“The Preparation” part 9 1420 BC – Exodus 21- Numbers 14 (Page 55) & Selected Pastor Dave Martin, Cross Creek Community Church, Oct 26, 2014

I. Divine Instructions in preparation for the Promised Land…

God’s Ten Commandments are given to the people Exodus 20:20-24b “… LORD said to Moses… You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven… Do not make any gods to be alongside me… Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.”

God’s Covenant Ratified by Blood Exodus 24:4-8 4 Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel… sacrificed young bulls to the Lord… Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey." 8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.“

Altar at base of Mt Sinai with fire ash

Hewn Pillars found at base of Mt Sinai near the Altar Moses made

God’s Institution of the Tabernacle Exodus 25:1-9 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give. 3 These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze… 7 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 8 "Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

The Tabernacle

Very significant and precise, covering 50 chapters in the Bible

Tent of Meeting, represents God dwelling among His people

Requiring approximately 1 ton of gold and 3 tons of silver +

Detailed instructions: Fencing, brazen altar, basin, altar of incense, table of showbread, lampstand, curtain, Ark of the Covenant, priests, procedures…

The Tabernacle

Ark of the Covenant

(11 day trip to the Promised Land, Dt 1:2) Exodus 40:33-38 33 … And so Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out--until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels. (11 day trip to the Promised Land, Dt 1:2)

II. After 11 months at Sinai, they set out for the Promised Land Numbers 10:11-12 11 On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. 12 Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran. (The edge of the Promised Land)

III. The Promised Land & Pivotal Decision: UNBELIEF or FAITH? God’s glory cloud over the tent of meeting led the Israelites, Num 9:15-23

III. The Promised Land & Pivotal Decision: UNBELIEF or FAITH? 12 spies sent across the Jordan to survey the Promised land, Num 13:17

III. The Promised Land & Pivotal Decision: UNBELIEF or FAITH? 40 days later return with their report: 10 in fear/unbelief and 2 in faith, Num 13:26-33

III. The Promised Land & Pivotal Decision: UNBELIEF or FAITH? 40 more years of wandering in the desert, everyone 20yrs or older will die, (except Joshua & Caleb) Num 14

“The nation of Israel was standing on the brink of blessing, yet they missed it by a bad pivotal decision”

Moses Intercedes… Numbers 14:19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now."

Numbers 14:20-23 20 The Lord replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, 22 not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times-- 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

God took His people out of Egypt, now had to get Egypt out of His people!

Every decision is Pivotal for God’s blessing.

You cannot live outside God’s will and be happy.

You may be one step away from God’s Promise Land.