1/7/12 THE SECOND CENSUS

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF        Saturday, January 7, 2012

Numbers 26:1-65

Key Verse: 26:2

“Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families—all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel.”

Dear Lord, Jesus. Thank you for your word and your vision. Thank you for helping me in the midst of a crisis. I have nothing to hold onto except to Jesus and the gospel of Jesus. Jesus is my all in all. He saves me from disaster. He saves me from my sins. I pray that you may help me to define myself. reveal your clear calling to me. If it is your will, grant me and my family unity of heart and mission. I pray that you may guide Jennifer in her university quest. May you help he to follow her will and think about building up your kingdom. Please help us to be inspired by this Sunday’s message. My the good folks at @Waterman Presbyterian be inspired and to have new hope and vision for 2012. I repent of letting despair creep into my heart rob me of the joy of salvation. Please plant your wor deeply in my heart. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

1. Time for war (1-62).
Look at verses 1-4, “After the plague the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, 2 “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families—all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel.” 3 So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said, 4 “Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the LORD commanded Moses.” These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:”

Verses 8-11, “The son of Pallu was Eliab, 9 and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they rebelled against the LORD. 10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign.11 The line of Korah, however, did not die out.”

Verses 52-56, “The LORD said to Moses, 53 “The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. 54 To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. 55 Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. 56 Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups.”

Verses 58b-62, “… (Kohath was the forefather of Amram; 59 the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, who was born to the Levites[e] in Egypt. To Amram she bore Aaron, Moses and their sister Miriam. 60 Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering before the LORD with unauthorized fire.) 62 All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them.”

The two censuses in Numbers serve as bookends. Like the first census, the second census counted all the men who could serve in the army. The census would also be the basis for dividing the land. It reminded the Israelites that God would surely give them victory. The Israelites needed only to fight with faith and trust in God and prepare for war by remembering the promises of God.

I need to fight with faith and trust God and remember the promised of God and God would give a victory. I am not really fighting with faith. I am fighting with some elements of despair and sadness that those who are close to me appear to be drifting farther apart. I am frustrated that in the name of relationships, everything is become voluntary and those who are close to me are drifting towards longer and longer hours on a computer screen. I will never be able to lead this fight or fight well without a spirit of victory in my heart. Who will follow me? Who else will be inspired?

God will surely give me victory…but what would that victory look like? I believe God will give me victory but that victory sure is not in the form of 15 Sunday attendants and 20 1:1’s and a brothers and sisters apartment with growing disciples of Jesus. That is not the victory that is coming my way. The victory for me is five kids who appear to believe. An intact marriage. Knowing the way that I must go. A small house church ministry. A career and respect in the community. I have the forgiveness of sins each and every day. I have eternal life in the kingdom of God. Praise the Lord! My problems are that my expectations are different than the victories that God wants to give me. My own human expectations tend to disappoint me and rob me of the joy in the Lord. They make me push others. They make me grumpy. God is giving me victory. I just need to open up my eyes to see it and open my heart to rejoice over it.

2. Learn from history (63-65).

Verses 63-65 read, “These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 64 Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”
The total number of fighting men was similar to the number after the first census (2:32; 26:51). But all the fighting men counted in the first census died during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness because of their unbelief, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua. The second generation of fighting men needed to remember what had happened to the first generation. Incidents like Korah’s rebellion (10) and the deaths of Nadab and Abihu (61) were sobering reminders of the consequences of disobedience.

We need to know God’s history and remember it and remind our kids of it. God has done so many great and wonderful things. 1800 missionaries; house church ministries; young people who believe; people with a vision and a passion to preach the gospel. God has done this in our ministry and on other ministries as well. God is working and will continue to work. All we need to do is believe and keep trying…not necessarily the same thing…but adapt and grow and mature and be able to reach out to the new generation. God will give us victory. I repent of having blind eyes to see the victory that God is giving. I repent of allowing myself to be locked in the dungeons of despair. Lord, you are the giver of every victory. Please help me to live in Jesus and taste the spiritual victories that you give.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for training me to fight the good fight of faith. Help me to see and live in the victories that you give.

One Word: Open your eyes to see the victory of faith in Jesus.