Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20110807.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Numbers: Lessons From Spiritual Casualties And Conquerors
Part XI: Discerning And Heeding God's Circumstantial Guidance
(Numbers 9:15-10:36)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    We have often taught that God can lead us believers by means of circumstantial signals much like Paul was led in Acts 16:6-10.

    However, as we all know, circumstantial signals have to be handled correctly, for as the saying goes, "Experience can be deceiving"! In fact, Moses warned Israel not to follow the prophet who urged them to disobey the God of Scripture even if that prophet successfully performed an attesting miracle, Deuteronomy 13:1-4!

    Nevertheless, we are in great need of knowing how to discern and follow God's circumstantial guidance. Take for example the case involving the article, "As atheists know, You can be good without God" in the August 1, 2011 nationwide paper, USA TODAY, p. 7A, by presumed atheist, Jerry A. Coyne. He is a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago. Coyne claimed, "God cannot be the source of morality but at best a transmitter of some human generated morality . . . So where does morality come from, if not from God? Two places: evolution and secular reasoning . . . When individuals in a group can get to know, recognize and remember each other, this gives an advantage to genes that make you behave nicely towards others in the group, reward those who cooperate and punish those who cheat. That's how natural selection can build morality."

    Professor Coyne feels very strongly about this issue. He wrote, "I see belief in God-given morality as America's biggest impediment to accepting the fact of evolution . . ." (Ibid.) Thus, to get Americans to accept evolution as a fact, Coyne is on a crusade to show how evolution and not God is the source of human morality.

    Well, if a believer in our body does not have good Bible knowledge or access to a credible, knowledgeable teacher when he comes accross this article, we may wonder how can he ever identify and heed God's circumstantial guidance to answer this professor!

    Actually, applying a point in today's sermon shows how everyone who has heard these sermons over the years has already been circumstantially equipped of God to know the answer!

    Nevertheless, to discern how so, we start with our sermon question as follows: "If experience can deceive, how can I know for sure God's circumstantial leading in my life?!"

    Need: "How can I for SURE know God's circumstantial leading?!"

  1. God CIRCUMSTANTIALLY led Israel in the wilderness by way of His cloud by day and His pillar of fire by night, Numbers 9:15-18.
  2. The details involved reveal God's circumstantial leading as follows:
    1. God's true circumstantial leading is for true believers, Num. 9:15-18:
      1. Numbers 9:15-18 NIV reveals the cloud abode at the tabernacle the day it was set up so that the cloud's MOVEMENT to GUIDE was ALWAYS DONE in ASSOCIATION WITH the TABERNACLE.
      2. We learned in past studies how the tabernacle's typology teaches Christ's work to save man, so one must trust in Christ to be saved and circumstantially led of God, John 1:11-12; Rom ans 8:14.
    2. God's true circumstantial leading is for upright believers:
      1. We also previously learned that the tabernacle's typology teaches the spiritual purifying and enabling of believers for life and service.
      2. Thus, one must rely on the Spirit's power to obey God (1 Jn. 2:3-4, 8-11; Gal. 5:16-23) to know and apply His circumstantial leading.
    3. God's true circumstantial leading is noted by upright believers who always watch for God's circumstantial guidance, Numbers 9:19-23:
      1. The cloud and pillar of fire could unpredictably move at any time (Numbers 9:21a-22), so Israel ALWAYS had to WATCH IT!
      2. We must always watch for God's circumstantial guidance to identify and interpret it for our needs, Acts 16:6-10.
    4. God's true circumstantial guidance is discerned by specific traits:
      1. It aligns with Biblical precedents, Num. 9:15-23; Gen. 15:8-21:
        1. The cloud and pillar of fire recalled God's similar appearance as a smoking furnace and burning lamp back in Genesis 15:17 when He promised Abraham to bring his seed (Israel) out of a foreign nation's bondage and back to Canaan, Gen. 15:13-16.
        2. Since we before learned that ten of God's predictions made to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16 were being fulfilled in Israel's era, Israel was to view the similar cloud and fiery pillar symbols she saw as signs of the presence of the God of Abraham for her!
      2. It is clarified by upright, Biblically sanctioned leaders, Numbers 10:1-10, esp. 5-6: God used the Biblical priests to blow silver trumpets to indicate how Israel was to move as the cloud moved!
      3. It perfectly addresses our human needs:
        1. God made Israel wait to move a month and six days after she kept the first anniversary of Passover. (Num. 10:11-13; 9:1-3)
        2. This timing met human need in Israel: some men at the first Passover anniversary could not keep it as they were temporarily ceremonially defiled (Num. 9:1-8), so God had told them to keep it a month later (Num. 9:9-11), and made the rest of the people stay put until these men could keep that Passover there!
        3. Thus, God's timing of moving the cloud met the need for ALL Israel to feel united in keeping the Passover in the same place.
      4. It often directs us RAPIDLY: the cloud moved the twentieth day of the second month, the sixth of seven days the delayed observers of the Passover were to observe the days of Unleavened Bread in association with Passover, Num. 10:11 with Ex. 12:18. God did not waste time, but abbreviated their observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread to move them on to Canaan. (cf. Mark 1:16-18)
      5. It aligns with established Biblical order, Num. 10:11-28; 2:1-34:
        1. When God moved Israel in Numbers 10:14-28, she used the march order of the tribes God had set back in Numbers 2:1-34.
        2. God is a God of decency and order (1 Cor. 14:40 KJV), so His circumstantial leading fits with His decency and order.
      6. It aligns with secular sources sanctioned by Biblical leading, Numbers 10:29-34: though God led Israel by His cloud, He also let Moses use Hobab, a Midianite who knew the wilderness of Paran, to help guide Israel through that barren area, Numbers 10:29-34; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Numbers 10:29-32.
      7. It aligns with repeat remarks of Biblical leaders, Num. 10:35-36:
        1. Moses, God's servant (Deut. 34:5), always alluded to Israel's future war to conquer Canaan as the cloud moved, recalling the Genesis 15:18-21 Abrahamic Covenant. (Numbers 10:35-36)
        2. Thus, God's circumstantial guidance is often revealed in repeat, Biblical assertions by credible, Biblical, spiritual leaders!
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ as Savior, (2) may we fellowship with Him in our lives and (3) closely watch for (4) these various signals to identify and enjoy God's circumstantial leading!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 In our sermon introduction, we noted an article in the August 1, 2011 USA TODAY, p. 7A by presumed atheist, professor Jerry A. Coyne claimed morality does not come from God, but is generated and built by evolution's process of natural selection and secular reasoning!

We also claimed information had already been given in our past sermons on knowing God's circumstantial leading on answering Coyne's claim, and here is how it all works (as follows):

(1) You will recall from today's message that the sixth signal of God's circumstantial leading is a spiritual leader's repeat comments.

(2) Well, one such comment has been my repeat citation over the years of atheist Nobel prize winner in molecular biology, Jacques Monod. I have cited him several times in sermons on his criticism of theistic evolutionism when he said, "(natural) Selection is the blindest, and most cruel way of evolving new species, and more and more complex and refined organisms . . . the more cruel because it is a process of elimination, of destruction. The struggle for life and the elimination of the weakest is a horrible process, against which our whole modern ethic revolts . . . I am surprised that a Christian would defend the idea that this is the process which God more or less set up in order to have evolution." (Jacques Monod, Interview by the Australian Broadcasting Commission on June 10, 1976 entitled, "The Secret of Life," cited by Ken Ham, "The Relevance of Creation, Ex Nihilo (Casebook II), 8 as in turn cited by David H. Lane, "Theological Problems with Theistic Evolution," Bib. Sac., April-June 1994, p. 167)

Applying this past use of atheist Monod's words to presumed atheist Professor Coyne's article also strongly critiques Coyne's claim that natural selection and secular reasoning are the bases for human morality: if in line with the view of atheist and Nobel prize winner in molecular biology, Jacques Monod, that the "modern ethic" calls man to help the weak, but that natural selection in evolution is a horrible process that eliminates the weak, how can Coyne claim good morals arise from natural selection? Simple logic would demand that morality come from some other source, and we would suggest that it is God.

Thus, may we trust in Christ as Savior and fellowship with Him, obeying His Word in our lives, and thus WATCH for the signals of God to guide us circumstantially. In doing so, we will enjoy His circumstantial guidance in our daily walk!