THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL NUMBERS 13 14 CENTRAL TEACHING

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL NUMBERS 13 -14 CENTRAL TEACHING, FREEDOM FELLOWSHIP ADAM ESTERLE

Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Tonight … 40 years between… Rest of series

THE LAND: A BIBLICAL THEME Genesis 17: 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God. Theater of Salvation History Exile as judgement Crossroads of 3 continents Important Today

SPIES NUMBERS 13: 1 -2 THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, “SEND SOME MEN TO EXPLORE THE LAND OFCANAAN, WHICH I AM GIVING TO THEISRAELITES. FROM EACH ANCESTRAL TRIBE SEND ONE OF ITS LEADERS. ”

SPIES NUMBERS 13: 4, 16 FROM THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM, HOSHEA SON OF NUN…MOSES GAVE HOSHEA SON OF NUN THE NAME JOSHUA.

A FRUITFUL LAND? NUMBERS 13: 17 -20 WHEN MOSES SENT THEM TO EXPLORE CANAAN, HE SAID, G “ O UP THROUGH THE NEGEV AND ON INTO THE HILL COUNTRY. SEE WHAT THE LAND IS LIKE AND WHETHER THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE ARE STRONG OR WEAK, FEW OR MANY. WHAT KIND OF LAND DO THEY LIVE IN? IS IT GOOD OR BAD? WHAT KIND OF TOWNS DO THEY LIVE IN? ARE THEY UNWALLED OR FORTIFIED? HOW IS THE SOIL? IS IT FERTILE OR POOR? ARE THERE TREES IN IT OR NOT? DO YOUR BEST TO BRING BACK SOME OF THE FRUIT OF THE LAND. ” (IT WAS THE SEASON FOR THE FIRST RIPE GRAPES. )

THE LAND The Promised Land NUMBERS 13: 21 SO THEY WENT UP AND EXPLORED THE LAND

THE FRUIT OF THE LAND NUMBERS 13: 22 -23 THEY WENT UP THROUGH THENEGEV AND CAME TO HEBRON, WHERE AHIMAN, SHESHAI AND TALMAI, THE DESCENDANTS OF ANAK, LIVED…WHEN THEY REACHED THE VALLEY OF ESHKOL, THEY CUT OFF A BRANCH BEARINGA SINGLE CLUSTER OF GRAPES. TWO OF THEM CARRIED IT ON A POLE BETWEEN THEM

THE FRUIT OF THE LAND NUMBERS 13: 25 -27 AT THE END OF FORTY DAYS THEY RETURNED FROM EXPLORING THE LAND. THEY CAME BACK TO MOSES AND AARON AND THE WHOLE ISRAELITE COMMUNITY AT KADESH IN THE DESERT OF PARAN. THERE THEY REPORTED TO THEM AND TO THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY AND SHOWED THEM THE FRUIT OF THE LAND. THEY GAVE MOSES THIS ACCOUNT: “WE WENT INTO THE LAND TO WHICH YOU SENT US, ANDIT DOES FLOW WITH MILK AND HONEY!HERE IS ITS FRUIT.

A BIG BUT NUMBERS 13: 28 BUT…

A BIG BUT Deuteronomy 3: 11 NUMBERS 13: 28, 33 Og king of Bashan was the last of the Rephaites. His bed was decorated with iron and was more than BUT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE ARE thirteen feet long and six feet wide. POWERFUL, AND THE CITIES ARE FORTIFIED AND VERY LARGE. WE EVEN SAW DESCENDANTS OF ANAK THERE… WE SEEMED LIKE GRASSHOPPERS IN OUR OWN EYES, AND WE LOOKED THE SAME TO THEM. ”

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization Deuteronomy 7: 11 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out… seven nations larger and stronger than you Numbers 14: 3 Our wives and children will be taken as plunder.

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization NUMBERS 13: 30 THEN CALEB SILENCED THE PEOPLE BEFORE MOSES AND SAID, “WE SHOULD GO UP AND TAKE POSSESSION OF THE LAND, FOR WE CAN CERTAINLY DO IT”. Numbers 13: 22 where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization 2. Spreads w/ Lies NUMBERS 13: 31 -32 BUT THE MEN WHO HAD GONE UP WITH HIM SAID, “WE CAN’T ATTACK THOSE PEOPLE; THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WE ARE. ” AND THEY SPREAD AMONG THE ISRAELITES A BAD REPORT ABOUT THE LAND THEY HAD EXPLORED. THEY SAID, “THE LAND WE EXPLORED DEVOURS THOSE LIVING IN IT. ALL THE PEOPLE WE SAW THERE ARE OF GREAT SIZE.

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization 2. Spreads w/ Lies 3. Blame Leaders NUMBERS 14: 1 -2 THAT NIGHT ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY RAISED THEIR VOICES AND WEPT ALOUD. ALL THE ISRAELITES GRUMBLED AGAINST MOSES AND AARON

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization 2. Spreads w/ Lies 3. Blame Leaders 4. Distorted View of Past NUMBERS 14: 3 WOULDN’T IT BE BETTER FOR US TO GO BACK TO EGYPT?

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization NUMBERS 14: 6 -9 2. Spreads w/ Lies JOSHUA SON OF NUN AND CALEB SON OF JEPHUNNEH, WHO WERE AMONG THOSE WHO HAD EXPLORED THE LAND, TORE THEIR CLOTHES AND SAID TO THE ENTIREISRAELITE ASSEMBLY, “THE LAND WE PASSED THROUGH AND EXPLORED IS EXCEEDINGLY GOOD. IF THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH US, HE WILL LEAD US INTO THAT LAND, A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY, AND WILL GIVE IT TO USO. NLY DO NOT REBEL AGAINST THE LORD. AND DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND, BECAUSE WE WILL DEVOUR THEM. THEIR PROTECTION IS GONE, BUT THELORD IS WITH US. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEM. ” 3. Blame Leaders 4. Distorted View of Past 5. Rank Rebellion

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization 2. Spreads w/ Lies 3. Blame Leaders 4. Distorted View of Past 5. Rank Rebellion 6. Blinding Bitterness NUMBERS 14: 10 BUT THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY TALKED ABOUT STONING THEM.

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization 2. Spreads w/ Lies 3. Blame Leaders 4. Distorted View of Past 5. Rank Rebellion 6. Blinding Bitterness 7. Lost Opportunity NUMBERS 14: 10 -11 THEN THE GLORY OF THELORD APPEARED AT THE TENT OF MEETING TO ALL THE ISRAELITES. THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, “HOW LONG WILL THESE PEOPLE TREAT ME WITH CONTEMPT? HOW LONG WILL THEY REFUSE TO BELIEVE IN ME, IN SPITE OF ALL THE SIGNS I HAVE PERFORMED AMONG THEM? . . .

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization 2. Spreads w/ Lies 3. Blame Leaders 4. Distorted View of Past 5. Rank Rebellion NUMBERS 14: 23, 30 NOT ONE OF THEM WILL EVER SEE THE LAND I PROMISED ON OATH TO THEIR ANCESTORS. NO ONE WHO HAS TREATED ME WITH CONTEMPT WILL EVER SEE IT…NOT ONE OF YOU WILL ENTER THE LAND I SWORE WITH UPLIFTED HAND 6. Blinding Bitterness TO MAKE YOUR HOME, EXCEPTCALEB 7. Lost Opportunity OF NUN… SON OF JEPHUNNEH AND JOSHUA SON

THE UNBELIEF SNOWBALL 1. Rationalization 2. Spreads w/ Lies 3. Blame Leaders 4. Distorted View of Past 5. Rank Rebellion 6. Blinding Bitterness 7. Lost Opportunity NUMBERS 14: 33 YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE SHEPHERDS HERE FORTY YEARS, SUFFERING FOR YOUR UNFAITHFULNESS, UNTIL THE LAST OF YOUR BODIES LIES IN THE WILDERNESS.

BATTLING FOR BELIEF How were Caleb and Joshua confident enough to wage war against these giants? 1. Believing the Word of God Numbers 13: 2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.

BATTLING FOR BELIEF 1. Believing the Word of God 2. Be Impressed with God

BATTLING FOR BELIEF 1. Believing the Word of God 2. Be Impressed with God 3. Believe in a BIG God Ephesians 3: 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

BATTLING FOR BELIEF 1. Believing the Word of God 2. Be Impressed with God 3. Believe in a BIG God 4. Encourage One Another Hebrews 3: 12 -13 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today, ” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

WHAT ABOUT PROMISES FOR US? Do you believe what God says about you? 1. Jesus can save you John 3: 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

WHAT ABOUT PROMISES FOR US? Do you believe what God says about you? 1. Jesus can save you 2. Jesus forgives ALL your sins Isaiah 1: 18 though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow

WHAT ABOUT PROMISES FOR US? Do you believe what God says about you? 1. Jesus can save you 2. Jesus forgives ALL your sins 3. Jesus frees you of guilt Romans 8: 1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus

WHAT ABOUT PROMISES FOR US? Do you believe what God says about you? 1. Jesus can save you 2. Jesus forgives ALL your sins 3. Jesus frees you of guilt 4. Jesus continues to work on you Philippians 1: 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The Promised Land