Review: Last week we looked at how the 12 spies spied out the land, and reported back. Their report started well, showing the people the fruit of the land; They veered into fear-based thinking. Caleb quieted the people and said-with faith in God’s promises-they were able to take the land. We are to exercise faith over fear, no matter the obstacles.
Title: Rebellion & Judgement
Text: Numbers 14:11-24
Key Verse: Numbers 14:18a, “‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression,…”
Theme: GOD BRINGS JUDGEMENT WITH CONSEQUENCES ON THE DISOBEDIENT.
Introduction: How much do the opinions of others affect you (in parenting, marriage, decision-making, work, church, etc.)? We’ve all made decisions that we were proud of, and some we look back on and think to ourselves, “What was I thinking?”
Context: In love, God uses consequences to correct our course of action.
Main Points:
- God’s Judgement (Numbers 14:11-16)
Scripture: “11 And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.’ 13 But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, 16 ‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’”
Explanation: The 12 spies’ negative report caused the people to weep and want Egypt (Numbers 14:3-4). They sucked the air out of the room, they discouraged them, they disheartened the people.
God voiced that He would send a plague and start the nation over.
Moses intervened and was concerned about God’s glory and reputation before the watching nations.
Discussion: What impact does our faithfulness to God have on our witness to others (the lost)?
Another way of asking this question is, “How important is our testimony?”
Answer: If we say we are a Christian but don’t act like it, our words mean nothing.
II. God’s Glory (Numbers 14:17-19)
Scripture: “17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.’”
Explanation: Moses prayed that God would display a specific aspect of His power: His greatness, glory, and power to forgive, while recognizing that there would still be necessary consequences.
- God can forgive and there can still be consequences. These can go hand-in-hand.
Note the attributes Moses prays back to God: He’s slow to get angry (long-fused), forgiving, and abounding in steadfast love.
Discussion: When we pray, why is it important to bring up specific attributes/character-traits of God to Him?
Answer: His attributes, character traits are the unshakable realities of who He is. Who He is has a huge impact on how we pray and is the basis of our requests, along with His promises.
III. Future Consequences (Numbers 14:20-24)
Scripture: “20 Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.’”
Explanation: God forgives them.
God expressed the consequences for their sin.
They would not be able to see the promised land, but their generations would.
Because Joshua and Caleb stood strong and weren’t swept up into the faith-less-ness of the people, they WOULD live extra-long while this generation died out around them, and Joshua and Caleb and their heritage WOULD enter the promised land after the nation wandered for 40 years.
There will be times when we need to stand firm. There will be times when we’re swimming up stream, going against the grain. God will never have us forsake our loyalty to Him. Stay in the Word. Cultivate your relationship with Jesus.
Discussion: When God forgives us, why does he not remove all the consequences?
Answer: God uses consequences to constructively correct our thinking, affections, and behaviors so that we are protected from repeating the same sin again. It’s helpfully corrective.
Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is God the Son.
Lifeway says, “In His substitutionary death on the cross Jesus made provision for the redemption of men from sin.”
Romans 5:6-10, “6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Colossians 1:14, “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Big Takeaway(s):
- Gospel transition statement(s): People may share a personal regret for a mistake. You could say, “I haven’t been through that regret, but I have had my share of regrets. May I share with you the hope I’ve found in Jesus?”
- When we trust God, we honor God.
- God acts in accordance with his character.
- Sin has consequences.
Discussion Questions: What is one of your big takeaways from God’s Word here?
Caleb Walker 
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