Life as Mission in the Wilderness
God Gets All the Glory
Shadows of Sin and Rays of Glory
April 7, 2019 • Murray Lee
The curtain of Deuteronomy 34 opens as we, along with Israel, watch Moses walk the 10-mile journey to the mountain from which God will allow him to see the Promised Land and die. We silently witness one of the most remarkable event in all of Scripture: the death of Moses and his burial by God Himself. There was never anyone like Moses either before or after. It makes us wonder - if Moses isn’t getting into the Land on his own mertis, how will we?
Cultivating a Generous Heart
March 31, 2019 • Justin Pillsbury
In Deuteronomy 15, we read the instructions for the Sabbatical year of God's people. This Sabbatical year was a time for people to reflect on God's grace and to respond to others in a gracious manner. It is a reminder for us that as Christians, we should be some of the most gracious and generous individuals around, for we have a God who has been abundantly gracious with us.
The Greatest Commandment
March 17, 2019 • Murray Lee
The book of Deuteronomy is a sermon preached by Moses on the eve of his death and Israel’s entering the Promised Land. Moses recounts God wondrous work of salvation and calls the people to love God in return. In Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Moses gives what Jesus Christ will call the greatest and most central commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
The Bronze Serpent
March 3, 2019 • Murray Lee
The Israelites are complaining again. All of the first generation that came out of Egypt, except Joshua and Caleb, have died in the wilderness, and now their children are traveling into the land God promised them. When they rebel, God sends fiery serpents among them, and many of the people are dying. The people of Israel, recognizing their sin, call out to Moses to plead with God to take the serpents away. God does not take the serpents away immediately; rather, He provides salvation in the midst of the suffering.
Generational Sin and Infinite Mercy
February 24, 2019 • Murray Lee
If you’ve ever thought about how your sins as a parent affects your children, or how you’ve been affected by the sins of your parents, Numbers 20:1-9 provides us a realistic picture of the impact of generational sin as well as the infinite mercy of God given to us in Jesus Christ.
The Fingerprints of God in Judgment and Death
February 17, 2019 • Justin Pillsbury
The Israelites are nearing the end of their wilderness travels as they begin the third and final journey before entering the Promised Land. As they enter this journey we see one of the saddest events unfold in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible). It begins with the death of Miriam, Moses' sister, and ends with the death of his brother, Aaron. In between these deaths, Moses loses his cool with the grumbling, complaining Israelites by striking the rock to produce water instead of speaking for water to come forth as God had commanded. In the midst of death and judgment pervading this passage, we still see the fingerprints of God in the chaos and pain.
The Smell of Jesus
February 10, 2019 • Murray Lee
In Numbers 16, God strikes the people of Israel with a plague because of their persistent sins. But the plague is averted when Aaron, the high priest, takes coals from the altar and stands in between the wrath of God and the people of God. As God smells the aroma, his wrath is assuaged and the plague stopped. What happened? In Numbers 16 we get a dramatic foreshadowing of the work of Jesus Christ.
Holy Garments
February 3, 2019 • Murray Lee
Sandwiched in between two stories Israel’s rebellion are four curious verses that speak of tassels of blue that the people of Israel must wear. Seemingly out of place, the words actually assure us of profound truths that we must know: We are a holy nation of priests that the Lord has called to himself. And since the Lord is our God, we must remember who we were, act like who we are, and hope in who we will be.
The God Who Defends
January 13, 2019 • Murray Lee
Numbers 12 presents a different type of complaining by the Israelites. This time Moses’ own siblings, Aaron and Miriam, challenge his authority. In their ignorance they are levelling complaints against God Himself, and He will come down and judge these two. What can we learn from this text? Our sin is remarkably similar to Miriam and Aaron’s sin. Moses’ meekness and God’s judgement teach us something that we must know about our Savior.
The Provision of Elders
January 6, 2019 • Murray Lee
Why does God give us spiritual leaders? The people of Israel have lived at the base of Mt. Sinai for a year and still they long for the good ol' days in Egypt. Now, God provides the people with elders: men who will shepherd of the hearts of God's people and point them back to Him. Why we have spiritual leaders? We, too, need reminding that God is the True Shepherd of our souls.