Tag Archives: preaching through books of the bible

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Caleb’s “different spirit” and the Christian: Preaching Through Numbers

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Photo by Joseph Gonzalez on Unsplash
Preaching Numbers Serves Up A Rich Meal Every Sunday!

When I decided to preach through Numbers, I selected a clause from 14:8 as the theme for the series: “He will bring us into this land.” And in the pericope, 14:20-38, that is followed by: “That is, All of Us Who Have a ‘different spirit'”

That means I decided that God meant Caleb to be our spiritual role model. You can find that in verses 24, 30b-31, 38. That was my final thought block or main idea for the sermon. You’ll want to explain how this description of Caleb, “because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully…” fits every genuine Believer.

But additional richness permeates this meal in the form of our need to make sense of both pardon and judgment. This is where I began in vv. 20-22a, 23a, 25, 28-30a, 32-37. God clearly states that he has pardoned (v. 20) but in vv. 21-23 He continues by saying “none of those who despised me shall see [the land].” God pardoned, but judged?!?

If nothing else, preaching through Numbers forces us to be better theologians!

My second section was devoted to making sure we’re not part of “this wicked congregation” (vv. 22b, 23b, 26-27, 35). Those verses describe what the congregation did. They clearly function as a “go and do otherwise” characters.

And this is what separates Caleb from the others. His “different spirit” is the result of God’s transformation in him heart. He doesn’t test God or despise God or grumble against God. He’s today’s Christ-follower and we urge our congregants to go and do likewise.

And if you’re interested in reading Numbers through the lens of the Christ-event, look no further than the graphic statements of judgment and the prophecy that God’s people would bear their iniquities and know the displeasure of God for 40 years (cf. v. 34). Only those who receive pardon through faith in Christ, our Sin-bearer, are transformed into the Caleb’s of our congregations.

May God grant you the joy of serving up rich food from everyone’s favorite book of Numbers so He receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Faith-Driven Courage: Preaching Through Numbers

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Let’s Be Sure We’re Sure the Book of Numbers Is Relevant.

I’m not quite there yet, but getting closer to Numbers 14:8 which contained my selected general theme for my study: “He will bring us into this land.” The parallels between their journey and ours are one way Numbers is extremely relevant to faith-families.

Chapter 13 also provides critical information for our journey. God will certainly bring us home, but it will require faith-driven courage.

Here’s the path I took our folks through:

  1. God has promised to give us LifePlus (vv. 1-16)
  2. But it isn’t all roses (vv. 17-29)
  3. So, will it be faith or fear? (vv. 30-33)

The narrative begins with God’s command to send the spies into the Promised Land. Their distribution shows that everyone of God’s children has this gift from the Lord.

Our listeners need to see from the second paragraph that this journey will not be easy. In v. 22, for instance, we read, “the descendants of Anak, were there.” Yikes! No wonder Moses said a bit earlier, “Be of good courage…” (v. 20). I worded it, “it isn’t all roses,” but that section does contain some: “That place was called the Valley of Eschol, because of the cluster…” (v. 24). You can see both the encouraging and frightening news in vv. 27-28: “It flows with milk and honey….However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large.” Bummer.

So, Caleb attempts to lead them up to occupy the land reasoning, “for we are well able to overcome it” (v. 30). Every man that went up with him said the opposite, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are” (v. 31).

Every day our folks make a decision on which report to believe, Caleb’s good one, or the “bad report” (v. 32).

If you’d like to experience a Christo-centric reading of Numbers 13, one option is in v. 16 and the special attention drawn to Joshua (our Jesus). And because He was overcome on the cross, we are overcomers through Him on our journey. Caleb’s right because of the promises of God-in-Christ.

This kind of relevance is one of the reasons why our Lord receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) when Numbers is preached.

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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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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How to Preach 1 Chronicles. Really.

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You know you want to preach through 1 Chronicles.

When you do, this series of posts may provide some help. Last month I launched a series through this book so I will try to provide examples of navigating this part of redemptive history in a way that functions for the Church.

First, the image I selected for the series connects to my chosen theme for the book: “Direct Our Hearts Toward You, Lord.” These are the words of king David recorded in 1 Chronicles 29:18.

I have written before about the importance of choosing a preaching theme for a book study. It takes some time but is well worth the effort.

Benefit for the Listener: Notice that I’ve chosen to word the series title as an applicational statement. In this case, a request that mirrors David’s original request. As we worship our way through 1 Chronicles each Sunday, we remind ourselves how we are supposed to respond generally to our God. The Faith-Family never has to wonder how 1 Chronicles applies. It’s relevant by design.

You can imagine that your congregants will question the book’s relevance when they begin reading 9 chapters of genealogies (more on that next time)!

Benefit for the Preacher: But, selecting a theme for the book benefits you too. The process requires some familiarity with the whole book. That means reading through it quickly and consulting some introductory studies.

In the case of 1 Chronicles, reliable guides will highlight the unique positive perspective of the Chronicler: David and Solomon’s kingdoms are held up as positive examples for God’s people to follow so they can experience the blessing of God as did Israel in their hay day.

When I read through the book, as is often the case, the ending of the book provided a clue of its purpose. Unlike king Saul, David seeks the Lord.

1 Chronicles 10:14 (the narrator’s comment in the opening story after all the genealogies) describes Saul’s way: “He did not seek guidance from the Lord…” But David prays in 29:18 “…direct their hearts toward you.”

That’s the difference between spiritual defeat and spiritual victory. And every sermon in 1 Chronicles provides an opportunity for God’s people to follow their Savior on The Way.

May you experience the privilege of preaching 1 Chronicles for the sake of God’s reputation in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal