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1/16/12 THE ISRAELITES’ INHERITANCE

1/16/12 THE ISRAELITES’ INHERITANCE

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF Monday, January 16, 2011
Numbers 34:1-29         Key Verse: 34:13

“Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes,”

Good morning, Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your love and your grace in my life. Thank you that you have blessed us with hope and vision for 2012. Thank you for a very graceful and peaceful key verse testimony sharing meeting yesterday. Help us to follow you closely in 2012 and mature in you and grow in you and know your love and grace deeply. Lord, grant me wisdom on how to raise my kids as disciples of Jesus. Work in all of their hearts through the Holy Spirit. Guide us according to your sovereign will. I pray that you may help me to write a 2011 new years ministry report that brings glory to God and fills our heart with hope and clear direction for 2012. Please guide us all. Lord, please grant me one word of God to hold onto through this passage. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: The Boundaries Of The Land (1-12).

Verses 1-12, “The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries: 3 “‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea, 4 cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, 5where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea. 6 “‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This will be your boundary on the west. 7 “‘For your northern boundary, run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor 8 and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, 9 continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north. 10 “‘For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.[a] 12Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. “‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

The Israelites would soon enter the Promised Land. The land would be given to the Israelites as an inheritance, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham. (Gen 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.” God also gave the detailed boundaries of the land. This helped the Israelites visualize the length and breadth of their inheritance. It also reinforced the certainty of God’s promise. They did not need to fear the upcoming war, rather they could enter the land believing that God had already given it to them. The boundaries also helped guard against greed and pride when they experienced victory.

God has given us a land to pray for. The basic land if the NIU and the people of DeKalb. It also included the campus’ of the DEAR area, (DeKalb/Elgin/Aurora/Rockford) It is to co-work with the Triton and DuPage ministries in bringing the Gospel to the western suburbs of Chicago. Ultimately the Promised Land is the kingdom of God where Jesus, our leader is going ahead of us and conquering so that we may occupy that Good Land. What does it mean to conquer the land? Does it mean that we must have 500 Sunday worship attendants? Does it mean to have several UBF chapters scattered about the DEAR area? Ultimately I hope this does happen, yes. But it also means one heart has been changed, that the Gospel is faithfully and clearly proclaimed. It also means that one person stands in the “land” and is determined to live by faith. Steve’s changed life is an indication that the land is conquered. Steve is truly the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Our kids faith is the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work. They all believe in Jesus and want to serve God. Praise the Lord. Julie and I are standing up as a “Jesus centered” house church ministry. We are building alliances with other Christians and other ministries. The kingdom of God is growing and expanding at the Kishwaukee hospital and at the High School and middle school. We are co-working with DCC and Dave and Jill and the music ministry. We are taking part in several Christian music festivals. There could be some future preaching at the Waterman Presbyterian. There are so many doors opening. Praise the Lord in these things!

I thank Jesus who is going ahead of us. He conquered sin and death so that we may enter the Promised Land of the Kingdom of God. He fights the battle for us. But we still have to fight to take hold of the kingdom of God. I had to fight for 5 years with my family concerning my Christian life. There is the fight to start a new life at Triton UBF. There was the fight to pioneer NIU UBF. There is the fight to grow our family as a house church. There is an inner battle to overcome the inner demons of fatalism and despair and depression and trying to stay focused on Jesus and the word of God. There are the personal struggles between personalities who are part of my life. There is the battle to always take hold of the kingdom of God and seek that kingdom first, as of first priority. These are all fights and battles to lay hold of the kingdom of God. Jesus has helped me through all of them. Jesus is going ahead of me. I have entered the kingdom of God and I am dwelling in the kingdom of God because of Jesus my commander general.

I pray that all of the people associated with our ministry here, can see the Promised Land and its boundaries being more vividly revealed. I pray that they may all follow their victorious general, Jesus Christ to the kingdom of heaven and dwell there with him. I pray that they may fight, with all of their hearts, the spiritual battles that come their way in order to seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness.

Part 2: The Leaders To Assign The Land (13-29).
Verses 13-29, “ 13 Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, 14 because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”16 The LORD said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land. 19 These are their names Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah; 20 Shemuel son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon;21 Elidad son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin;22 Bukki son of Jogli, the leader from the tribe of Dan; 23 Hanniel son of Ephod, the leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph; 24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan, the leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph; 25 Elizaphan son of Parnak, the leader from the tribe of Zebulun; 26 Paltiel son of Azzan, the leader from the tribe of Issachar; 27 Ahihud son of Shelomi, the leader from the tribe of Asher; 28 Pedahel son of Ammihud, the leader from the tribe of Naphtali.” 29 These are the men the LORD commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.”

The land west of the Jordan would be inherited by the nine and a half tribes that had not yet received land. God even appointed leaders who would assign land to each tribe. This would help prevent disputes after the land was firmly in the hands of the Israelites. Joshua, Eleazar, and the tribal leaders would work together to fairly distribute the land by lot.

I can see co-working going on here. There were leaders. They were assigned their task. They were on the same page for one goal, that the people of God may enter the Promised Land and dwell in that land. I thank God for our co-working in UBF. We are co-working with Shp Teddy and Msn David. We are co-working with Chicago area ubf chapters and leaders from other ministries. It is all about expanding the territory of the kingdom of God. I pray for unity among us. I pray for a spirit of co-working.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for our inheritance in your kingdom. Help me to live with a sense of victory, holding on to your promises and fighting many spiritual battles as I seek first your kingdom and your righteousness.

One Word: A sure inheritance




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