Category Archives: preaching through books of the Bible

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When Fear Displaces Faith: Preaching Through the Book of Numbers

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Numbers 14 shows how difficult it is to believe in God’s ability to deliver us.

Some of the best preaching in Numbers comes in chapters 13 and 14. That’s because they focus on faith and how fear can eclipse it if not kept in check.

Do you remember what happened to God’s people after the spies gave a report of the Promised Land? They wished they had died in Egypt or in the wilderness and wanted to go back (14:2-4).

If that wasn’t bad enough, verse 10a records that the people wanted to stone their leaders! So, verses 1-4, 10a describe the terrible effects of fear gone unchecked.

What do we do when God’s people entrusted to our care express their unbelief? Verses 5-9 describe how godly leadership responds to such unbelief. It’s certainly a “go and do likewise” section for us. They feel the agony of the situation (“tore their clothes” in v. 6), speak the truth (“If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land…” in v. 8; this verse became my unifying theme for the study through Numbers), and urge obedience to the Lord (“Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people…” in v. 9).

And if anyone listening wondered if the people’s reaction was such a big deal, verses 10b-12 show how the Lord feels about such fear and unbelief. God’s glory appears and He expresses His own exasperation.

Those opening 12 verses in Numbers 14 provide a great opportunity for us to build up the faith of our congregants.

And just suppose a listener asked, “How can I be sure that the Lord delights in me?” (cf. v. 8) How would you answer? We know the Lord delights in us because the great exchange has taken place. Isaiah 42:1 teaches that our God delights in His Servant, our Savior. And by faith He now delights in us. That means we can be assured that God will bring us safely through this wilderness to the new creation. Providing that all who believe will heed the instruction in v. 9. It’s a wonderful example of a living faith that works.

I hope you’ll consider Numbers 13-14 as prime preaching material. If so I know our Lord will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Think Twice Before Challenging God-Ordained Leadership: Preaching Through Numbers

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If you’ve been reading some of these posts about preaching through the book of Numbers, you may be surprised at how much “preachable” material is there. When you arrive at chapter 12 you’ve hit the jackpot. The chapter describes what happened to Miriam when she and Aaron “spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman who he had married, for he married a Cushite woman” (the second clause must’ve been added to make sure we didn’t miss it!?!) (12:1).

Here was my take on Numbers 12:1-16…

“He will bring us into this land”:

And We Will Follow God-Ordained Leadership

The narrative flows like this: there is a challenge to godly leadership (vv. 1-2), the problem centers on the leader’s authority (v. 3), the Lord, however, quickly shows His support of His chosen leader (vv. 4-8), and finally the terrible consequences of challenging the Lord’s leader appear (vv. 9-16, especially v. 10 “Miriam was leprous”).

From my title above you can see that I chose to state the idea positively instead of negatively. The narrative certainly is one of those “go and do otherwise” exemplars based upon Miriam and Aaron’s action of speaking against Moses (v. 1). What’s great about this portion of Scripture is how you can develop your listeners’s understanding of a theology of church leadership and also the exclusivity of God speaking through Christ.

There’s much more, such as Mose’s remarkable attitude toward Miriam (cf. v. 13 where “Moses cried to the Lord, ‘O God, please heal her–please.'”), or the interesting fact that “the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again” (after being quarantined, a very timely issue in light of the recent COVID-19!).

Anyway, I hope that these brief posts through Numbers will encourage you to preach through this fascinating book. I know our Lord will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) if you do.

Randal

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How God Provides Spirit-Filled Leadership: Preaching Through Numbers

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“I will take some of the Spirit that is on you [Moses] and put it on them” (Numbers 11:17)

I just did a Google Image search for godly leadership and also spirit-filled leadership. There were lots of images dealing with Nehemiah (Okay, I am committed to staying sanctified during this post, so I will not comment about what that says about how we read the OT).

I saw just one image from Numbers.

But, if you happen to preach through Numbers you’ll enjoy arriving at chapter 11, a great place to see how God provides Spirit-filled leadership for His people.

You could consider preaching Numbers 11:11-17 and 21-30 with this in mind:

“He will bring us into this land”: And He Will Provide Spirit-Filled Leadership.

Remember, the first part of that title is taken from Numbers 14:8 and serves as a summary of the book’s theology. The second part comes from the Lord’s instruction to Moses concerning getting him much needed help in leading God’s people through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

The heavy burden of leadership is in vv. 11-15. It’s too much for Moses to carry alone.

The Lord’s solution is in vv. 16-17 and 24-25. The Lord already has in place the right amount of leadership for spiritual success. The key is the Lord’s statement about taking some of Moses’s Spirit and putting it on others.

Finally, there are two crises of leadership in vv. 21-23 (the work seems too great and our faith in the Lord is too small) and in vv. 26-30 (the Spirit rests on two seemingly “unauthorized” men).

In v. 29 Moses announces: “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”

And, if you know the rest of the Story, and believe in interpreting Numbers in the context of the whole Canon of Scripture, then you know Moses’s wish came true at Pentecost. And this provides a wonderful opportunity to talk about how the Spirit has gifted all your listeners so they can do their part and God can receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching for Victory Over Strong Cravings: Preaching Through Numbers

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Numbers teaches us about our deadly cravings!

I know the book of Numbers presents major challenges to preachers and teachers who intend to interpret meaning so it functions for the church. But Numbers 11 is pretty straightforward.

The reason is because Numbers 11:4-35 describes how God’s people experience strong cravings on their journey from redemption to new creation (v. 4 “Now the rabble…had a strong craving…”).

Meaning develops along these lines:

Verses 4-10a describe our strong cravings. You’ll quickly see that all the cravings came from their time in slavery in Egypt. Talk about selective memory: God’s people remember all the good food, but forget the whole slavery deal!

Then, you might skip down to vv. 18-20 and see the terrible potential of these strong cravings. It’s hard to imagine a Christian saying they wanted to go back to pre-converted days. Think about what that says about their relationship with the Lord!! Some of you will remember the old Keith Green song about wanting to go back to Egypt (cf. v. 18 “…For it was better for us in Egypt”).

You’ll want to highlight the prophecy about what will happen when the Lord decides to give His people the meat they strongly desire (v. 20 “…and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord…”)

Finally, verses 10b and 31-34 describe the terrible punishment of our Lord. It’s one of the many places in Numbers where we read about the Lord’s anger being kindled against His people. A healthy dose of this kind of theology certainly helps convince the faithful to remain so!

However, you won’t want to leave your people in the judgement-only Numbers 11. Consider taking your listeners to v. 6 and remind them that as our Savior approached the cross we read, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death…” (Matt. 26:38). His death was effective to save because of His strong craving: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (John 4:34). Anyone who trusts Him is able to battle the strong cravings that threaten the soul.

I hope this summary will encourage you to consider reading the book of Numbers with your faith-family and may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through your efforts (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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You’ve Always Wanted To Preach To The Complainers, Right?! (Preaching Through the Book of Numbers)

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Here’s Your Chance!

One of the benefits of preaching through the book of Numbers is being able to address the congregation’s attitude. I’ve found it easier to do while preaching through a book of the Bible than having to address this in a topical sermon selected for that purpose.

When you arrive at Numbers 11 you have your opportunity to address your faith-family about fighting hard against a complaining spirit. When I got to this section I titled it:

“He will bring us into this land”: And We Will Fight the Urge to Complain Along the Way

You’ll recall that the first part of the title is my take on the theology of the book. The second part reflects the application of Numbers 11:1-3.

First, it’s rare to get such a small preaching portion in Numbers. They’re usually much larger, so enjoy that luxury.

Second, the narrative functions by presenting the people’s complaining as a “go and do otherwise” lesson.

You might consider presenting it something like this:

  1. Address our tendency to complain in v. 1a: why was this the default setting of God’s people?
  2. How our Lord reacts to our complaining spirit in v. 1b. It seems over the top. Very extreme judgment. There must be a reason for such drastic action on the part of our Lord.
  3. Finally, there is our hope for healing in vv. 2-3.

If you’re interested in a Christological reading of Numbers 11, you certainly can move from Moses’s intercession to our Savior. And, also, there’s no comparison between our “misfortunes” (v. 1) and the Lord’s misfortune of crucifixion! Yet, He endured all that without any complaining. His example is stellar, to be sure, but it’s not His example that saves us. His sacrifice saves us by faith and that faith is the key to responding unlike God’s OT complainers.

Anyway, I hope that helps you navigate what seems to be one of the easier Numbers narratives. May you preach it with confidence so the Lord receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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“the Lord has promised good to Israel”: Preaching Through Numbers

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God Has Promised Good Things For Us!

Preaching through the book of Numbers requires us to discover meaning through the storyline of the narrative. God tells Moses to make trumpets (v. 2) to signal the congregation. The purpose is stated in v 9 “that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. Then in v. 10 “They shall be a reminder of your before your God…” That relationship will take some exegetical work, but is critical to the theology of the story: we remember God and He remembers us.

Then in v. 29 is an interesting scene where Moses encourages a relative to join him. As is often the case, the dialogue contains more theology for the church: “Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the Lord has promised good to Israel.” That is repeated again in v. 32. And our congregants will be encouraged as you remind them of His faithfulness!

The narrative ends with a remarkable speech surrounding the benefits of having God’s presence (the ark of the covenant). There is spiritual guidance and protection on our journey.

It’s the kind of narrative that brings a congregation to thanksgiving and praise. But they have to know that all this talk about Israel does preach in church. That’s one of the best reasons to preach through a book like Numbers. Every Sunday speak for God to them about them on their faith journey.

Now, it will tax your exegetical and theological skills, but you and your hearers will grow through the series and God will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Preaching the Cloud and Fire: Preaching Through Numbers

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We Follow His Clear Leading

First, it can be done! This past Sunday I completed a six month series through the book of Numbers. The series totaled 31 sermons for 36 chapters. Phew! Great challenges and great rewards!

One thing I want to do better in these posts is highlight the kind of literature you’re dealing with. It’s my way of helping you see how meaning is made before we get to what that meaning is for the church.

So, for instance, in Numbers 9:15-23 is the spectacular story of God guiding His people with a “cloud…by day and…fire by night.” (v. 16) Meaning is made through the subjects (cloud and fire), their actions (“lifted from over the tent” in v. 17), and the response of God’s people (“camped….set out” in vv. 17-18). The cloud and pillar, of course, are also described as “At the command of the Lord…” (cf. vv. 18, 20, 23 and the key phrase, “the people of Israel kept the charge of the Lord” in v. 19).

It’s pretty clear that the Lord is instructing His people through the way He clearly leads them in their journey. And us? Well…

Our Lord will lead the way (vv. 15-16)

We will follow His leading (vv. 17-23)

Even without the cloud/fire?!? (biblical theology of God’s guidance and following Him in our journey.)

The third movement is where the fun is because everyone has asked at one time or another: “Wouldn’t it be great if God guided us now like that?” It’s comforting to know that He does.

I found it helpful to explain God’s guidance in Numbers and His guidance now like this: in Numbers the cloud and fire are like us going from A to B and we don’t know the way (if we don’t follow exactly, we’ll get lost); today we move from A to B and we know the way very well (we don’t have to follow someone and even know various ways to get to point B if we want to or have to).

Our arrival is just as sure because of God’s presence with us in the Person of Christ and His Spirit. And that should help you provide a Christological reading for your congregants. On the cross, Christ loses the presence of God so that He never leaves those who trust Him. Anyone whose heart has been warmed by the Gospel wants desperately to follow the Savior’s leading.

May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as you preach and teach the book of Numbers.

Randal

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Preaching on Giving from an OT Perspective: Preaching Through Numbers

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Everybody Loves Sermons On Giving!

One of the toughest and most rewarding sermons in Numbers came in chapters 7:1–9:14 (“He will bring us into this land”: Which Calls For Continual Celebration!)

Except for familiarity with the concept of tithing, most people know little else of an OT perspective on giving. Preaching through Numbers is a great way to inform your congregation.

Plan on taking huge chunks of material. My breakdown was:

  1. We bring our gifts and offerings (vv. 7:1-88)
  2. We bring our best, separated selves (vv. 8:5-26)
  3. And we celebrate our redemption (vv. 9:1-14)

You’ll give your folks an opportunity to worship God by participating in worship just like Israel did when the tabernacle was dedicated/consecrated.

In the first section what stands out is that all tribes participated and tons of stuff was sacrificed. I strongly suggest resisting any urge to cover the details of what was given and how much. The sermon can easily bog down here due to so much information.

The second section focuses on God’s people being clean enough to worship God. This is shown through the Lord’s instruction about the Levites. They had to be clean in order to do their job well. None of the sacrifices would mean anything without ceremonial cleanliness at this level. Atonement has to be made for them in order for ministry to occur.

The final section of the sermon sets all this celebration in the context of Passover and the Lord’s redemption of His people from Egypt. So important is this celebration that the death penalty was incurred by anyone who was clean and in town, but not present for the celebration.

Finally, anyone wanting to interpret Numbers for the Church through the lens of Christ-crucified will find ample opportunity through the Passover Lamb connection. You might also choose to highlight Christ through John’s language (“tabernacled among us” in John 1:14). We worship God by faith in the One God sent to save us. We gladly give because of what God has graciously given to us. We give as an act of worship just like they did.

And just like back then, God continues to receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as His people follow the patterns set in Numbers 7-9.

Randal

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One of the Perks of Preaching Through Numbers: Preaching the Aaronic Blessing

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You’re looking at a custom made stone containing the first two actions of God that begin the famous Aaronic Blessing of Numbers 6:22-27. The Blessing is extremely popular and has spawned tons of merchandise.

As you make your way through the book of Numbers you arrive at the end of chapter 6. This famous Blessing is sandwiched between laws of the Nazirite and the twelve days of sacrificing that dedicated the altar in the Tabernacle.

One of the keys of preaching the theology of Numbers is noting the placement of strategic teaching like this one: God’s blessing is experienced within the context of holiness and the forgiveness of our sins.

When you preach the Blessing, remember that there is a big difference between the ESV’s pronouncement: “The Lord bless you and keep you…” and the NLT’s prayer/wish: “May the Lord bless you and keep you…” Within the context I described in the above paragraph, yes, it can be a pronouncement. But the Hebrew form of the blessing and it’s meaning in this context reflects Aaron, the priests, and the Lord’s desire or wish for His people.

You might lead your listeners through the Blessing by noting…

  1. the source of God’s blessing. It’s easy for American Christians with all our individualism to miss the fact that Aaron and his sons pronounce this Blessing on God’s people. This will provide an easy link to our Savior in the third section of the sermon.
  2. the content of the Blessing. I can’t think of anything that should put a smile on our faces and thanksgiving on our lips than what the Lord wants to do to everyone one of His own! The poetry is beautiful and builds with each line.
  3. our reception of the blessing. Here’s where you can urge congregants to consider how they know they can experience this blessing that God wants to give them. It’s a good time to be Christ-focused, but also a good time to remind them of their need to respond in faith and obedience.

[Note: I assign this text as an assignment in my Advance Homiletics classes and v. 27 often gets neglected. The act of pronouncing the blessing is equal to putting God’s name on His people. Explaining this are sermon minutes well spent!]

Surely, our Lord receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (cf. Ephesians 3:21) as we preach this great passage in Numbers!

Randal

P.S. If you are interested in the intersection of hermeneutics and homiletics you might take a moment to consider why this Aaronic Blessing is much easier to preach then some other sections in Numbers.

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Pressures Pastors Feel and Why Preaching Through OT Books Can Help

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One of the reasons why I’m enjoying/profiting from Carrell’s book, Preaching That Matters, is because of the massive amount of research and case studies she used as the basis for her book.

For instance, believe it or not, the top concern of preaching pastors relates to their content; delivery was second. She writes,

“In The Great American Sermon Survey when clergy were asked to describe their greatest preaching challenge, the most frequently identified struggles were content related…” (p. 106).

Two areas surfaced: (1) “the need for ‘fresh ideas for familiar content,'” and (2) “‘relevancy, when it is not apparent in the text'” (p. 106).

My experience preaching through several books of the Old Testament has helped me in both those areas.

First, preaching through OT books like Numbers–my current series–virtually guarantees that you will have fresh ideas for familiar content. The OT writers have a way of presenting well-known theology in ways that are often unfamiliar, or not-as-familiar-as-the-NT. I especially appreciate the way in which theology is conveyed through OT narratives.

Second, preaching through OT books forces you to become more skillful at the science and art of applying life to the Bible. My ability to interpret–including apply–Scripture has increased due to being forced week after week to deal with difficult Texts.

I realize you may not agree with this, but in my experience preaching through Numbers or First and Second Chronicles is far more difficult than preaching through Romans. Each series had its challenges, but the OT series win the prize.

So, the only way I know how to overcome the struggle of identifying not-easily-identified relevancy is to practice it every week in the crucible of the Monday to Saturday world of the pastorate.

I’ve found that the OT contains many “fresh ideas” and that careful study reveals its profound relevancy…

Which ends up with God receiving glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal