Kadesh Barnea Introduction to Joshua Numbers 13 14

Kadesh Barnea Introduction to Joshua Numbers 13 -14

Kadesh Barnea – a Pivotal Point o Beginning with Abraham (Genesis 12: 1 -3) Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. "

Kadesh Barnea – a Pivotal Point o o o Beginning with Abraham (Genesis 12: 1 -3) 600+ Years Pass… Enslaved in Egypt… God Raises Moses… Finally Ready to Enter “The Land”

Eratz (the Land) Vast, Ancient History o Sumerian Culture o Vital Crossroads o Strategic Military Area o Continues in the Modern Era… God’s Claim: “the Promised Land”

Eratz (the Land) The Cornerstone of God’s Activity in Human History o To “Bless the Nations…” o The Focus of Biblical Prophecy o Theater of WWIII o The Pinion of Salvation History

Eratz (the Land)

The View Behind Them

Eratz (the Land) When theytheir came to the valley of “We Eshcol, they the cut This was report to Moses: entered “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, down a branch with aexplore, single cluster ofindeed grapesaso land you sent us to and it is the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one large that itcountry—a took two ofland them to carry it milk on a and pole bountiful flowing with leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes. ” between them!is. They alsoofbrought back samples honey. Here the kind fruit it produces. Numbers 13: 2 of. Numbers the pomegranates and figs. Numbers 13: 23 13: 27

“BUT…” But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! Numbers 13: 28 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13: 33

The Minority Report But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land, ” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” Numbers 13: 30 Theology vs. Reality But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” Numbers 13: 31

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. Starts with Unbelief “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” Numbers 13: 31

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. 2. Starts with Unbelief A Distorted View of God So they badusreport the “Why is spread the Lordthis taking to thisabout country land Israelites: only among to have the us die in battle? “The Our land wiveswe and traveled explored will our little through ones will and be carried off as plunder! devour anyone who for goes live there. Wouldn’t it be better us to to return to All the people we saw Egypt? ” Numbers 14: 3 were huge!” Numbers 13: 32

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. 2. 3. Starts with Unbelief A Distorted View of God Distorted View of Self We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13: 33

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. 2. 3. 4. Starts with Unbelief A Distorted View of God Distorted View of Self Loss of Power We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13: 33

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. 2. 3. 4. Starts with Unbelief A Distorted View of God Distorted View of Self Loss of Power Distorted View of Leaders 5. Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron…Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!” Numbers 14: 2, 4

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) Starts with Unbelief “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. 2. A Distorted View of God “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have 3. Distorted View of Self us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to 4. Loss of Power return to Egypt? ” Numbers 14: 2 -3 5. Distorted View of Leaders 6. Distorted View of the Past 1.

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) Starts with Unbelief 2. A Distorted View of God 3. Distorted View of Self 4. Loss of Power But the whole community began to talk about 5. stoning Distorted View of Leaders Joshua and Caleb… Numbers 14: 10 6. Distorted View of the Past 7. Chaos & Anarchy 1.

God’s Response to Unbelief o God is an Imposing Figure But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. Numbers 14: 10

God’s Response to Unbelief God is an Imposing Figure o He Cannot Work With Rebellion o And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? ” Numbers 14: 11 -12

God’s Response to Unbelief God is an Imposing Figure o He Cannot Work With Rebellion o He Lets Them GO o Theythe will. Lord never even seepardon the land I swore to give Then said, “I will them as you havetheir requested. ancestors. None of those who have treated meoff with “‘You children would be carried ascontempt But as said surelyyour as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with will. Lord’s ever Well, see it. Inot the glory, of these ever enter that plunder. willone bring thempeople safelywillinto the land, But They my servant Caleb has aglorious differentpresence attitude than the others land. have all seen my and they will enjoy what you have despised. have. He has remained loyalboth to me, so I will bring him into the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the But ashefor you, you will drop dead inpossess this wilderness. land explored. His descendants will theirbyfull share wilderness, but again and again they have tested me Numbers 14: 31 -32 of that land. refusing to listen to my voice…. Numbers 14: 20 -24

God’s Response to Unbelief God is an Imposing Figure o He Cannot Work With Rebellion o He Lets Them GO o God Only Wants a Progress of Faith o

The Momentum of the Heart Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living We Can HELP Each Other! God. Hebrews 3: 12 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today, " so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3: 13 You CAN Chose Your Way OUT: Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled. ” Heb. 3: 15

Alertness: “Today when you hear…” o o Lack of Gratitude: “even after all the miraculous signs I have done…” Drowning in Excuses… “But…but…” The Art of Reviling “…THEY did it!” Confusion “…the deceitfulness of sin…” “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. ” Hebrews 4: 7

A Better Option God’s promise of entering his rest still stands…For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them… Hebrews 4: 1 -2 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and For the one who has entered His rest has himself also humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR rested from his works, as God did from His. SOULS. Hebrews 4: 10 is easy and My burden is light. ” “For My yoke Matthew 11: 28 -30