1. Into the Wilderness
- The congregation is moving into the wilderness
- Ecclesia = congregation and church
- Israel moving is a type of church moving through life
- Wilderness
- Place of barrenness and demonic
- Place of temptation
- Punishment
- Miraculous provision.
2. Confession Numbers 5: 6,7
- Confession as as discipline.
- Confession is a Torah institution
- Remember the laying on of hands of the goat to be released into the wilderness?
- Don’t hear a lot about it because of Catholic tradition
- David ” against you and you only, have I sinned and done evil in your sight Psalm 51: 4
- Must make restitution with others whom we have sinned against, but it must start with God.
- The need for humility in the presence of God
- All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. Romans 3:23
- If we say we have not sinned, then we make God a liar and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:10
- Easy to excuse sin as it is not that bad
- Command as we walk through the wilderness “confess sin which he has committed and repent
- Message of the kingdom repent for the kingdom of God is at hand
3. Defining Confession
- To speak the same to agree with, to admit the truth
- God knows what we did so why confess ?
- A stubborn child that refuses to confess is more frustrating to a parent than the act that they did.
- Hints in the bible that a lack of confession can lead to illness “Oh lord be gracious to me; heal my soul for I have sinned against you.” Psalm 41:4
- Confession is agreeing with what the word of God says about who we are
- Purpose of the law. To show us how incapable we are to serve God.
- It does its work in our hearts
- Paul in his spiritual journey to being the chief of sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15, 16 and least of the apostles. 1 Corinthians 15:9
- Woman in act of adultery. John 8. Older men drop the stones first.
4. Repentance
- Quit sinning.
- John warned people to not only confess their sins, but to change to flee the judgement that was coming. Luke 3:7
- Add 20% to the wrong. Vs 7
- Making restitution is a practical way of showing repentance.
- EXAMPLE Zacchaeus Luke 19: 1-10. No prayer and not raising of the hand, but accepted confession and repentance.
5. Woman and bitter water. 5:11
- Woman accused of adultery can be brought before priest.
- Torah put in water and if guilty then destroyed by water. If innocent water exonerated her.
- Joseph and Mary. He decided to put her away quietly. (No trial by water)
- God himself exonerated Mary Matthew 1:18-25
- The water put with dust and word of God Numbers 5:19-22
- She drank the word of God and the name of God.
- Mary had the word of God in her and the dust of the word became flesh and dwelt among us.
- Water which was a curse became a blessing for her
- She will bear a seed Vs 28
- Mary bore the promised seed Genesis 3:15. Seed of Abraham to bless the nations. Genesis 22:18
6. Lining up with the living word.
- Have not sinned we make God to be a liar.
- Confess our sins and he is able to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
- Paul knew of sin, but talked about it in the past tense.
- Only through knowing sin, can we understand the grace of God and his acceptance.
- Knowing who we are as guilty before God and knowing his acceptance of us brings us to a right standing before Him.
7. Favor of the blessing. 6:27
- Favor in the midst of cursing.
- Exodus 17 judged God guilty of no water, he gave them water.
- Who can understand the favor of God
- God’s favor means our humility.
- Blessing for the name of God to be upon them. Numbers 6:27
- Bless you and keep you Every spiritual blessing is in Messiah Ephesians 1:3 all the blessings of Abraham have come upon Gentiles. Romans 15:29. Messiah is able to keep us from stumbling and make us stand in the presence of his glory. Jude 1:24,25
- Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. Messiah’s attention and pleasure. Saved through grace Romans 3:24. Freely bestowed on the the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:6-8
- Lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus the Messiah Romans 5:1. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts Colossians 3:15. No end to his government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom. Isaiah 9:7
- This is how the congregation walks through the wilderness.