Last Sunday, in the mission church that meets at Mars Hill Study Center, I preached the first sermon in a series entitled “God and His People In the Wilderness.” This series is based on Numbers, the fourth book in the Old Testament.
The English ”title “Numbers” is borrowed from the name of the book in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, where the title is “Arithmoi,” presumably because of the census accounts in chapters 1-4 and 26. However, the original Hebrew title is taken from the fifth word of the book, bemidbar, which means “in the wilderness.” This title is a better fit because the book i’s an account of Israel’s sojourning in the wilderness.
Similar to an epic, Numbers tells the story of Israel’s journey from Mount Sinai to the borders of the Promised Land, summarizing the first 40 years of the nation’s historical beginnings. The book begins with Israel’s final preparations to leave Sinai, the place where God made his covenant with them. With their sights set on Canaan, the people triumphantly set out, but soon after they started grumbling about their difficulties in the wilderness, provoking God into sending a series of disasters as judgment. Finally, when they reached the gates of Canaan, they were fearful of the inhabitants of the land and defied God’s command to conquer it. In response to this rebellion, God turned the Israelites back into the wilderness to delay the entry into Canaan by 40 years, a move designed by God to prevent all of the people who came out of Egypt ”“ except for Joshua and Caleb ”“ from entering the Promised Land.
Join us as we journey with 15th century B. C. Israelites in their adventures – and misadventures – in the wilderness as they march to the Promised Land, even as we also make the pilgrimage to our heavenly city. We meet for worship services and catechism classes at Mars Hill every Sunday at 2:30 P.M.
Here are the sermons:
Feb 1 2009: “God and His People in the Wilderness”
Numbers 1:1; 14:28-30; 26:64-65; 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 (text); Hebrews 3:1-19
Feb 8 2009 and Jun 15 2015: “God-Centered People of God”
Numbers 2 (text); Eph 6:10-20
Feb 15 2009: “God-Centered Worship in the Wilderness”
Numbers 3:1-51 (text); 1 Cor 12:27-31
Feb 22 2009: “Who’s Out, Who’s In”
Numbers 5:1-31 (text); 1 Cor 6:9-11
Mar 1 2009: “The Gospel According to the Nazirite”
Numbers 6:1-21 (text); 1 John 2:15-17
Mar 22 2009: “The Benediction”
Numbers 6:22-27 (text); Luke 24:50-53
Jun 30 2014: “The Triune God’s Threefold Blessing Upon His People”
Numbers 6:22-27 (text); 2 Cor 13:14
Mar 29: “Giving to God”
Numbers 7:1-17, 84-89 (text); 2 Cor 9:7-8
Apr 19 2009: “Commemorating the Passover Lamb in Worship”
Numbers 9:1-14 (text); Eph 2:11-19
Jun 14 2009: “God With His People in the Cloud and Trumpets”
Numbers 9:15-10:10; 1 Thess 4:13-18
Jun 21 2009: “Starting and Ending Our Pilgrimage with God”
Numbers 10:11-36 (text); Matt 11:28-30
Jun 28 2009: “God’s People Grumble”
Numbers 11:1-35 (text); John 6:47-51, 60-64
Jul 5 2009: “The Uniqueness of Moses”
Numbers 12:1-16 (text); Heb 3:1-6
Jul 19 2009: “Spies on a Mission in the Promised Land!”
Numbers 13 (text); 1 Cor 10:6-13
Jul 26 2009: “Be Careful What You Wish For”
Numbers 14 (text); Heb 9:11-15
Aug 2 2009: “Divine Priesthood and ”˜People Power’”
Numbers 16-17 (text); Rom 12:3-8
Aug 2 2009: “Worship and Obedience in Sacrifices”
Numbers 15:1-36 (text); Heb 10:1-18
Sep 24 2010: “The Duties of Members Towards Their Pastors and Elders” Numbers 16:1-5 (text); 1 Tim 5:17-25
Aug 23 2009: “Strike Two, and You’re Out of the Promised Land”
Exod 17:1-7; Numbers 20:1-13, 22-29 (text); 1 Cor 10:1-5
Aug 30 2009: “Victories of Faith at Last”
Num 21:4-9 (text); John 3:14-16
Sep 6 2009: “God’s Sovereignty in Blessing His People”
Numbers 22 (Excerpts); Rom 8:28-39
Sep 20 2009: “God’s Blessings on His People”
Numbers 23:1-26 (text); John 17:14-18; 1 John 2:14-16
Oct 4 2009: “God’s Future Blessings on His People”
Numbers 24:1-25 (text); Rom 8:35-39
Dec 7 2008: “The Star and Scepter of God’s People”
Numbers 24:17-19 (text); Num 22:1-6, 24:1-5, 15-19; Matthew 2:1-12
Nov 8 2009: “God’s People Commit Gross Idolatry”
Numbers 25:1-18 (text); 1 Cor 5:1-13
Nov 15 2009: “A New Beginning”
Numbers 26-27 (text); Mark 6:30-34
Nov 29 2009: “Communion with God Through Sacrifice”
Numbers 28-29 (text); 1 Cor 5:6-8
Feb 7 2010: “A Pilgrim’s Journal”
Numbers 33-34 (text); Hebr 13:12-16
For the rest of the first sermon, please click here.
For a handout, “Introduction to the Book of Numbers,” click here.