Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20110626.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Numbers: Lessons From Spiritual Casualties And Conquerors
Part V: God's Call That We Accept And Do His Unique Personal Tasks
(Numbers 7:1-89)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    There is a tendency in both our secular society today as well as in Christian circles to wonder if the individual has value, and if what he contributes to society or to God is of any significant value:

    (1) In the secular world, one school of thought suggests there should be an "abolition of individuality and freedom" for the good of society. (www.learn-usa.com, "Goals, Communist Manifesto.'")

    That way of thinking is understandably opposed by those who hold to the value of the individual. The struggle over these contrasting ideologies was evident in a letter to the editor in The Wall Street Journal , p. A14 on June 20, 2011: Bradley J. Furnish of Kansas City, Missouri there wrote to counter the idea that socialism champions "social welfare,'" as he stated: "It was only yesterday, remember, that socialists blithely assured us that the Russian system succeeds because, in contrast to the Western industrial economies, it makes full use of its manpower. Experience forced the left to change its tune . . ."

    (2) Justice Anthony Kennedy who wrote the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Bond v. United States on June 16, 2011, supported the individual's rights as he wrote: "By denying any one government complete jurisdiction over all the concerns of public life, federalism protects the liberty of the individual from arbitrary power . . . Fidelity to principles of federalism is not for the States alone to vindicate." (Ibid., p. A15)

    (3) Even in Christian circles, there is pressure to push the importance of individual Christians to the background for the good of the church organization as a whole: many have been the times when I have heard believers wonder about their personal value in comparison to the needs of the Church as a whole.

    (4) We are preparing for a Vacation Bible School program this week where we have different people doing different things to make the program as a whole succeed. In the process, individuals may struggle as they compare their value or efforts with the value and efforts of others in the ministry or with the program as a whole!



    So, we ask, "When I compare what other people, and especially what other believers are and do versus what I am or do, I wonder about my value or the value of my efforts! Any ideas?!"

    Need: "In comparing myself with others, I doubt my personal value and effectiveness in what I do for God! What would God suggest?!"

  1. In Numbers 7:1-5, 10-89, God revealed that He values His people's donations of their gifts, service and worship unto Him:
    1. God revealed He valued Israel's gifts unto Him, Numbers 7:1-5:
      1. At the dedication of the tabernacle, Israel's tribal leaders gave an ox per man and a wagon for every two men unto God, Num. 7:1-3.
      2. The Lord valued this donation from these men, for he directed Moses to accept it from them, Numbers 7:4-5a.
    2. God revealed He valued Israel's service unto Him Num. 7:5b: He had Moses distribute these gifts to the Levites for their service unto Him.
    3. God revealed He valued Israel's worship unto Him, Num. 7:10-11a: He had Moses accept the leaders' offerings in dedication of the altar.
  2. Yet, by a special scheduling, God showed He GREATLY VALUED EACH INDIVIDUAL'S contribution unto Him, Num. 7:11b--89:
    1. Each tribal leader making his contribution of worship to dedicate the altar was directed by God to donate on his special day so the whole NATION THAT DAY might APPRECIATE THAT MAN'S GIFT, Numbers 7:11b with 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60, 66, 72 and 78.
    2. In addition, as each man gave 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats and 5 lambs for a huge fellowship offering to be used in part to host a great feast for his family, extended family and friends, the leader on his day of national honor received God's additional honor before his personal family and friends, Bible Know. Com., O. T. , p. 223, 178.
    3. Each man gave the same gift (Ibid., p. 223), so this schedule "suggests God's delight with their gifts," Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Num. 7:10-88. It also shows GOD'S VALUE of the INDIVIDUAL!
  3. However, their GIFTS were UNEVENLY DISTRIBUTED, Num. 7:6-9: the Gershonites received 2 wagons and 4 oxen, the Merarites got 4 wagons and 8 oxen while the Kohathites obtained NO wagons OR oxen, for GOD wanted them to CARRY the furniture on staves!
  4. This UNEVEN gift DISTRIBUTION did NOT suggest VARYING VALUES of the groups or their ministries, but rather reflected the UNIQUE and KEY ROLES of the various Levitical clans:
    1. Numbers 4:24-28 shows the Gershonites cared for the tabernacle covers, so they needed 2 carts and 4 oxen to move them, Num. 7:6-7.
    2. Numbers 4:29-33 claims the Merarites cared for the heavy wood and metal items, requiring 4 carts and 8 oxen to move them, Num. 7:8.
    3. Numbers 4:4-23 has the Kohathites carrying the holy furnishings by staves on their shoulders, so they received no carts or oxen, Num. 7:9.
    4. One might think God did not value the Kohathites or their service as He did not give them any carts and oxen, but history shows there were enormous advantages to their NOT having these things as follows:
      1. When the Philistines later captured the ark, God plagued them until they sent it back to Israel on a new cart pulled by cattle, 1 Sam. 4:10-11; 5:1-12; 6:1-13. Since the Philistines did not know God's Word, and they were trying to honor Him in their effort (1 Samuel 4:6-8), God mercifully let them carry His ark this way even though it violated His directive. [See Luke 12:47-48 on the principle of God's showing greater mercy to the less-informed.]
      2. However, when the men of Israel failed to check Numbers 4:4-15 in their own Scriptures to see that the ark was to be covered and carried by Kohathite men by staves on the shoulder lest anyone die in profaning the ark by touching or looking improperly at it, at least 70 Hebrew men at Beth-shemesh looked into the ark, and God slew them for profaning it! (Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to 1 Samuel 6:19)
      3. Then, copying the Philistines in using a new cart pulled by oxen to move the ark, the Hebrew, Uzzah, was slain by God as he touched the ark to steady it when the cart's oxen stumbled, 2 Samuel 6:3-7!
      4. David finally transported the ark Biblically and successfully: he had Kohathites bear it on staves, not on a cart pulled by oxen, so it moved smoothly without getting rocked so no one felt he had to touch it, and it was covered so no one could look improperly upon it to profane it, so nobody died, 2 Samuel 6:12b-15!
    5. Thus, the distribution of the tribal leaders' gifts of the wagons and oxen did NOT reflect any VARIATION in God's VALUE of the various clans or their works, but variations in NEED as each clan had a UNIQUE but a KEY ROLE to play in God's program!
Application: (1) May we trust in Christ for salvation, John 3:16. (2) Relying on the Holy Spirit's power (Gal. 5:16-23), (3) may we do God's assignment for us in His gifting, noting that we must not compare ourselves and our ministries with others, 1 Cor. 12:12-15!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 As He has often done, God illustrated this sermon last week:

A Church member told me of an Answers In Genesis web site article on The Framework Hypothesis that is now taught in many seminaries. It suggests Genesis 1 is not narrative, but semi-poetic, that "God created everything . . . but it gives no information about how or when He did this." (answersingenesis.org, Tim Chaffey, "What's Wrong with the Framework Hypothesis?")

In this theory, "the scientist is left free of biblical constraints in hypothesizing about cosmic origins'" according to Meredith Kline, the "leading promoter" of this view, Ibid., citing Kline, "Space and Time in the Genesis Cosmogeny," Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 48 (March 1996):2 (italics provided by Chaffey) The Framework Hypothesis then lets one adopt an evolutionary viewpoint!

In heeding our Church member's request that I look up this article on AIG's web page, I was sad to find it cited my past Hebrew professor, Bruce Waltke, an intelligent, highly educated man (Harvard and Dallas Seminary) in support of this theory! (Ibid., citing Bruce K. Waltke with Cathi J. Fredricks, Genesis: A Commentary, 2001, n.p.)

Yet, God before supplied the information for me to counter even Waltke's stance: in seminary, I happened to buy George B. Gray's, The Forms of Hebrew Poetry , 1972 (first published in 1915), and on page 52 it claims the use of the "waw conversive" that we now call a waw consecutive (J. Weingreen, A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew , 2nd ed., 1969, p. 91) makes Genesis 1:3-26 one long narration, not poetry as The Framework Hypothesis requires!

Now Dr. Gray, a scholar at Oxford in his era, held to Liberal Theology's Graf-Wellhausen theory that the Old Testament was not divinely inspired, but edited by various men to its current form! We of course do not accept Liberal Theology, but I state this fact to show Gray's claim that Genesis 1:3-26 is narrative and not poetic is without conservative bias, and it authoritatively COUNTERS The Framework Hypothesis in FAVOR of our PURE CREATIONIST view!

God thus before prepared to protect my own creationist persuasion, making my contribution to you today important even to the countering of an intelligent, highly educated former prof!

So, may we not compare ourselves with others, but realize our role, though unique, is needed by God, and so serve Him in it!