Kadesh Barnea Introduction to Joshua Numbers 13-14

Kadesh Barnea – a Pivotal Point  Beginning with Abraham ( Genesis 12:1-3) Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Kadesh Barnea – a Pivotal Point  Beginning with Abraham ( Genesis 12:1-3)  600+ Years Pass…  Enslaved in Egypt…  God Raises Moses…  Finally Ready to Enter “The Land”

Eratz (the Land) Vast, Ancient History  Sumerian Culture  Vital Crossroads  Strategic Military Area  Continues in the Modern Era… God’s Claim: “the Promised Land”

Eratz (the Land) The Cornerstone of God’s Activity in Human History  To “Bless the Nations…”  The Focus of Biblical Prophecy  Theater of WWIII  The Pinion of Salvation History

Eratz (the Land)

The View Behind Them

Eratz (the Land) “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.” Numbers 13:2 When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs. Numbers 13:23 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. Numbers 13:27

“BUT…” But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! Numbers 13:28 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13:33

The Minority Report But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” Numbers 13:30 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” Numbers 13:31 Theology vs. Reality

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. Starts with Unbelief “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” Numbers 13:31

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. Starts with Unbelief 2. A Distorted View of God So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge!” Numbers 13:32 “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Numbers 14:3

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. Starts with Unbelief 2. A Distorted View of God 3. Distorted View of Self We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13:33

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. Starts with Unbelief 2. A Distorted View of God 3. Distorted View of Self 4. Loss of Power We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” Numbers 13:33

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. Starts with Unbelief 2. A Distorted View of God 3. Distorted View of Self 4. Loss of Power 5. Distorted View of Leaders Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron…Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!” Numbers 14:2,4

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. Starts with Unbelief 2. A Distorted View of God 3. Distorted View of Self 4. Loss of Power 5. Distorted View of Leaders 6. Distorted View of the Past “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Numbers 14:2-3

From Unbelief to Rebellion (or, “Studies in the Heart of Rebellion”) 1. Starts with Unbelief 2. A Distorted View of God 3. Distorted View of Self 4. Loss of Power 5. Distorted View of Leaders 6. Distorted View of the Past 7. Chaos & Anarchy But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb… Numbers 14:10

God’s Response to Unbelief  God is an Imposing Figure But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. Numbers 14:10

God’s Response to Unbelief  God is an Imposing Figure  He Cannot Work With Rebellion And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?” Numbers 14:11-12

God’s Response to Unbelief  God is an Imposing Figure  He Cannot Work With Rebellion  He Lets Them GO Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice…. They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. Numbers 14:20-24 “‘You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised. But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness. Numbers 14:31-32

God’s Response to Unbelief  God is an Imposing Figure  He Cannot Work With Rebellion  He Lets Them GO  God Only Wants a Progress of Faith

The Momentum of the Heart Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12 You CAN Chose Your Way OUT: Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” Heb.3:15 We Can HELP Each Other! But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13

Today when you hear…” Alertness: “Today when you hear…” even after all the miraculous signs I have done…”  Lack of Gratitude: “even after all the miraculous signs I have done…”  Drowning in Excuses… “But…but…”  The Art of Reviling “…THEY did it!”  Confusion “…the deceitfulness of sin…” “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7

A Better Option God’s promise of entering his rest still stands…For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them… Hebrews 4:1-2 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Hebrews 4:10