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Crossing the Line With God
Scripture Passage:
Numbers 20:1-11 Attached audio files:
Introduction:
Despite the harshness of the law, God dealt with His people Israel with much grace and mercy in their rebellions against Him.Moses himself had a special place with God- Meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
See All...) - Faithful in all God’s house (Numbers 12:7My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
See All...) - Spoke to God mouth to mouth (Numbers 12:8With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
See All...) - Pattern for the Prophet to come (Deuteronomy 18:18I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
See All...) - Found grace in the sight of the Lord (Exodus 33:17-23 [17] And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
[18] And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
[19] And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
[20] And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
[21] And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
[22] And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
[23] And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
See All...)
Yet Moses and Aaron crossed a line with God and was not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:12And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
See All..., Numbers 20:23-24 [23] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
[24] Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
See All...; Deuteronomy 1:37Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.
See All...; Deuteronomy 3:23-26; Deuteronomy 4:21-22; Deuteronomy 32:48-52).
The Bible teaches us that we can still cross lines with God (1 John 5:16If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
See All...; 1 Corinthians 11:29-31 [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
[30] For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
[31] For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
See All...).
Whatever made God so angry with such a man of God as Moses stands as a warning to us. We should guard our lives and hearts so that we do not cross that line.
- HE BELIEVED NOT
- The Privilege of Moses (see notes on Moses above); consider Luke 12:48But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
See All... - The Sin of Moses (Numbers 20:12-13 [12] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
[13] This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.
See All...) - The Sin of Unbelief
- Blocked entrance into the Promised Land (Hebrews 3:17-19 [17] But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
[18] And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
[19] So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
See All...) - Will block entrance into heaven (Hebrews 4:1-3 [1] Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
[2] For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
[3] For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
See All...; Revelation 21:8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
See All...; Acts 16:30-31 [30] And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? [31] And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
See All...) - Will block the working of God in your life (Matthew 13:58And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
See All...; Romans 4:18-21 [18] Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. [19] And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: [20] He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; [21] And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
See All...) - HE REBELLED AGAINST GOD’S WORD
- The Privilege of Moses (Numbers 12:8With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
See All...) - The Sin of Moses (Numbers 20:24Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
See All...; Numbers 27:12-14 [12] And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. [13] And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. [14] For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.
See All...) - The Sin of Disobedience
- A sin worthy of death (Joshua 1:18Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.
See All...) - The rebellion of Saul (1 Samuel 15:10-11 [10] Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,
[11] It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
See All..., 17-23) - Causing the wrath of God (Colossians 3:5-6 [5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
[6] For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
See All...) - HE SPOKE UNADVISEDLY
- The Sin of Moses (Psalm 106:32-33 [32] They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes:
[33] Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
See All...) - The Importance of our Words (Matthew 12:36But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
See All...) - Words spoken in anger (Ephesians 4:26Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
See All...) - Words spoken in jest (Ephesians 5:4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
See All...) - HE SANCTIFIED NOT GOD
- The Sin of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:48-51 [48] And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
[49] Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
[50] And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people:
[51] Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of MeribahKadesh, in the wilderness of Zin; because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel.
See All...) - The Example of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-3 [1] And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
[2] And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
[3] Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
See All...) - The Example of Hophni and Phinehas (1 Samuel 2:12-17 [12] Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
[13] And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
[14] And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
[15] Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
[16] And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
[17] Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
See All...) - The Sanctification of the Son (John 10:36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
See All...) - The Discernment of the Lord’s Body (1 Corinthians 11:29-30 [29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
[30] For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
See All...)
Nothing Unworthy – “Boleslaus, one of the kings of Poland, carried about with him the picture of his father; and when he was to do any great work, or set upon any design extraordinary, he would look on the picture, and pray that he might do nothing unworthy of such a father’s name. Thus it is that the Scriptures are the picture of God’s will. Before a man engages in any business whatsoever, let him look there, and read what is to be done, what to be omitted.” –from New Cyclopaedia of Prose Illustrations (page 10).
Conclusion: Though we live in an age of Grace and though anyone truly saved will never lose their salvation, we are still able to cross lines with God that bring certain judgment on our lives. If you are in danger of crossing the line, seek Him today. Cry out to God and turn your heart and life to Him with all haste.