Lesson 22 Part 1
ST. PAUL SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ”
(I Corinthians 11:1)
(With Frank Eiklor and Walter Contreras)
WINNERS AND LOSERS - THE BOOK OF NUMBERS
Lesson 22 (Part 1)
INTRODUCTION
What makes a person a winner—or a loser? What causes one to please God and another to grieve Him? Jesus told His followers that they would know people by their actions. And the Apostle Paul told us that all of the examples in the Old Testament were to be studied by us in order to know why some people succeeded and others failed.
We’re going through the first five books of Moses ( the Torah) as we learn from the examples of others. Eventually, I hope to cover all of the Old Testament books and examples. There will be, however, times I will leave this study in order to teach you other subjects and materials that I believe to be important for the times in which we live.
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Numbers |
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| 1:2,3,46; 2:3,10,18 and 25 |
Example of how when God orders the battle, He leaves no room for pride or jealousy. Note His placement of commanders, regiments (twelve tribes) and divisions (four groupings of three tribes each). |
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4:19,20 |
Example—Disobedience, even for an instant, was a deadly sin that cost Aaron’s sons their lives. |
| 6:23-27 |
Another example in how we are called to bless the children of Israel. |
| 8:9-10 |
Old Testament example of the laying on of hands for anointed service (note what we might call the Levites serving first as “deacons” for 25 years, then as “elders” from age 50). |
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WAIT ON THE LORD |
| 9:8, 22-23 |
Example of waiting on the Lord for orders, and acting in obedience. |
| 10:29-32 |
Example—A Midianite is called to bless Israel—and be blessed in the process. |
| 11:1, 4-6, 10-23, 31-34 |
Example of a congregation’s ingratitude and arrogance that left a man of God weary and brought judgment of the Lord. |
| 11:25-29 |
Example of God’s man free of ego and any need or esteem and power—delighted to see God using others in leadership. |
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PREJUDICE HAS A PAYMENT |
| 12:1-10, 13-15 |
An example—Miriam and Aaron are judged by God for racial prejudice—perhaps based on the color of Moses’ wife. |
| 13:1,2, 30-33 |
Example of two men with their eyes on self—the difference between courage and cowardice. |
Winners and Losers series continues Jesus said many would come in His name and deceive the hearts of the simple, sinful and proud. Eastern mysticism and meditation is a big thing in the gullible West. And one day a “world leader” will appear on the scene with the persuasion of a god and the heart of a devil. Jesus warns His children to know the Scriptures, live in obedience to the Father’s will, and stay alert to the signs of the times. They laugh no more. Now God’s description of how He will destroy the old earth and create a
new one makes perfect sense. The splitting of the atom turned many skeptics into believers.
After all, look what man himself is capable of doing with the atom and hydrogen bombs. Now
the fear is that nuclear weapons are being placed in the hands of madmen who wish to annihilate
their enemies. God has blessed man with incredible genius. We stand in awe as we watch men and women in a room full of computers and high-tech instruments guiding and landing spacecraft on distant planets. At that moment, we appear invincible. But then a mammoth tornado comes—or a terrifying hurricane—or rains that flood whole regions and never listen to our shouts to “Stop!”—or the shake that removes from under our feet any confidence or pride we carry, and leaves us numb with hardly enough breath to even utter the paralyzing word “EARTHQUAKE!”. And man is helpless in the face of it all! |
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