MESSAGE FOR PEOPLE TODAY FROM THE BOOK OF NUMBERS |
4 of 39 lessons Theme: Faith |
Background Information: We asked in the book of Genesis, “How can the creation, humanity, know how to repair the broken relationship with the Creator, God?" In Exodus, the Hebrews were awakened by the miracles of God to know that being saved by faith includes a sacrifice (choice), and we are awakened to know that being saved by grace through faith includes our behaviors which are a living sacrifice (behavior). In Leviticus, we learned from God how to remember to be a witness who has a heart that is set apart from the world by choosing God and not the worldview. |
Statement of Faith to Say Amen to for the Book of Numbers: I can be a witness who remembers how to line up my testimony with the Chief Cornerstone (the sacrifice Christ made) by remembering to be in subjection to the leaders God establishes. |
Essential Question Does the world teach us that God put leaders in place to build The Rock of Faith and how the Chief Cornerstone is aligned on The Rock of Faith? |
Book of Numbers Have students read pages 37-44 in The Rock of Faith. After students read the information ask them, "What do you want to talk about?"
The Issue: Realizing that God anointed a high priest as a leader in the pre-church age who could atone for sin is important. The world is not teaching us how Jesus can make an intercession for us to forgive sin.
The Truth is Important: We cannot withstand God’s wrath, but we can ask Jesus to atone for our sin through His sacrifice just as the high anointed priest in the Old Testament atoned for sins with a sacrifice to sanctify people.
The Promise of God: Students will read Numbers 2:1-34 to learn how God instructed the Hebrew camp to arrange their tents. Then give students five minutes to draw what they think the camp looked like on page 44 in The Rock of Faith book. After students finish drawing, inform them that God had instructed the Hebrews to make a design that was in the shape of a cross. Can you imagine how this looked at night with the lights? This is an example of how the Hebrews were anticipating and looking for the sacrifice Jesus came and made.
Tape the floor specific to the cross and make the cards ahead of time. The teacher will have thirteen sections taped off on the floor that form a cross, one section for each of the 13 tribes. Each tribe is arranged (taped off) as the tribes would have been arranged in the camp. The name of the tribe is also written inside the taped section on the floor. Instruct students to pick an index card. The index cards are labeled Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Levi. Students will find their tribe and move to that square.
The tribe of Levi was located in the center of the other tribes because they were responsible for teaching the other twelve tribes how to perform the sacrifice and to understand the relationship between the sacrifice and God’s commandments. There was also a high priest who could atone for sin. In the book of Numbers, there are several stories with examples of how God put his leaders in charge, and how people were to respect and learn from them. Leaders are there to warn us to repent. When we ignore God's leaders, God will not be pleased. In the book of Numbers, there is a man named Korah who causes some drama by resisting Moses as a leader. Read pages 41-43 in The Rock of Faith.
Korah thought he should be in charge instead of Moses. Korah was continuing to sin without repentance. He is an example of someone who made choices that aligned with the world. Korah did not sacrifice (choose) on the rock because he was sacrificing to (choosing) the world. Korah would make another choice that connected to the previous choice. Korah was aware of what lay beneath what was already there. He was not willing to turn from sin to repent. Korah began to justify a bad choice with worse choices, and then he had behaviors that spiraled out of control. When a person takes this path and is under stress, they will react differently than another person who knows how to turn back and repent. Korah had a mean streak because he made choices on sinking sand, and when life got tough, he got mean. When we make choices with the rock, we are going to be reminded by God’s leaders about the relationship between the sacrifice and God’s commandments. This is still God’s message.
God is going to do what He said He will do even if we do not do what we say we are going to do. Korah is an example of this. The Earth opened up, and Korah went straight to hell. People were gathering in opposition to Moses and with God’s wrath, the people were being affected by a plague. The plague was the wrath of a holy God. Because Aaron, the anointed high priest offered an incense at the entrance of the temple, the plague stopped killing the people. Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made, He is the anointed high priest now, and He can make this intercession to atone for our sins now.
As it is written in Numbers 15:40-41, “That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.” It is important to remember to be holy because God is holy. Holiness is a measure of love’s devotion to God. Jesus came and added love to the law. Now with our living sacrifice, we can measure love’s devotion to God. Lessons 6-36 in A Book of Remembrance will uncover the sand or The Rock of Faith to understand how someone can have behaviors that will spiral into the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. A living sacrifice can blaspheme the Holy Spirit in comparison to how a choice like Korah made blasphemed God. When God comes to Earth, we will need Jesus to atone for our sin. Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone for our living sacrifice, and He places the Cornerstone on The Rock of Faith. We are to listen to Jesus and line our witness testimony up with the Chief Cornerstone on The Rock of Faith when we build our internal temple. |
Activity: The activity directions are located in Appendix 4. Students will play a game called, “Who will I listen to?” |
Conclusion: Does the world teach us that when we rebel against God’s leaders, we are rebelling against God? God’s wrath will find that person. When God comes to Earth, Jesus can atone for our sin. |
Next Lesson: Moses reminds the Israelites to remember to choose to remain in a covenant with the rock (God). |
Blog:
Question One:
Does God still have leaders to remind us about the relationship between the sacrifice and God’s commandments? If you said yes, who are they?
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