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This was the list of the people of Israel, 601,730. Numbers 26:51 (ESV)

The total number in the new generation are not far from that of the first census (603,550 in the first compared to 601,730 in the second). If we are unfaithful to the Lord it will not reduce the size of the Lord’s army but it will cause the size of our reward to be diminished or completely lost. Gods plans and purposes always come to pass.

But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the LORD had said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. Numbers 26:64–65 (ESV)

It has been 40 years since the last census and all the unbelieving generation has died in the wilderness. God has proven himself faithful in three ways, 1) he has passed judgement as declared, 2) he has preserved the people through the wideness journey and 3) he has kept the faithful Joshua and Caleb alive. As believers in Jesus we are warned against being unbelieving and so never entering his rest in Hebrews 3:7–4:2. We also learn we lose nothing through faithfully waiting on God. We must find ourselves counted with the new believing and conquering generation, not the unbelieving, wandering one.

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 1 Corinthians 8:1 (ESV)

Paul is teaching the Corinthians that true Christianity is founded in love, not knowledge. Knowledge without love can lead to an elitist type of faith community where those in the know are seen as superior to the ignorant…. This is the opposite to the teaching of God’s word. Self sacrificial love patterned after the love of Christ (shown in his death on the cross) builds up the church. Just because we know something dose not mean we should act on that knowledge, we must first ask, “will this build up or hinder my fellow believer(s)”. Our culture tells us knowledge is power and power gives us rights but the bible teaches that the real power is in serving one another in love.

yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 1 Corinthians 8:6 (ESV)

In an increasingly pluralistic society where it is popular to say all religions lead to God or that there are many gods, or even that we are gods this verse is a refreshing reminder that the lying demons, false religions and wicked men are not really gods and are can not be compared to the one true God. Idols are empty and without power, except over those that believe or fear them and the spirits behind them.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? Psalm 22:1 (ESV)

Jesus quoted this verse from the cross and in doing so he points us to look at this psalm as prophetic and to understand his suffering in light of it

“He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Psalm 22:8 (ESV)

This is said to the Lord Jesus when he is on the cross in Matthew 27:39–44. This points to the fulfilment of prophecy again. Also we can learn a lesson from Jesus’ response to those who dealt so cruelly with him

God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows. Numbers 24:8 (ESV)

The first two oracles of Balaam spoke of Gods unique covenant relationship with Israel, these last two are prophetic and point to Israel’s future kingdom and victory in the land of Canaan. God leads his people into victory just as Jesus alway leads us in victory. see Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 15:57, 2 Corinthians 2:14 and 1 John 5:4

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Numbers 24:17 (ESV)

Without really knowing it Balaam was prophesying about the Messiah which reminds us that the bible was inspired by God and is without error regardless of the tools God used to proclaim or record his word. The star and sceptre point to a future king and find their messianic fulfilment in Jesus.

Jesus’ birth is marked by the appearance of a star in Matthew 2:2 and in Revelation 22:16 Jesus is called the bright and morning star. The sceptre always spoke of authority and rule, in Genesis 49:9-10 Jacob said that the sceptre would never leave Judah, so the royal line from Judah would be eternal, this is also fulfilled by Jesus as the incarnate and risen king.

“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Numbers 25:11 (ESV)

We should like Phinehas have great zeal for the Lord to see his name honoured. Phinehas actions are a great example to us of the type of Spirit we should have in killing sin (in particular, compromise, rebellion and lust as 1d earlier in the chapter) in honour of God’s holiness. Jesus cleansed the temple in John 2:13-17 in fulfilment of Psalm 69:9 and we should be violent and ready to act in our spirit for the Lord’s glory too. see Matthew 11:12 and 2 Corinthians 9:3

For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 1 Corinthians 7:19 (ESV)

Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and the law given to Moses which have now been fulfilled and surpassed by Jesus. The main point of this entire section is that when we are called to faith in Jesus we do not need to do anything externally like changing jobs, changing our marital status or cultural / ethnic identity (circumcision), God can use and often does use us in the situation in which he called us initially to reach those around us. No matter what our situation is or how it changes we should be faithful in our devotion to the Lord.

His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. Psalm 21:5–6 (ESV)

This glorious king finds its ultimate fulfilment in Jesus, the Messiah King. In Jesus we see this glory and majesty in John 13:31 and Revelation 5:12. The Joy spoken of in verse 6 is fulfilled in him too, see Hebrews12:2

How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? Numbers 23:8 (ESV)

God is the sovereign king of the universe, his decrees stand and his will is accomplished, mans words are impotent and without any real power unless empowered by God. This is why we pray in line with Gods word and declare his word because our own words have no power but Gods words and thoughts are powerful and effective achieving God’s desired ends. see Isaiah 55:11

For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’ Numbers 23:23 (ESV)

Because as it says in verse 19 God is not a liar and brings his word to pass we can be confident just like Israel that no witchcraft can work on us because God has decreed that we will be blessed and not cursed in Christ. See Colossians 3:3

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)

This should go without saying but must be said because of the deceptive allure of sexual sin.

Sexual sin is different to other sins because it makes those involved joined in a spiritual way and breaks union with Christ, it destroys relationship, warps God given sex into a tool of the enemy and warps the mind and spirit of those involved, not to mention the offence this causes the Holy Spirit, the destruction it causes in families and society and the sexually transmitted diseases that can be contracted.

Paul makes clear here and in the next chapter that God intends dignity and honour for us and so Sex is a gift within the commitment and sanctification of marriage only… this flies in the face of everything our culture thinks about sex.

(but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:11 (ESV)

Our culture seems to treat marriage like a temporary item of clothing that is put on and then thrown off when another shirt becomes fashionable, this attitude is one of the reasons the divorce rates are so high. Strictly, married Christian couples should never get divorced.

So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.” Numbers 22:19 (ESV)

At first Balam can seem to be righteous but little things like this in the story reveal his true heart and intentions. He sought to bargain with God to his own gain. Balam was certainly gifted and is oracles which we will read about later were inspired by God but he was driven by selfish gain as mentioned in 2 Peter 2:15. Just because God used Balam does not mean he was a true believer in God or in right standing with God.

Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Numbers 22:28 (ESV)

There is an amazing parallel in the account of the talking donkey. The Donkey is a type of Balaam himself being driven by Balak to go in a way that is not right to curse Israel, but they meet resistance from God himself represented by the Angel and God opens the mouth of Balaam like he opened the mouth of the donkey to bless Israel… Balaam is like the donkey. We should beware of being driven by anything against God’s purpose. See Jude 11

you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 1 Corinthians 5:5 (ESV)

Paul’s main concern is for the purity of the covenant community (the church) and secondly for the man’s own salvation. Handing the man over to Satan means he is to be shut out form fellowship as part of church discipline. This will leave the man vulnerable to demonic powers, which it is hoped will drive him to put is fleshy ways to death and truly repent.

Cheap forgiveness or easy grace would lead the man and the church into a dangerous place of permitting compromise and sin in its members and would lead the self deceived man to be ultimately banished from Gods presence at the final judgment. Discipline and repentance are crucial for our lives and the life of the church.

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 1 Corinthians 5:12 (ESV)

Just because someone sys they are a Christian does not mean they are beyond judgement, in fact in brings us under greater scrutiny, those who claim to be believers should be judged by the standard of Gods word in the community of true believers. This certainly applies to those claiming to be leaders or who are in the public eye. We must boldly keep the body of Christ true and pure by judging ourselves.

And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. Numbers 20:28 (ESV)

The priesthood of Aaron prefigures the priesthood of Jesus Christ, although the Priesthood of Jesus replaces and supersedes that of Aaron. One of the key reasons what Jesus has a better priesthood is that he ever lives to make his promise good and intercede for the people unlike the Levitical priesthood that was always limited by death as we see in Aaron’s death (which according to verse 24 was judicial). See Hebrews 7:23-27 for the New Testament reading on this.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” Numbers 21:8 (ESV)

This prefigures Christ two and is explained best in the words of Jesus himself from John 3:14-15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 1 Corinthians 3:1–2 (ESV)

Paul is calling the Corinthians to maturity in Christ, it is not that he taught them a simplified Gospel, because the Gospel is the deepest and most profound truth in the world. The allusions to infancy, milk and being fleshy is Paul pointing to the immaturity in the hearers of his Gospel message. In them proclaiming themselves to be wise and seeking worldly wisdom, the truth of the Gospel was like milk to them when it is in fact solid food. This happens every week when Sermons are preached at church they are milk or solid food based on the way we hear not the message given. We do not need a change of diet but a change in perspective because the gospel is glorious!

For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 1 Corinthians 4:15 (ESV)

We need to clearly identify and thank God for our fathers in Christ, those who do not just teach but care for our souls… Our Pastors.