scheme that the enemy uses today. The enemy is not a creator, he is a copier. Because of this we can learn to identify how the enemy works from the examples in the Word.

The scheme of Balak is to appeal to the flesh that desires esteem and honour in the sight of others. This scheme seeks to woo the flesh. It appeals seductively to the desire for “fame”.

All of us want to do well in life. It is a normal desire to want to achieve and this in itself is not a bad thing. But it must be tempered by other, more important values and priorities. These include a love for God and for others. A desire to walk by faith in obedience to God. Humility and service. Faithfulness to the full range of our responsibilities.

Where things can go astray for us is when we are seduced by the promise of popularity, acceptance and fame and so compromise our other convictions.

The scheme of Balak says “Do what I want and people will love you, you will be thought of more highly, it will be great for you – BUT you need to do what I say”. This same temptation is found all the way back in the garden of Eden and is ever present today.

Resist this temptation by submitting to God, holding fast to your convictions and believing the truth of God’s word over the lies of the enemy.

PRAYER: Father, I choose to submit myself to you today. You are my Lord and my saviour. Lead me into all truth. I choose your way over the lies and temptation of the enemy. Thank you for your grace in Jesus name, Amen.

Between the Living and the Dead (Numbers 16)

fire

Numbers 16 verse 48 says:

And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.

The grumbling of the people of Israel had kindled the wrath of the Lord against them. As a result, a plague was sent against them.

But Moses acted as an intercessor for the people and told Aaron to take a censer full of the alter fire to the people to make atonement for their sin. As Aaron rushed to do this and avert the wrath of God, some were already dead as a result of this plague.

But then, the plague stopped.

Like Aaron, we carry the censer of the gospel that is able to stop of the plague of sin in the lives of people all around us. Like the people of Israel those all around us are oblivious to the seriousness of our predicament. People are under a curse of sin and, unless there is intervention, it will end in death.

But just like Moses intervened on behalf of the people, so too Jesus is our great deliverer.

Jesus, through His death, burial and resurrection, breaks the plague of sin and, in fact stands between us and the wrath of God.

Like Aaron, we are carries of the remedy and the intervention of God to man’s problem. Where ever you go, you carry that solution by the Holy Spirit.

Who is God send you to rescue from sin? Who has God surrounded you with, in need of salvation?

PRAYER: Father, thank you for your precious son Jesus who has rescued me from sin. Help me to see the plague of sin and those you have sent me to rescue in Jesus name. I ask for boldness, faith and strength to do your work, in Jesus name, Amen.

The Spirit of Caleb (Numbers 14)

Caleb Different Spirit

Numbers 14:24 says:

But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

Along with Joshua, Caleb stood out in Israel because unlike their contemporaries they chose to believe the promises of God. Because of this we read he possessed a “different spirit”. It was a spirit that enabled him to overcome opposition to possess the promised land.

What does this “different spirit” look like?

1. He Followed God Fully

Caleb had learnt radical obedience to the call of God. He followed God fully because he trusted the Word of God over the voice of the crowd, the intimidation of the enemy and the opposition of circumstances.

2. God Brought Him In

Once Caleb had demonstrated his faith in God, God was the one who opened the doors. Being of different spirit means trusting God for the promotion and increase, not wrangling your way there in your own strength and wisdom.

3. Generational Impact

Being of a different spirit is to be eternally minded, rather than primarily concerned with the here and now. Because of his eternal mindset, Caleb’s life had a lasting impact on his descendants through his sowing faithfully into the kingdom of God.

4. Trusts, Doesn’t Grumble

Verse 27 tells us about the grumblings of the people of Israel. But Caleb was not a grumbler, because he was of a different spirit. Instead Caleb used his mouth to praise and heart to believe God. There is no place for unbelief when you are of a “different spirit”.

Do you desire to be of a different spirit? Ask the Lord for that, and take on these attributes as seen in the life of Caleb

PRAYER: Lord, I ask you to make me like Caleb, being one who is of a “different Spirit”. Fill me with that anointing of your Spirit today. I ask for it and receive it by faith in Jesus name, Amen.

The Plague of Grumbling (Numbers 16)

Numbers 16:41 says:

But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the Lord’s people.”

The “Lord’s people” Moses and Aaron are accused of killing are Korah and 250 of his followers. Korah rebelled against God and His appointed leader in Moses and as a result of this rebellion the ground split open and swallowed them all up (Numbers 16:32-33).

It is interesting to note the (lack of) logic here. Moses was the object of the people’s grumbling. So Moses wore the blame for Korah and his followers dying. But who was responsible for Korah’s death? Who was responsible for the ground splitting open and swallowing them whole? Certainly not Moses!

Even after this vivid display of the Lord’s justice, the people still grumbled, whinged and complained against God and His appointed leaders.

Verse 47 and 48 says:

47 Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked.

The grumbling was now spreading like a virus. An accusing, unbelieving, rebellion-inspired complaining virus. And it had infected many of the Israelites.

The compliant and accusation by the people against Moses for killing Korah and his men was evidence of this. All reason and common-sense, had long since departed. This was open rebellion and God was going to enact his solution by sending them devastating plagues.

The plagues had begun to spread to each person whose heart was turned toward wickedness, just as the grumbling virus had spread to them before it.

What this tell us is the to beware of the dangers of the grumbling, complaining virus. It is very easy to sit in judgment, to point the finger and to back-bite, gossip and complain. But it is wicked and will open you up to harsh consequences.

Grumbling, complaining and gossiping spreads like a virus; avoid it at every turn because the Lord views it very dimly. In fact, in the context of His people and His church God calls this rebellion a very wicked thing. Let us take heed!

PRAYER: Father, help me to always trust you and speak well of your servants at all times. I repent for complaining, grumbling and gossiping. Forgive me and empower me to overcome. I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

Unbelief in the Promises (Numbers 14)

Promise

Numbers Chapter 14 verses 4, 7-9:

So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
…
7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”

“Let’s go back to Egypt” – what depressing words to the ears of a believer!

Heading back to a life of sin, bondage, debauchery, enslaved living; that is what it means for a Christian to return to Egypt.

Why would anyone even consider doing that? Comfort, familiarity, the temptation of viewing the old life through rose coloured glasses.

But there is so much more at stake here. What has God said?

God’s promise is for a new land. A land that is “exceedingly good”. A land flowing with milk and honey. A new land of promise.

God wanted the Israelites to trust Him and on the basis of that trust go FORWARDS into this new land of promise. Instead the Israelites, looked for a way out and sought to go back into bondage and slavery.

Why was this? Unbelief. It was unbelief in the promises of God and the goodness of God making those promises that stole away their place of inheritance and instead was wooing them back into a place of bondage; Egypt.

God has “a promised land” for you and I too. It is a place where we dwell in the fullness of the Spirit, unencumbered by bondage to sin and the slavery of “Egypt”. The promised land is full of giants we need to fight. The promised land is unfamiliar, it requires change, it can be unsettling, it requires faith.

But to reject the call to the promised land is not only unbelief, lead to bondage again, but we are told is outright rebellion towards God.

“9 Only do not rebel against the Lord”

The promises of God are not optional extras for special believers. It is your birthright and the place God calls you to. Take the call of God seriously and prepare to inhabit the place He has set aside for you!

PRAYER: Father, forgive my unbelief. When times have not been favourable, forgive me. I ask you to strengthen me with faith to follow your leading into my promised land! In Jesus name, Amen

Numbers

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