ROMANCE OF NUMBERS
The first generation in the wilderness (1–25)
- Israel at Sinai: further legislation (1–10)
- Rebellion in the wilderness (10–21)
- Balaam (22–25)
The second generation prepares to enter Canaan (26–36)
Themes: Rebellion and disobedience, testing, national failure, grumbling and complaining, God’s provision, judgment, purity
In Leviticus, God has revealed what it looks like to live holy lives in the presence of a holy God, so now God is ready to bring them into the promised land. The book of Numbers begins 13 months after the exodus and concludes 40 years later as they are about to enter Canaan.
Purpose of the book
The wanderings were a time of testing, designed to teach Israel to trust God and to be obedient to him
¬ They are tested by hunger and thirst (e.g., 11, 20)
¬ They are tested by leadership struggles (12, 16–17)
They are tested by the threat of enemies (13–14
In other words, in Numbers, we see God’s faithfulness and Israel,l’s unfaithfulness
¬ tests, trials, and various forms of suffering are used by God in our lives to strengthen our faith in him, build and perfect our character, and give us greater hope
¬ Although at present we may not enjoy tests, in light of eternity and our relationship with the Lord we should rejoice in them because God has these good purposes in mind
Rom 5:3–5
1 Pet 4:12–13
James 1:2–3
The first 25 chapter of the book of numbers is connected to the experience of the first generation in the wilderness and the other second-generation preparing to enter the promise Land. We need to understand that the book of numbers is a narrative. However, there are differences between interpreting a narrative and a law.in other words the nature of the story is consists of three quality
Literature
History
Theology
According to the book of numbers, its description contains many problem and conflicts
♣ Mirriam opposes Moses.
♣ Complain of hardship.
♣ People rebel.
♣ Korah, Dathan oppose Moses.
♣ Moses disobey God command
♣ Bronze snake.
♣ Summon of Balaam.
The reason the Israelites end up spending 40 years in the wilderness was that of their rebellion and lack of faith.
Story
Your story about your past is a gold ground because your account is where there is the biggest failure that where you find your message. And in your challenge, is your most significant opportunity. The story of our life gives us resilience to draw our power from our pain and to provide us with the belief that we can overcome every pain, any tragedy, any suffering. Your story makes you define who you are this the lesson that God brings out in this journey because his people couldn’t identify themselves in the age of law furthermore most were thinking about their limitation let me tell you that your experience shapes us but it only our choice that define us. In your obstacle is where you learn to be a person of high caliber. In the story in the book of numbers, this person was putting themselves in a box, a box of not seeing what God wanted to teach them. And in this generation, we put our self in boxes that you come to realize that all of them are the illusion the
Stance
This the way in which someone stands (standing point)
Through the failure and the challenges, you can trace the step that you went through. Which made you be where you are, this season of wilderness is when you establish the direction of your life. In the context of this conflict it means that the failures and the challenges propel someone to the standing point bouncing back is the nature of this part because your limitation is illusion.in my story I have come to realize that you draw your power from pain.
Strategy
This the point you make things happen getting to touchable action. This helps you build yourself, this where you answer the question what do you want to live for and you go for it, note that strategy doesn’t belong to you, it belongs to other people
Most of 80 % of the people we live with have everything in their life but they are happy, and many of this people get in all kind of noise because they are not satisfied. What help the 20% of the people who are happy in their life is what we call resilience the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, the act of spring back to shape.
Yesterday, as I was reading the book of numbers and looked at the failure of the children of Israel I thought of a disease call Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a disease that causes weak bones that break easily. It is known as brittle bone disease. Sometimes the bones break for no known reason. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) can also cause many other problems such as weak muscles, brittle teeth, and hearing loss. About 20,000 to 50,000 people in the United States have OI.
OI is caused by one of several genes that aren’t working correctly. Genes carry our hereditary (family) information. We each have two copies of most genes: one set from each parent. Genes are what make you look like your biological family.
Each of the genes that cause OI plays a role in how the body makes collagen. Collagen is material in bones that help make them healthy. When these genes aren’t working correctly, there isn’t enough collagen, or the collagen doesn’t work correctly. It leads to weak bones that break easily.
Most children inherit the gene that doesn’t work properly from one parent. Some inherit it from both parents. In some cases, neither parent passes on this gene. Instead, the gene stops working properly soon after the child is conceived.
In other words, our journey in the wilderness (where here our desert teaches us growth). Is brought to as in a right way because it is through the story that brings out the stance in your life and our fight as Christian we get to fight from our point of victory because here the battle was fought way before we came to existence
Study this journey I have come to realize that the problem that we have in Christhood is not the issue but the issue its all about staying stuck or moving forward. The Israelite was held, in a place where they thought that the law was the center point in their life. But God wanted them to move forward and receive the growth they need before entering the promised land, and this is the reason why God had to destroy the first generation because the had stuck in something that was not a problem. Three things that help me to engage when I’m stuck in a situation.
ϖ Turn
ϖ Learn
ϖ Move forward
In our life we will face hilly places but one thing I have come realize is that it not an end to life but things we need to watch out is ego, fear, pride,